1950′s: Conrad in the Army

1960s/70s – Conrad in the Army

1973: Carolyn, Conrad, and Baby Dana in Texas

2009 – Conrad at home in Osteen underneath assorted gARTw3rks’

2009 – Dana & Conrad at home in Osteen underneath assorted gARTw3rks

2008 – Conrad and his Pom: “Boogie”

2008: Conrad chillin’ outside by the fire pit in Osteen

Approx 2004 or 05: Conrad the X-mas Alien

Conrad – “wiggin’ out”

Conrad and Dana – the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Dana and Conrad – early 2000′s

Dana, Conrad, & Kenny in June 2003 at Dana and I’s wedding

Early 2000′s: Conrad, Coffee, & a lifetime of wisdom

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Wanna see more?: View the full set of over 100 photos of Conrad Lawrence with his family and friends across many decades.

As some of you may or may not know, my wife and I have been caring for her father for quite a few years now. When we first moved back out to Osteen from Orlando in the late 90′s, he was actually helping us out much more than we were helping him. Conrad’s always been the type of guy that would give you the shirt off his back if you asked for it. And although it felt good to know we were keeping him company after her Mom had passed away, it was initially his giving nature and quiet fortitude that really helped and inspired us in a time of need. But as time has gone on over the past decade plus.. our roles started to reverse and fittingly enough we ended up needing to be there for him in the final years of his life her on earth. That is what family is for though right?

So when Dana’s Dad had a stroke 7 or 8 years ago, our care for him became much more in depth and crucial to keeping him out of the VA hospital and/or a nursing home. And then as Conrad’s health slowly deteriorated more and more, the past few years in particular have been some of the toughest of our lives . In the mid 00′s Conrad developed Alzheimer’s disease which in turn affected his memory, and more importantly, his ability to care for himself in almost any capacity. On top of that and even though we got him to quit shortly after having the stroke, 50+ years of smoking cigarettes had already taken their toll on ol’ Conrad’s lungs. Emphysema & COPD (Cardiopulmonary Disease) made it increasingly difficult for him to breathe properly w/o oxygen machines, a nebulizer, and medications.

So finally this past Tuesday/Jan. 26th, 2010 and after a brave, arduous, and dignified battle.. Conrad’s body finally gave up the ghost and he ascended to another plain of existence from here at his home in Osteen, FL. Fortunately it was a calm, peaceful, and relatively painless passing. Through out all the time I’ve known Conrad and even in his most painful states, he never complained once, and I consider him to be one of the bravest, most noble people I have ever had the honor of knowing.

As tough as it’s been on Dana and I in every imaginable way, we’re trying our best to stay positive and dwell on the good times we had rather than the struggles. To concentrate on the benefits of it all rather than the negative aspects. We’re earnestly trying to look & learn from the experiences we had caring for her ailing elder parent in his final years as a gift rather than a curse, as some might. After all, it’s getting through the tough stuff n’ difficulties in our lives with dignity intact that builds character in a person. The cake work and walks in the park don’t teach us near as much as the trials and tribulations do.

So what has this experience and in turn Conrad taught us?.. Well, we’ve definitely learned what unconditional love truly means. We’ve learned the importance and reward of putting others before ourselves. We’ve learned that life is short, even if you grow to be old. We’ve learned to be thankful for what we have, instead of resenting what we don’t get. We’ve learned that to receive you have to give. We’ve learned that living a life of honor, dignity, respect, sacrifice, gratitude, compassion, and purpose is more valuable in the long run than any thing that you can put a price tag on.

Conrad taught us this. He was our teacher, our father, and our friend. While we mourn his passing and our loss, we celebrate his life and his genuine and giving spirit. We recommit ourselves to living our lives in a way that would make him proud. We shall honor his life and sacrifices by living our lives to the best of our abilities with nothing but gratitude and respect for the man we affectionately knew and loved as: “Pops’”, “Poppie-Cop”, “Cornbread”, “Con-man”, “Buster Brown”, “Daddy, and quite simply – Dad.

Conrad we will dearly miss you but most assuredly never ever forget you. Travel well. Be in peace, and be in light. See you in the stars and give our love to Carolyn, Winifred, and to all the ancestors.

Love Always – Matthew and Dana

PS – To see some photos of Conrad’s life over the years, please click – *HERE

With mere sand and light as the only tools/medium. 24 year old Ukrainian artist, Kseniya Simonova, creates a striking portrayal and interpretation of the German invasion into Ukraine during WWII. That is some pretty damn impressive artistry in my humble opinion.

Spreading love through art and understanding.

Learning more about him and the tragedies and tribulations he faced throughout his entire life, such as the murder of his father by Nazi’s, has made a profound effect on me as a hyper-sensitive w3rking artist/person. So eYe have posted some thoughts, links, a video, n’ such here on my site for those of you who may be interested in similar philosophical eccentricities. -And in a brave man who was willing to make the ultimate sacrifices in order to express some of the deepest of human conditions, emotions, and circumstances.

There’s a solid little article about Bas Jan Ader and a post-humous exhibit that you can check out here: www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/3652223/The-artist-who-sailed-to-oblivion.html

Goodbye Charlie. Love and Light amigo. You will not be forgotten.

Travel Well – Matthew Gar BaiLey

Telefon Tel Aviv’s – “Sound In A Dark Room” from the Immediate Action EP is most definitely going on the “21 Most Beautiful Songs I’ve Ever Heard Mix Volume #4″. It is a magically beautiful song.. in every way. I am thankful that it exists.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Telefon Tel Aviv have new record called “Immolate Yourself” out on Miss Kitten’s label: BPitch.

*Click on the flyer for a larger version.

PAINTERS showing w3rk:

Brice Stephens -  He’s pretty well known in the Central Florida for his contemporary paintings of women on glass, mostly windows.  Brice has had shows in many of the Orlando galleries and music venues.  IMO, this kat creates some super stellar w3rk.  Uber stylized sublime genius paintings.  Done with a touch and subtle flare which is all his own.  Elegant in some ways yet, as primal as the stars in others.  The beautiful and the ugly hold hands, celebrate.. commiserate. Acorns make oak trees. Girls become women. Brice confirms these very ideas with his delicately pure bristle and intricate sightISMs. We are happy as clams to have his w3rk in Deland at Caffe daVinci and in an Avant GARism production.

Cordelia Ryan – This painter is a long time friend of mine and bursting at the seems with drive and devotion to living a life as a true artist.  She’s been painting about 10 years, and recently returned from living in Portland, OR.  Her style is mostly abstraKted with plenty of visually attractive color schemes, forms, shapes and rhythms. Very energetic expressive w3rk..  ala Lee Krasner, DeKooning, Pollock, etc.   I’m stoked to be doing an event with Cordelia, and looking forward in helping to inform the local, general public about her many varied and honest talents with pigment, brush, & surface.

Gar Bailey – Guilty as charged and back in the saddle.  Ya’ll know how I do it.  I give, bring, express, explore, and expose it all.  Every ounce of me.  Every molecule of the blood in my heart.  Every bead of sweet that my skin makes.  Every breath in my lungs.  The electricity in my brain fires the pistons in my engine arms.  Organically charged chemical fires blanket MY earth with cosmically infused enlightenment experiments.

Sleeping in the swamp of myself.  Swimming in the bog.  Flying in the fog.  I’m a Gar-Fish with Alligator eYes and an Osprey’s heART.  A primordial soup stirs my spoon.  Standing at the dawn of creation. Staring into the Sun of the Stars where ideas come from.  The place where nowhere meets somewhere.

“I am constantly doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” – Pablo Picasso

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MUSICIANS performing at the opening:

alGARhythm – Resident weirdo shaman of multiple genres and piles of gear.  The driving force behind the Avant GARism spectacle of live, innovative audio/video. I’ll be armed with a totally new set, new vibe, new songs, fresh gear, a new video montage running through my projeKtor, and a pile of ingenuity for your voyeuristic electronique rock n’ rizoll pleasures and palpitations.

A_Scissors -  Symphonic Drum Machine Synthesizer Synchronization as a conduit for communication and transformation.  Cohesiveness of aesthetic. Like cheetah speed camoflauge. A liquid mirage. Like a soft child on a hard Earth..
Auditory bliss makes friends with the ratatat-tat-tick-tock-boom-click.  Metaphoria electro-caffinates and inflates the imagination of artistic cohabitation. Orchestrated, Analog “MueZeek” made for people & by a person, and made with a vulnerability & musical touch that one could describe as a “delicacy for the ear”.

Mr. Whitefolk - Subversive IDM music from the state that shaped like a phallus. This is a socially infused, sexually conscious, & politically charged electronic project by: Nigel John of Orlando, FL ; aka Dirty Politick aka NIgel ManPerson. Many of the recordings from this project in particular seem to take a sort of ambiguous approach towards dissecting and reassembling popular culture stereotypes & taboo’s.  If you think album sounds good,  wait till you hear him play and remix it all live.  *Speaking of which, get over to my NEW label, Hairy Sloth Records, and download the alGARhythm, A_Scissors, & Mr. Whitefolk EP’s for FREE right now.

Pan/Dos – This guy has found a way to legitimately combine TV, VHS, & Software into one of the most original and potent audio/video acts you will see.  There’s some glitch, some IDM, some Dance elements, some Punk Rock DIY aesthetic in there.  Tis some pretty well rounded music/video/aRt.  We’re over the moon to have Pan/Dos back again for an AG production.  This kat’s always a crowd favorite and bound to get folks talking and mind’s reeling.  You can also catch Pan/Dos in Orlando at BBQ Bar on Tuesday December 16th, 2008.  Followed by an A_Scissors & alGARhythm show at BBQ Bar on January 13th, 2009.

 BLAH-DOW!!!!

 Be there or be a Square!!

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The Venue:
Caffe DaVinci

Phone: 386-736-4646
Address:  112 West Georgia Avenue – Deland, Florida 32720
Cost:  Free before 9PM / 5$ after 9PM (helps compensate the musicians for all their hard w3rk)
Date: Saturday,  January 10th, 2009
Time:  Art opening from 7 – 9 PM / Live Music starts about 10PM & goes till about 1:30AM

*Please come out to this event!  they don’t happen all the time, and you will definitely not be sorry with this amount of talent on tap.

Links:
Avant GARism On Myspace
Hairy Sloth Records
Polyvibe Records

In trying to find ways to persevere and deal with losing him from this Earthly plain, I w3rked quite diligently last Thursday and Friday to complete this 2 foot-ish tall mixed media painting/assemblage in Tom’s honor. I believe it expresses much about of both Tom and I’s character, as well as even displaying some of the deeper intangible qualities of which one may feel as a human being living on planet EarF.

At the minimum.. It looks Bad-Ass!, and is in honor of my fallen homeboy.

Gone but never forgotten… -I love ya Tommyboy!

yer PaL – gaR BaiLey

30″ x 41″
Oil on Canvas
June 2008

For a larger view click on the thumbnail:

Photo taken on June 27th, 2008 at Sandra’s Toffolini’s: Rat Pack Charity Event for The Nancy and Daniel Benoit Foundation.  This painting was gift to Sandra, Nancy’s sister, and with empathy for all the families involved with this senseless tragedy.  To help fight steroid abuse and proliferation, u can go to: http://www.ndbfoundation.org