#champaign

8/3/26.

Fans of Arthur Russell take note. Nirosta Steel "represents 40 years or so of works, re-works and works-forever-in-progress of one Steven Hall, aka Nirosta Steel — son of Scotland; step-son of the United States of America; adopted Daddy of Taiwan; Five-Star General in the Buddhist Army; legendary horndog stickman (we have pics!); friend, neighbor, collaborator and co-conspirator of Arthur Russell." The co-conspirator release is called Foxy Pup.

Similar to the work of Arthur Russell, this can be experimental but there is always a sense of pop at its center. The album is being released by Ulyssa, a label based in Mexico. I love that right after they state the LP will ship in August, they state, "please be patient with us we're just a brokeass lil tape label <3". The first tape they released was a live set from John Mellencamp where he called one Lou Reed on stage. Wow.

*hbd*

A revisit of my 2018 installation piece 'Happy Birthday' took place in november 2025 within the brutalist rooms of Nuremberg art space SB - Space Between, curated by Carlos Cortizo.

The work juxtaposes a field of champaign bottles on the ground filled with a fading green liquid and a field of poppy flower capsules. The poppies are 9 different original replica cast into hard plaster and mounted upright against the wall. Each field is accompanied by a large audio speaker roaring sharp sounds of strong wind.