tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79278822777411011132024-03-05T09:59:36.895-05:00This is an archive. Click HERE for the new site.Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-89159470039689250062010-03-06T12:16:00.005-05:002010-03-07T11:01:39.141-05:00WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME NOW<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkZ5lcdKNKHRdfg5pjl8Fpw3qvCcJisktnF2dMVTtdx4KDSWb5ZsMbag0LPLhbUHrEsBkrPR_ZBl8Zm0oFaU0hETCziIY7wAZOcxFUbf_AyBGyUtsdFCG2O3f9xB7UYM3sa7Bd8yNzQdT/s1600-h/tumblr_kylcecSbg31qagvsu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkZ5lcdKNKHRdfg5pjl8Fpw3qvCcJisktnF2dMVTtdx4KDSWb5ZsMbag0LPLhbUHrEsBkrPR_ZBl8Zm0oFaU0hETCziIY7wAZOcxFUbf_AyBGyUtsdFCG2O3f9xB7UYM3sa7Bd8yNzQdT/s400/tumblr_kylcecSbg31qagvsu.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445571684638540018" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I am casting one last line into the fray here to say THANK YOU to those who have followed me loyally/attentively/blindly/accidentally in this forum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has been a pleasure writing for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>More importantly, I want to draw your discerning eyes to a new blog, whose subject and substance is the upcoming exhibition ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The outstanding summary below was written by my new project assistant, Sarah Humphrey. She has summed up my feelings exactly about Escape From New York. I hope you will join us at the new site:</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">http://escapefromnewyork.tumblr.com</p> <!--EndFragment-->Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-38944840738888374262010-03-06T12:14:00.002-05:002010-03-06T12:17:19.750-05:00ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I know what you’re thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You’re thinking that our manifest destiny on this continent has long since been fulfilled; the railroads have been built, and the shores of the Pacific Ocean from Malibu to La Jolla have been peppered with the condominiums and bronzed progeny of the Western pioneers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You’ve seen the sublime American landscape of Fredric Edwin Church and Thomas Moran, from Niagara Falls to the Chasm of the Colorado, and you’re pretty sure the terrain has been stomped conclusively into submission under the incessantly pounding feet of Dancing with the Stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As the natural synecdoche of the rest of the nation, this also applies to New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You know this because your once-charming pied-à-terre in Bushwick is now a J.Crew, and you’ve heard that there will soon be subway service to alphabet city.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And though perhaps you have never been, you assume things are pretty much the same in New Jersey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Empire has run its course, so to speak, so you might as well just stay east of the Hudson and suffer the congested homogeneity of a Thursday evening in Chelsea.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The exhibition ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK offers both a literal and theoretical alternative to the threat of absolute homeostasis in the artistic biology of the five boroughs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It proposes that the answer lies in moving Westward, into the historic landmarks and wide open spaces of Paterson, New Jersey, and other cities like it. It presents the work of more than 30 contemporary artists in the sprawling space of what was once a silk factory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It seeks to transform the Western fringes of New York City from a locus of exile to a haven of exodus, and to expose the artificiality of the Hudson river border.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Follow this link for previews of the participating artists, curatorial musings, and the show’s vital stats:</p><p class="MsoNormal">http://escapefromnewyork.tumblr.com</p><p class="MsoNormal">-Sarah Humphrey</p> <!--EndFragment-->Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-56249850968814388392008-04-13T17:42:00.001-04:002008-04-13T17:43:44.941-04:00Matthew Barney post upFor those still frequenting this old URL, click below for my Matthew Barney spotlight.<br /><br /><a href="http://olysmusings.blogspot.com/2008/04/no-shirt-no-service-vaseline-required.html">http://olysmusings.blogspot.com/2008/04/no-shirt-no-service-vaseline-required.html</a>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-46880766526342652402008-03-22T23:02:00.004-04:002008-03-22T23:20:27.544-04:00The beginning of the end of Oly's Musings Part 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGqz1ns-ecMR8gCh00iDQRT5aKjBwEKGG7vNpUAdW03Ew3GCodQigFMfLd_1MyDogVauEAZgf8MBI1EVKJ8mLJiNP1wnC8NDZw0EBirhTLcbm82TuK3p9KhkQLX6-oF8wnsq8nGImqzi7/s1600-h/IMG_1993.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180768353978151250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGqz1ns-ecMR8gCh00iDQRT5aKjBwEKGG7vNpUAdW03Ew3GCodQigFMfLd_1MyDogVauEAZgf8MBI1EVKJ8mLJiNP1wnC8NDZw0EBirhTLcbm82TuK3p9KhkQLX6-oF8wnsq8nGImqzi7/s400/IMG_1993.JPG" border="0" /></a>Hi, everyone.<br /><br />Over the next week or so I'll be making some big changes. First of all, I'm going to now be posting directly to <a href="http://olysmusings.blogspot.com/">http://olysmusings.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />The address of <a href="http://lamgelinaoly.blogspot.com/">http://lamgelinaoly.blogspot.com</a> will become an archive, but all posts will still be accessible. I feel that it's time I need to take my writing a bit more seriously, and though Perez Hilton might have found fame with a goofy blogger name, I most certainly will not.<br /><br />My blog's title will remain the same, because it's my nickname, and that's what I do-- "muse" on things-- But you should know that my real name is Olympia Lambert. I am an independent art reviewer in living in Brooklyn, and working in Chelsea in the art world. I'm very proud of the reviews I've written-- all while hopefully maintaining a sense of humor and directness not in the usual realm of things. It probably will be a long time before I take Jerry Saltz's job away, but I'm working on it.<br /><br />In the meantime, I thank you for your continued readership.<br /><br />Next week marks the return of the biggest week in the NY art scene. I will be covering as many fairs as possible, just as last year. In the meantime, feel free to check out my latest review at ArtCal's Zine of <strong>Amy Vogel at Larissa Goldston</strong>. I found it to be one of the more interesting shows to see right now. <a href="http://zine.artcal.net/2008/03/amy-vogel-at-larissa-goldston.php">http://zine.artcal.net/2008/03/amy-vogel-at-larissa-goldston.php</a><br /><br /><br />Be well!Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-54427217687126400542008-03-13T00:53:00.012-04:002008-03-13T01:23:03.938-04:00Whitney Biennial Part I -- Forget the art, what were they wearing?Truth be told, everyone's already done a blog of some sort on the <strong>Whitney Biennial</strong>, and most of them focus on the art, as rightly should. Some liked it, some didn't-- such is life. I, as well, liked some of it; some not so much-- such is life. Anyway, lately I'm finding it more and more difficult to get in my writing time. Getting those precious hours to see exhibits is difficult when you work in a gallery, but there is an added benefit-- being able to go to "opening nights" and the occasional "museum function." So instead of focusing as much on the art of the Whitney in my first post-- which was generally unanimously agreed as being totally bereft of all color other than beige and grey-- let's talk about what the people were wearing, because we all know that's what really matters in the world of art biennials!!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbl3T9gqkkHDiQx4UtGO3hqehYhv-8nellm5mCAkvuf20qSR80V1S-Vx7CPG_ER3sM8cPJbviyZxhkGSblFiPwpqZtMB9UL3UCyMs0ks9VdHIU_u1OlrgYILfFWy1VYcI8StOJzKzQG9Vu/s1600-h/tony+and+bronson.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXTB3WIxyUxrwjMWZIJIxuGECdkCpjF57zk1FSTeURO6weBH4ULmYMP8ov4QfNTo4z57l5tzaNkC3NzoE8rfJdaawMBpYh0fz03pCtI-EEaP-uJsmzO8eSGoJCu03gHSC0ZwnJzWKhUO8/s1600-h/tony+and+bronson.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlmSx6_Sw2VtjE6Tm7BPZVeqh0pGvyaO5iOBMs4M37F9_hdsSmDm3ZOUMmGa0BusKzZtvN0rI8aI8Vy9E-9yu1cuBsv41ZL_3mFHMjhDOMFjHgk2i1bl5ERM9FcoBe88nOGPAOfxUwFNV/s1600-h/tony+and+bronson.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177085101867954114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlmSx6_Sw2VtjE6Tm7BPZVeqh0pGvyaO5iOBMs4M37F9_hdsSmDm3ZOUMmGa0BusKzZtvN0rI8aI8Vy9E-9yu1cuBsv41ZL_3mFHMjhDOMFjHgk2i1bl5ERM9FcoBe88nOGPAOfxUwFNV/s400/tony+and+bronson.jpg" border="0" /></a>Of course first up there was <strong>A.A. Bronson</strong> riding in the elevator directly next to me. Little did he know that directly next to him was the girl who had given his recent John Connelly show a negative review. I hunkered down, slouching my shoulders, hiding behind my program. Either way, Bronson's beautiful purple kurta struck me quite dramatically in the sea of non-color. To say nothing of those glasses of his. Quite funky. And sure enough, down the stairwell was dealer <strong>Tony Shafrazi</strong> adorned in a dramatic purple tie with that shocking piece of white hair of his. I found it funny that I go to the ArtForum Diary, and sure enough, there he was right next to Bronson. Literally in the order I encountered him.<br /><br /><br /><div><p align="center"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/20061207deitch.jpg" border="0" /><strong><span style="font-size:85%;color:#993399;">(Jeffrey "I'm pretty darn adorably cute and not really an ice cream cone" Deitch<br />care of New York Magazine, photo by Patrick McMullan)</span></strong></p><br /><p>In fact, purple was the color of the evening. Lots of dresses and boots, and platform stillettos in the hue. But leave it to <strong>Jeffrey Deitch</strong> as always to have the best suit and tie combo. Purple and white stripes. Glasses as always impeccable. True, he is NOT shaped like an ice cream cone, as Deitch's website so deceptively portrays. Could it be that they have taken artistic license with his persona? Perhaps. I did not ask him what his favorite flavor was, and instead, smiled at my slight pace behind the legend himself. There's something about Deitch that makes me want to hug him. Yes, I find his lil' mug cute, even though I can occassionally art the "trash" he shows. Ahem... cough.. Nestnnnest...nest...dsshhh...snowcone... colon cancer... Cough. Sorry, frog in my throat. Go to <a href="http://www.deitchprojects.com/">http://www.deitchprojects.com/</a> for the to-die-for ice cream cone man with music to boot.</p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1jOPbbHAmuHRahxYx3bIDXAVCuugEeA4-j2PrJ9phXPEPP13eYSMbvHf_aO8003F-7HvX885f2eh2GBuZgHOyKE-CxElRj2gCuc65IwWoDg0Xy9b9ZzrcI34yRe5gpoS3XxD-dn3twdr/s1600-h/fashionista.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177085213537103826" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1jOPbbHAmuHRahxYx3bIDXAVCuugEeA4-j2PrJ9phXPEPP13eYSMbvHf_aO8003F-7HvX885f2eh2GBuZgHOyKE-CxElRj2gCuc65IwWoDg0Xy9b9ZzrcI34yRe5gpoS3XxD-dn3twdr/s400/fashionista.jpg" border="0" /></a>Anyway, it was a lot of fun people watching. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMHHVpPjU_P39wvYvQMdKSPjId2W3NY56qEd_YQ9UXyHOp3iE2uSaW8zt4gxWgiZwyYjlIgrPpiU8Vq8KU-nlZX_73MPUgTDMt0KrHkaFX8VbGnN-mUVBgvQJPqZkB1bSBRAH821koJ38/s1600-h/fashionista.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgayLjVuycIo7n675rHbgJxjyi9QMkaxfeGidjg4ycTFA6WBaYXob0MH1dPxqLLTDgJwhpdPQs7m4qKnDcdGORURZ2F4HWcxXo2xmUUjzqF9W_p9aggqyRDqDGs5UWJefuiFf7J6gjWu9f/s1600-h/fashionista.jpg"></a>I enjoyed the scene as photogs blasted away taking pics of <strong>Doreen Remen</strong> (a member of the Art Production Fund trio of power grrrls) in her "message art" dress, off the shoulders, D.I.Y., very punk, very Vivienne Westwood, very <strong>WHAM! "Make it Big!".</strong> No, seriously. Where was the "<strong>Choose Life</strong>" shirts and <strong>Andrew Ridgeley</strong>? Not sure of the designer it was, but it rocked, as did the general feel of fashion taking over the art. Oh, wait. Did I say that? Oh, that's right. The two are one. Fashion is art. Art is fashion. We have osmosis. Yeah.</p><br /><p>Certainly I don't expect these functions to communicate to the masses, because part of the biggest problem with contemporary art today is the fact it speaks only to those within its community. The "man on the street" quotient is completely obliterated. Then the gliterrati sits back and says, "Why don't people support the arts?" Well, maybe because we're putting in sculptures based on the shapes of bird shit, for one, and then calling it Giacometti. Uh... no. But alas, that's another post. Enjoy. </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">(DISCLAIMER. PICTURES USED HERE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF ARTFORUM INTERNATIONAL, AND THE WORK OF PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID VELASCO. THIS DOES NOT EXCUSE ME FROM POSSIBILITY OF LAWSUIT. I'M JUST GIVING PROPS WHERE PROPS ARE DUE.)</span></strong></p><p> <a href="http://a3.vox.com/6a00b8ea072de81bc000e39898d2fb0003-200pi"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://a3.vox.com/6a00b8ea072de81bc000e39898d2fb0003-200pi" border="0" /></a></p><p> </p></div>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-37142687054710014522008-02-26T22:34:00.012-05:002008-02-26T23:02:22.871-05:00Cai Guo-Qiang-- I want to believe these cars won't fall on my head<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSjfy5CLkbDLJTYinLTbisftk9sgw-UE8_d89_322LguNOks8thC2jD27J6cTWF-B1TW8PnR8Bj4v76LACrGWBYjlCDH9j7PZPJaM8pAMhpTlKINhDKES92pfepVW3IUPQ7dQ-NNAuBOl/s1600-h/IMG_5893.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171499222829185762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSjfy5CLkbDLJTYinLTbisftk9sgw-UE8_d89_322LguNOks8thC2jD27J6cTWF-B1TW8PnR8Bj4v76LACrGWBYjlCDH9j7PZPJaM8pAMhpTlKINhDKES92pfepVW3IUPQ7dQ-NNAuBOl/s400/IMG_5893.JPG" border="0" /></a>In short summation-- a show totally worth seeing, if only for the herd of Geo Metros being "bombed" up and over utilizing the Gug's atrium. It's a pretty stunning piece, especially from beneath. When you really look at how a vehicle explodes, the centrifugal forces always start with the motion of the trunk popping up vertically, then doing a somersault in mid-air. <strong>Cai Guo-Qiang</strong> uses the laws of physics and the structural weight-baring capacity of <strong>Frank Lloyd Wright's</strong> architecture to his own benefit with this brilliant take on the initial impact of a suicide car bombing.<br /><br />Of course there's commentary here on the "war on terror," but you realize that with the cheaply mass produced "Metro" in use, that this is more than just a war being waged on Islamic fundamentalism, but also a shot to the heart of capitalist worshippers everywhere. We're losing the economic war to the behemoth powerhouse that the People's Republic of China has become. Whether telling of emerging artists, or emerging markets, <strong>Qiang's</strong> wildly successful when he's working with the sublime.<br /><br />Truth be told, I found this much more Studio 54 meets Macy's 4th of July, but hey, what do I know.<br /><br />"Head On," (aka the "piece with 99 lifelike wolves running and leaping in formation up the ramps of the museum, eventually crashing head-first into a plexiglass wall)-- is a tour de force, but I was pretty darn disappointed by the guys up close. I had expected these fierce creatures who'd rip me apart shred by shred; instead, what I got was a bunch of natty-looking stuffed animals that you'd see some kid throwing a fit over inside F.A.O. Schwartz. Their faces looked almost lovable at some points, and their eyes reminded me of a teddy bear's. Except for the gummy mouths gaped open in mid howl/growl there wasn't much ferocity behind them. After all, the piece isn't necessarily about nature and man, but more on man's #1 quality of being more lemming than lemmings. "Learn from your ancestors," <strong>Qiang</strong> seems to cry. Unfortunately, no one listens. Oly herself randomly smiled and walked under the wolves admiring their anatomically correct parts.<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171499502002060018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9dGFApiHFySvD9hhuvyHl0YQ9HCNhjilr_IB_On5z_cuBx04SvAAEa2H9myGyEbmKG0WfWt9eb15tDtSEpK8U9lvHTfzyKOhb51jFyjqFtBEIvyRkzW6rvlVC2PN179Cu0HXRLvaYcuX/s400/IMG_5906.JPG" border="0" />Now I must say that I'm digging that the Guggenheim is making great strides in showing the contemporary artists of today, but honestly, I felt that the show drags a bit-- especially towards the top levels.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMIIzUz527AdxPdY-E1EqJabC1VwDOJgKPOBHWIlpGLVm5xhAAlqi-LDky24OTE8k3bWTvLx44mfhQnCqOacO309s0n1YHHASXHpc0PP09LYDlEVN9cfn592cp8e_rskneFKVQWzD1R8n/s1600-h/IMG_5902.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171499832714541826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMIIzUz527AdxPdY-E1EqJabC1VwDOJgKPOBHWIlpGLVm5xhAAlqi-LDky24OTE8k3bWTvLx44mfhQnCqOacO309s0n1YHHASXHpc0PP09LYDlEVN9cfn592cp8e_rskneFKVQWzD1R8n/s400/IMG_5902.JPG" border="0" /></a>The gunpowder "drawings" are beautiful creations, but they don't seem to work in the very architecture of the Guggenheim itself. The ceilings seem to cramp their style. I felt that they need a much more monumental wall to hang from-- here, they felt almost secondary to the randomly placed video screenings throughout the show. Either way, you've got to enjoy the sheer pyrotechnic power of <strong>Qiang's</strong> work. But honestly, I'm more into the work of another artist who specializes in explosions-- Ms. Rosemarie Fiore.</p><p><a href="http://www.rosemariefiore.com/">http://www.rosemariefiore.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfBz_uajEJKlNze_R2tJhoVwamFPriFYE9FryCmCyRBxKdV6C4RfxfwL4zRPJld9dIaY4l3ViczW4MdHWTmMBt6SMCuEYuno3qGrS8FwGs0REn2ilwOULqJ8eWKE223OiQ7PkDyObdAFf/s1600-h/IMG_5901.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171500167721990930" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfBz_uajEJKlNze_R2tJhoVwamFPriFYE9FryCmCyRBxKdV6C4RfxfwL4zRPJld9dIaY4l3ViczW4MdHWTmMBt6SMCuEYuno3qGrS8FwGs0REn2ilwOULqJ8eWKE223OiQ7PkDyObdAFf/s400/IMG_5901.JPG" border="0" /></a>Maybe it's that side of me that craves "color" and all that jazzmatazz, but the sepia tonalities made me sink into a deep visual depression. It seemed as if I was trapped in a Buddhist temple with no way out.<br /><br />Also of note besides the exhibit itself was the relaunching of the newly refurbished exterior of the Guggenheim. They really did right to do the much-needed repairs, and the facade is just immaculate right now. It felt almost like going back in time to its heyday.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guggenheim.org/">http://www.guggenheim.org/</a></p><br /><br /><p><br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171500661643229986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPm_wotBtjSDWI8F5sDkARyHhLV-Ba20aWXT-hFqItzL2t4PC6WDrZMfWAyfwZnM1xOG-1T1vyDqzYv0LEMjZwRlCmC4SoxkafKx0CdCDlWZwf98BlHkgSwnnyhqybjzs8QijSLrvEf0cN/s400/IMG_5898.JPG" border="0" />Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-25524089753218099762008-02-23T21:40:00.003-05:002008-02-23T21:57:36.486-05:00PINK EYE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rqHMf4vOWc0HHYJOhEmicBd8v59NrT1lPHTrEc-z4pD2DYKGpmeF_HRZtMfYXihHroqHIMM-78Hn2WCl8zpfPie3-vAIkHG1I7SblU5lqlSKru6uMc_Q1pKdt6nnGGBy7zU1il8aAvpv/s1600-h/IMG_5727.JPG"></a><div><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2265/1647357782_5c1dd07c02.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2265/1647357782_5c1dd07c02.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff6666;"> (cool image of pinkeye fishes by <strong>lightsight</strong> on Flickr)</span></em></div><div><br /><br />Maybe it's from hanging out with too many donkeys in Vermont, but I have pink eye.<br /><br />How on earth does one GET pink eye, anyway?</div><div> </div><div>On "South Park" it turned people into flesh-eating zombies.<br /><br />I also have adenovirus.<br /><br />It's amazing, but I also have laryngitis right now as well!!<br /><br />By all accounts, this art blogger should be dead.</div><div><br />But I still live... unlike poor Kenny.<br /><br />But I shall return... hopefully, seriously, next week, when the pink eye goes away and I feel good enough to actually write again.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ImNmKhkyxUvuq6jBuwx1DatKbhpFqBwbWhBo9q9TDvd05e2-lW4ROxSkpNGgjRbdF-fyePAyMEL7DfilMlSEtJ7XkwiGtf2HmUoRRvkZO4AgCWC8WM2XIRlNiZXr_muqAVGkkyKcJGdz/s1600-h/IMG_5739.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170375131103574594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ImNmKhkyxUvuq6jBuwx1DatKbhpFqBwbWhBo9q9TDvd05e2-lW4ROxSkpNGgjRbdF-fyePAyMEL7DfilMlSEtJ7XkwiGtf2HmUoRRvkZO4AgCWC8WM2XIRlNiZXr_muqAVGkkyKcJGdz/s400/IMG_5739.JPG" border="0" /></a>In the meantime, keep reaching for the stars, and Elmore and Garfield say a big hello from their barnyard.</div>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-24172799575486101042008-02-07T13:02:00.000-05:002008-02-08T00:52:07.107-05:00Dust you are and unto dust you shall return...<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.tinakimgallery.com/files/e433cb1a.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;">"As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"<br />"Do you see all these great buildings," replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."<br />From Mark 13:5</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;color:#990000;"></span><br />Just as Jesus predicted, "All things must pass."<br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#990000;">(*Or was that George Harrison?)</span><br />And so, too, have the Gothic churches of Poland, as exquisitely showcased in the creations of artist<strong> Joanna M. Wezyk</strong>, opening this Friday at <strong>Tina Kim Gallery</strong>. <strong>Wezyk's </strong>work takes a heart-wrenching look into these monolithic structures and the system they once supported that seemed forever ingrained in a culture so steeped in faith. But before I get into the inner frameworks of Wezyk's works and the structures themselves, let's take a look at the stage they are set on.<br /><br />In January of 2007, the Archbishop of Warsaw, Stanislaw W. Wielgus, admitted to previous collaborations with the Polish <em>Sluzba Bezpieczenstwa</em> (s.b., or "secret police"). "Collaborations" is a multi-layered word here in this instance. For in the days of the "s.b.," this could mean anything from a briefing on what the Sunday collection was, to who might have been a supporter of the Solidarity movement. In the case of one outspoken priest's support of <em>Solidarnosc</em>, Jerzy Popieluszko, he was murdered in 1984. One can only imagine the level of influence to which clandestine informants helped in his demise. It's been estimated that nearly 15% of all Catholic priests in Poland during this period had some dealings with the s.b. Shortly after this revelation, Wielgus resigned in a flurry of controversy, shaking parishioners to their core. Here was a man elevated to a prodigious position of power in the nation's most populous city, and now, with the end of the John Paul II era, the church must reevaluate its own leadership and the roles they've played in the former Eastern Bloc.<br /><br />Along with the ever present role that scandals have played in the breakdown of the Roman Catholic Church-- in the U.S. as well as abroad-- there are certainly other factors at work here, and first and foremost is the European Union's rapid escalation as a dominant economic powerhouse, and the secular overhaul of society at large. The church's influence on society has seen a rapid decline across Europe. Mass attendance is lower than 30% in many formerly predominant Catholic nations. Poland in particular, the very homeland of Karol Jozef Wojtyla himself, has yet to see the level of empty pews that have vanquished parishes with a rapidity not unlike the plague in the rest of Europe, but this is changing. A crisis of faith, lack of funds, and erosion of confidence is at play here as the once magnificent cathedrals sit in disrepair, awaiting a preservation that is more patchwork that total overhaul. In the case of Wielgus, here was an instance-- though long suspected-- that the very institution that helped to foster and form the gel of the Solidarity movement had in its own ranks those who assisted (though possibly inadevertantly) in the crackdown of pro-Democracy forces. And when the leadership which has long been held dear in the hearts of many Poles starts to crack, so too, do the walls of the institutions that house them.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164306989779957762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQtevxcoWazgT_VK9gWjhUhXyjzFuv8aKVPxEPcqUCnxBfQrrwTlQKv68N1o_XwbUtb2wfEcyjxcHpxN1CkMqv3a96HowYJNRA_tJswHSFHFxcY68RZ0hcQt9rHDJmqMl1OtqFKqEX9jo/s400/ceiling+detail.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><span style="font-size:85%;">("Earthquake in Assisi," above)</span><br /></span></p><p><br />Today is Thursday, February 7th. The ranks of the faithful in Poland are awakening to the morning after their most attended holy day, Ash Wednesday. I almost have to wonder how the halls of these churches must sound with the faithful singing en masse. So many centuries of turmoil, of death, of pain; a culture torn assunder by war, genocide and political upheaval. Each of the above plays an important role in the works on display.<br /><br />And so, now, the stage is set. Hopefully, readers, you're still with me. On Friday, one of the most beautifully and emotionally painted exhibits to hit the New York art world will open in Chelsea. <strong>Joanna Wezyk</strong>, a native of Krakow, absorbs all of the above mentioned elements into her paintings and more.<br /><br />I recently met her at SVA's MFA open studios. But since I had already spotlighted two of her fellow classmates (<strong>Nicholas Fraser and Sarah Ferguson</strong>), I didn't want to necessarily rush into another review too soon. There's something about becoming the "go-to" blogger that can be a little risky, but I've decided that I love her work and I'd like to tell you so. And when have I ever not taken risks?<br /><br />There's so much history evoked in each of her pieces. During Poland's darkest days-- and yes, where do we even begin-- the church served as a place of refuge, of safety and of neutrality. But as time goes by, as was the case of the previously mentioned Archbishop, we see not only a move towards the secular, but also a different value system taking hold-- that of the Western World and the new "almighty," currency. Given its chokehold on worshippers across the planet, suddenly these Gothic Cathedrals-- architectural marvels, hallowed halls filled with the spirits of millions of worshippers whose stories in many cases will forever be untold-- have begun their descent into disrepair, disuse, and ultimately demise.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#cc0000;">(Detail of "Red Cherry Picker" below)</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJiTbwT-OwKE-KeW_53TnmEjzF5npsTrMOZ_oHJ222yJWBqTjSU56Y8ByGqC1bvAT_DTa9ME_B_J2TwmFTRbEqpVPQWvzMfzIODEM-BrNBXg279FA7gpIfotPobEAqOchipWDg-RLn3QG/s1600-h/wezyk+detail.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164305555260880866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJiTbwT-OwKE-KeW_53TnmEjzF5npsTrMOZ_oHJ222yJWBqTjSU56Y8ByGqC1bvAT_DTa9ME_B_J2TwmFTRbEqpVPQWvzMfzIODEM-BrNBXg279FA7gpIfotPobEAqOchipWDg-RLn3QG/s400/wezyk+detail.JPG" border="0" /></a>The stories to tell are numerous-- a caved-in ceiling; peeling plaster; the juxtaposition of an altarpiece next to yellow construction tape; a boom lift sitting prostrate in front of the crucifix. There's so much sadness in each of these works. The high gloss of the oil paint itself gives rise to a feeling of blurred reality. The house of the one without original sin is now being sinned against. I think back to my own feelings of sadness at encountering the wreckage of the First Roumanian-American Synogogue on Rivington Street a few years ago. My eyes immediately focused on the carnage that lay before me-- two shattered stained glass Stars of David lie next to a bulldozer, bricks lay all around-- awaiting their final resting place. Wezyk's role as artist here is so important, because not only is she making a huge contribution to the art world at large, but also serving as a documentarian of history. Because of her own experiences as a Pole, she's bringing herself and her own experiences into the work-- not an easy task in today's shock value laden world of art stars. This takes great courage and great thought.<br /><br />Seriously, check out her show.<br /><br />You'll be saddened, amazed, sentimental, and hopeful all at the same time.<br />Beautiful work from a multi-talented artist.<br /><br />For more information, please go to:<br /><a href="http://www.tinakimgallery.com/">http://www.tinakimgallery.com/</a><br /><br />or check out Wezyk's website at:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.joannawezykart.com/">http://www.joannawezykart.com/</a> </p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.artcal.net/event/view/1/6389">http://www.artcal.net/event/view/1/6389</a></p><p> </p><p>artcal-6389</p>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-82895461542900413762008-01-30T18:54:00.001-05:002008-01-30T19:02:16.837-05:00Great deal on some PRIME real estate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd24Mw0v9hysQrlY2MFY6EQh_BwL8MwFIpID9Fu1GM4Yn3nyPunZ1zRy_j9iWeNXX8qs0pLU5c_L8xm6o30MzY6LfcHprdHq3Lw_pM8yJ4pu1CJG0Em6X1KtXJXXmpRJdVqv0BmXMvawDM/s1600-h/dia.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161422618592982994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd24Mw0v9hysQrlY2MFY6EQh_BwL8MwFIpID9Fu1GM4Yn3nyPunZ1zRy_j9iWeNXX8qs0pLU5c_L8xm6o30MzY6LfcHprdHq3Lw_pM8yJ4pu1CJG0Em6X1KtXJXXmpRJdVqv0BmXMvawDM/s400/dia.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong>Dia Chelsea</strong>, anyone?<br /><br /><strong>Jorge Pardo</strong> deinstallation fees not included.<br /><br />Mega broker <strong>Brown Harris Stevens</strong> gets the goods.<br /><br />Any guesses on the price range?Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-27165970624030516912008-01-30T00:00:00.000-05:002008-01-30T01:10:02.222-05:00Yeah, I know I write an art, not food review, blog, but...<a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/443905154_c58ca9014d.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/443905154_c58ca9014d.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> ...I can't help it.<br /><br />Art needs a break every once in a while for that other pasttime of mine-- EATING!<br /><br />So I'm giving my readers two restaurant recommendations.<br /><br />1. <strong>X.O. Cafe & Grill, </strong>long a favorite of mine in Chinatown on Walker Street.<br /><br />This evening I probably had the most outstanding dumplings yet from their fantastic menu.<br /><br />There's nothing... I repeat, nothing fresher, more crunchy, more succulent, and scrumptious than the snow pea leaf dumpling on their Dim Sum list.<br /><strong><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff0000;">(pic of actual X.O. dumpling by Roboppy on Flickr)<br /></span></strong><br /><br />I mean, look at that thing!<br /><br />It has (at least I think it has) snow pea leaves, water chestnuts, black mushrooms?? and possibly garlic) stuffed so neatly inside.<br /><br />It comes with this excellent, thick and sweet dipping soy sauce.<br /><br />I add the hot chili oil to it, and it just brings me to tears.<br /><br />So good it melts in your mouth.<br /><br />Besides their dim sum, they're quite known for their hot pots (sizzling beef and veggies on your table) as well as the pretty ridonkulous fake tree in the middle of the joint.<br /><br />(<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/NoSvSAhVwUFLeqRG-gBtQg?select=GNMsc5VlPklBODfdhUwIWw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/NoSvSAhVwUFLeqRG-gBtQg?select=GNMsc5VlPklBODfdhUwIWw</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/443904040_05c9b0eb1d.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/443904040_05c9b0eb1d.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a>And... and... if that's not enough, take a look at my other favorite dum'lin'... the crystal shrimp dumpling.<br /><br />The shrimps are meaty, sweet, pink, and so delicious.<br /><br />I love the litle orange roe on top, not unlike <strong>Christo and Jean Claude's</strong> perfect shade of orange.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">The Gates</span></strong>, anyone?<br /><br />In fact, I believe these are works of art.<br /><br />Indeed.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">(<strong><span style="font-size:85%;">photo again credited to Roboppy on Flickr</span></strong>)</span><br /><br />And I finished it off with my usual Taro Root bubble tea.<br /><br /><strong>X.O.</strong> is located on 96 Walker Street by Lafayette Street.<br /><br />It's right around the corner from the Canal Street subway station.<br /><br />And second, I had my first ever Sri Lankan food the other day.<br /><br />The <strong>Nirvana Cafe</strong> in Gramercy exceeded my expectations.<br /><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/55/177186989_db07559f07.jpg?v=0" border="0" /><br /><p align="center"><em><strong>(a look into the spice influences of Sri Lanka-- image from Byflickr on Flickr)</strong></em><br /></p><p>I thought Sri food would be very similar to Indian.<br /><br />Yeah, sorta, except imagine your spicy quotient upped to heights never before seen, and sauces that are never liquidy, but thick and rich.<br /><br />I had a quite chunky mint chutney that was truly from the gods.<br /><br />This sat atop my order of <strong><em>vadai</em></strong>, 4 crisp lentil patties fried to a crisp perfection.<br />So delicate, and yet so meaty.<br /><br />There's much more influences in their food than I expected-- French certainly being one of them.<br /><br />As for the spices, my mouth was on FIRE the entire night, and I just wanted more and more.<br /><br />I was tempted to get the <em><strong>hoppers</strong></em>, <span style="font-size:85%;color:#339999;">(crispy, curved crepes, one with egg in center, served with a chili relish katta sambol and a curry*),</span> but I knew if I ate more than the 5 pounds of food I had received so far, I might explode.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lankalibrary.com/Food/hoppers.htm">http://www.lankalibrary.com/Food/hoppers.htm</a><br />(check out this recipe for do-it-yourself hoppers-- Warning, <span style="font-size:78%;color:#ff0000;">bad joke alert</span>, this is not to be confused with <strong>Edward Hopper</strong>)<br /><br />Some interesting vegetable sides came with my order of chicken curry (Five Alarm hotness)-- softened green beans in a sweet, yet spicy chili paste; chilled collard greens with minced scallions, shallots and garlic,with shredded coconut; and piping hot sweet potatoes in a delicious peanut sauce.<br /><br /><strong>Nirvana Cafe</strong> is located at 213 3rd Avenue at 19th Street near Gramercy Park.<br /><br />Since most of us don't have keys to that silly park anyway, why not scarf down some good eatin's instead!<br /><br />Check out their website.<br /><a href="http://www.nirvanacafenyc.com/">http://www.nirvanacafenyc.com/</a><br /><br />You can also use this nice menu from MenuPages as well.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.menupages.com/screenmenu.asp?restaurantId=44149&htmllink=FAFB84DC211E58E91E64F7AF1F6BF7798B5F5D9FD3660349FEB02E4FF18C64EAA7F241465A0806B1&taglineid=0">http://www.menupages.com/screenmenu.asp?restaurantId=44149&htmllink=FAFB84DC211E58E91E64F7AF1F6BF7798B5F5D9FD3660349FEB02E4FF18C64EAA7F241465A0806B1&taglineid=0</a></p>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-33175692677368849722008-01-23T11:40:00.000-05:002008-01-23T16:12:54.298-05:00Philly Road Trip!<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2417/2173616435_6e84080c9b.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2417/2173616435_6e84080c9b.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a>Several weeks ago, I had to get out of the city.<br /><br />I felt I was chomping at the bit and just had to go somewhere... anywhere.<br /><br />Stress was really getting to me, and sometimes the best thing one can do is go do something one loves, whether you have the budget for it or not, and that thing for me is travel.<br /><br />My initial solution was "Go to Montreal," as I had done numerous times before, but that didn't work out the way I had planned-- an eight-hour bus drive and stomach ache from hell were huge factors.<br /><br />And so I said, "Let's go to Philly instead. I love it there."<br /><br />Having not set foot in the city of Brotherly Love since 1994, I figured I could use that extra dose of old brick buildings and cobblestone streets, so set apart by a successful historic preservation commission's hard work-- something New York City could use a good lesson in.<br /><br />So off I went on December 30th and 31st, 2007 to close out my year-- a Sunday and Monday respectively, but not really the best time to go gallery hopping.<br /><br />But it turned out I went there on just the right day.<br /><br />My feet were aching terribly, having trekked all the way from the Italian Market and Bella Vista neighborhood all the way past Independence Hall, Franklin's Grave, to the Old City's amazingly transformed arts district.<br /><br />Hungry, tired, and sick of seeing galleries with closed doors, there suddenly appeared a window of sheer color-saturated beauty I could not ignore.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2251/2204812463_8acac75b05.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2251/2204812463_8acac75b05.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a><br />This piece by artist <strong>Mel Davis'</strong> sat there in the window of <strong>Larry Becker Contemporary Art</strong> like my own siren's song of pulsating color rhythms pulling me in.<br /><br />My nose pressed against the glass, the lights were on.<br /><br />A woman came to the door.<br /><br />Heidi welcomed me, the weary traveler, with a smile, into the gallery.<br />They weren't open, but were getting things together for the group show's launch to the public.<br /><br />The exhibition, "<em><strong>In Light</strong></em>" delves into the possibilities of the color pallette; how canvas preparation and care can directly effect the viewer, playing with reality and our sense of space and time.<br /><br /><strong>Mel Davis, Andrew Graham, Tom Benson</strong> and <strong>Howard Smith</strong> are a minimalist's dream quartet.<br /><br />In this exhibit, there are direct references to the monochromes of Kasimir Malevich, Ad Reinhardt, Robert Ryman, and Yves Klein.<br /><br />But along with the usual suspects of minimalism, monochrome painting and suprematism, each of these artists is doing something new with their respective works.<br /><br />In the case of <strong>Andrew Graham</strong>, he uses color theory as a science, and plays visual trickery on the human eye.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2235/2205613458_e350d5ff6d.jpg?v=0" border="0" /><br />The work must be seen in person close up and for an extended period of time.<br /><br />A recent graduate of UPenn, <strong>Graham's</strong> lines of sheer color stream as if the color bars on a television set.<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2326/2205604034_8257f19036.jpg?v=0" border="0" /><br /><br />Utilizing artist's tape, each stripe almost blends perfectly into the other; its corresponding color at times completely unnoticeable, except upon second look.<br /><br />Even when I took these pictures, I kept looking at my camera's image back to me.<br /><br />Nothing was exact. The colors appear almost in motion, and no matter which setting I used, there continued to be at least a few colors that would transpose with another.<br /><br />So not only do <strong>Graham's</strong> works play tricks with the human cornea, but also with digital 7.1 megapixel Canon shutters as well!<br /><br />My favorite moment was suddenly noticing the tiniest band of lime green next to an earthy terra-cotta orange and pink.<br /><br />It truly had escaped my eye, and I was so excited to be able to find it.<br /><br />Here was my own Waldo, stripes and all, hidden in the crowded color field before me.<br /><br />In <strong>Mel Davis'</strong> works, the canvas is prepared with such a gradual gradient hue, that it's again, almost unseen to the naked eye.<br /><br />It is only upon deep introspection into the piece itself that the colors come out, and the different shades of blues take over.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2104/2205604642_cd7609da2d.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2104/2205604642_cd7609da2d.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a>In fact, there's such a refractive quality to the light, that you can literally see yourself in the center of her images-- giving the works an almost mirror-like effect.<br /><br />I was immediately reminded of the paint on vehicles from the 1950s-- the golden age of cars-- smooth paints, sparkling almost like the fins on a Ford Fairlane.<br /><br />In the same way <strong>Davis</strong>' paint application has an almost retro feel.<br /><br />There are certainly elements of the color-fieldists, but she is making the work her own.<br /><br />In <strong>Tom Benson's</strong> work, the paint is the process.<br /><br />At first I thought they must be poured directly onto the aluminum sheets beneath, their surfaces being as slick as an ice rink, but this is quite incorrect.<br /><br /><strong>Benson's</strong> brushstrokes have a true craftsmanship quality with each subsequent motion of the hand.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2419/2205612982_9e7fbdb90a.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2419/2205612982_9e7fbdb90a.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a>Only upon an extreme macro closeup photograph can you actually see the gradations from the individual brush hairs' grasping of the pigment.<br /><br /><strong>Benson</strong> also develops his own paints.<br /><br />On first look, this work appears to be a black rectangle-- nothing more, nothing less.<br /><br />"A tribute, perhaps, to Malevich's black on black", I surmised.<br /><br />But then I looked closer.<br /><br />This wasn't black at all.<br /><br />It is the deepest shade of green that there can be-- "Italian Green Earth" is what Benson calls this.<br /><br />I imagined myself in the densest of dark forest-- old growth trees, sheltered from humanity, with no light from above, and only a soft mist caressing my cheek.<br /><br /><a href="http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images/135/353430.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images/135/353430.jpg" border="0" /></a>Perhaps a dark green moss lurks on the gallery floor; or overgrowing the rocks beneath.<br /><br /><strong>Benson</strong> has set the mood in a way that really brought me into the works.<br />Mission accomplished.<br /><br />This was more than just "color on a panel", but perfection in simplicity.<br /><br />Here was a show tailor made for my weary, travel-logged soul, which almost accomplished a spiritual awakening.<br /><br /><strong>Howard Smith</strong> has had numerous shows over the years and has an incredible knowledge of how to bring in the viewer into not only the image of the color-- each brushstroke at first glance appears to be an angry mark-making, but alas, it's not hastily made.<br />A long term explorer into paint as process, <strong>Smith's</strong> paint grabs each and every bead of cotton canvas, not unlike the skin of a freshly plucked chicken, seeing each bump appear where the feathers once called home.</p><p><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2188/2205609834_fe4dbef5bc.jpg?v=0" border="0" /><br /><br />It is quite time-consuming, and he is careful of where each stroke chooses to lie.<br /><br />Take a look at this closeup, and how the hyper-orange paint rests so perfectly upon each portion of the cotton duck.<br /><br />It's pure beauty in saturation.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/2204824523_493f401033.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/2204824523_493f401033.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a>There is no need for gessoing or sanding with his works, because the canvas itself plays an essential role to each of his pieces.<br /><br />There are similarities to Smith's painting style to that of Julian Lethbridge, who had a fantastic show last year at Paula Cooper Gallery.<br /><br />But here, paint intersects with the blank sheet; like two lovers intertwined in embrace.<br /><br />A beautiful thing.<br /><br />The exhibit runs through Feburary 16th, so I highly recommend taking your own road trip down there, or if you're in the Philly area, it's a show not to be missed.<br /><br />Oh, and if you have the chance, make sure to give a big hello not only to <strong>Larry</strong> and <strong>Heidi</strong>, but also gallery cat <em><strong>Pink</strong></em>, who is quite curious with art bloggers.<br /><br />Apparently not only is she adorable, soft and furry and quite cuddly, but is a bit of an art world celebrity herself, having appeared in a photo spread in Art Forum, no less!<br /><br /><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2115/2204816775_24819043a3.jpg?v=0" border="0" />Truly precious.<br /><br />For more information, go to:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.artnet.com/lbecker.html">www.artnet.com/lbecker.html</a></p>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-83155235998570754482008-01-21T14:48:00.000-05:002008-01-23T16:13:20.738-05:00Yes, Canadians can be sexy, too<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCpdrqSf4CsVPR0i5ksi3HgNt-WQuo6G9qVV0B6fkuHgftmr3-kCJYyVgWtufgNJVvAqAhyphenhyphenDDHqX6ctrVaMG8gggzE_bYxJimedZwEEd9eYmEwXHF9toWAW2_veLSYq3EYPopCs0P6eVU/s1600-h/girls_satyrs_xl.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158020299580811858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCpdrqSf4CsVPR0i5ksi3HgNt-WQuo6G9qVV0B6fkuHgftmr3-kCJYyVgWtufgNJVvAqAhyphenhyphenDDHqX6ctrVaMG8gggzE_bYxJimedZwEEd9eYmEwXHF9toWAW2_veLSYq3EYPopCs0P6eVU/s400/girls_satyrs_xl.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><strong><em>Untitled (3 Satyrs/ 3 Nymphs) 2007, by Theresa Sapergia.</em></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><em></em></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div>Part of the "Captive Visions: Contemporary Canadian Art" currently on display at Eli Klein Fine Art.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Gloriously sensuous and a quite naughty piece.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Love it.</div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://www.elikleinfineart.com/">http://www.elikleinfineart.com/</a></div><div></div>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-67604325964657398692008-01-20T02:00:00.000-05:002008-01-23T16:14:10.163-05:00Two curatorial things of mine you can check out<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9Kr-HfyeMEl82UhqVuTjgRNlTrSm8TkMvww9B2Qlvs2XJuYcpfbAdDDZv25Jcwnfa-ilhRQgqzMXNbizQKFT2o5BvbAqi19FTfwtR1YJfOrcXhDTwutJdck86UJjgRJPWD3V823M4npu/s1600-h/11655.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157456267295631938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9Kr-HfyeMEl82UhqVuTjgRNlTrSm8TkMvww9B2Qlvs2XJuYcpfbAdDDZv25Jcwnfa-ilhRQgqzMXNbizQKFT2o5BvbAqi19FTfwtR1YJfOrcXhDTwutJdck86UJjgRJPWD3V823M4npu/s400/11655.jpg" border="0" /></a>First off, I'm not one much to toot my own horn when it comes to my activities and private career outside of blogging (I feel it's a bit improper to give away too much) but in this case, I felt it's time to give my readers a link to something special I've taken part in.<br /><br />I was one of three curators for the current Winter Salon showcase at Denise Bibro Fine Art here in Chelsea.<br /><br />My invitational selections for the show of artists were works by <strong>Daniel Giese, Christopher Reiger, Martha Walker, Ric Dragon, Michael Paul Miller</strong>, and <strong>Sarah K. Bean <span style="font-size:85%;">(image on left)</span></strong>-- all of which I can say are truly stunningly fantastic works being done by these extremely talented artists.<br /><br />I also got the opportunity to select the works of several of the gallery represented artists-- <strong>Lisa Dinhofer, Carol Jacobsen, and Charles Olson--</strong> as well as assisted in the selection of the works of<strong> Josephine Haden</strong> and the ever <strong>fantastic Joyce Korotkin.</strong><br /><br />Originally the show didn't have a theme, but I found that with each of my choices that I was starting to tell a story with the works-- man's altering of nature; an apocalyptic armageddon on the horizon; sensual lines and loops; and mastery of color, line and form.<br /><br />Everyone included in the show I'm so very proud of, so I would love it if my readers could check it out.<br /><br /></div><p align="left"><a href="http://www.denisebibrofineart.com/exhibition/view/1153">http://www.denisebibrofineart.com/exhibition/view/1153</a></p><div align="left">My other recent project is not on the professional curator circuit, but on Flickr itself.<br /><br />One of my favorite things about Flickr is the ability to have a "favorites" section.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 220px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 306px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="285" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2180/2187430905_b2f23471bc.jpg?v=0" border="0" /> <p align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(mmmm.... I'll have a Super Roast Beef with Horsey sauce, please...)</span></em></strong></p><br />In my case, what I've gone about doing is try to remember everything and everywhere I've ever been before-- tracking sites and places from my childhood all the way up through today-- then going and finding them by doing Flickr searches.<br /><br />Sure, that's time-consuming, and could possibly take up another lifetime, but it's worth it.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/430028909_a61a46fda2.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/430028909_a61a46fda2.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a>Included in my "selections" are searches for the Arby's Roast Beef sign in Tacoma, Washington; the Shell Factory sign in Ft. Meyers, Florida; Bok Tower and the Citrus Tower of Central Florida infamy; a pony in Wisconsin; Queechee Gorge, Vermont; Montreal; miniature daschunds, and places I want to see-- the Stave churches of Norway, for instance.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Image at right, "Norwegian Smile" by shoko!! on Flickr.<br /></span></strong><br />When I saw the Arby's sign still going strong, it brought a tear to my eye, as well as the tiny A&W Root Beer mug, which is exactly like the one I drank from when I was about three years old.<br /><br />If you have 10-15 minutes out of your day, I highly encourage you to check out my slide show of these "curatorial selections."<br /><br />They've just bowled me over in their quality and sentimental aspects.<br /><br />As a question to everyone else-- if you have a Flickr account, please feel free to share them here.<br />I still think it's one of the best invention ever to view amateur and emerging photographers.<br /><br />Enjoy.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lamgelinaoly/favorites/show/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/lamgelinaoly/favorites/show/</a>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-62629886113698882532008-01-14T14:02:00.000-05:002008-01-14T14:03:59.846-05:00Mandatory art video site to check out<a href="http://www.vbs.tv/">www.vbs.tv</a><br /><br />Just some great interviews with artists there.<br /><br />Check it out-- especially the <strong>Aurel Schmidt</strong> interview.Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-89543649687311889892008-01-11T18:10:00.000-05:002008-01-23T16:14:53.588-05:00Gee, thanks, Bank of America and John Connelly<a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/400132240_1e5a468a72.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/400132240_1e5a468a72.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> The United States of America was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">thisclose</span> to having an industry go under and be forced to take responsibility for their own greed and ethically <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">abhorrent</span> practices.<br /><br />But <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">noooooo</span>... Bank of America (my bank, thank you very much) decided to save <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Countrywide's</span> ass from total annihilation.<br /><br />Way to go, BOA!<br /><br />Nothing says "lesson learned" by letting the upper echelons get away scot-free, as per usual, and have millions more in profits come their way from the continued shady practices of their brokers.<br /><br />FYI-- the new way for brokers to get around the approval process is to stick people into "FHA" programs who do not qualify, and are not meant for this government-sponsored program.<br /><br />Be prepared for the fallout from that one in another three years' time.<br /><br />In related news, last night's opening for the <strong>A.A. Bronson's</strong> Shamanism exhibition at <strong>John Connelly Presents</strong> was wall-to-wall immobile last night and stank like piss, sweat, barf, dead fish, beer and cum.<br /><br />No lie.<br /><br />I literally almost threw up in there, it stank so bad.<br /><br />Just like Bank of America, let's compare <strong>Connelly</strong>.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">(image at right from Hrag Vartanian </span></strong><a href="http://www.hragvartanian.com/"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">www.hragvartanian.com</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCdi0kwCylo8SxwrvGdJpqxmViaWGUBssM8QLa361PCKMMoWlCXncT51bb4GSs2bld3I4ndqvqkCQj6eK9ADMFDX4sh_jDe8bnnarsEuEsQ_p4hrniuj_yL2BeBbuxnWNXYjHsSBabgML/s1600-h/dudeck.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154364539382573618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCdi0kwCylo8SxwrvGdJpqxmViaWGUBssM8QLa361PCKMMoWlCXncT51bb4GSs2bld3I4ndqvqkCQj6eK9ADMFDX4sh_jDe8bnnarsEuEsQ_p4hrniuj_yL2BeBbuxnWNXYjHsSBabgML/s400/dudeck.jpg" border="0" /></a>In one of the "pieces," performance artist <strong>Michael Dudeck</strong> sat there nude, covered in head-to-toe white body paint, cradling a dead fish, perhaps wearing a long black wig, looking about as intriguingly in depth and spiritually relevant as Keanu Reeves did in "Little Buddha."<br /><br />Great show, you guys.<br /><br />Much in the same way that Bank of America bails out a bankrupt system of corrupt businessmen, Connelly bankrolls artists that are continuously suited for theater and theatrics rather than work that is anything but hard-hitting.<br /><br />And <strong>Terrence Koh's</strong> "glory hole" bathroom stall was about as brilliant an idea as any addict in the Port Authority john could come up with.<br /><br />Great stuff.<br /><br />Did they watch the news or something about Senator Larry Craig and his wide stance?<br /><br />Because if so, the Brad Pitt and George Clooney video spoof was 500 times better.<br /><br />First exhibit of the year I've panned.<br /><br />Please excuse my hate-filled vitriol, but I just can't keep my opinionated self confined when I see this type of work exhibited when so much better stuff is available.<br /><br />Perhaps this means I'll be blacklisted, and I'm violating the rules of "be nice and find the good things when you write reviews,"' but what can I say, I am what I am, just as they is what they is.<br /><br />So to Mr. Connelly and corporate America, (you are one and the same, no matter what your flowery press release language is) keep on the keeping on by propping up complete and total junk.<br /><br />Eventually you'll learn that the stench doesn't necessarily go away when the exhibit comes down.<br /><br />It lingers.<br /><br />Oly, over and out.Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-32332804414785293912008-01-06T20:17:00.000-05:002008-01-23T16:15:14.661-05:00Robert Appleton at Paul Sharpe Contemporary Art opening this Thursday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsxOjhlASGR-X6Z-6OY0tlUAyeIYjYzFXZ_pvh76Ga_ih5wgJ4d60INPj3lbADpCOXICZ0RWCzFG5nTClfD8UK-Qgf3xXKbnjVeVkVgcMeMqCnkPw27wSqcx6DbzmdQb2tsCYfIE9pya-/s1600-h/RA_The_Sailor's_Return_1750.jpg"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152545573488077330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsxOjhlASGR-X6Z-6OY0tlUAyeIYjYzFXZ_pvh76Ga_ih5wgJ4d60INPj3lbADpCOXICZ0RWCzFG5nTClfD8UK-Qgf3xXKbnjVeVkVgcMeMqCnkPw27wSqcx6DbzmdQb2tsCYfIE9pya-/s400/RA_The_Sailor's_Return_1750.jpg" border="0" /></strong></a><strong>'Howdy, sailors.</strong><br /><br />As I've stated numerous times, sometimes work that really gets to me the most is made by artists that are having fun with their talents and not taking themselves too seriously.<br /><br />And there's few artists I enjoy more than New York-based visual and performance artist <strong>Robert Appleton</strong>.<br /><br />His visual creations and theater sessions always gives me a good chuckle, whether he's performing in fishnets dancing a chorus line county fair talent show audition; portraying Jeffrey Dahmer devouring watermelon human flesh on stage; painting mustachioed sailors who'd make any Village People member proud; or simply creating whimsically deviant sailor puppets in multiples.<br /><br />In the past decade, <strong>Appleton </strong>has well-honed himself as a storyteller-- highlighting characters who might have downed a little too much of the 90-proof, if you catch my drift.<br /><br />These are well-lived souls, with plenty of battle scars to show for it.<br /><br /><strong>Appleton</strong> always gives an interesting take on their plights-- soon to set sail, a battle ahead, a life quite likely soon to be taken and sunk to the bottom of the sea.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA5sE0KufoHyDgAqC6CI741iz7wgXtcj8G-KTTfsfUdbbM3YTGlBUvLLOXhTk7w36vwtaq7CREdZf9of3BJIoXLIRZq1bc34W758yogbleYlEFLgbwehrclloKjSErvO0PX4sPdfVStnT/s1600-h/hotel+room+germany.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152545255660497410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA5sE0KufoHyDgAqC6CI741iz7wgXtcj8G-KTTfsfUdbbM3YTGlBUvLLOXhTk7w36vwtaq7CREdZf9of3BJIoXLIRZq1bc34W758yogbleYlEFLgbwehrclloKjSErvO0PX4sPdfVStnT/s320/hotel+room+germany.jpg" border="0" /></a>Of course, many times his subjects have been society matrons, who truth be told can drink any sailor till he's weak in the knees, dropping them to the poop deck in crisp piles of Blue Jean Collars with bell-bottomed trousers.<br /><br />You certainly do not need to be 'In the Navy' to knock 'em back.<br /><br />If they give posthumous honors, Judy Garland could be a Navy Rear Admiral, for Christ's sakes.<br /><br />It's a delight to see Appleton premiering his new sailor series at <strong>Paul Sharpe Contemporary Art</strong> in Chelsea based on portraits of actual sailors from 1750 to 1849.<br /><br />Each one has lovingly been given his own personality.<br /><br />In many cases, each subject seems to not necessarily look like he's very comfortable with his choice in careers.<br /><br />Take a look at this poor fellow below.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152548232072833570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjCt8IqAm_k1TQXtiYaeZgJpnISt2sxEQkYEQzyCeXo5grHPHpRJAQKq5u6UeKHtCZQwwRWjRLvJ6QhjoBLPhq3P2RMFuqRZi8JZkG9m1Pdb5hgdbpwt3oW0En1SFtp0blwEvtBHe4ruG/s400/RA_Sailor_1_1849_LO_RES.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />After all, who would want to go to sea for months straight in those times?<br /><br />You can literally read the dread on the sailor's faces.<br /><br />Below is another fresh-faced foppish youngish chap.<br /><br />His decorative hat is a nice embellishment-- but just what is that on his forehead, hmm?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklqZu4O4RBilYdCTrp3iT37Qgj1rdha-gJ8-ph_hHFhwxdAGAk1bLfv_mBdrcU6BAOeidERzSdwLXkvpcq8s2zgpGXWiBhYxILneFU9-zW2auY8mdzdGrcCD6e3CuGyrpScLmWgsqNZtO/s1600-h/RA_1st_Class_Petty_Officer_1830_LO_RES.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152543971465275874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklqZu4O4RBilYdCTrp3iT37Qgj1rdha-gJ8-ph_hHFhwxdAGAk1bLfv_mBdrcU6BAOeidERzSdwLXkvpcq8s2zgpGXWiBhYxILneFU9-zW2auY8mdzdGrcCD6e3CuGyrpScLmWgsqNZtO/s400/RA_1st_Class_Petty_Officer_1830_LO_RES.jpg" border="0" /></a>Perhaps an in-joke, or perhaps not.<br /><br />I do have to say I love the slight-of-hand subtlety in Appleton's pieces.<br /><br />His questioning of sexual identity (bottled-up searing young masculinity cooped up in tight quarters for extended lengths of time) is a hoot, and quite truthfully spot-on.</p><p>Whew, it's getting a bit hot in here, isn't it?</p><p>Appleton possesses an almost cartoonish-style in his brushstrokes, giving his subjects these huge eyes, smeared lipstick, with hauntingly lit backgrounds.<br /><br />It's almost as if Karen Kilimnik has met Toulouse Lautrec and they're tossing a few back while at port with Carol Channing and Napoleon.<br /><br />This is one opening I will not miss.<br /><br />Too bad it's not also Fleet Week, because that would be the icing on the cake.</p><p><strong>Paul Sharpe Contemporary</strong> is located at <strong>547 West 27th street on the 5th floor</strong>.<br /><br />The opening is this <strong>Thursday, January 10th, from 6-9pm.</strong></p><p>For more information, go to:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.paulsharpegallery.com/">http://www.paulsharpegallery.com/</a></p>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-35129390485536047922008-01-01T16:22:00.000-05:002008-01-23T16:12:09.444-05:00Let's start the new year off with a bang<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2309/2135221473_3457c86225.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2309/2135221473_3457c86225.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a><strong>Happy New Year, everybody!</strong><br /><br />Hope you all have sobered up and are ready for another year with <strong>The Musings.<br /></strong><br />Just got back from a fantastic, but quick, trip to Philadelphia.<br /><br />More on that later-- I have a great exhibit coming up for your perusal from <strong>Larry Becker Contemporary Art.<br /></strong><br />But first, a quick spotlight on an artist I met at <strong>SVA's recent MFA Open Studios</strong>.<br /><br />Her name is unforgettable-- <strong>Sarah Ferguson</strong>-- and her work as well.<br /><br />Though she has immediate identification with British royalty, she instead spotlights our own royalty of American politics, the Queen herself, <strong>Hillary Clinton</strong>.<br /><br />Imagining and juxtaposing herself into "photo-ops" with Hillary-- whether that of advisor, trusted confidante, or loyal friend-- <strong>Ferguson's</strong> work is not to be missed.<br /><br />I love the humor in this-- the imaginative quality.<br /><br />All of us at one time or another wishes we could have the ear of those in power, just to give them our own two cents' worth.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150625070271736274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvtGcI_l6t25T-xCUeOoBCgh1q3g6TFVA4tcKP7FEMZEWRzvSE2mmzN4g13bM1PysD2bYXqvMZJjG8lXm6MdECMx_4Afoc6TQv1f0yCbJ2eJtvHmQq-c1Y3YMVl7NptrU_Gjad-9rDNON/s320/IMG_4729.JPG" border="0" />What also strikes me about <strong>Ferguson's</strong> work is her great ability to document the humanity behind the public image.<br /><br />In the case of Hillary, far too often what we see so often is a manufactured being; stripped of her own femininity, and pandering to the lowest common denominator-- the "American voter."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6crnpYJNRMh1Bx2e55hbva1ffoVcuqI6wQk7iKMYXrwGltsq18d-XZOj2T0kMV4c7BlIHkJ9aU3dXNSCf2suwukvvP3XjC1ig44-CHZf4JT5TJvjRo2dZZeBgI1IeUbgzqGTq3si8Iow1/s1600-h/IMG_4728.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150624069544356290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6crnpYJNRMh1Bx2e55hbva1ffoVcuqI6wQk7iKMYXrwGltsq18d-XZOj2T0kMV4c7BlIHkJ9aU3dXNSCf2suwukvvP3XjC1ig44-CHZf4JT5TJvjRo2dZZeBgI1IeUbgzqGTq3si8Iow1/s400/IMG_4728.JPG" border="0" /></a>But what Ferguson gets at is raw vulnerability through her paintings.<br /><br />You can see the pain of a life lived-- and lived in its fullest, with emotional pain and baggage hidden and underscored by a brilliant mind, wrapped in powerhouse packaging.<br /><br />In the nude at left, <strong>Ferguson</strong> imagined Hillary's makeup from pieces of different women's bodies.<br /><br />After all, what Hillary represents at this time in history is is an amalgamation of the "American Woman."<br /><br />Interestingly enough, if <strong>Hillary Clinton</strong> wasn't "Hillary Clinton," wouldn't the momentus occasion of a woman running for President be received quite differently?<br /><br />Ferguson will soon have her Master's from one of our nation's top MFA programs.<br /><br />I dare any gallery not to consider her work for its timeliness, its stunningly creative humor, and emotionally dark underpinnings.<br /><br />Great one to watch in the year ahead.<br /><br />Check out her blog at <a href="http://hillaryrealandimagined.blogspot.com/">http://hillaryrealandimagined.blogspot.com/</a> and her Flickr page to see more great examples of her "photo ops" collection.<br /><br /><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/shferguson/">http://flickr.com/photos/shferguson/</a><br /><br />Wishing all my readers the best in the coming year,<br /><br />OlyOlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-65315079326379947392007-12-11T22:44:00.000-05:002007-12-11T23:30:50.187-05:00I usually stay away from the big guys, but in this instance....<img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://maryboonegallery.com/exhibitions/2007-2008/bleckner/gfx/09822-(RB).jpg" border="0" />Okay, truth be told, I don't think I've ever NOT liked a work by painter <strong>Ross Bleckner</strong>.<br /><br />Scout's honor!<br /><br />There's just something so perfectly linear, eternally graceful, organically significant, masterfully executed and luxuriously layered to all of his work.<br /><br />I honestly dare you to find something truly negative to say about these pieces.<br /><br />They're BEAUTIFUL.<br />BEAUTIFUL.<br />BEAUTIFUL!!!<br /><br />When art takes on a sense of calm, of peaceful tranquility juxtaposed amongst all the hustle and bustle of "society" at large and avoids the "urgency" and pitfalls of the commonplace, and just "is," this is the definition of your standard, "run of the mill" pieces of Ross Bleckner.<br /><br /><a href="http://maryboonegallery.com/exhibitions/2007-2008/bleckner/gfx/09824-(RB).jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://maryboonegallery.com/exhibitions/2007-2008/bleckner/gfx/09824-(RB).jpg" border="0" /></a>His eye is brilliant in terms of color theory, of exploration into the subconscious, and the designs and formations that a "drifting off" accomplishes.<br /><br />Close your eyes.<br /><br />Relax your body, your mind, your soul.<br /><br />What do you see?<br /><br />I bet you see a bubbling out of reds, and lighter oranges from a dark-hued center, most often navy blue, or dark in nature.<br /><br />I bet you might happen to see images of the still lifes of the 1800s come alive in a 21st Century motif, modernized, but not forgotten.<br /><br />Each petal, each leaf of the botanicals takes on a new meaning.<br /><br />The fresh dewdrops falling upon the petals is just the same as it were hundreds of years ago.<br /><br />In much the same way Bleckner has taken these Rorschack-type creations and made them his own.<br /><br />These pieces would be so at home in an evironment unakin to the everyday or commonplace art collector-- perhaps as a backdrop to a botany course in a freshman student's college courseload or a five-star lodge in the outskirts of the northernmost reaches of Saskatchewan.<br /><br />I can't help but keep staring at these pieces.<br /><br />In fact, when I saw them in person, I just stood there-- absorbing; their monumentality serving as almost an altar-like deity for me, taking it all in.<br /><br />I wished my body could literally open a door to the visions of light; to the creations of new organisms, and absorb them into myself.<br /><br />The floral arrangements take on an almost human-like quality to each of the pieces.<br /><br />I did my best to imagine them in my own home, but alas, my checkbook is far too small and ceilings much too low.<br /><br />I hope these works go down in Bleckner's encyclopedia entry as what they are-- new developments heavily researched and accomplished in an already full career.<br /><br />Mary Boone should take it upon herself to stop focusing so much on her uptown space, and not forget the people who made her "Mary f'ing Boone."<br /><br />Ross Bleckner is one of them.<br /><br />A true modern living legend worth his weight in the gold standard.<br /><br />This exhibit is NOT to be missed.<br /><br />It is up until December 22nd and honestly will transport you into a new dimension.<br /><br />Stay awhile in front of each piece.<br /><br />It's well worth the break.<br /><br />In honor of Xmastime, I've made up a song to sing along to...<br /><br />"You're a bad-ass,<br />Mary Boone<br /><br />You're the top of<br />every list<br /><br />You're as charming<br />as a Prada heel<br /><br />You're a hot mess mama<br />with delicious deals<br /><br />You're a triple decker<br />delectible dish<br /><br />You're the pride of<br />every collectors' dream<br /><br />Mary Boone<br />it's Christmas, Javier Bardem is calling,<br /><br />You've paid your dues<br />and you're no grinch"<br /><br />(okay, so I'm not a lyricist, but I can direct you to the main site to check out more details, and that's no stealing XMas joke!!)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.maryboonegallery.com/">http://www.maryboonegallery.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://maryboonegallery.com/exhibitions/2007-2008/bleckner/gfx/bleckner-inst.jpg" border="0" />Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-81683761435783850692007-12-02T23:19:00.000-05:002007-12-11T23:31:23.695-05:00The Nakeds and the Nudes-- the art of Francien Krieg<a href="http://www.francienkrieg.com/gallery/dbimages/179/179-o-452085.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.francienkrieg.com/gallery/dbimages/179/179-o-452085.jpg" border="0" /></a>Take a good long look at the image on the right by Dutch artist <strong>Francien Krieg</strong>.<br /><br />Many of you will be instantly reminded of the famed <strong>Leigh Bowery</strong> portrait by <strong>Lucien Freud</strong>.<br /><br />But while the Freud piece captured Bowery's <em>persona non grata</em>, the woman at right has much more to lose in her fully exposed form.<br /><br />Nudity is at its base form the very definition of exposed vulnerability.<br /><br />The model's largesse is literally starting to hide what defines her feminity; the genitalia fully hidden by the abdomen's rolls of skin.<br /><br />But while previous generations may have viewed her as a "fertility goddess," or been termed "voluptuous," modern society frowns upon her, and hides her from view.<br /><br />We are in a new era of shunning.<br /><br />In fact, few artists today cover the human form in this manner, unless it's in the endless "snapshot aesthetic" of contemporary photography.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(Thank you, <strong>Nan Goldin</strong> for sending us down that dark and dreary path.)<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.francienkrieg.com/gallery/dbimages/179/179-o-323196.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.francienkrieg.com/gallery/dbimages/179/179-o-323196.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But truthfully, I myself have never been one much for the full monty.<br /><br />In fact, my first memories of being confronted with nudity were usually of my family-- and I didn't think twice about what it all really meant, nor did I care to.<br /><br />Then, at about age 8, my mother took me into a B. Dalton bookstore.<br /><br />For some reason I think my little mind hadn't yet grasped that not only was my family naked under their clothes, but also-- (drumroll)... OTHER PEOPLE as well.<br /><br />And boy, did I get the crash course.<br /><br />While mother thumbed her way through some Patti Boyd biography, my tiny hands picked up a copy of a John Lennon tome right next to it.<br /><br />Then, opening the paperback to the center, I got my first real taste of NUDITY.<br /><br />Not just nude, but NEKKID.<br /><br /><a href="http://soundsofthecinema.blogspirit.com/images/medium_590050688_454a6dcf11_o.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://soundsofthecinema.blogspirit.com/images/medium_590050688_454a6dcf11_o.jpg" border="0" /></a>Not just NEKKID, but <em>ARTISTIC NAKED</em>-- i.e., John and Yoko, in all their flaccid, hairy, pasty glory, together, with little air separating their bodies.<br /><br />My little mind felt immediately unclean.<br /><br />But now I find myself, years later, typing reviews on a regular basis of artists that focus on highly-charged sexual content, or the dreaded "nude" word.<br /><br />And truth be told, rarely do I bat an eyelash at the imagery.<br /><br />I've seen just about every orifice in close-up form in some way or another.<br /><br />From the Polaroid cock-sucking self-portraits of <strong>Terry Richardson</strong>, to <strong>David LaChapelle's</strong> plasticized shrines to well-endowed shemale <strong>Amanda Lepore</strong>, nothing seems to phase me; "Bores me," yes.<br /><br />But for some reason, I've continued to have a disrespect for artists who ONLY choose to cover the human form.<br /><br /><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/images/thumbnail1.php/43fa25db.jpg?resize(500x)" border="0" />But now that I've been doing some intense research of artists' web pages, I'm beginning to truly appreciate a finely-crafted and different type of nude.<br /><br /><strong>Krieg's</strong> work is quite different than anything I've seen.<br /><br />Her stunning use of foreshortening and manipulation of perspective truly makes these individuals come alive--flaws and all.<br /><br />Maybe it's that hand shake I got when I happened upon Terry Richardson himself a few weeks ago that's made me rethink my opinion of blatant in-your-face sexuality.<br /><br />He's didn't seem that bad of a guy, in fact.<br /><br />But with Krieg, these are not necessarily sexual in nature.<br /><br />Hailing from The Hague, Krieg's subjects are not your standard Vogue cover models.<br /><br />Many are extremely obese, or at least can call cellulite as a dear friend.<br /><br />They are real in every way-- you can see the veins lying close to the skin.<br /><br />The bodies appear to be well-worn and lived in.<br /><br />Stretch marks appear throughout the bodies.<br /><br />You can tell that there's stories behind each face through the direct confrontation of the viewer, but while nudity again represents vulnerability-- you cannot pierce through their emotional shields.<br /><br />In the image directly below, I especially love how the skin of the elbow is so rough and red.<br /><br />Here is a woman who has experienced some hard times, and her eyes seem to challenge as if to say, "Yeah? So what? What are you going to do about it?"<br /><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.francienkrieg.com/gallery/dbimages/179/179-o-9599459.jpg" border="0" /><br /></p><br /><p>Krieg is not represented by a gallery yet here in New York, but I bet it won't be long before someone takes notice of her seriously amazing work.</p><br /><p><a href="http://www.francienkrieg.com/gallery/dbimages/179/179-o-323208.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.francienkrieg.com/gallery/dbimages/179/179-o-323208.jpg" border="0" /></a>All art doesn't have to be beautiful, after all-- but there is a beauty in raw humanity.</p><br /><p>For more information on <strong>Francien Krieg</strong> check out her web site at:</p><br /><p><a href="http://www.francienkrieg.com/">http://www.francienkrieg.com/</a></p>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-57162617274806375902007-11-20T00:10:00.001-05:002007-12-11T23:31:52.034-05:00Richard Eagan's trip back in time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2SgmQuLRqbd8sPbB261ykH0CTzd68_LwPTY3Jo3Yi0OJ15WY8_wFnQeF2fEH4E1fKCafiPhcCBo8KcoS5_elly-mAU9tTdX98tNG6_t-96lDre-faHuBNDkVpwLOh2W5LGsSvHluf0m_/s1600-h/IMG_3899.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134791155355334082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2SgmQuLRqbd8sPbB261ykH0CTzd68_LwPTY3Jo3Yi0OJ15WY8_wFnQeF2fEH4E1fKCafiPhcCBo8KcoS5_elly-mAU9tTdX98tNG6_t-96lDre-faHuBNDkVpwLOh2W5LGsSvHluf0m_/s400/IMG_3899.JPG" border="0" /></a>Recently I had the pleasure of gaining the acquaintance of Richard Eagan, a Brooklyn-based artist whose topical work really struck home.<br /><br />One of the reasons I chose to move to New York City was because of its rich and layered history.<br /><br />The neighborhoods were a marketing major's wet dream in "branding"-- Little Italy, Chinatown, the Lower East Side, Brighton Beach, and of course, Coney Island.<br /><br />I remember as a freshman at B.U. how excited I'd get when I'd look across Commonwealth Avenue and see our very own short-lived franchise of weiner prestige, Nathan's Famous.<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134801149744232002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUgWLowEyJU4tXcbbjK0iR0K_2Hw2Pj8ctGeiVoH-YAsEe-eJ9Wu8yOC2-3PPc3L8v7twQUxl0xSEaMwnjZhsXTnYogoXFP4-6cF6Rze_N2cQWyWKzOwRLeFiG2n9HwkGyWSUsyEUULmW/s320/IMG_3898.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Now my own knowledge of Coney Island was not very well-versed, but I did have those legendary postcards of pop culture floating in my head-- rickety ferris wheels with cars swinging to and fro; bathing beauties and Vaudevillian sideshows; leopard-leotard burlesque girls with the Betty Page bangs; tatooed muscle men bench-pressing iron with their well-oiled bulging biceps heaving in the salty air.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MRPr_PDp2nEW5ap6NBaYfQ49uMbrnanYYX4D-ChLEB9i0OyQz5Kk50wIkNC7RMDxxqgqAeTjjJXG90QYMzBLgri0KThwAtZ4_dqGVl0pIxUMAIk-ByLHUhAXN2v-moYQ4ns1zLbcl76z/s1600-h/IMG_3897.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134791756650755538" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MRPr_PDp2nEW5ap6NBaYfQ49uMbrnanYYX4D-ChLEB9i0OyQz5Kk50wIkNC7RMDxxqgqAeTjjJXG90QYMzBLgri0KThwAtZ4_dqGVl0pIxUMAIk-ByLHUhAXN2v-moYQ4ns1zLbcl76z/s400/IMG_3897.JPG" border="0" /></a> Fast-forward to 2007. Things are quite different.<br /><br />Mega-developer Thor Equities' stunning purchase of Astroland Amusement Park has given us an endless drawn-out saga "Was this past season the last hurrah, or will there be one more? Stay tuned."<br /><br />With all the back and forth, it's as if we're being held hostage by these land-grabbers.<br /><br />The only survivors-- the Parachute Jump (in some incarnation), and if spared the executioner, the Cyclone.<br /><br />In the meantime, while the city, local community groups and business owners try to hammer out incorporation of the logistics of all this, Richard Eagan's work is a truly excellent way to reconnect to what once was.<br /><br />I found it to be a true delight in its sentimental journey back in time.<br /><br />Eagan has a rich and storied history himself.<br /><br />A long-time Brooklyn resident himself, in the late 1970s he suddenly found himself having repetitive dreams of Coney Island and his childhood.<br /><br />For years Eagan had crafted meticulous cabinetry and woodworks in his cabinet shop.<br /><br />But suddenly things began to take on a new look.<br /><br />A studio was emerging, as well as an artist.<br /><br />Eagan delved into creating sculptural-like assemblage pieces which blended elements of the everyday along with the fantastic.<br /><br />At the same time, along with artist Philomena Marano, in 1981 Eagan formed the Coney Island Hysterical Society-- a collaborative that worked to spotlight the ever-forgotten landscape of yesteryear.<br /><br />Multiple artist projects were undertaken, including a mural, carousel and an actual haunted house/by-way-of-art-gallery carnival ride, the "Spookhouse. "</p><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAst5svjSphbWW51v8L5gMGTQr6UAf_kW21ARuAMTahULKR0ze9YbXMcyhguLkqaiQ6ropf6QOzrm9YpXVctTKuSvJOh-HMHPXzN8XaxBJ8QYcaCnvBTA1fZc7FE_ztGhHHClfifI8Xnqr/s1600-h/Fred's+House.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134793049435911650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAst5svjSphbWW51v8L5gMGTQr6UAf_kW21ARuAMTahULKR0ze9YbXMcyhguLkqaiQ6ropf6QOzrm9YpXVctTKuSvJOh-HMHPXzN8XaxBJ8QYcaCnvBTA1fZc7FE_ztGhHHClfifI8Xnqr/s400/Fred's+House.jpg" border="0" /></a>Looking at some of Eagan's earlier works, you can almost hear those echoes of "Step right up! Step right up!"<br /><br />At left is "Fred's House," a piece done in 1982.<br /><br />In the background is the haunting image of the dearly missed "Thunderbolt", a Coney Island staple for 75 years.<br /><br />I really found this piece to be quite moving-- the soft-lit crescent moon in the distance.<br /><br />After all, where else can you go to see the sky so well at night in the 5 boroughs, other than the Coney Island boardwalk?<br /><br />It leaves me silent-- for I can find no words to express the sadness at never having been able to witness it in its heyday.<br /><br />After the passing of his wife, Eagan took time away to regroup.<br /><br />Once again, the boardwalk came calling.<br /><br />But this time, Eagan also began to express himself with an alter-ego, Kay Sera-- a proper lady, if I ever did meet one, with style and elegance to boot.<br /><br />She has had an immensely positive influence on Eagan.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134795793920013826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tpRF1bQRSCEDfwgM-TJgPBhA-ColL5zGJyPgaz-xfgQErgJUS71c0J6da2E2C9kNivgvCSCPYGkoWon59_HeUdXQkSmbGwixdpqRQvmwXgIZ0NFfplZiPHQ4cv7lwYmesDE6Uo8KqR38/s400/IMG_3896.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Much in the way the chrysallis serves the butterfly, her creation has allowed Eagan to emerge from his cocoon, with wings outspread.<br /><br />In fact, many of Eagan's pieces involve a starburst-like central creature, exploding from within.<br /><br />The wooden shards, though they can appear quite dangerous, exist only underneath in a cage-like structure.<br /><br />In some ways, it is guarded-- a protection mechanism, if you will.<br /><br />But just who is Eagan protecting: the viewer, or the self?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGwdD4FeKMKJmiaBWm3yfgKgAYUo5CYEqtujg2_QwE_iv_Vmd220-EB2IkHlMyykKT4oiV8aeml2nH2sS-X90HbBVBXA8DnsfXQrKGZEsDRY1Jxh_jf0cNE8Z8UhYyznQ5Bl0uq1TRPV0/s1600-h/IMG_3901.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134794767422830066" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGwdD4FeKMKJmiaBWm3yfgKgAYUo5CYEqtujg2_QwE_iv_Vmd220-EB2IkHlMyykKT4oiV8aeml2nH2sS-X90HbBVBXA8DnsfXQrKGZEsDRY1Jxh_jf0cNE8Z8UhYyznQ5Bl0uq1TRPV0/s400/IMG_3901.JPG" border="0" /></a> I also am enthralled by the minute details of the work at right.<br /><br />In this-- a wooden mock-up of the haunted-house ride previously mentioned-- you can see the tiny wooden planks of a boardwalk.<br /><br />The saloon doors are perfect in their detail and weather-beaten quality.<br /><br />The salt-laden air erodes the latex, leaving its mark.<br /><br />Even the slight spaces between the boards are brilliant in their disalignment.<br /><br />For Coney Island currently DOES lie in a state of disrepair.<br /><br />The boardwalk's tens of thousands of wooden planks are deteriorating by the day.<br /><br />But this fine city is more interested in the amount of funds that it will receive from the monolithic Thor rather than put new wooden planks in for people to enjoy the walk.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134797172604515858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTv2WiGfT0WAFx0LLVK1-aAzFRQ5KV6BdpiU4TP4RoAyB6Si0O38pKD2R765UJv5eS9ZuHCyVYQsuOUz_vz9T0CPwKNXDcJh4Hwq-oG68kTok5FfCOljWTfRjDJZFD904XGWHz7HgTi0W/s400/IMG_3900.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Below are images of "Kister's Hotel" and "Open All Year Round."</p><p>Again, there is a quiet to these works that I have a hard time describing.</p><p>In each, Eagan again reaches out-- windows into another world-- but it is to our detriment that they might not be there for much longer.<br /><br />For more information on Richard Eagan, go to the link below.</p><p><a href="http://www.440gallery.com/">http://www.440gallery.com/</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVxHD4hd3E0I4UqTTszIkvX_5HUsYsW-BSH6BYOBAXTBTiziRix_jJuxUtE3efTDcwSGyeD5GdQ9YrRcon6VGKfmYTutORefEC1MnvYCbOXsJm-Elki9hFNQMmVjSWC6nY5yMs8xh5g15/s1600-h/Kister's+Hotel.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134797533381768738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVxHD4hd3E0I4UqTTszIkvX_5HUsYsW-BSH6BYOBAXTBTiziRix_jJuxUtE3efTDcwSGyeD5GdQ9YrRcon6VGKfmYTutORefEC1MnvYCbOXsJm-Elki9hFNQMmVjSWC6nY5yMs8xh5g15/s400/Kister's+Hotel.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXvoFv9y-3_KKf1BuyifnhSRoCk5snSRcHqX6jKfo2c3g0zeZVkPmtBUNddik2_2MrbPdbLBLcZ8mJch277EiTWmOTzSLzUIml6rqeENUskoYpweJ1OVNwr3aGVIT346wfA7X_Lx1dzXI/s1600-h/open+all+year.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134797795374773810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXvoFv9y-3_KKf1BuyifnhSRoCk5snSRcHqX6jKfo2c3g0zeZVkPmtBUNddik2_2MrbPdbLBLcZ8mJch277EiTWmOTzSLzUIml6rqeENUskoYpweJ1OVNwr3aGVIT346wfA7X_Lx1dzXI/s400/open+all+year.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-20490826565149164452007-11-05T17:19:00.000-05:002007-12-11T23:32:27.252-05:00Is there room at the inn for Kara Walker?<a href="http://whitney.org/www/exhibition/kara_walker/images/walker_you_do.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://whitney.org/www/exhibition/kara_walker/images/walker_you_do.jpg" border="0" /></a>This isn't a review of Kara Walker's retrospective at the Whitney, nor her new solo show at Sikkema Jenkins & co.<br /><br />No.<br /><br />This is a post where I'm going to bring up something that the art world continually ignores.<br /><br />No, it's not the "feminist artist" mystique, or whatnot.<br /><br />And truth be told, if I hear of one more gathering, conference, or "artist talk" put on by priviledged WASPY MFA-educated, gallery repped mid-20s to late 40-something women screaming and complaining of how they're "underrepresented" in the art world, I just may take up arms.<br /><br />In this case, no, what bothers me MUCH more than any "under-representation" of the female is those of color.<br /><br />I just got back from a trip to West Virginia, and truth be told, I witnessed more faces of color there than I ever do at a Chelsea gallery opening.<br /><br />That is UNLESS those of color happen to be like Ms. Walker-- doing work that questions issues of "identity."<br /><br />Let me say this, if Ms. Walker, perhaps, were doing work more along the lines of the Elizabeth Peytons, Karen Kilimniks, Dana Schutzs or Cecily Browns of the world-- would she have ever gotten to the status where she is now? (I.E., a Whitney retrospective?)<br /><br />Would Walker have ever been giving the carte-blanche acceptance that Ms. Emin was graced with after "<em>All the men I've ever slept with?"</em><br /><br />Highly doubtful.<br /><br />She would have been crucified.<br /><br />Because Walker continues to crank out pieces that address what the Caucasian-dominated art glitteratti feels a "black artist" SHOULD be concentrating on, she's been elevated to something not unlike that of a modern minstrel herself, sans tap shoes.<br /><br />I find it a hell of a lot more disgusting that the few top-publicized artists of color that I can name on my fingers-- Ofilli, Odita, Walker, and Pope L.--are only accepted because their work addresses "being black."<br /><br />Pardon me while my blood pressure rises just a bit more, but it's not like MFA programs are asking the Schutz's of the world: "Can you have your work address what it's like to be young, white and immediately well-off financially?"<br /><br />I dare the art world to elevate one artist of color to the forefront whose work might concentrate on color, line, form; political upheaval and protest; optical illusion; or experimental installation.<br /><br />This is not to say Ms. Walker is not one of the more talented individuals continually making controversial and well-received work; as well as all those artists I've previously named.<br /><br />I'm thinking of the recent beautifully painted show by artist Julie Heffernan.<br /><br />I looked at each of her pieces and noted the skill and precision it took to paint those-- as well as the alabaster skin of each of the "self-portraits."<br /><br />Could a black female artist have been given that type of reception as well?<br /><br />I have a wish for the art world's eye of the needle to expand just a little beyond the tragic historical past of a people and perhaps more on the triumph of living in the today, as well as opening up the rosters to more of the least expected rather than "Here we go again."<br /><br />Over and out.Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-64185463547794686182007-11-04T17:24:00.001-05:002007-12-11T23:33:11.698-05:00Ryan McGinness IS an art movementHis button below may directly disagree with my assessment, but in the battle of the similarly named Ryans of "art star" calibre, McGinness beats McGinley hands-down.<br /><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129116463089807138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEghNg4usDbtzwXb5lr2GNQDSLoYwhnev6dW0ZBvtbs-LKV6daGTjxv0c2qwox3EwvuNmChlYmLSmN1ZLSsgmcxv-4YavauRgrgR3nWLPUGf3ZXPWhRWVW-7Pcs-Y3Lo37pqqKBMg_wKm/s320/IMG_3838.JPG" border="0" /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKhselgn20H-o82IMB10_4Md7fMAgdtd3kqA0a9ebzfod-aZiJYsXgn9ZnSe5aduPpGz4h3W2x4OGE4OQOjJrmcSdMJoBkvH6Usc9OqHZEWgojCjZ_vy_Pt7ECdE-eByox_g95rBVB8eq/s1600-h/IMG_3840.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129118657818095442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKhselgn20H-o82IMB10_4Md7fMAgdtd3kqA0a9ebzfod-aZiJYsXgn9ZnSe5aduPpGz4h3W2x4OGE4OQOjJrmcSdMJoBkvH6Usc9OqHZEWgojCjZ_vy_Pt7ECdE-eByox_g95rBVB8eq/s400/IMG_3840.JPG" border="0" /></a>Of course the two simply cannot be compared due to their vastly different mediums, lifestyles and genres, but with these works, McGinness has proved to me once again he's worth the hype surrounding him.</div><div> </div><div>Maybe I'm truly going out on a limb here, but I must say he just may be the second coming of Aubrey Beardsley at his recent inauguration of the new Pace Prints space in Chelsea.</div><div><br />See my example of "compare and contrast" below of one of Beardsley's intricate and luxuriously printed Art Nouveau children's book illustration work next to the sinuously flowing eroticism of McGinness' engraved skateboards that strongly utilize the color wheel.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="http://www.manhattanrarebooks-children.com/images/malory.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.manhattanrarebooks-children.com/images/malory.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129115191779487458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="253" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCkSBMhC-KhKj6i9hODMiUj6qlPlNMYsr9W09aZO6zU3zEppIQMR3c54iChdcASaNyInJ7rakcNlUgoxSJuz5jahT7InVyny8tvCkjQLLQKZttO6aKmAWqV9kh3EA0cum_1wk6SXWK-6e/s400/IMG_3830.JPG" width="314" border="0" />This exhibit just closed at Pace Prints' new Chelsea headquarters truly blew my mind in terms of the artist's use of color play and decorative pattern work.</div><br /><div>But truth be told, McGinness' strongest suit yet was his collection of humorous pins.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129116299881049874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_TWzrVG-HJe05NEQpf4yYDawJMdqZYjuMGXsuHMwn7s73MGqbWLOilpWh7sa5_Ga4F_XKq0qe-eG2LLg41pEcX7EN5tp_CKFFP4iW26zrMb7P2OpBH2hA04B9VNgvC1Xh9rGLy4y7rsm/s320/IMG_3837.JPG" border="0" /><br />It brought back to mind my own youthful days as a merch girl for many of Boston's indie rock bands in the early-to-mid-'90s.<br /></div><div>It also is a nice nod to being a child of the 1980s.</div><div></div><div> </div><div>Certainly the subject matter is a bit mature, but our friendship pins, bracelets and sticker collections were like our generational equivalent to the Summer of Love crowd's medallions.</div><div> </div><div>Here, McGinness deftly combines the two, taking a glance backwards towards the Decorative Arts movement, all the while combining it with psychedelia at its finest, with a final mix of Atari Generation and skater punk thrown in for good measure.</div><div> </div><div>Fun stuff.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129116875406667586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajHOaEQBMtSge7Eqi1yC1UWd5Bg9z4JDlGvmM3PhxCinUljDx0FzHJRpG8wLIoDuZm0qkUbA_TTUvo_zYv9Bzse3wndUOWTeaLlgjR3r0C60VmkvQvo5uPuLZL7I32Zx81ytSw2oWSYEv/s320/IMG_3834.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129116712197910322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7Z74KgyZOSO4M89Csot-Jnv39Lfm7IE5EuxQvlPjtQWXDqGjd_i8blcOVowxyjc7SQeoyH58bzwlKI8dzYlKHOx8ucZJqYdYpQF0OzKnjixGgan0l9Sys7Z3mjLhtvLq0tzcOMarFXiJ/s320/IMG_3832.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>Enjoy.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129116158147129090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGyjdU2sDD5rVvbUKPstKTfNlNhZbwrKzd1WNMfKWsAM1sd9QlKEjhtzcDfhweXAZ9NVFmh-Ruu1aPHxO5DvLyYSbg8D_ShTSnZgCQpj5SFWAtDRNAQTNYlyteTj9nr1fJfMkZ8ThoyUM/s400/IMG_3833.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div><br /><a href="http://www.paceprints.com/exhibitions/exhibitions-H.asp?XS=C">http://www.paceprints.com/exhibitions/exhibitions-H.asp?XS=C</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0D7oWymJh7zLNcuVWrVBCfKl_IJgPQt0oC8ZMySXnNwjtzm_xKLy_N_Utd2pQYaHMOiVcpnX5UNQzDp975ClPYX9JaoFgZ5JKki7dskwf9R8LIEdBNUVBLO5kJqhMq3om5dLqknCxywzI/s1600-h/IMG_3839.JPG"></a>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-84327494646501774862007-10-25T01:27:00.000-04:002007-12-11T23:34:38.040-05:00Dear Nicholas Fraser<a href="http://www.wegotcards.com/cards/friends/insults/nerd.GIF"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.wegotcards.com/cards/friends/insults/nerd.GIF" border="0" /></a><em>Dateline:<br />Thursday, October 24, 2007<br />Brooklyn, New York<br /></em><br /><br />Dear Mr. Fraser,<br /><br />Greetings and salutations!<br /><br />How nice to meet your acquaintance.<br /><br />Upon Googling myself this evening-- (because this is what one does when one navel-gazes to check on one's blogging successes and failures)-- I found out that I recently did a review on your artwork last month.<br /><br />Thank you kindly for the memory jog-- sometimes... in fact, many times, the names of who I choose to review slip my mind.<br /><br />In fact, I just wanted to let you know I truly enjoyed reviewing your work on September 4, 2007, here at the Musings.<br /><br />I found your work to be provocative, insightful, and well-thought out.<br /><br />I find it fantastic that you've been able to attain solo shows at John Connelly Presents, Moti Hasson and Yossi Milo Gallery all in 2007 alone.<br /><br />That is no small undertaking.<br /><br />But in all seriousness-- dude, seriously, I can't remember who the hell you are, nor can I remember reviewing you.<br /><br />I do like that your work delves into plageurism and the problem facing current artists today in regards to getting attention for one's work.<br /><br />**WAVES!!!!***<br /><br />I certainly like the DIY punk rock nature of you placing yourself into multiple galleries' press releases and saying it's your own.<br /><br />But silly man, (or woman, whoever you be)... like, seriously, I did this trick back in 2003 when I first moved to NYC, mass-mailing everyone "news story clips" from WNBC, NY1, etc., where I'd replace names, towns, accidents, etc., with false info for whatever prank victim who would fall for it.<br /><br />So kudos for sharing the brilliance of being able to Control A, Control C, Control V, and then typing to replace words.<br /><br />Keep on keeping on.<br /><br />Oh, and PS-- Next time you want me to write a review of your "work," why don't you just ask?<br />I might just bite.<br /><br />Cough...<br /><br />And if you're cute, who knows what else?<br /><br />Your friend in guerilla art and blatant self-promotion,<br /><br />Olympia Lambert<br />author of Oly's Musings<br /><br />For more information to see if you, your gallery or art review blog is a victim of Mr. Fraser's deceptive ploys, go to:<br /><br /><a href="http://nicholasfraser.com/index.html">http://nicholasfraser.com/index.html</a><br /><br />TOUCHE!Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-51002226721243284482007-10-12T16:33:00.001-04:002007-12-11T23:33:53.717-05:00Oh when the penguins.. oh when the penguins... go marchin' in... go marchin' in... oh when the penguins go marchin in...<a href="http://www.virgilgallery.com/v2/file.asp?ikId=30486"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.virgilgallery.com/v2/file.asp?ikId=30486" border="0" /></a>Oh, yeah, baby!<br /><br />It's time for the march of the penguins, those lovable little tuxedoed tricksters whose favorite song certainly must be Five For Fighting's "Superman."<br /><br />But barring their similarity to bowling pins, and our ever growing fascination with them-- "Happy Feet," "Wallace and Gromit," "March of the Penguins," Opus, etc., they're good little soldiers.<br /><br />Follow the leader is not a game to them, but a way of life.<br /><br />They also take care of their own, huddling together for warmth and protection.<br /><br />And this is just what artist <strong>Nicolas Touron</strong> uses them for in his fantastic exhibition, "<em>Circus</em>," at <strong>Virgil de Voldere Gallery</strong>.<br /><br />Setting their obedient little bodies against a backdrop of jetliners crashing into military helicopters, <strong>Mr. Touron</strong> obviously has taken the cute factor out of the equation; note THEY HAVE NO EYES.<br /><br />Much in the way of our current administration-- from BOTH parties-- and the complacency that is 2007 Americana, we are definitely marching together as one, but have no clue as to where we're going.<br /><br />I couldn't help but think of this exhibit once more upon the beginning of my work week, as the L train's staircase at 8th Avenue deviates into two-- one portion going left, one right.<br /><br />Both staircases end up in the same location on the next platform up.<br /><br />But interestingly enough (it never fails) the crowd always continues to the left, as I take the road less traveled to the right.<br /><br />Perhaps group mentality is impossible to overcome, but I find it humorous how the blind just follow so succinctly.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.virgilgallery.com/v2/file.asp?ikId=30481"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.virgilgallery.com/v2/file.asp?ikId=30481" border="0" /></a>Throughout Touron's exhibit, the theme of his "circus" comes into play-- a three ring one, mind you-- with the exhibit split into three separate "rooms," if you will.<br /><br />With all the animals locked into warplay here at left-- ("moose-uzi" anyone?)-- you have to wonder just what the artist was thinking when these subjects were grouped together.<br /><br />I also like the visual monstrosity of the intestinal-like ribbons that run throughout his works, to say nothing of the captive audience of penguins, once again taking center stage.<br /><br />There is a sculptural centerpiece that is quite eye-catching-- two deers, with antlers permanently interlocked, top-to-bottom, and never to have one triumph over the other.<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.virgilgallery.com/v2/file.asp?ikId=32782" border="0" /><br /><br />In much the way we realize the current war we find ourselves in to be unwinnable, with media circuses left and right to provide our poor little soggy brains with feel-good distractions.<br /><br />"Quick!!! Click on Andy Samberg's newest digital short once again!!! Shit man, it will totally make you forget your wife leaving you, your dad dying, that slipped disc in your herniated back, your third cousin twice removed getting his brains blown to bits on a Ramallah highway, your dog just dying, or the fact the earth is probably going to end in 20 years' time."<br /><br />After all, this is what America is now currently all about-- a muddled mess of intersecting highways, brought about by "technology."<br /><br />I love how Touron's so subtle in his references, but it really makes you think.<br /><br />The exhibit is up until October 20th.<br /><br />For more information, go to:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.virgilgallery.com/v2/">http://www.virgilgallery.com/v2/</a><br /><br />or<br /><br /><a href="http://artcal.net/event/view/1/5547">http://artcal.net/event/view/1/5547</a>Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7927882277741101113.post-51849830171796187312007-10-07T22:55:00.000-04:002007-12-11T23:35:29.697-05:00Martha Walker at 440 Gallery<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbh8OssSBztHF-nR6BUzKMN3-bkGGcWUWZ33dhDYszmRx24Y3EYYHpL6ZFk9u3K0K_13HAa9sHte3uP7OpJo-oXyC09BHhWbe9jyLsK65aCzX3Wu2VP0nkrfvisr5QuzYi9x4SgC8OHeHy/s1600-h/IMG_3776.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119154389106660034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbh8OssSBztHF-nR6BUzKMN3-bkGGcWUWZ33dhDYszmRx24Y3EYYHpL6ZFk9u3K0K_13HAa9sHte3uP7OpJo-oXyC09BHhWbe9jyLsK65aCzX3Wu2VP0nkrfvisr5QuzYi9x4SgC8OHeHy/s400/IMG_3776.JPG" border="0" /></a>All right, now, class; first lecture of the fall season: <strong>New York art scene 101</strong>-- Chelsea, Soho, Williamsburg.<br /><br />Now let's follow that close behind by Dumbo, South Bronx, Red Hook, Park Slope...<br /><br />SCREECH!<br />Apply the brakes.<br /><br />Wait-- Park Slope?<br /><br />Everyone sing along now... "One of these things is not like the other..."<br /><br />The quaint little neighborhood that is the cradle of all that is held dear by the stroller mom community?<br /><br />But yes, indeed.<br /><br />Recently I found a heretofore undiscovered gem located on a quiet block of Sixth Avenue, the artist-run collective <strong>440 Gallery</strong>.<br /><br />In its current show, <em><strong>"Undercurrents,"</strong></em> sculptor <strong>Martha Walker</strong> takes leaps and bounds over the "sculpture community," creating amorphous formations that seem to take on a new life of their own.<br /><br />There is a power to <strong>Walker's </strong>work that is immediate.<br /><br />The structures she creates certainly display elements of the natural realm, (such as the giant conch shell, as above) but there is more at play here other than three-dimensional representation.<br /><br />There is a true gothic sensibility to these works.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_bHeHiQz6gh8/RwlB2WEVkkI/AAAAAAAAA4c/A3XQNyDDQDY/s1600-h/IMG_3774.JPG"></a><strong>Walker</strong> is making work that expresses herself and her vision through a means that I feel currently is woefully under-represented in the gallery scene-- steel sculpture.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQsiRbQ3OdGO0cJ6CoxaWn0489IDahTyS5S-xY5kNDOq9idaItnnDK2XmNBoALzSfgvG-1G5FEQ2pJnozF4FFdiAS5Fsu7JvGgjYrSgk1dDbynNlJH99Q24_Q6OG3x8azoVEgQpVrwXCc/s1600-h/IMG_3774.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119155278164890354" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQsiRbQ3OdGO0cJ6CoxaWn0489IDahTyS5S-xY5kNDOq9idaItnnDK2XmNBoALzSfgvG-1G5FEQ2pJnozF4FFdiAS5Fsu7JvGgjYrSgk1dDbynNlJH99Q24_Q6OG3x8azoVEgQpVrwXCc/s400/IMG_3774.JPG" border="0" /></a>With the current focus on installation and the newfound "rediscovery" of painting, I find it seldom where I can find a show that brings back a genre that throughout history has helped to define art and the next pathways it will choose to go.<br /><br />Unless we're commiserating on giving a retrospective to <strong>Serra</strong> and his mass-scale, I can't imagine in today's market where a sculptor like <strong>Rodin</strong> would go to be displayed.<br /><br /><strong>Walker's</strong> works bring to mind an otherworldly realm-- much as if the kelp or octopi from the seabed uprooted itself; primordial ooze once again retaking the land.<br /><br /><strong>Walker</strong> elegantly captures the motions of these structures in each steel loop and bend.<br /><br />In the work at right, there certainly is ancient tribal art on display.<br /><br />It brings to mind a ceremonial offering, if you will, or a tribute to the fertility goddess.<br /><br />I found myself analyzing each and every curve and the dramatic texture of her works.<br /><br />Painstakingly creating each steel droplet from above, dripping freshly from the blowtorch not unlike a candle making a wax seal, it forms a rudimentary surface similar to that of a freshly erupted volcano.<br /><br />In this case, the hot lava bubbles up and out, leaving behind a rich and storied texture.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119154543725482706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXp2bZLgMg6PqOhNMZI2zx6EN7qoMK0D_7s-_ScoUPaPC2fg2E0WtsjN00iAQdJ-kb4TzqqcXKL_uy8av5twhn52gHVydoe_xD6Zx40GzQEnEzbV1-TvoPEq1GRIGThMe_DW6ez3aZon5/s400/IMG_3767.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />In the central piece of the show, <strong><em>Passion Unfurled</em></strong>, many will certainly see a central vulva, as well as a tongue-like nature to this work with its many bends and loops.<br /><br />In some ways, <strong>Walker's</strong> dark and gothic sci-fi oeuvre is at war with the blatant sexuality of this piece.<br /><br />I like how <strong>Walker</strong> highlights feminity, not necessarily using it for exploit, but instead creating a new creature with undulating motion.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_bHeHiQz6gh8/RwlC3mEVklI/AAAAAAAAA4k/7-AJHFh0orY/s1600-h/IMG_3766.JPG"></a>Even the creature's feet have a whimsical notion-- looking not unlike something straight out of "Lord of the Rings." <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSxPZlv7hoPnoPXKdAq5mOLUsyk_1UEfM1a3cfuJVio5ZPYtZEwCIeTcjjTui6G-D1D4_3yAvHLMgFU2lKojZ4bhQmkd0A5BqR08WecDI8-RwttOsmIWSISwskShvlH7AimFZRkRDkaLb/s1600-h/IMG_3766.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119154891617833698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSxPZlv7hoPnoPXKdAq5mOLUsyk_1UEfM1a3cfuJVio5ZPYtZEwCIeTcjjTui6G-D1D4_3yAvHLMgFU2lKojZ4bhQmkd0A5BqR08WecDI8-RwttOsmIWSISwskShvlH7AimFZRkRDkaLb/s400/IMG_3766.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://marthawalker.net/tn/passion1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://marthawalker.net/tn/passion1.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf85KniG86j2iFZXx1C_JdEOjOT5H1VI5Q7AmFLPad4Mv_IAYx-PHito09KSjEZnC9vExlQ_912Yxg-6JK8Da_ofarBuh8j5gy3C1Oz9Uye56FWHwI2-UCHGpeThr5bvnJJjCmXCbXeUhA/s1600-h/IMG_3770.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119155913820050194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf85KniG86j2iFZXx1C_JdEOjOT5H1VI5Q7AmFLPad4Mv_IAYx-PHito09KSjEZnC9vExlQ_912Yxg-6JK8Da_ofarBuh8j5gy3C1Oz9Uye56FWHwI2-UCHGpeThr5bvnJJjCmXCbXeUhA/s400/IMG_3770.JPG" border="0" /></a>In contrast to the more controversial <em><strong>Passion Unfurled</strong></em>, in her work at left, <strong><em>Pearl</em></strong>, the cherished treasure contains an almost fetal-like element which can be removed from the central structure and stand alone.<br /><br />When docked in its "mother ship," if you will, it is caressed and cared for not unlike a small child in its mother's arms.<br /><br />There's something about the craftsmanship of this piece that makes you almost fear for its safety as it goes out into the new world-- will it survive?<br /><br />Only time will tell.<br /><br />I also cannot help but also be reminded of the dominance of male artists in the New York art world, and how that little "pearl," if you will, could also represent the obstacles that female artists face when getting their work on display.<br /><br />Great piece.<br /><br />In the case of <strong>Walker's</strong> art, you certainly could classify it as one of the more dangerous undertakings of the different art mediums, for working with steel certainly is not one for the faint of heart.<br /><br />The heavy structures are certainly not a simple duty in their formative stages.<br /><br />Lifting and manipulating several hundred pounds of molten metal as it is super-heated to thousands of degrees is a painstaking task that requires sheer determination and will of heart.<br /><br />What I liked the most about <strong>Walker</strong> was her true passion for her subject matter and dedication to the task at hand.<br /><br />She actually records and keeps track of the hours spent on each piece-- some taking months to construct.<br /><br />It is extremely time consuming, especially given the highly intricate detailing of her structures.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_bHeHiQz6gh8/RwlEyGEVknI/AAAAAAAAA40/-7En16HuRxo/s1600-h/IMG_3768.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOvfeK7ex1AOPWutM6UGTUOEQAGLK3EoHjsaZzC6Q2meQ-z1XywZ0fTppQuxq9H1a2p_37AXxGas3jyxd_TPWWTasZ90ibgfLEcpiH7APMgKv7jBFI5uNGQPJIEFNIu1BaXduVMoaMyyB/s1600-h/IMG_3768.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119156158633186082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOvfeK7ex1AOPWutM6UGTUOEQAGLK3EoHjsaZzC6Q2meQ-z1XywZ0fTppQuxq9H1a2p_37AXxGas3jyxd_TPWWTasZ90ibgfLEcpiH7APMgKv7jBFI5uNGQPJIEFNIu1BaXduVMoaMyyB/s400/IMG_3768.JPG" border="0" /></a>Take a look at this close-up of <strong><em>Passion Unfurled</em></strong>.<br /><br />Each and every droplet and branch has been formed by the piece being on its back.<br /><br /><strong>Walker's</strong> blowtorch superheats the steel from behind, and the liquified droplets with the assistance of gravity make a new formation-- not unlike the volcanic lava formations of the South Pacific.<br /><br />In the case of <strong>Passion Unfurled</strong>, the piece weighs over 700 pounds and only came about in its current structure after originally meaning to be a river bed.<br /><br /><strong>Walker</strong> realized when the piece cleaved in two, it transformed into a formation of rollicking sensuality at play.<br /><br />Even though Walker's work certainly has a gothic undertone, given its "all black all the time" quality, (something we here at the <strong>Musings</strong> have been a bit obsessed with as of late) it is truly embracing the organic realm.<br /><br />In some ways her work reminded me of my recent review of the fantastic painter <strong>Janaina Tschape,</strong> who concentrates on embryonic structures.<br /><br />It's almost as if <strong>Tschaipe's</strong> structures have leaped off the canvas into sculpture formations.<br /><br />Much of <strong>Walker's</strong> structures as well take on a honeycombing effect, or that of seed pods.<br /><br />The open loops appear to be so delicate, you can barely imagine that they started off as steel bars.<br /><br />I enjoyed examining how each branch connects seemlessly with the next.<br /><br />There is such a unique flow to her work.<br /><br />In her own words, <strong>Walker</strong> states how the process of creating these works is "meditative" for her.<br /><br />I think the viewer will find this as well.<br /><br /><strong>Walker's</strong> work will be up through Sunday, October 14th.<br /><br /><strong>440 Gallery</strong> is located at 440 Sixth Avenue in Brooklyn, just a few blocks from the F train stop at 7th Avenue.<br /><br />For more information, go to: <a href="http://www.440gallery.com/">http://www.440gallery.com/</a><br /><br />or you can check out more of Walker's work at: <a href="http://www.marthawalker.net/">http://www.marthawalker.net</a></p><p> </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119155544452862722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdnN1Af-DP_diTmFqOigWHQ84g76IXQ7D2dd7iDmSUpZCwkBubUiGnnkMLfYKJgARCrm5af7HyyXuHmdhsddlC3NEwsIO3BkKcywJAEpK_5x0aCef-cLeP-soFmg6kfoNtERS3nicTVwg/s400/IMG_3772.JPG" border="0" />Olyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03050655657910944678noreply@blogger.com0