Art Hag

Queer + Peculiar Craft | The Clemente

Currently on view at The Clemente in the Lower East Side is Queer + Peculiar Craft, an exhibition of contemporary ceramics and textiles that examines identity and challenges viewers' expectations of craft.

Queer + Peculiar Craft installation view: works by Phoenix Lindsay-Hall (far left); Greg Climer (right and left of window); Koren Christofides (rear table); Andrew Cornell Robinson (front table); and Roxanne Jackson (far right)

Curated by Andrew Cornell Robinson, the exhibit showcases “an intersectional group of artists who explore craft to transgress expectations of traditional materials, methods, and meaning,” according to the show’s press release. The show features a diverse selection of subversive work that includes pottery, quilting, cross-stitching, printmaking, and crochet employed in unconventional and refreshing ways.

Clockwise from top: Puppetmaster Punch Bowl, Rhyton, and Doll House, all by Koren Christofides

Couple Kissing (blue and yellow), George Climer

#communication (top) and Mincing Queen Mincing Words (bottom), both by Timo Rissannen

Detail of Mincing Queen Mincing Words by Timo Rissannen

One artist featured in the show, Koren Christofides, explores feminism through ceramics. In an email, Robinson explained that some of Christofides' works are soft sculptures made with industrial ceramic fiber insulation covered in paper clay, resulting in pieces that are simultaneously “familiar and strange.” For his prismatic quilts featuring erotic males nudes, Greg Climer reinterprets traditional quilt-making methods by “creating the fabric fragments rather than upcycling scraps,” according to the exhibition essay.

Vick Quezada's Table Remains (front) and Phoenix Lindsey-Hall's Fourteen Blows (rear)

Phoenix Lindsey-Hall's Fourteen Blows

Jamon Jamon V (Chueca), Andrew Cornell Robinson

Works by Andrew Cornell Robinson

Phoenix Lindsey-Hall’s ceramic sculptures play with “repetition and formalism,” according to Robinson. “It uses that formalism to include queer stories within the framework of contemporary aesthetics.” Her Fourteen Blows features a row of white porcelain claw hammers—a weapon used in hate crimes against members of the LGBTQ community—protruding limply from a wall.

Robinson’s own ceramic and mixed media sculptures included in the show “explore historical customs as a metaphor for queer-baiting and conformity.” The sculptures in his Jamon Jamon series reference a medieval Spanish custom in which hosts offered ham to visitors to “sniff out heresy during the inquisition when the pious were looking for expressions of distaste in response to the offer of sliced pork,” the exhibit essay explains. His Jamon Jamon sculptures are a “metaphor about being ‘suspected’ and ‘queer-baited’ as a gay man."

Inspiration for Queer + Peculiar Craft came from a 1993 interview with the late artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres for A.R.T. Press. When asked about the lack of “overt political or Latino content” in his work, Gonzalez-Torres responded:

“I’m not a good token. I don’t wear the right colors. I have my own agenda. Some people want to promote multiculturalism as long as they are the promoters, the circus directors. We have an assigned role that’s very specific, very limited….”

“[Gonzalez-Torres] expressed an impatience that I could identity with as a gay man making art,” Robinson noted. “I felt empowered by his question, ‘Who is going to define my culture?’”

Born in Camden, New Jersey, and raised on the outskirts of NYC, Robinson grew up in a creative family and discovered ceramics at an early age. He studied ceramic sculpture at the Glasgow School of Art and the Maryland Institute College of Art and received his MFA in sculpture from the School of Visual Arts. “I make work that explores identities and lived experiences, but I have often come to the same conclusion that [Gonzalez-Torres] had. Our voice, our creative lineages have broader roots that span across times, cultures, politics, sexualities, genders, languages and media,” he said, noting that he is influenced by poetry, fiction, sculpture, film, dance, and more.

“I have been fascinated by how some artists challenge an accepted idea or a material tradition and are then dismissed or criticized for their peculiar transgression against the norm,” Robinson continued. “I love that sense of the peculiar, the unfamiliar…. It’s exciting.”

Queer + Peculiar Craft installation view

Healer Giant, Roxanne Jackson

Walking Ten More Steps, Suddenly Open, Dad's Tear (top); Walking Ten More Steps, Suddenly Open, Grandmother's Grievance (bottom), both by Lu Zhang

Works by Edmund Green Langdell

Queer + Peculiar Craft on view at The Clemente. _SCAR by Brian Kenny is seen beside door.

The 11 artists included in Queer + Peculiar Craft are based around the world but most have a connection to New York City, Robinson explained. “Some are gay, lesbian, straight and/or transgender. Some are older and younger and represent a multi-racial and multi-cultural group of makers,” he said. “Their work touches upon an underlying sense of being outside of a tradition, culture or common ground, and seeing the world through that particular point of view, which may often be met with suspicion, or dismissal, hence the title Queer and Peculiar.”

With works that address homosexual desire, feminism, transgender narratives, immigration, racism, and class, the artists “push the boundaries of a particular craft tradition by introducing a new technology, material, or by combining new content with anachronistic making methods,” according to Robinson, who adds that the featured artists are “doing something now and new with materials that have deep histories.”

Robinson hopes audiences will be introduced to a new group of artists and “recognize something familiar” in their work. “Perhaps they might see the common grounds that may be found in our queerness and/or peculiarity, and find empathy, or humor, or hope, or recognition,” he said. 

Queer + Peculiar Craft
The Clemente, Abrazo Interno Gallery, Second Floor
107 Suffolk Street (between Rivington & Delancey), Lower East Side
Exhibition on view through January 18
Artists' Panel Discussion scheduled for Thursday, January 16, 6pm to 8pm

Billy Childish | Lehmann Maupin

For over thirty-five years, artist, writer, musician Billy Childish has been producing a variety of creative works -- hundreds of paintings, over forty volumes of poetry, a series of autobiographical novels, and more than 120 blues/punk influenced albums.  I Am The Billy Childish, currently on view at Lehmann Maupin's Lower East Side space, gives visitors just a hint of Childish's prolific output.

Born in Chatham, Kent in 1959, Childish left school at 16 and worked on a dockyard and as an apprentice stonemason.  A portfolio filled with one hundred drawings earned him admission to St. Martin's School of Art where the artist's "defiance to authority led to his eventual expulsion from art school in 1981," (from the show's press release).  This clearly did not deter Childish from creating art in various ways, exploring themes of "war, history, social protest, as well as his own experiences of alcoholism, and the sexual abuse he suffered as a child."  The first floor of the gallery presents the artist's recent paintings depicting volcanoes, the German mountaineer Toni Kurz, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, as well as scenes of the Wounded Knee massacre.  The upstairs gallery surveys Childish's music and litery projects, showcasing zines, books, and a collection of poems.  Also on view are 55 of Childish's album covers, some featuring cover art by Childish and by artists Peter Doig and Daniel Clowes.

Influenced by Edvard Munch, Vincent van Gogh, and Dada, Childish's paintings feature shadowy figures against vibrating stokes of intense color.  As the old saying goes, "write what you know," and Childish boldly and honestly writes, performs, and paints what he knows and experiences.  At the exhibition's opening, the artist was on hand to read from his fifth novel, The Stonemason, as well as from his new collection of poetry, I Fuckt Frida Kahlo.  Learn more at Lehmannmaupin.com.  Through January 21st.

Kurz Descending (Study), 2011

Lt. Sydney A. Cloman, First Infantry, on His Horse on the Wounded Knee, 2011

Lt. Sydney A. Cloman, First Infantry, on His Horse on the Wounded Knee (detail), 2011

Erupting Volcano, Chile, 2011

Sibelius (Man with Stick), 2011

Sibelius Amongst Saplings, 2011

(Elgar) Man Sat on Chairs, 2011

Philip-Lorca diCorcia | David Zwirner

Before W became just another celebrity glorifying rag, the magazine used to regularly feature lush, evocative, edgy photo spreads shot by top art and fashion photographers.  David Zwirner's 519 West 19th space currently has on view selected works culled from eleven editorial projects created by Philip-Lorca diCorcia for W between 1997-2008.  Eleven is diCorcia's first exhibit in New York focusing exclusively on the renowned photographer's fashion work.

Along with W's former creative director Dennis Freedman, "diCorcia traveled to distinct locations around the world" including Cairo, Havana, Sao Paulo, Bangkok, Paris, Los Angles, New York, "to produce his photographic essays" (from the press release) featuring some of the coolest models of yesteryear (Kristen McMenamy, Nadja Auermann, Guinevere van Seenus, Erin O'Connor) posing alongside natives of the environs.  The "images weave together richly loaded narratives with a stylist's selection of designer-brand clothes," however they interestingly often "appear far removed from the fashion industry's traditional emphasis on formulaic beauty and harmony, and instead involve a delicate balance between glamour and grit, imagination and irony." 

Though cinematic, diCorcia shies away from revealing "[A]n explicit plot" in his mysterious and often tense photographs.  The artist's series are "ripe with ambiguous meanings and loaded connotations as characters appear and re-appear in a myriad of settings."  Why do models McMenamy and O'Connor appear to be having breakdowns in the Lost Angeles series?  What the heck is Auermann doing cradling a rooster in the middle of a cockfight ring in the Bangkok series?  Why is designer Marc Jacobs giving bitch face to a shady-looking male figure asleep in his bed in the Paris series?  And why is a bride decorating a banquet hall all by her lonesome in the Sao Paulo series?  Perhaps answers to these inquiries can be uncovered in the exhibit's accompanying book edited by Freedman and featuring each of the eleven series in their entirety.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1951, the New York-based diCorcia has been creating innovative photographs for over 30 years.  His compelling works in Eleven feature seductively cryptic, sleek, surreal imagery that beautifully and tenuously straddle the line between "documentation and fiction," reality and fantasy.  Learn more at Davidzwirner.com.  Through March 5th.

W, May 2008, #15, 2008, Series: 1.Cairo, 2008

W, March 2000, #13, 2000, Series: 7.Havana, 2000 (titled Cuba Libre)

W, March 2000, #3, 2000, Series: 7.Havana 2000 (titled Cuba Libre)

W, September 2001, #6, 2001, Series: 5.Bangkok 2001

W, September 1997, #2, 1997, Series: 11.Los Angeles 1997 (titled Lost Angeles)

W, November 2003, #12, 2003, Series: 3.Sao Paulo 2003

W, September 2001, #4, 2001, Series: 5.Bangkok 2001

W, September 1997, #9, 1997, Series: 11.Los Angeles 1997 (titled Lost Angeles)

W, November 2007, #6, 2007, Series: 10.Paris 2007 (titled Marc Jacobs)

W, May 2008, #3, 2008, Series: 1.Cairo 2008

W, September 1997, #5, 1997, Series: 11.Los Angeles 1997 (titled Lost Angeles)

W, September 2001, #1, 2001, Series: 5.Bangkok 2001

W, March 2000, #10, 2000, Series: 7.Havana 2000 (titled Cuba Libre)

Raymond Pettibon | David Zwirner

"Hard in the Paint" is a basketball term that describes a player trying to make a shot while positioned inside the painted lines just underneath the net—a difficult spot to score since the player is usually surrounded by members of the opposing team.  In slang, the phrase also describes a "confident, tough, or aggressive" attitude.  Hard in the Paint is also the title for Raymond Pettibon's current exhibit at David Zwirner, featuring new drawings referencing art history, classic literature, sports, politics, and pop culture. Composed with frenetic, almost violent lines and deep, bold colors, Pettibon's works definitely exude a "hard in the paint" swagger.

Born in Tucson, Arizona in 1957 and based in Venice Beach, California, Pettibon's early work was driven by the Los Angeles punk scene in the 70's and 80's along with the album art, comics, concert fliers and 'zines that were created during that time.  Pettibon designed album covers for several bands, perhaps most notably Sonic Youth and Black Flag (whose founding member, Greg Ginn, is Pettibon's brother) and created Black Flag's well-known logo—four thick, black, vertical bars.  With his punk and hardcore connections, it's almost hard to believe that the text Pettibon incorporates into his artwork is culled from the writing of Proust, Faulkner, Flaubert, and the bible. "Fragments from American society have been singled out and distilled to key images" and paired up with text that ranges from a single word to several lines and paragraphs (from show's press release).  Images of baseball players, surfers, flowers, explosions, sports cars, news events, the earth, and even Liberace, are juxtaposed with words that "relate both rhythmically and narratively to the visual content of his drawings, although their relationship may not always be immediately apparent."

Though it might take a while to uncover them, Pettibon's smart, energetic, and richly colored drawings deliver messages and commentary about contemporary culture.  The artist doesn't spoon-feed viewers the meanings of his works, but it's definitely worthwhile studying and (hopefully) discovering them on your own.  Learn more at Davidzwirner.com and at the artist's website Raypettibon.com.  Through December 21st.

*Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore has edited and will release Raymond Pettibon: Front Row Center on his imprint, Ecstatic Peace Library.  The 160-page book focuses on Pettibon's work with bands, music, and the record label SST.  Learn more at ecstaticpeacelibrary.com.

Clockwise from far left:  No Title (She must know...), No Title (I am too...), No Title (Me and my...), No Title (My flame flicker...), No Title (It has in...), No Title (That obliging schoolgirl...), No Title (Almost a perfect...), all 2010

Clockwise from top left: No Title (Ohne title...), No Title (Faster faster please...), No Title (For getting a...), No Title (The church bell...), all 2010

Left to right:  No Title (Driftwood, Wax, and...), No Title (5,000 strokes is...), No Title (A slight ascent...), 2010

No Title (The Invisible Man's...), 2010

Left to right:  No Title (Zebra), 2010, No Title (Manhattan rising advancing...), 2010

Clockwise from top left:  No Title (Hanging day at...), No Title (It may happen...), No Title (Hers seemed to...), No Title (No Primer No Bondo...), No Title (My 5-year plan...), all 2010

No Title (Female on the...), 2010

No Title (A painter hangs...), 2010

No Title (Why? I've no...), 2010

Left to right:  No Title (The news put...), 2010, No Title (Don't ask! Don't...), 2010

Left to right:  No Title (Pacific ocean blue), 2010, No Title (Going, going the...), 2010

Sophie Crumb | DCKT Contemporary

Coinciding with the release of the book Sophie Crumb: Evolution of a Crazy Artist is Crumb's debut solo show at DCKT Contemporary.  The daughter of R. Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb, who both edited her monograph, the 29-year-old artist began drawing as a child.  Some of Crumb's cool, early experiences include her working with her parents on Dirty Laundry Comics, producing her own Belly Button Comix, training at a French circus school, and working as a tattoo artist.  Crumb's artwork tends to focus on her "current experiences" while acknowledging her "eccentric" and interesting past (from show's press release).  Crumb's raw and colorful drawings often depict moments from her life in the south of France where she currently lives with her husband and son, along with memories from her times in Berkeley and New York.  Her works currently on view at DCKT are mostly recent drawings and prints that show the media's influence on Crumb, with the artist's recreations of tabloid covers and magazine pages showing models, actresses, socialites, reality stars, and assorted well-known trainwrecks in an unflattering light.

Sophie Crumb: Evolution of a Crazy Artist the book "explores the development of an artist from her earliest beginnings to the present," with Crumb discussing what it's like having two famed artists for parents and establishing herself in the artworld.  Published by W.W. Norton, the monograph showcases 300 drawings and paintings created by Crumb between the ages of 2 to 28 that have been lovingly archived by her parents over the years.  Learn more at dcktcontemporary.com and at the Crumb's blog Sophiecrumb.blogspot.com.  Through December 30th.

1985, 2010

Vogue Shit, 2010

Sophie Manson, 2010

Untitled (pointing girl), 2007

Untitled (nude with chair), 2006

Sunglasses 1, 2010, Sunglasses 2, 2010

Snooki Gets Booky, 2010

We Will Obey Him, 2010

Mermaid Bride, 2002

50 Years at Pace

Happy 50th anniversay Pace!  In celebration of its golden anniversary, The Pace Gallery is presenting a multi-venue retrospective of its history, tracing back to its roots in Boston and exhibiting many "key masterpieces" from the approximately 700 exhibitions it has organized and 350 catalogues it has published throughout the past five decades. 

The gallery's 32 East 57th Street space focuses on "recreations of some of the gallery's most significant historical shows," including Pablo Picasso: The Avignon Paintings, 1981; The Sculpture of Picasso, 1982; Coenties Slip: Robert Indiana, Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, James Rosenquist, Jack Youngerman, 1993; De Kooning/Dubuffet: The Women, 1991; Bonnard/Rothko: Color and Light, 1997; Mondrian/Reinhardt: Influence and Affinity, 1997, and more.  The gallery will also have on view rare archival items like "letters and telegrams between artists, vintage gallery announcements, and historical installation photography" (from the press release).

Pace's 534 West 25th Street location focuses on Pop art and Abstract Expressionism with highlights including Jasper Johns' Three Flags, 1958; Andy Warhol's Marilyn Diptych, 1962; assorted Claes Oldenburg sculptures including Giant BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich), 1963 and Bacon and Egg, 1965; and (my personal favorite) a trio of works by Robert Rauschenberg including Erased de Kooning Drawing, 1953, Untitled [glossy black painting], c. 1951, and Windward, 1963.  Pace's new location at 510 West 25th Street has a terrific debut exhibition focusing on contemporary art today.  Highlights from this venue include Chuck Close's portrait of Chinese artist Zhang Huan, Zhang Huan I, 2008 ; Maya Lin's intricate pattern of steel pins stuck directly onto a wall, Pin River - Hudson, 2009;  Michal Rovner's Data Zone, Cultures Table #1, 2003; Zhang Xiaogang's Comrades, 2006; and Fred Wilson's Iago's Mirror, 2009.

My personal favorite of the retrospective shows takes place at Pace's 545 West 22nd Street space which is devoted to Minimal Art and the post-Modernist movements, featuring works by Larry Bell, John Chamberlain, Dan Flavin, David Hockney, Robert Irwin, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, Robert Mangold, Brice Marden, Bridget Riley, Lucas Samaras, Joel Shapiro, Kiki Smith, James Turrell, Richard Tuttle, (phew!) and more.  So many highlights at this venue, but most notable are the room with two James Turrell computerized neon works and another room with two Dan Flavin light pieces; Lucas Samaras' massive Mirrored Room, 1966 (not seen in NYC since Samaras' Whitney retrospective in 1973!); and Sol LeWitt's Wall Drawing #741 which draftsmen started installing for this exhibit back in August and was "previously on view (for the first and last time) in LeWitt's 1994 exhibition at Pace."

A catalogue featuring more than 250 full-color illustrations has been produced for the celebratory exhibition.  Also, a free iPhone app (available on iTunes) was specially designed for 50 Years at Pace "featuring audio clips of artists and art historians and a walking tour of public works in Manhattan."  Pace Prints, Pace Primitive and Pace/MacGill also currently have special exhibitions on view to coincide with the anniversary retrospective.

50 Years at Pace is a must-see.  It's a series of best-of collections conveniently packaged and (mostly) situated within walking distance from eachother.  I will definitely revisit these wonderful exhibits before they close on October 23rd -- October 16th for the new 510 West 25th Street space.  Here's to another 50 years, Pace!  Learn more at thepacegallery.com.

Unfortunately, lots of security guards were at all the venues making sure pictures were not being taken.  Below is a pic of Lucas Samaras' Mirrored Room, 1966 from The Pace Gallery website.

Lucas Samaras, Mirrored Room, 1966

Yul Brynner | Lehmann Maupin LES

Aside from making bald look incredibly chic and cool, Yul Brynner is best known for his flawless performances in classic films The King and I, The Ten Commandments, and The Magnificent Seven.  Brynner is lesser known for his photography work, which is a shame, because he apparently took thousands of wonderful pictures. 

YUL, Yul Brynner: A Photographic Journey is Lehmann Maupin's exhibition of the late actor's photographic work that accompanies the release of a four volume book of the same name.  YUL, the exhibit, features 70 of Brynner's works shot throughout his career both on and off set.  The images were selected from each of the four volumes—"Lifestyle", "Life on Set", "1956", and "Man of Style"—of YUL, the book.  The beautiful, intimate photos showcase major hollywood stars - colleagues and friends of Brynner's - casual and at ease either at work or at play.  He snapped actresses vamping it up for his camera or caught them relaxing behind the scenes.  He captured sweet moments of famous women with their children.  He shot elegant self-portraits and family pictures.  And he photographed countless celebs off-duty at home or on holiday.  Just a few of the famous faces you'll recognize in his photos include:  Ingrid Bergman, Charlie Chaplin, Joan Collins, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and of course, his co-stars from The King and I and The Ten Commandments.

Born Yuli Borisovich Bryner in Vladivostok, Russia in 1920, the Oscar and Tony winning actor (both for the King and I), director, and musician was also a very talented shutterbug.  While he certainly had glamorous and photogenic subjects, Brynner definitely had a good eye and captured wonderful scenes in black-and-white and color.  YUL, Yul Brynner: A Photographic Journey, the book, was published by Edition 7L and was edited by Victoria Brynner, one of his four children.  The multi-talented Brynner died of lung cancer 25 years ago (!) on October 10, 1985 at the age of 65.  Both YUL the exhibition and book are definitely worth checking out to discover another side of the versatile and legendary artist.  Learn more at Lehmannmaupin.com.  Through September 25th.

Objets d'Art | News

~Brooklyn or Bust - The New York Times asked a bunch of museum directors, artists, and business executives for suggestions on a business plan for The Brooklyn Museum.  While the museum has tried re-branding itself by adding a completely out-of-place glass entrance hall a few years back, hosting free First Saturday festivities every month, and exhibiting a solo show for the soon-to-be-announced winner of Bravo's Work of Art, the institution still unfairly lacks the prestige its Manhattan counterparts enjoy.  I liked the suggestions artist William Powhida and Rochelle Slovin, the Director of The Museum of the Moving Image, offered best. Powhida suggests the museum organize a survey show of contemporary Brooklyn artists and "engage one of its greatest assets, artists working in Brooklyn..."  Slovin's advice is straightforward: "Continue to take excellent care of your treasured collections... more great exhibitions, more performances, more joyful noise."  Chairman of the Blackstone Group, Stephen A. Schwarzman, also has an excellent tip — "to instill the same feeling of pride that New Yorkers feel about other institutions that make this city great, from Central Park to Yankee Stadium."  It's The Brooklyn Museum fer chrissakes!  Represent and take advantage of that borough's fervent pride!  Read the full article at nytimes.com.

~Tim Nye: Art Guy - The NYTs also has a profile on former dot-com entrepreneur turned gallery owner, Tim Nye.  Nye, who opened Nyehaus in a four-story brownstone on West 20th Street last year, organized the recent, three-gallery-spanning Swell shows which featured surf themed and/or inspired art.  Read the article at nytimes.com.

~Jerry Saltz's Top Twenty - New York Magazine Art Critic and Work of Art judge Jerry Saltz makes like Nick Hornby and lists his top twenty favorite paintings in New York.  His selections include works by Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Frida Kahlo, Philip Guston, Paul Cezanne, Marsden Hartley, Kazimir Malevich, Georgia O'Keefe, Edouard Manet, Goya, Rembrandt, and Caravaggio from collections at The Met, MoMA, The Guggenheim, The Frick, The Brooklyn Museum and The Hispanic Society of America.  While it's cool to learn Saltz's top picks and discover some new works, the highlights of the article are his smart, charming, and passionate descriptions.  Check out his list and see a slideshow of his selections at nymag.com.

~Bookworms Rejoice! - David Zwirner Gallery is launching its first annual summer Pop-Up Bookstore next Monday for one week only.  From Monday, August 9th - Friday, August 13th, the pop-up shop will have special offers on rare and out-of-print books, signed artist catalogues, DVDs, and more.  The Pop-Up Bookstore will be open from 10:00am - 6:00pm daily except on Wednesday and Thursday when it will stay open until 7:30pm.  Shop early and shop often!  Learn more at Davidzwirner.com.

Objets d'Art | News

~Alex Prager Directs- Los Angeles-based photographer Alex Prager has directed Despair, a vibrant and surreal four-minute short film starring Bryce Dallas Howard (doll-like daughter of Opie Cunningham, nee Ron Howard).  Inspired by the classic suspense film, Night of the Hunter (1955), and the 1948 ballet The Red Shoes,  Despair is set in LA in the 1960s and "was conceived as a living, full-sensory version of her photographic work."  Prager states, "I'd like to show the before, now and after of one of my images--that's really the concept of the film."  Directing films seems like a natural step for Prager since her photographs tend to be cinematic, dramatic, and bursting with color.  A still taken from Despair has been selected for MoMA's New Photography 2010 group exhibition opening on September 29th.  Learn more and watch Despair at Nowness.com.  Click here for my post on Prager's terrific show Week-End that was at Yancey Richardson early this year.

~Ryan McGinley Directs Again- Another photographer who has dabbled in short film is Ryan McGinley.  His latest, Entrance Romance (it felt like a kiss) stars an amorous dog, some unlucky goldfish, and model and very good sport, Carolyn Murphy.  Again, you can watch the film at Nowness.com.

~Scott Campbell Collaborates on New "It" Bag- Tattoo artist and fine artist, Scott Campbell, has teamed up with one of his A-List tat clients, Marc Jacobs, the Creative Director for Louis Vuitton, to help design bags for the brand's Spring 2011 menswear collection shown in Paris yesterday.  Read more about the collab at elle.com and check out the Vuitton collection at style.com.  Several of the boys were sporting skin-art on the runway and a couple of the bags towards the end were embossed with Campbell-like art.  Click here for my post on Campbell's first NYC gallery show, If You Don't Belong, Don't Be Long.

~The Hole Opens- Former Directors for Deitch Projects, Kathy Grayson and Meghan Coleman are opening a new gallery called The Hole at 104 Greene Street in Soho.  Officially opening on June 26th, the gallery space will also house a retail shop - Holey Books, a cafe, and an artists' dating service called Hole Lotta Love.  Until The Hole's official opening, they currently have on exhibit Not Quite Open for Business, a show featuring unfinished art, poems and symphonies created by 20 artists.  Sounds like The Hole will be a fun place and a welcome addition to the Soho galleries.  Learn more at flavorwire.com. 

~Shoot the Piano Player- British artist Luke Jerram has teamed up with Sing for Hope to install 60  pianos in parks and public spaces all around the city in all five boroughs from June 21 to July 5th.  The installation titled Play Me, I'm Yours, started in Birmingham, England in 2008 and has traveled to cities around the world.  According to Jerram, the project aims to "provoke people into engaging, activating and claiming ownership of their urban landscape", and encourages Liberace wannabes to tickle the ivories and post pictures of themselves with the pianos at nycstreetpianos.com (where you can also find more info on Jerram, Play Me, I'm Yours, and piano locations). 

~A Bell For Every Minute- A shitload of angels are going to be getting their wings thanks to artist Stephen Vitiello's A Bell For Every Minute, a Creative Time sponsored, site-specific work created for the High Line.  The multi-channel sound installation takes place on the High Line in a "semi-enclosed tunnel between West 13th and 14th Streets, with sound recordings of bells taken from all over New York City and beyond" going off every minute and a "chorus of the selected bells" chiming every hour on the hour.  A map is available to help visitors identify the original location of each bell.  Learn more at creativetime.org.  Throughout the summer.

~Last Chance for Key to the City- This weekend is your last chance to pick up a Key to the City and explore and unlock 20 "secret" and unusual sights throughout the five boroughs.  Sponsored by Creative Time, the project is the brainchild of artist Paul Ramirez Jonas.  I really wanted to check out this project but June really flew by quickly and the temperatures have become uncharacteristically hot for this time of year and I've been characteristically lazy for any time of year.  If you're willing to brave the heat and humidity this weekend, pick up one of the 25,000 keys at the kiosk in Times Square by Sunday.  Learn more and see some of the things you can check out with a key at flavorwire.com.  Check out creativetime.org for more info.  Keys available at Times Square through June 27th (though the locks will be available through Labor Day).

~Northside Festival-  The great, free weekly L Magazine has organized a festival in Williamsburg and Greenpoint that's so huge it needs 4 days to fit in all the events including more than 250 bands playing at over 40 neighboring venues, 25 gallery shows, and 9 film screenings.  Among the bands playing are the hipsterific Les Savy Fav and Liars.  Learn more at northsidefestival.com.  June 24th through 27th.

~Inez and Vinoodh Celebrate Silver Anniversary- Dutch photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin are celebrating their prolific 25-year career with a retrospective called Pretty Much Everything at the Foam Museum in Amsterdam.  The exhibit showcases 300 of the pair's innovative and sleek images taken between 1985-2010 and will be followed up next year with a book published by Taschen featuring over 600 of their photographs and an original piece written by author A.M. Homes.  Learn more and read a brief interview with van Lamsweerde at wwd.com.  Pretty Much Everything is on view through September 15th.  See my post on Inez and Vinoodh's Sculptographs show at Andrea Rosen this past April here. 

Mamma Andersson & Jockum Nordstrom | David Zwirner

David Zwirner presents Stockholm-based, married artists Mamma Andersson and Jockum Nordstrom in two concurrent solo exhibitions sharing the title Who is sleeping on my pillow.  On display are Andersson's quiet and moody paintings of "domestic interiors" and "luminous pastoral landscapes and gardens" (from the press release) and Nordstrom's two and three-dimensional paper works consisting of "collages, watercolors, graphite drawings, and architectural sculptures" built from "cardboard and matchboxes."  Also on view in the short hallway separating the two exhibits are a pair of recent, two-sided, collaborative works in which Andersson created the backgrounds and Nordstrom collaged in people and animals.

According to the press release, Andersson's paintings "embody a duality that is central to Swedish culture: the interplay of rural and urban aesthetics, combined with the notion of the everyday."  She is inspired by "filmic imagery, theater sets, period interiors, and her native land..."  While Andersson's pieces depict seemingly ordinary scenes of people sitting around and empty kitchens and hallways, the works are far from ordinary.  You can almost hear the humming or the settling of the still houses as they emit a sense of tension and pique your curiosity.

Nordstrom refers to his two-dimensional works as "stills" because they "read like storyboards" with "all the action tak[ing] place simultaneously in a frozen frame."  His naive, childlike scenes show "fantastical settings populated with unique figures, animals, architecture, furniture, musical instruments, and other props, all varying in scale and coexisting harmoniously."  His diverse cast of characters include "primitive hunters on horseback, jazz musicians, 18th-century dandies," a Victorian couple and reindeer.  One of Nordstrom's many influences is Belgian artist James Ensor and his multi-narrative, action-packed "stills" remind me of Henry Darger and Nordstrom's good friend Marcel Dzama (who interviewed Nordstrom in Who is sleeping on my pillow, a new monograph/catalogue designed by the couple's son, Valentin).  Learn more about Who is sleeping on my pillow at Davidzwirner.com.  Through June 12th.

Andersson - Dead End, 2010

Andersson - Filly, 2010

Andersson - Kitchen Fight, 2010

Andersson - Pigeon House, 2010

Andersson - Who Is Sleeping On My Pillow, 2010

Nordstrom and Andersson - Sleepwalkers, 2010

Nordstrom - Blockhead, 2010

Nordstrom - Fools Coffin, 2009

Nordstrom - Down The Road, 2009

Nordstrom - It's Winter Now, 2009

the possibility of a painting | The Chelsea Hotel

The possibility of a painting is an impressive group show at The Chelsea Hotel's Gallery Suite featuring the works of 13 New York City artists.  The show examines the potentials of painting and exhibits the works salon-style, with pieces dramatically scaling up one wall and swooping up and across the ceiling!  The arrangement of the paintings show the transition from representational works to abstract to minimalist, ending with one dark, elegant, large-scale minimalist painting on the opposite wall.  The display also creates an immersive experience - visitors are invited  to sit or lounge on specially designed cushions while viewing the show, to fully experience the works and the atmosphere.

Starting at the lower portion of the right wall are the representational works including:
Tara de la Garza's layered, moody, gritty subway pieces; Marisa DeMarco's black-and-white retro ladies superimposed with brightly colored modern gadgets; Ayca Koseogullari's shadowy, devilish figures; Winston Chmielinski's lush and mysterious portraits; Kate Shaw's dreamy, sherbet-colored landscape; and Sirikul Pattachote's colorful nature scenes.  Scanning your gaze upwards you find the abstract works gradually lead into the minimalists — Kenneth Park's raw, energetic canvases; Meghan Keane's vibrant swirls;  Chelsea Hotel summer resident, Susan Olmetti's vigorous, lively, large-scale oil painting; Darren Wardle's richly saturated small-scale canvases; Koji Shimizu's sweet and whimsical ode to his cat; and Felicity Faulkner's stunning, fluid shapes and forms.

The iconic Chelsea Hotel refurbished a guestroom, The Gallery Suite, with a small, separate room serving as a unique exhibition space.  Lucky guests who reserve The Gallery Suite get to "live" with the paintings during their stay!  Much like the hotel, The Gallery Suite, situated on the 10th floor in Room 1019, possesses a rich, artistic history of its own.  Artist Alfred Russell lived in Room 1019 with his wife Joan for thirty years.  Alfred was an accomplished abstract painter whose work was featured in seven Whitney Annuals (from 1949-1955), in MoMA's major abstract show in 1951, and alongside Pollock's and de Kooning's at the Vehemences Confrontees exhibition in Paris in 1951.  Russell renounced avant-garde abstraction as "The Bourgeoisation of Modern Art" in 1953, and painted mainly in unfashionable figurative styles, rarely exhibiting his work, until his death in 2007.  Fittingly, Russell's studio was located in the room currently exhibiting the possibility of a painting.  Starting off his career in abstract painting, moving on to figurative, and ultimately combining the styles, Russell truly explored the possibilities of painting. 

A black-and-white photo book, hotel chelsea — room 1019, is available during the exhibition. It documents The Gallery Suite's former incarnation as Alfred and Joan Russell's home. Photographed by Gillian Bostock two weeks after Joan's death in 2008, with text written by the Russells' nephew Peter Feld, hotel chelsea — room 1019 reveals an intimate peek into the couple's home and lives.

Learn more at 2onetwo.com/blog.  Open Thursday evenings from 6:00-8:00 on the following dates: March 11, 25; April 1, 15, 29; May 13, 27; or by appointment.

Installation view

~Clockwise from top left: Kate Shaw (landscape); Winston Chmielinski (2 small portraits and large portrait in center w/ white background); Marisa DeMarco (3 black-and-white faces); and Tara de la Garza (large-scale piece on bottom right and center left)

View of some paintings on ceiling ~Clockwise from top left: Meghan Keane (colorful circles on beige background); Felicity Faulkner (multi-colored straight lines and wavy lines); Kenneth Park (blue, pink and grey abstracts); and Meghan Keane (orange abstract, lower right)

Another view of some paintings on ceiling ~Clockwise from top left: Felicity Faulkner (multi-colored circles and lines); a bit of Meghan Keane's abstract (circles on beige background); Sirikul Pattachote (small, green piece); Darren Wardle (2 small multi-colored pieces); a bit of Susan Olmetti's canvas (bottom left); and Koji Shimizu (4-part cat piece)

 

Clockwise from top left: Susan Olmetti; 2 of Kenneth Park's abstracts; 2 nature/flower paintings by Sirikul Pattachote; and a portrait by Winston Chmielinksi

Felicity Faulkner

Lou Reed | Steven Kasher Gallery

Along with being a rock legend and New York City icon, Lou Reed is also a talented photographer.  Who knew?  Having previously published two books with Edition 7L/Steidl featuring his photography, Lou Reed's New York and Emotion in Action, Reed collaborated with the imprint again and just released Romanticism, a series of "stunning black and white and color images of landscapes and architectural motifs, shot on the artist's travels to Scotland, Denmark, Big Sur and elsewhere," (from the exhibit's press release).  To coincide with the release of the new title, Steven Kasher is exhibiting in its back gallery approximately a dozen photos featured in the book.

"The photographs are taken with a specially altered digital camera, which gives them an aura of strangeness, or otherworldliness.  They have a timeless quality but are simultaneously very modern, like Reed himself."  As the press release aptly states, Reed's "name has become synonymous with the New York avant-garde, and with the city itself.  With his photography, Reed has been moving out of New York, while his first collection featured portraits of the city, this new one focuses on more pastoral settings."  I think it's great Reed is shooting other countries and locales and isn't pigeon-holing himself to NYC, but I admit I do find it a little odd and funny imagining the very urban Reed in "pastoral settings" in his "shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather."

The title of his book and the exhibit, Romanticism, refers to "the 18th and 19th century art movement that sought a return to the emotion, beauty, and unknowability of the natural as a counterpoint to industrial era’s emphasis on technological development and the pursuit of rational knowledge. Reed’s images recall this impulse: they focus on the aesthetic and the sublime..."  Reed's camera captures some haunting and breathtaking idyllic scenes, dreamy respites from the chaotic city he is so associated with. Learn more at Stevenkasher.com.  Check out Reed's website at Loureed.com and have a peek inside the book Romanticism at Steidlville.com. Through January 9, 2010. 

Untitled "Big Sur 2", 2005-2008

Untitled "Big Sur 6" and Untitled "Big Sur 5", 2005-2008

Untitled "Ruin", Untitled "Man", Untitled "Castle", 2005-2008

Untitled "Statue", Untitled "Trees", 2005-2008

Objets d'Art | News

~Christie's is auctioning off a terrific group of photographs on Monday, December 7th.  The list of photographers is a veritable who's who of photography history.  Included are:  Alfred Stieglitz, Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus, David Bailey, Cecil Beaton, Irving Penn, Horst P. Horst, Ansel Adams, Bernice Abbott, Aaron Siskind, Robert Frank, August Sander, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Wegee, Leni Riefenstahl, Man Ray, Peter Beard, Robert Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton, Ellen Von Unwerth, Mary Ellen Mark, Nan Goldin, Catherine Opie, Sally Mann, Philip-Lorca Dicorcia, Peter Lindbergh, Bruce Weber, Joel Meyerowitz, Andres Serrano, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and many, many more.

Public viewing times are scheduled from December 3rd - 6th at 20 Rockefeller Plaza.  It would be fun to check out this vast, impressive collection of work. Also, there are a few Edward Weston prints up on the block featuring his muse/wife/model, Charis Wilson, who passed away recently at the age of 95.  Read her obituary at NYT.com.  See Christie's website here.

~I've always been a fan of Todd Oldham.  From his fun clothing designs to his stint as co-host on the original House of Style (I especially loved his D-I-Y segment on how to cut your own hair) to his more recent hosting/mentoring duties on Bravo's Top Design.  He seems like such a creative, crafty, affable guy.  Being a man of many talents, Oldham is now in the book biz.  Following his 2005 book Handmade Modern ("a fairly intense DIY guide to designers like George Nakashima, Charles and Ray Eames, and Isamu Noguchi... not for the clumsy.  Nakashima's bio, for example, is followed by a fourteen-step 'illuminated end table,' which involves 'drilling through conduit'" - New York Magazine), Oldham is releasing Kid Made Modern a super-cool book for tots that gives them "introductions to the mid-century’s great designers in rhyme ('Alexander Girard made it look not very hard'), plus projects to match—mobiles in the style of Alexander Calder, a Fornasetti-inspired découpage desk set. All of them were road-tested on children in his crafts room."

Oldham has also published a $200, 12-pound tome with Ammo Books about Charley Harper, an illustrator who created the artwork for many of Oldham's favorite childhood books.  From 2002 to 2007, Oldham archived and restored Harper's extensive and deteriorating collection of work for the monograph.  Ammo Books recently released a pared down version of the book for a more wallet-friendly $49.95.  The late Harper's graphic, stylized animal illustrations seem to be the predecessor and/or inspiration for many of the prints you see on hipstery t-shrits and crafts today.  Check out his work at Charleyharperartstudio.com.  And read the full New York Magazine article on Oldham here.

~Speaking of books, some good holiday gift ideas might be discovered in the form of art/design books from the Phaidon pop-up store at 100 Wooster Street in Soho (open until January).  If you strike out at the Phaidon pop-up, the shop is conveniently located nearby the Taschen store at 107 Greene Street. If all else fails, Vuitton, Chanel, Miu Miu, and Prada are all in the neighborhood ;)  Read more about the Phaidon pop-up shop at racked.com and check out Taschen's website here.

~Living more simply, f-unemployment, and non-profit arts organizations showcasing artwork in vacant properties — these may be the only good things to come of the recession.  Similar to X Initiative and LentSpace, art is appearing around the city in empty and sometimes unexpected places.  Read more about the guerilla galleries at theartnewspaper.com.

~Art collector Eileen Kaminsky has set up a foundation, the Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation, "to connect artists, collectors, galleries and cultural institutions.  ESKFF is a collaborative effort that facilitates the exchange of ideas and expressions."  A non-profit organization, ESKFF is dedicated to "the development of exhibitions and programs that enrich our understanding of contemporary art."  The foundation will showcase art from private collections from both the U.S. as well as from around the world.  The foundation is currently seeking a permanent brick-and-mortar home base, but you can learn more about it at www.eskff.com.

~And finally, even though it felt a little balmy in NYC yesterday, it's still no Miami Beach.  Check out what is happening at Art Basel Miami here.  Now in its 8th year, the fair, the parties, and the special events continue through Sunday, December 6th.

Tracey Emin | Lehmann Maupin

British artist Tracey Emin reminds me of that friend that everybody has who over-shares and divulges way too much information and detail about her private and sexual life, to the point where it becomes awkward and uncomfortable.  Her multimedia artwork has always been extremely personal and confessional and her current solo exhibit, Only God Knows I'm Good, at Lehmann Maupin's Lower East Side location displays her "recurring themes of love, sex, and lust" (from the exhibit's press release) though this time sans used condoms and dirty undies (My Bed, 1998).

The gallery presents 53 works including neons, sculptures, embroideries, monoprints, and an animated film projection of a woman masturbating in the back of the gallery.  Emin presents several images of a female figure's legs spread-eagle exposing her nether regions in both embroideries and prints.  This pose can represent the woman pre- or post-coital and can make her appear either empowering or vulnerable.   I find Emin's work more powerful and emotional when she incorporates text, as she often reveals feelings of insecurity, hurt, anger, or anxiety, ie:  "No you were a dog but thing is I was less" (Dog Fuck, 1999); "You Made me Feel like nothing" (Just Like Nothing, 2009); "I Can't Feel" (More Nothingness, 2009); and "Don't kid yourself Trace your scared SHITLESS" (Scared Shitless, 1997).  These upsetting and disturbing works feel raw and confessional, as if she exorcises her demons by creating them.

Upstairs in the gallery a fiery neon work by the artist blazes, "Some Crazy Fucked Up Dog Like Hell That's How it Feels to Live without Love".  Emin recently released a book of poems titled Those Who Suffer Love.  She has also written a 2008 autobiography titled Strangeland, and Rizzoli published a new monograph, Tracey Emin: One Thousand Drawings, earlier this year.  It seems Emin has a lot of confessing to do and many more stories to tell.  See Lehmannmaupin.com for more information.  Through December 19th.

Tide Mark (left), Only God Knows I'm Good (snow white neon, above), Pavement Sitting (embroidered calico, on wall), Cave Post (right), all 2009

Cave Post, Is This a Joke, Tide Mark, Why Be Afraid (from left to right), all 2009

Hope you are pregnant, 2009

Just Like Nothing, 2009

More Alone, 2009

Sitting, 2006

The past is Comming, 2009

Some Crazy Fucked Up Dog Like Hell That's How it Feels to Live without Love, 2009

Where the Wild Things Are

If, like me, you are super excited for Spike Jonze's film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, I have a couple of suggestions that might tide you over until its October 16th release.  First off, there's the sweet and dreamy soundtrack, primarily written by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' awesome front-woman, Karen O.  You can have a listen here.

Next, there are a couple of exhibitions of Sendak's art you can check out and be reminded of your childhood dreams of fantasy lands and footie pajamas.  The Animazing Gallery in Soho currently has on view Sendak in Soho, displaying and selling approximately 200 works by the author/illustrator including lithographs, watercolors, and drawings featuring the furry, rumpusing menagerie from his classic tale.  Unfortunately, and maybe apropos, I almost had my head chewed off for attempting to take pictures, but you can see the works in the exhibit at animazing.com.  A portion of the proceeds from this show will go to the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia and the Jane Goodall Institute.  Through November 8th.

The Animazing show coincides with exhibits at The Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan and the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.  The Morgan Library exhibit, Where the Wild Things Are: Original Drawings by Maurice Sendak, which opens today, features early drafts, manuscript pages and a preliminary sketch of Max in a scene that did not make it into the final, published book.  Through November 1st.  Learn more at themorgan.org.  The Contemporary Jewish Museum in SF presents There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak, featuring "original watercolors, preliminary sketches, drawings, and dummy books from more than 40 of Sendak's books, all from the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia, the repository for Sendak's artwork and working materials. This major retrospective sheds light on the many mysteries of his life and art by exploring the intensely personal undercurrents in his work; and it does so using Sendak's own words, insights, and remarkable stories" (from the Contemporary Jewish Museum's website).  Learn more about this exhibition at thecjm.org.  Through January 19, 2010.

MoMA has scheduled Spike Jonze: The First 80 Years celebrating the 39-year-old artist's imaginative and creative works in film (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Where the Wild Things Are), music videos (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beastie Boys, The Breeders, Bjork, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, Weezer) and even commercials (the Gap, IKEA).  Learn more at moma.org.  From October 8-18th.  Read more about Jonze from this September 2nd article from the NYTs Magazine.

If you're a serious, die-hard fanatic of the book, you can even dress like the characters with an exclusive clothing line made for the awesome boutique Opening Ceremony.  The line includes the iconic, white wolf suit Max wore (for adults), a furry K.W. dress or coat, and a hirsute vest called Judith (these items were named after the monikers given to the monsters in the movie).  See here.

And finally, you can have a peek at the official Where the Wild Things Are movie website here.

Maurice Sendak was born in Brooklyn in 1928.  He has written or illustrated over 100 books throughout his 60 year career.  Where the Wild Things Are was published in 1963.  According to IMDB, Sendak had wanted to make a film adaptation of his book since the 90's but was not able to find a suitable director until he personally approached Spike Jonze to take on the project.  The film, which was initially going to be fully animated, has been in production since 2005 (though Jonze and Dave Eggers had been working on the screenplay prior to that)!  Originally scheduled for May 2008, the film's release date was bumped back twice!  I hope all the hype and my inflated expectations for this film don't ruin it for me.  Let the wild rumpus start!!!

Objets d'Art | Photography

*Taxter & Spengemann on East 12th Street (btw 3rd & 4th Aves) presents photo works by Adam Putnam.  According to his 2001 Artist Statement, the 36-year-old, New York City-born Putnam is 6'8".  Living in such a confined city and being so tall has given the artist "a hypersensitivity to space."  Physical space and his body are often subjects in his work.  Standing in the center of the gallery space is a tall, brick tower which, according to the exhibit's convoluted press release, "stands erect as a marker of time" representing presence, being, and other concepts I just couldn't understand.  Putnam's dark photos show his face behind a mask of tape or wrapped in wires, his leg freakishly disfigured by an attached prosthetic arm.  His images give a sense of restrictiveness and uneasiness.  See taxterandspengemann.com.  Read Putnam's Artist Statement here, and read his 2008 Whitney Biennial bio at Whitney.org.  Through October 17th.

*Currently on view at Yancey Richardson is Tout va disparaitre (Everything will pass), a selection of works by Dutch photographer Hellen van Meene taken between 2007-2009 in New York City, the American South, Russia and the Netherlands.  Born in 1972 in Alkmaar, Holland, van Meene primarily focuses her lens on children capturing them in documentary type shots (like her photos taken in America during a road trip from Florida to New Orleans) or in fictional worlds (like her works taken in Holland and Russia).  Her series Pool of Tears shot in 2008 in an abandoned house in Holland shows some ghostly, creepy looking kiddies.  Though her approaches are vastly different, all her results come out cinematic and narrative.  This exhibit coincides with the release of her new, eponymous book.  Learn more at Yanceyrichardson.com.  Through October 31st.

*The Matthew Marks space on West 22nd Street is currently exhibiting Peter Hujar: Photographs 1956-1958.  Taken while Hujar (1934-1987) was 22-24 years-old in four locales - New York City, Southbury, CT, Key West, FL, and Florence, Italy, the photos focus on developmentally disabled children. 

These beautiful, candid, black and white photos show the children at play, and Hujar's affection and respect for them is strongly felt in every frame.  As the press release for the exhibit so aptly states, "Highly emotional yet stripped of excess, Hujar's photographs find beauty in the unconventional."  See more at Matthewmarks.com.  Through October 24th.

Hujar was a prominent figure in New York City's downtown art and music scenes in the 1970s and 80s and was greatly admired by his peers.  He left behind an immense and powerful collection of work before succumbing to AIDS in 1987.  Two extra samples of Hujar's intimate and evocative style are his gorgeous and haunting pictures of Candy Darling on her deathbed taken in 1974 that recently appeared as cover art for Antony and the Johnsons' debut album I Am A Bird Now and EP The Lake.

*Danziger Projects presents Weston's Westons, a collection of rare and iconic photographs taken by the legendary American photographer, Edward Weston (1886-1958), and printed by his son Cole Weston.

According to the exhibit's press release, Edward Weston typically and painstakingly made his own prints, "noting on each negative envelope the various idiosyncrasies of each picture."  After he'd gotten older and Parkinson's Disease had affected his mobility, Weston's sons (initially Brett, but then Cole took over completely) began printing for him "under his strict supervision."  What pressure!

Weston passed away in 1958 after a decade of working with his son, but Cole continued printing his father's work for 30 years.  In 1988 he decided to focus on his own photography.  Edward Weston had stated in his will that no one else could print from his original negatives which are now stored away at The Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona.

The prints on view at Danziger were picked from the Cole Weston Trust and have never been up for sale - some have never been published!   Some familiar nudes, peppers, shells, and  sand dunes, accompanied by some never-before-seen works, still look sleek, elegant, and contemporary.  Learn more at Danzigerprojects.com.  Through October 24th.

*Milk Gallery is featuring the works of long-time photographer, Sam Haskins, perhaps best-known for his influential, "style defining," 1964 book, Cowboy Kate which according to the exhibit's press release "remains to this day one of the most important black and white books of post war creative photography."  This claims seems pretty accurate considering the tome is always prominently displayed in every bookshop's art section. 

Born in South Africa in 1926, Haskins' illustrious career started in Johannesburg where he produced Cowboy Kate along with three other creative black and white books - Five Girls, November Girl, and African Image.  In 1968, Haskins moved to London where he had a studio for 35 years.  Now living in Australia, Haskins still shoots for fashion magazines and releases his first book in 25 years, Fashion Etcetera, this month.  As the press release sums up his work, Haskin's "photography is unapologetically celebratory of women, beauty, art, nature, graphics, illustration, design and photography itself."  See Milkstudios.com.  Through October 26th.

The New York Times' The Moment Blog has a short video featuring Haskins and his work.  According to the Times' Horacio Silva, Haskins, who is in NYC to promote Fashion Etcetera, suffered a stroke on Sunday and is still in hospital.  Get well soon, Sam!  Watch the video at Themoment,blogs.nytimes.com.

Adam Putnam

Hellen van Meene, Untitled #294 (from Going My Own Way Home), 2007

Hellen van Meene, Untitled #308b (from Pool of Tears), 2008

Peter Hujar, Girl Throwing Ball, Southbury, 1957

Peter Hujar, Girl Sucking Her Thumb, Florence, 1958

Edward Weston, Nude, 1923

Edward Weston, Charis Wilson (Charis in Beret), 1935

Sam Haskins

Sam Haskins

Sam Haskins

Objets d'Art | News

*The second edition of the Guggenheim's It Came From Brooklyn is happening tonight from 8:00pm-12:00am featuring Julian Plenti (aka Paul Banks, the singer from Interpol).  As a part of celebrating its 50th anniversary, the museum is hosting the monthly music and literature series featuring artists from Brooklyn.  Also part of tonight's line-up is opening band I'm In You (nice to see they're keeping up with the current trend of HORRIBLE band names); writer/director and Brooklyn Heights resident, Hampton Fancher, who will read a selection by former Brooklynite, Henry Miller; Fancher's neighbor, novelist Rivka Galchen; and comedian/actor Eugene Mirman who will be on hosting duty.  Last month's inaugural show featured bands The Walkmen and High Places and writer Colson Whitehead.  Learn more at Guggenheim.org.

*The 13th Annual DUMBO Art Under the Bridge Festival is happening  this weekend - September 25th-27th.  Alongside open studios and outdoor activities, there will be "touchable, accessible, and interactive art, on a scale that makes it the nation's largest urban forum for experimental art."  Learn more at dumboartfestival.org.

*The Kitchen, a non-profit, artist organization that "identifies, supports, and presents emerging and under-recognized artists" is hosting a block party on Saturday, Sept. 26th from 12-5 on West 19th between 10th and 11th Avenues.  This free, family-friendly event will feature live performances, artist-led activities and crafts like face-painting, puppet and mask-making, temporary tattoos, cookie decorating, hula-hoop (!) and drum workshops and more.  Learn more at thekitchen.org.

*David Zwirner will exclusively represent the estate of late artist Dan Flavin (1933-1996).  Zwirner launched a website on September 18th that, as the NYT's Carol Vogel explains, "is intended as a practical resource for Flavin aficionados, covering issues of conservation and installation as well as the artist's exhibition history and examples of his work," (from Inside Art, Sept. 18, 2009).  David Zwirner Gallery will present Dan Flavin: Series and Progressions in November 2009, showcasing the artist's work spanning his 40-year career.  Learn more at Davidzwirner.com. And see Zwirner's website for Flavin here.

*Los Angeles artist Mark Bradford has won the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship!  According to the foundation's website, "The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world."  This means Bradford, and fellow recipients, will receive $500,000 over the next five years.  Congrats!
See all the 2009 Fellows at macfound.org and read more at latimesblogs.com.  Remember, you can see Bradford's work alongside former MacArthur Fellow, Kara Walker's, at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.  Read my post here.

*Philippe Starck - reality star?  The world renowned French product designer will take on the Donald Trump role a la The Apprentice (or Tim Gunn on Project Runway, if you prefer) in his new reality series Design for Life, which premiered on September 14th on BBC2.  The show pits 12 young British designers against each other, competing in weekly challenges until one by one they get eliminated and the winner gets to work for six months at Starck's Parisian design company .  Each contestant was personally selected by Starck, not the show's producers, based on drawings they submitted.  According to the Independent, "he did not even want to know their names or genders.  He wanted to select ideas that were not necessarily great but that he felt had potential... people who think freely and differently."
Now this is a reality show I'd actually watch!  Argh!  I wish I had BBC2.  Read more at independent.co.uk.

*Ed Ruscha - movie star?  American artist Ed Ruscha will star in a film directed by Los Angeles-based video artist Doug Aitken which will debut on October 23rd on Tiberina Island in Rome.  Read more at theartnewspaper.com.

*And lastly, another of my favorite fashion designers, Martin Margiela, is publishing his first book.  It will document the Paris-based, never-before-seen designer's work including fashion, art, design, and performance.  Originally from Antwerp, the enigmatic Margiela founded his own label in 1988.  His clothing designs range from completely wearable and minimal, to subtle, edgy touches like exposed stitching and deconstruction, to way more out-there ideas like cloven-toed shoes (which I love), glass  slippers (which I don't love), over-sized shoulders, visible nude padding, and a hair coat.  The book, retailing for $100, is published by Rizzoli and will be released in October 2009.  Have a peek inside at hypebeast.com, wallpaper.com, and rizzoliusa.com.

Happy weekend!!!

Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass

For my first post on Brooklyn, I went to my favorite neighborhood in the borough, DUMBO.  I love the cobblestone streets, the grassy waterfront parks, the views of the bridges and of lower Manhattan, the faux grit.  It's at once idyllic, industrial, and sleek - making it incredibly scenic and photogenic.  There's also a great arts community in this area "down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass," with several galleries, studios, shops, and the wonderful St. Ann's Warehouse performance space which is celebrating its 30th year! 

While in DUMBO, I never miss the chance to explore all the great art and children's books at PowerHouse Books.  They usually have a great exhibition on view in their Arena to boot.  Currently on view through September 13th are terrific large-scale paintings by British-born/New York-based, figurative painter Sandor Camille.  Camille's raw and powerful portraits include President Barack Obama and Muhammad Ali.  Learn more about Camille here.

Also just ending at Powerhouse is a photo show entitled Journey to La Dolce Vita (until August 2nd but the photos were still up on the 5th).  The photos on view are old-school paparazzi pics of celebrities in Italy during the 1950's-1960's.  All proceeds from the sales of these photos go to help the victims of the Abruzzi earthquake.  Some of the notable figures in the shots include: political figures like John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Dwight Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth on the eve of her coronation; starlets like Audrey Hepburn, Jayne Mansfield, Anita Ekberg; actors including Marcello Mastroianni, James Stewart, Gregory Peck; and musical entertainers like Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra.  Click here to learn more about Journey to La Dolce Vita and be sure to also visit PowerHouse's website.

Another great bookstore in the neighborhood is P.S. Bookshop at 145-A Front Street.  They sell used and rare books and have a terrific art section in the front of the store. They also have a great collection of pulp "romance" novels, each individually wrapped in plastic with titles like Kept Man, Sexpense Reports, Passion Pit, and Confessions of a Woman Wrestler.  Their website is coming soon at www.psbnyc.com.

While in the 'hood, I also checked out DUMBO Arts Center (DAC) and its current group show, Structured Simplicity.  The contributing artists include Frankfurt-based Mai Braun; Australian-born/New York-based Hilary Harnischfeger; Brooklyn-based Elana Herzog; Montreal-born/Brooklyn-based Fabienne Lasserre; and Manhattan-based Amy Yoes.  Each created sculptures or site-specific installations based on the premise of "making things simpler through structure" (from the press release) with each artists' work displaying "diversity of approach and use of materials."

My favorite works include Herzog's delicate and gauzy Untitled #1 (chainlink drapery study), 2004, made from a cotton chenille bedspread and staples, and Braun's Pile II composed of shredded pages from The New York Times and string.  It looks like a little, paper Muppet that's about to sprout arms and feet and wobble away (see my pics below).  Through August 9th.  Learn more at DAC's website here.

Every first Thursday of the month (today!), the area plays host to the DUMBO Gallery Walk where visitors can attend openings and have peeks inside participating galleries.  Learn more about the Gallery Walk and much, much more about DUMBO at dumbonyc.com.

  Entrance to DUMBO Arts Center and a view of the Manhattan Bridge

Inside DAC (left to right): Fabienne Lasserre, Worldless; Mai Braun, Origami series (on wall); Lasserre, Two Forms of Stillness: The Difficulty of Saying We (hanging); Braun, Pile II

Mai Braun, Pile II

Elana Herzog, Untitled #1 (chainlink drapery study)