Art Hag

Antony Gormley: New York Clearing | Brooklyn Bridge Park

Antony Gormley debuted a massive sculptural work at Brooklyn Bridge Park‘s Pier 3 earlier this week as part of Connect, BTS, a global arts project funded by the K-pop boy band BTS.

The British artist’s New York Clearing is a sprawling construction of interconnected aluminum tubing that spirals and loops in and around itself “without beginning or end,” according to the Connect, BTS website. Overlooking the East River and set against the Manhattan skyline, the work is meant to “converse with the city.” This is the first time the piece has been exhibited outdoors. The Brooklyn Bridge Park website notes that the installation may be closed due to weather conditions, such as today's gusty winds, so be sure to check Twitter @bbpnyc for updates.

Antony Gormley, New York Clearing, on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 3

Antony Gormley, New York Clearing, on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 3

Antony Gormley, New York Clearing, on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 3

Connect, BTS unites five cities and twenty-two artists in an effort to “redefine the relationships between art and music, the material and immaterial, artists and their audiences, artists and artists, theory and practice.”

Daehyung Lee oversaw the international art project, leading teams in each participating city, according to the New York Times.

The performance series Rituals of Care, which featured experimental choreography, took place in Berlin from January 15 through February 2. An immersive digital installation by Jakob Kudsk Steensen is currently on view in London. Tomás Saraceno presents Fly With Aerocene Pacha in Buenos Aires and installations by artists Ann Veronica Janssens and Yiyun Kang are being featured in Seoul.

Antony Gormley, New York Clearing, on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 3

Antony Gormley, New York Clearing, on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 3

Antony Gormley, New York Clearing, on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 3

Antony Gormley, New York Clearing, on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 3

New Yorkers may recall Gormley’s Event Horizon from 2010 in which 31 life-size casts of the artist’s body were displayed around Madison Square Park, including one on the roof of the Flatiron Building.

New York Clearing is on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park from February 5 through March 27. Learn more at connect-bts.com and brooklynbridgepark.org.

Jerry Ma: A Chinatown Odyssey | Pearl River Mart

Happy Lunar New Year! To celebrate the Year of the Rat, Pearl River Mart presents artist Jerry Ma’s modern retelling of the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West.

Jerry Ma, Lion Dance

Jerry Ma, Lion Dance

In Wu Cheng'en's original 16th-century novel, Zhu Bajie (Pigsy), Sha Wujing (Sandy), and the mischief-making Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) accompany the monk Tang Sanzang on a pilgrimage to Central Asia and India to collect Buddhist scriptures. In A Chinatown Odyssey, Ma’s reinterpretation, the characters are transported to NYC’s Chinatown in the 1980s where they don streetwear instead of monastic robes and their adventures include grabbing dim sum, having bubble tea, checking out a fish market, shopping for designer knockoffs, liberating a tic-tac-toe-playing chicken from an arcade game, and celebrating the new year with a festive lion dance.

Jerry Ma, Fish Market

Jerry Ma, Doyers Street

Jerry Ma, Dimsum

Jerry Ma, Chinatown Arcade

“A Chinatown Odyssey is both a love letter and personal journey through the Chinatown I grew up with,” the artist wrote in the show’s introduction. “Who better to take that journey than Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and his cronies?” Ma notes that his childhood memories of Chinatown include dim sum, ginger candy, shopping for groceries, and “finally finding a place where everyone looked like me.” The Taiwanese-American artist adds that his work is influenced by the film series A Chinese Odyssey based on Wu Cheng'en's novel and starring Stephen Chow.

Hong Bao, a limited edition gold foil print, faithfully replicates a lucky red envelope and features the four characters in A Chinatown Odyssey alongside a rat—the Chinese zodiac sign for 2020.

Jerry Ma, Hong Bao

Ma’s lively prints burst with details of iconic Chinatown locales including Canal Street, Doyers Street, the Golden Unicorn Restaurant, and the Chinatown Fair video arcade. Images overflow with shoppers, diners, and tourists. Each scene vividly depicts the energy of the bustling Asian cultural hub and evokes nostalgia for anyone with memories of Chinatown who has experienced the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the neighborhood.

Born in Washington Heights, the New York-based graphic artist and illustrator founded Epic Proportions, an independent comics studio, in 2003 and created the graphic novel series Legend and co-created Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology. Ma also produces t-shirts featuring Asian-American celebrities including Bruce Lee, Jeremy Lin, Sandra Oh, and Constance Wu. Learn more about Jerry Ma in this interview and at epicprops.com.

Click here to see my post on Monkey: Journey To The West, a stage adaptation of the novel by musician Damon Albarn, artist Jamie Hewlett, and director Chen Shi-Zheng that was performed at Lincoln Center in 2013.

A Chinatown Odyssey 
Pearl River Mart
395 Broadway (at Walker Street), Second Floor, TriBeCa
Exhibition on view January 18 through March 8

Field Trip: Mass MoCA

I finally made it up to North Adams, Massachusetts at the end of August to catch Nick Cave's Until at Mass MoCA (1040 MASS MoCA Way) before it closed on Monday, September 4th.

The Chicago artist is best know for his Soundsuits—elaborate, sound-producing, wearable sculptures (see here and here). His installation Until was informed by the deaths of African-American men in recent years, including Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and Michael Brown. The word "until" plays on the phrase, "innocent until proven guilty," or in some cases, "guilty until proven innocent," the exhibit's notes state. Until addresses gun violence, gun control laws, race, and gender politics in today's world. 

Situated in an 18,000-square-foot gallery space, visitors entered the installation through a "dense sculptural field" composed of thousands of metallic, wind-spinning lawn ornaments strung from ceiling to floor. Among the whimsical, sparkly shapes, starbursts, and rainbows dizzyingly spinning around are several shiny cut-outs of guns.

At the end of the forest of wind-spinners, visitors were greeted by a giant cloud made of chandeliers and thousands of crystals. Visitors could climb up four steep, yellow step-ladders to spy an elaborate secret garden jam-packed with birds, animals, knick-knacks, flowers, and "black-face lawn jockeys." According to the show's notes, Cave had been "thinking about gun violence and racism colliding," which led him to wonder, "Is there racism in heaven? That’s how this piece came about,” the artist told the New York Times.

After peering into Cave's interpretation of heaven,visitors encountered a psychedelic, rainbow-colored, hand-woven, tent-like structure composed with shoelaces and "hundreds of thousands of colorful pony beads." According to Mass MoCA, Cave used 16,000 wind-spinners; millions of plastic pony beads; thousands of ceramic birds, fruits, and animals; 13 golden pigs; more than 10 miles of crystals; 24 chandeliers; 17 cast-iron lawn jockeys; and 1 fiberglass crocodile for this breathtaking, immersive work.

Cave's installation also served as a "community forum," hosting a variety of performers such as singers, dancers, and poets, throughout its time at MoCA.

Mass MoCA also boasts nine James Turrell pieces on view in a long-term exhibition called Into the Light. The works span the artist's career, and Turrell has designed a Skyspace specifically for the institution that will be housed inside an abandoned water tank located on MoCA's outdoor concert field—definitely something to look forward to! (Unfortunately, photos were not allowed in the Turrell galleries.)

Launched in 1999, Mass MoCA is a beautiful 26-building campus on 16-acres of land that exhibits indoor and outdoor work including dance, film, music, painting, photography, sculpture, theater, and "new, boundary-crossing works of art that defy easy classification," according to the institution's website. Additionally, much of the work shown in the bright, massive gallery spaces and stages, or outdoors at their multiple, late 19th-century courtyards, is made onsite "during extended fabrication and rehearsal residencies" that attract an impressive roster of established and up-and-coming artists from all around the world.

During our visit, Mass MoCA also had on view exhibits by Sol LeWitt, Robert Rauschenberg, Jenny Holzer, and Laurie Anderson, among many others. I wish I had more time—I was there for a little over 3 hours and easily could have spent another 3 wandering around the vast campus and exploring its many buildings and additional exhibits.

Mass MoCA is absolutely worth the 2.5-hour drive from Boston (about 3.5 from NYC). I will definitely be back! Learn more at MassMoCA.org.

 

 

Ai Weiwei | Mary Boone and Lisson Galleries

Two additional Ai Weiwei exhibits can currently be seen in Chelsea at the Mary Boone and Lisson galleries, both on West 24th Street.

Roots and Branches, at Mary Boone features Tree, a 25-foot-high tree Frankensteined together from sections of multiple dead trees collected from mountains in Southern China. The various tree parts were bolted together to create one massive tree complete with twisted roots and sprawling branches. The imposing piece is displayed before a wall covered in wallpaper specially designed by the artist.

According to the exhibit’s press release, Tree is a “totem that may be seen as a comment on the strength of modern China built from many ancient ethnic groups, or a determined attempt to create something new and vital from what is irrevocably lost.” The show also includes Treasure Box, a large-scale puzzle-box made from ancient reclaimed huali wood, as well as portraits of Ai composed in LEGOs, including a reproduction of his triptych Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn.

Roots and Branches continues at Lisson Gallery where cast-iron tree trunks and iron root sculptures “create a forest of displaced objects and reveal the artist’s interest in tradition and contemporaneity as well as the prevalence of displacement in post-modern societies.” This theme directly relates to Ai’s exhaustive work in Laundromat which focuses on the global refugee crisis (see my previous post) and the current displacement of millions of individuals around the world.

Learn more about Ai Weiwei 2016: Roots and Branches at maryboonegallery.com and lissongallery.com. Both exhibitions are on view through December 23, 2016.

Mary Boone Gallery’s uptown location at 745 Fifth Avenue is showing a fourth concurrent Ai Weiwei exhibit through December 23rd. Learn more about it here.

Tree at Mary Boone Gallery

Tree at Mary Boone Gallery

Detail of wallpaper design at Mary Boone Gallery

Self-Portrait composed in LEGOs and Treasure Box at Mary Boone Gallery

Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn composed in LEGOs at Mary Boone Gallery

Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn (detail)

Iron Root, 2015, at Lisson Gallery

Iron Root, 2015, at Lisson Gallery

Iron Root, 2015, at Lisson Gallery

Iron Tree Trunk, 2015, at Lisson Gallery

Iron Tree Trunk, 2015, at Lisson Gallery

Iron Tree Trunk Fragments, 2015, at Lisson Gallery

Installation View at Lisson Gallery

Detail of wallpaper design at Lisson Gallery

 

Spencer Finch | MetroTech Commons

Check out BKLYNER.com for my post on Spencer Finch's Lost Man Creek currently on view at MetroTech Commons in downtown Brooklyn through March 2018.

Field Trip: The Andy Warhol Museum | Pittsburgh, PA

During my quick jaunt to Pittsburgh over the summer, I wasn’t sure I’d have enough time to visit The Andy Warhol Museum—I’ve seen so much of his work over the years, I wasn’t entirely sure it would be worth the effort. I am happy to say I was convinced to make the effort and check out the museum because it is terrific! Warhol’s signature, bold Pop Art gems are well represented—the soup cans, celebrity portraits, flowers, electric chairs, skulls, cows… but there is so much more to see with 7 floors dedicated to showcasing his massive oeuvre.

Opened in 1994 in Pittsburgh, the city where Andrew Warhola was born, the Warhol museum is the “global keeper of Andy Warhol’s legacy.” The museum maintains 900 of the artists’ paintings, about 100 sculptures, approximately 2,000 works on paper, 1,000 prints, 4,000 photographs, 60 films, over 4,000 videos, and 200 of his Screen Tests.

The vast archives of Warhol’s personal belongings contain approximately half a million objects! The collection includes his library, art supplies, scrapbooks, correspondence, books, diaries, clothing, tchotchkes, approximately 4,000 audio tapes, over 30 of his shocking-white wigs, and more. The archives also contain an almost complete collection of Interview magazine, launched by Warhol in 1969, as well as 610 of the artist’s Time Capsules, a project started in 1974 in which he collected items from his daily life (newspapers, maps, fanzines, letters, pictures, trinkets, food…) and packed and sealed them away into cardboard boxes to be opened at a later time (the museum is cataloguing each Time Capsules’ contents and regularly exhibits items from one box.)

Highlights of the museum's incredibly comprehensive collection include Warhol’s student work from the 1940s, his early drawings [including 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy (sic), a sweet, illustrated book he collaborated on with his mother, Julia], and his commercial illustrations. These works, along with a series of childhood and family photographs, show another side of the artist—a simpler side that preceded his glamorous Factory/Studio 54 superstardom.

During my visit in August, the museum presented a special exhibition, Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei which  explored Warhol’s influence on Ai as well as the influence both artists have made on modern life. Juxtaposing several pieces of Ai’s artwork alongside Warhol’s throughout the museum, the exhibit compared the two artists’ works (i. e. how both documented their lives, created readymades a la Marcel Duchamp, and employed flowers to make provocative points) and how they address politics, capitalism, communism, and social issues.

If you happen to be in Pittsburgh, be sure to visit the Andy Warhol Museum—I’m definitely glad I did! Learn more about it at warhol.org. To see more on Warhol, see my post from 2010 here on Andy Warhol: The Last Decade at the Brooklyn Museum. To see more on Ai Weiwei click here for my post on his 2013 exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC and here for my post on his 2014 exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.

Self-Portrait, ca. 1943

Seated Girl Looking at Bird Cage, ca. 1940s

Nosepicker I: Why Pick on Me (originally titled The Lord Gave Me My Face but I Can Pick My Own Nose), 1948

So Happy, 1950s

Cat in Front of Church, ca. 1959

Magazine Advertisement ("It's a Real Genuine Fake!") for Fleming-Joffe, Ltd., 1963

Female Head and Hands Applying Eyeliner, no date

Female Fashion Figure, no date

Make Him Want You, 1961

Campbell's Soup Can, 1962; Neolithic Pottery with Coco-Cola Logo, Ai Weiwei, 2007; Coca-Cola [2], 1961

Colored Vases, Ai Weiwei, 2011; Elvis 11 Times [Studio Type], 1963

Self-Portrait, 1963-64; Three Marilyns, 1962; Red Jackie, 1964

Exploding Plastic Inevitable room

Silver Clouds, 1966

Debbie Harry, 1980

Dolly Parton, 1985

Helene Rochas, 1973-74; Mick Jagger, 1975

Blossom, Ai Weiwei, 2015 (front); With Flowers, Ai Weiwei, 2012-15 (rear)

Self-Portrait, 1966-67; At the Museum of Modern Art, Ai Weiwei, 1987

African Lion, a gift to Warhol from John Reinhold in the early 80s

Champion Ador Tipp Topp (Cecil), 1921-30 (purchased by Warhol from a Third Avenue antique shop and kept in his office until his death in 1986.)

 

 

 

Kara Walker | Domino Sugar Factory

Kara Walker's highly anticipated installation at Williamsburg's soon-to-be-demolished Domino Sugar Factory opened last weekend to long lines waiting in the rain.  Commissioned by Creative Time, A Subtlety or the Marvelous Sugar Baby is Walker's largest public art project to date and a departure from the delicate yet disturbing cut-paper silhouettes that the artist is best known for (see my post on the artist from September 2009 here and another from May 2011 here).

After waiting a little over 30 minutes in intermittent downpours last Saturday, and signing a waiver to enter the active construction site, visitors were greeted by an almost sickly sweet odor—a remnant of the refinery's earlier days (the factory has been vacant since 2004).  Scattered throughout the massive, five-story space, fifteen life-size sculptures made from molasses depict child laborers carrying baskets and stalks of sugar cane.  The sculptures will slowly melt where they stand as the weather gets warmer.  At the far end of the space, a towering, sugar-coated sphinx crouches confidently, and perhaps, defiantly.  Nude, aside from a mammy-style kerchief wrapped around her head, the sphinx is four-stories high and 75 feet long.  The title of the work, A Subtlety, references elaborate sugar sculptures from the Middle Ages that served as centerpieces for the dinners of the wealthy.  The subtitle of the exhibition: an Homage to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes from the cane fields to the Kitchens of the New World on the Occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant reflects on the history of the Domino factory while addressing the connection between sugar production and slavery.

Thanks to Creative Time and Walker, the Domino Sugar Factory, which will be soon be demolished to make way for residential and commercial developments, is making a grand exit from Williamsburg after more than 120 years.  A Subtlety is a commanding and thought-provoking installation.  My one qualm with the exhibiton was all the sexy selfies people insisted on snapping—posing like they were licking the sphinx's derriere or groping her breasts, pretending to take a bite of the sculptures of the child laborers, and preening for vacant-faced "fashion" photos. Seriously?!  Artwork representing oppression and exploitation shouldn't be trivialized like this.  Walker and her work warrant more respect and contemplation.  Learn more at creativetime.org and nytimes.com.  Through July 6th.

Rain Room | MoMA

I went to check out Rain Room at MoMA at the end of May, shortly after rAndom International's "immersive environment" opened.  Arriving just before 10:30am on a Saturday, at the tail-end of the early members' viewing hour (which we hoped would decrease our waiting time), we found snaking, Disney-like lines and were told the wait was 2 hours (the wait for non-members was significantly longer).  To fully experience the sensory installation, only 10 people are allowed into Rain Room at a time, hence the long lines and waits.  Just before 2:00, after actually waiting over 3.5 hours in an excruciatingly slow moving line and being rained on for real (the queques are outside on West 54th Street), we got to experience what the fuss is about.

Rain Room is a large, chilly, echo-y dark space illuminated only by a bright white light on the far end.  In the center of the room, a heavy downpour falls steadily from the ceiling.  I initially rushed into the center, stupidly walking at my usual New York pace, and had several big drops of water land on me. Serves me right for being impatient!  Slowing down and walking in straight directions, rather than zig-zagging and erratically as I normally do on the streets, I got the appropriate effect.  The rain continued falling all around me but stopped falling over me.  It's like magic, though it is really digital technology sensing where people are situated in the space and controlling the waterfall accordingly.  Rain Room is a "carefully choreographed downpour" that invites visitors to engage and interact with the installation while "creating an intimate atmosphere of contemplation."

Founded in 2005, rAndom International is a brilliant collective based in London that creates art that "explore[s] behaviour and interaction" — a perfect mix of science, technology, sociology, and art.

While I did not enjoy the long wait in line, Rain Room is truly a unique experience.  Try to get there early to minimize your wait or be very, very patient.  Due to the high demand and crowds, MoMA is now allowing visitors to only walk along the perimeter of the room, without going into the rain area, for a shorter wait—perfect for those with little time (or patience) and who are content just seeing the installation.  Learn more at Moma.org and random-international.com.  Through July 28th.

Rain Room is a part of Expo 1: New York, a series of special exhibits and events that examine ecological concerns, organized by MoMA PS1.

Alternative Press 25th Anniversary Exhibition | Sloan Fine Art

Coinciding with last week's CMJ Festival (the College Music Journal's annual music and film marathon that takes over much of lower Manhattan for a week) the alternative music magazine Alternative Press or AP celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special, 3-day exhibit at Sloan Fine Art.  The main gallery displayed artwork by musicians who have been featured in the magazine over the years from bands like the Pixies, Elastica, Garbage, Tool, Marilyn Manson, Rancid, My Chemical Romance, and Gym Class Heroes.

The back room featured "photographs, milestones and memoirs from the Alternative Press archives" (from the press release).  Started 25 years ago, the AP was initially a four-page, fold-over zine handed out at punk shows.  The publication's mission was always to be "the definitive source for the underground music scene."  The magazine evolved into a full-color glossy featuring some of the top alternative acts, particularly during the 90s, like The Cure, Depeche Mode, Morrissey, Bjork, Beastie Boys, Fugazi, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, and many more. 

Unfortunately, the exhibit was only on view for three days, October 21-23, but see below for my pics of some of the highlights.  Learn more at Sloanfineart.com. 

Black Francis (Pixies), Violet #4, 2008

Justine Frischmann (Elastica), Mothertongue, 2010

Elizabeth McGrath (Miss Derringer), Gunakadeit, 2010

Shirley Manson (Garbage), Peking Noodle (Ode to Louise Bourgeois), 2010

Shepard Fairey, Joan Jett, 2010

Top: September/October 1985 cover, featuring New Order / Bottom: October/November 1985 cover, featuring The Cure

AP covers through the years

Left: Eve Prime, Nick Cave, 1991 / Right: Heide Locke, My Bloody Valentine, 1992

Marina Chavez, Beastie Boys, 1994

Miranda Penn-Turin, AP 112, November 1997, Bjork

RE:FORM SCHOOL | St Patrick's School

My head's been stuck in the clouds lately and I haven't been keeping up with all the cool things going on around the city - like Open House New York and RE:FORM SCHOOL, both happening this weekend.  RE:FORM SCHOOL is a fun and high-energy, pop-up group exhibition aiming to bring attention to reforming the American Public Education System.  RE:FORM SCHOOl has set up shop for the three-day, holiday weekend at the former St Patrick's Old Cathedral School at 233 Mott Street, which is very conveniently located in my 'hood, so I was able to drop by yesterday and join the crowds in checking out new works by artists Shepard Fairey, Swoon, FAILE, Michel Gondry, and over 100 more.  All the artwork is for sale and proceeds go to REDU, "a movement designed to expand and encourage the national conversation around education reform by providing information and resources to learn, a community platform to connect, and the tools to act" (from the event's website).  REDU stands for "rethinking, reforming and rebuilding US education."

Artwork is displayed throughout the former school's three floors, filling up classrooms, hallways, coat closets, stairwells, and what was once the teachers' lounge.  A deejay spins tunes outside in the playground whose walls are covered in a mural by WK Interact.  Many details remain inside reminding visitors of the building's parochial school past like chalkboards, teachers' desks, tiny desks for tiny bodies, stickers, drinking fountains, and statues of saints, and the event's website charmingly posts the artists' bios alongside their childhood class pictures.  The five themes the artwork is based on include: Knowledge is Power, Community, Teachers Inspire, Creativity, and Innovation. 

Definitely stop by and check out the infectiously lively RE:FORM SCHOOL—and if you can, buy some art and help support a very important and worthy cause.  Learn more at reformschool.letsredu.com.  From October 9th-11th, 10:00am-6:00pm at 233 Mott Street (at Prince), NoLIta.

Kelly Towles, Dunce, 2010

ELBOW-TOE, Bust A Nut, 2010

Swoon, Milton, 2009

Grandarmy, Jamboree, 2009

Shepard Fairey, Dark Wave, 2010

Hunter Stabbler, The Impractical Astrolabe Wavicle of Timey Whimey Stuff, 2010

Allison Schulnik, Small Pink Flower, 2010

Alexis Mackenzie & Jeremy Mora, It's All in Your Mind, 2010

Kelly Towles, Atom, 2010

Richard Mia, SOS, 2010

Michael Murphy, USA Pencil Install

FriendsWithYou, Smiling Malfi "Malfie Will Bring You Great Warmth or Death"

Gary Basemen, F is for Future, 2010

Patrick Martinez, I Don't LIke to Dream About Getting Paid, 2010

John Vogl, Wise Owls, 2010

Julian Callos, Tabula Rasa, 2010

Left to right: Laura Sue Peters, R-Read, 2010; no info; Karen Wippich, Access, 2010; Jon Wippich, Open Their Eyes, 2010

Drew Young, Customers, 2010

Scotlund Haisey, Teach Pride not Division, 2010

Left to right: Amy Rice, Braids, Play Music, Don't Worry I have a Map, 2010

Aaron Axelrod, Me, Me, Me!!!, 2010

Shannon Crawford, Untitled, 2010

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Untitled, 2010

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

Trans-Realism: Contemporary Art from China | Christie's Rockefeller Plaza

Along with kicking off the big fall season for the art world, this week also marks Asian Art Week (September 14-17).  Christie's at 20 Rockefeller Plaza has a number of Asian art lots currently on view, but the special exhibition Trans-Realism featuring contemporary art from China is a real stand-out.  A collaboration with The Center of International Cultural Exchange (CICE) which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, Trans-Realism is a "comprehensive exhibition featuring 29 paintings, prints and drawings by 17 prominent Chinese contemporary artists," (from Christies.com).  Organized by a team of notable curators from China, the exhibit demonstrates Christie's continued commitment to bring Chinese art to a wider audience.

The primarily painted works in Trans-Realism are very diverse in terms of style—ranging from emotional portraits by Xin Dongwang; moody landscapes by Yang Yongsheng and Xu Jiang; arresting abstracts by Xue Song and Wang Guangle; mysterious, haunting narratives by Qiu Xiaofei and Wei Jia; as well as a few pieces by Song Kun and Yu Hong that subtly comment on the current state of the artists' homeland. Several of the works on view give no hints or clues regarding the artists' cultural background or nationality. Trans-Realism is a fantastic group show and a great introduction to a group of very talented artists whom we'll hopefully be seeing more from soon.  Learn more at christies.com.  From September 9-26th.

Yu Hong, She - Girls of Batao Mountain, 2007

Xin Dongwang, (left to right) Married for 50 Years, 2006 and Thoughts on a Summer Day, 2006

Yang Yongsheng, (left to right) Night Routes No. 9, 2006 and Night Routes No. 21, 2006

Hou Yong, (left to right) Grey - 02, 2009 and Red - 03, 2009

Xu Jiang, Twelve Views of a Sunflower Field II, 2005

Xue Song, Rock Series No. 31, 2008

Li Dafang, Clip, 2009

Zhong Shan, Mutuality, 2010

Qiu Xiaofei, Watching TV, 2004

Wang Guangle, An Afternoon, 2002

Song Kun, (left to right) Born in Garbage No. 3, 2004, and Born in Garbage No. 4, 2004

Chen Ke, Playground, 2010

Wei Jia, The Traces We Leave -3, 2009

Yoshitomo Nara Open Studio | Park Avenue Armory

In preparation for his upcoming retrospective Nobody's Fool at Asia Society, Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara is joining forces with Hideki Toyoshima's design team YNG at the Park Avenue Armory to rebuild Nara's installation piece Home and create a series of new drawings that will all be included in the museum exhibition.  From Monday, August 23rd - Friday, August 27th Nara and YNG will be holding "Open Studios" at the Armory between 4:00-7:00pm each day.  The free event allows visitors to drop by and check out the artist's temporary studio and works-in-progress before they are moved and installed at Asia Society.

I dropped by the Armory at 4:45 Monday afternoon.  Sadly, I was told by one of the friendly staffers that the artists were on a coffee break (45 minutes after the open studio opens?) so all I and the other visitors saw were the wooden Home structure in the front right corner of the hall and a few drawings of Nara's signature angry girls and shifty-eyed dogs through its window.  Cans of paint and a few crates sat outside Home and a loud garbage truck was in the middle of the hall's floor picking up trash from the unrelated construction being done to the Armory's roof.  While I realize I can always return later in the week, I still left disappointed - what if I can't make it back?  And if I do return will it be as underwhelming?  I'll chalk it up to my being unlucky and having bad timing.  Hopefully if others visit, they'll have a more interesting experience.  Learn more at armoryonpark.org.  Through August 27th.

*Dress code:  Due to the construction if you plan on checking out the open studio, be sure to wear closed-toed shoes and cover your shoulders.  The Armory is providing hardhats that must be worn in the exhibition hall.

Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody's Fool opens at Asia Society on September 9th.  The major exhibition will cover 20 years of Nara's career and will feature over 100 works including paintings, sculptures, drawings, and installations.  Asia Society will host a variety of events throughout the duration of the exhibit including an artist talk with Nara and Hideki Toyoshima, a gala benefit dee-jayed by Yo La Tengo, a performance by Japanese punk/pop trio Shonen Knife, and much more.  Visit asiasociety.org for more info.  I'll post more if I return to the Armory and definitely when I see the Asia Society exhibit which will be on view from September 9 - January 2, 2011.

Image from armoryonpark.org

Chelsea Art Walk

Tomorrow night (Thursday, July 29th) marks the first annual Chelsea Art Walk!  Twenty-five Chelsea galleries are joining forces and extending their hours for an evening of special events.  In many cases, this may be your last chance to catch several shows before they close within the next couple of weeks.  With most galleries closed on Saturdays during the summer, it's harder for those with regular work schedules to make it to exhibits, so this special night offers 3 extra hours to catch up.  Along with artist talks, book signings, performances, and meet-and-greets, there will also be lots of food and drink specials at participating restaurants around the neighborhood.  Learn more and download the complete gallery/event listing and map at artwalkchelsea.com.  July 29th from 5:00-8:00.

Objets d'Art | News

It's Friday!  Yay!  Here's a rundown of some news and upcoming events...

~Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) - Check out BOS '10 which will feature over 275 open artist studios, group shows, and events taking place in over 140 buildings occupying more than 4 square-miles of Bushwick as well as bordering 'hoods East Williamsburg, Bed-Stuy, and Ridgewood, Queens.  Learn more at bos2010.artsinbushwick.org.  June 4th-6th.

~Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk - Over 100 artists and 75 galleries and art spaces will participate in the Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk this Saturday and Sunday.  Mosey along Brooklyn's Atlantic Ave between Fourth Avenue and Furman Street and peek into private studios, watch artists paint a rooftop mural, listen to live music, and refuel with deals from participating bars and restaurants.  Learn more at atlanticavenueartwalk.com.  June 5th and 6th.

~Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturdays - It's time for another installment of the Brooklyn Museum's FREE Target First Saturdays.  In honor of the new exhibit, American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection, the theme of the evening is Brooklyn Chic.  Hear Chief Curator Kevin Stayton discuss the fashionable exhibit, see a screening of the Audrey Hepburn/Fred Astaire flick Funny Face, and stick around for a dance contest and dance party!  More info at brooklynmuseum.org.  June 5th.

~Museum Mile - Tuesday evening welcomes another installment of the yearly Museum Mile fest which offers 3 hours of FREE admission to nine major museums along Fifth Avenue between 82nd and 105th Streets. The avenue will be closed to auto traffic and there will live bands and "art-in-the-street."  The nine participating museums include (starting from the northernmost): El Museo del Barrio, Museum of the City of New York, The Jewish Museum, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, The Guggenheim, Neue Galerie (check out the excellent Otto Dix exhibit!), Goethe-Institut/German Cultural Center, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  More info at museummmilefestival.org.  Tuesday, June 8th from 6-9pm.

~Work of Art Premieres - Art-loving couch potatoes rejoice!  Bravo's latest competitive reality show Work of Art premieres on Wednesday.  The show pits 14 aspiring, contemporary artists against each other for the chance to win an exhibition at The Brooklyn Museum, a cash prize, and bragging rights.  Actress/art fan China Chow hosts and judges, alongside NY Mag Art Critic (and Face Booker extraordinaire) Jerry Saltz, and gallery owners Bill Powers and Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn (Salon 94).  Playing the Tim Gunn/mentor role will be Simon de Pury of Phillips de Pury auction house.  Read more about the show at bravotv.com.  Premieres Wednesday, June 9th.

~The Artist Has Left the Building - This past Monday, Marina Abramovich completed her 700 hour/3 month interactive performance The Artist is Present at MoMA.  To celebrate, Givenchy and the label's Creative Director, Riccardo Tisci, hosted a celeb and model packed party at the museum Tuesday night.  Click on wwd.com and style.com to see pics of the artist looking refreshed and glam in Givenchy.  

~Kehinde's Kicks - New York-based artist Kehinde Wiley has teamed up with PUMA Africa to create a line of footwear and apparel featuring a bomber jacket, hoodies, and t-shirts in West African textile prints that were inspired by his work, The World Stage: Africa Lagos-Dakar.  In honor of the upcoming World Cup, Wiley has also created four portraits featuring three of Africa's top football players.  Read more at tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com and see the collection at africa.puma.com.

~Darcel Doesn't Disappoint - Check out darceldisappoints.blogspot.com to see the adorable, spectacled cyclops Darcel live "one disappointing moment after another" while covering art and fashion events.  The site's creator, Australian-born, New York-based blogger/artist/animator, Craig Redman recently had a show exhibited at Paris' crazy cool boutique Colette.  Read more about Darcel and Redman at nowness.com.

~Pieter Hugo Pics in Paris - Speaking of Colette, South African photographer Pieter Hugo currently has an exhibit at the Paris shop.  Check it out if you happen to be strolling along Rue Saint-Honore.  Learn more at colette.fr.  Through July 3rd.

~R.I.P. Tobias Wong - And lastly, another sad loss for the art/design world.  Tobias Wong passed away on Sunday at the age of 35.  The witty, provocative, and innovative Wong designed cool, beautiful objects teeming with social commentary.  His dollar bill notepad, sun jar, inverted diamond ring, gold-plated McDonald's coffee stirrer/coke spoon, Warhol print gift wrap, and rubber-coated chandelier were just a few of his notable works.  In 2007, he staged The Wrong Store in Chelsea, a fully stocked and functional shop that was never open.  Read his NYT's obit at nyt.com, read Core 77's tribute to Wong at core77.com, and see a selection of his amazing work at ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com.

New York Gallery Week | May 7-10

Good news:  for those still looking for weekend plans, today kicks off New York Gallery Week!

Over 50 galleries and not-for-profits uptown, downtown, east, and west are participating and will open their doors on their usual days off - Sunday and Monday - with a variety of free events. A sample of events includes:  an artist talk with Richard Galpin at The Highline and a book signing with Dana Schutz at Zach Feuer today; a guided tour of the Jockum Nordstrom and Mamma Andersson exhibit at David Zwirner and artist talk with Ian Kiaer and Uta Barth at Tanya Bonakdar on Saturday; a brunch auction at White Columns, performance by Tare De Long at Maccarone, and artist talk with Trisha Donelly and Anthony Huberman at Casey Kaplan on Sunday; and a closing night party at Santos Party House hosted by Taxter & Spengemann at 10:30 pm on Monday.

New York Gallery Week is the brain-child of gallery owners Casey Kaplan, David Zwirner and Friedrich Petzel.  The trio think galleries need to be more accessible to the masses with "museum quality programming."  You can see a video of Kaplan discussing New York Gallery Week on Artlog.com.  See newyorkgalleryweek.com for a full listing of events.  Enjoy the weekend!

Where They At | Abrons Arts Center

Bounce is a rap movement originated in New Orleans in the 1980s that uncharacteristically boasts an array of female, gay and transgendered performers.  While the lyrics focus on the usual topics including sex, parties, and dancing, bounce music is "steeped in deep Southern roots traditions" and influenced by "Mardi Gras Indian chants, brass band beats, and call-and-response routines" (from show's notes).  Where They At: a multi-media archive of New Orleans Bounce at the Henry Street Settlement's Abrons Arts Center in the Lower East Side features photos, oral histories, and video collected by Aubrey Edwards and Alison Fensterstock focusing on the pioneering women, gay and transgendered rappers "in early New Orleans hip-hop and bounce."

The title of the exhibit, Where They At, is taken from the title of a 1992 song recognized as "the first bounce release" by DJ Jimi Payton (the song was also recorded earlier as a "homemade cassette-only release" by T.T. Tucker).  Where They At the exhibition features large, color portraits of female bounce rappers Mia X, Ms Tee, Magnolia Shorty, and Cheeky Blakk and gay members Big Freedia, Chev off the Ave, and Vockah Redu.  A lyric sample and brief quote about how each artist got involved in the bounce movement is printed beside his/her portrait.  As the show's notes state, "[T]he prominence of queer members of the bounce community... defies the myth of insurmountable homophobia within hip-hop and speaks to a curious tradition in African-American entertainment in New Orleans, which has accepted and celebrated queer and cross-dressing entertainers for over half a century — from Bobby Marchan to Katey Red."

Where They At is a great introduction to a less familiar style of rap along with its cast of fabulous and colorful players.  Learn more at Abronsartscenter.org.  Through April 3rd.

Katey Red

Cheeky Blakk

Magnolia Shorty

Big Freedia

Vockah Redu (left) and Ms Tee (right)

Mia X

Chev off the Ave

Bobby Marchan

Snapshots, various images from The Sissy Sweetheart Ball, 2009

Brucennial 2010 | 250 West Broadway

BRUCENNIAL 2010: Miseducation "brings together 420 artists from 911 countries working in 666 discrete disciplines to reclaim education as part of an artist’s ongoing practice beyond the principals of any one institution or experience."  WHA?!  My math skills may be crap, but even I know that does not compute!  Well, that's what the press release says - brought to you by the folks from The Bruce High Quality Foundation and Vito Schnabel (Julian's son).  The sensationalist press release sets the cheeky, fun-spirited tone for the group exhibition - an anti-establishment, alternative to the Whitney Biennial (in which the BHQF have a work included).

The Bruce High Quality Foundation, according to a February 25th New York Times article, is "a five-artist collective focused on reshaping the art world as we know it by placing some of its more conspicuous functions, like education and the organizing of exhibitions, into artists’ hands."  This is the third installment of Brucennial which started with BRUCENNIAL 2008: Doing it Again in Bushwick and BRUCENNIAL 2009: Smithumenta in Carol Gardens.  Though the BHQF and Schnabel invited their favorite artists and friends to participate in the exhibit, artists who just showed up to the 5,000-square-foot Soho space were able to add their work to the presentation.  The space is filled and pieces are labeled simply by penciling in the artist's name beside his/her work.  The show is so packed that it continues at RECESS at 41 Grand Street.

Paintings, drawings, photos, sculptures, installations, videos are all represented, and range from beautiful, cool, creepy, funny, to just plain WTF?.  By exhibiting new artists alongside established ones and allowing anyone who walked in to show his/her art, The Brucennial exudes an open and very democratic vibe - a complete contrast to the elitist and snooty rep typically associated with the art world.  Learn more at Bruce High Quality Foundation's website here and read the full NYTs article here.  Through April 12th. 

Installation view

Installation view

Installation view

John Mendelsohn

Bryan Harrington

PC Smith and Tony Canger

Greg Bogin

Clara Chapin Hess, Praxis Makes Purpose

Snejina Latev

Craig Mooney

Ivan Goodman

James Nares

Natalie Shook

Dan Colen

Rory Monaghan

Elliott Arkin

Mr. Brainwash | Icons

I am a total sucker for pop culture, fashion designers, supermodels, artists and rock stars, so French street artist Mr. Brainwash's first U.S. show, Icons, is right up my alley.  Mr. Brainwash (Thierry Guetta) fills up two floors of a 15,000 square-feet warehouse space in the Meatpacking District with silkscreens of iconic figures from the art, fashion, music, and even technological worlds; larger than life installations; sculptures made from tires; and collages of famous musicians from various genres made entirely of broken vinyl records on wood (I can't even imagine how many crates of vinyl were smashed to bits for this show).  Though you may not have known his name before, you'll recognize Mr. Brainwash's work - he designed the pop-inspired cover for Madonna's latest greatest hits album Celebration (which has a huge wall in the show devoted to the many variations of the cover), and he's responsible for the prints that popped up around town last summer of Mr. Spock dolled up in Marilyn Monroe drag.

While his silkscreen and vinyl record portraits make up a bulk of the show, his large installation pieces are definitely impressive and cheeky.  See my pics below of the real taxi cab the artist had custom built for the exhibit which he encased in Matchbox packaging, his giant, pink paint can, tipped over and spilling "paint" down through the grates in the floor, and the 12 feet-tall, old-school boombox down in the basement level with all his vinyl portraits of musical legends.

The bright colors, famous faces, and kitchen pantry labels all pay homage to pop art and Warhol, but Mr. Brainwash adds his own street art touch to the works - especially in Tomato Spray, a parody of Warhol's famous Campbell's Soup cans which instead shows a tagger's spray-paint can wrapped in the iconic, red and white label.  Mr. Brainwash clearly admires many high profile players in many fields, and clearly has a blast representing them in his work.  Definitely check out this fun, celeb obsessed, pop infused show.  Through March 30th at 415 West 13th Street between 9th Avenue and Washington Street (open daily from 3:00-10:00pm).  Read a brief article on Mr. Brainwash at flavorwire.com and check out the artist's website at mrbrainwash.com.

AC/DC, broken vinyls and CDs on wood 

Barry White, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Biggie Smalls, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Billie Holiday, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Blondie (Deborah Harry), broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Bruce Springsteen, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Diana Ross, Sade, Michael Jackson, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Elvis, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Jay Z, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Kiss, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Louis Armstrong, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Prince, Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Close-up of lower, right corner of Prince portrait

Slash, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Velvet Underground, broken vinyls and CDs on wood

Silkscreens of assorted artists, designers, models

Tomato Spray, silkscreen and oil on canvas

Silkscreens of Bill Gates (top left), Jack Dorsey (top right), Steve Jobs (bottom left), Mark Zuckerberg (bottom right)

Silkscreens of Madonna, Andy Warhol, Mr. Spock

Art Directors Club | Young Guns 7 Competition

Currently on view at the Art Directors Club Gallery on West 29th Street are this year's fifty winners of the ADC Young Guns 7 competition.  The ADC Young Guns competition is a bit like AIGA Three Sixty Five 30's bratty but talented younger sib.  The competition is open to anyone 30 and under with at least 2 years experience under his/her belt working in advertising, design, illustration, and photography.  The winning entries definitely feel younger than those at AIGA and tend to lean on the twee, hipstery side.  Moleskin awards $1,500 in grants to three top entrants and publishes a limited-edition book of the winning works.  Mario Hugo and Fx&Mat each received $250 grants while Siggi Eggertsson's cool, graphic, pop-inspired designs received the top honor of a $1,000 grant.  Congrats to all the winners!

The Art Directors Club was founded in 1920 and has served "as a barometer for the constant changes and developments in visual media and communications."  The Young Guns award was introduced in 1996.  According to the ADC's website, "ADC Young Guns honors the vanguard of creative professionals who let loose their imaginations, shattering conventions and breaking boundaries with a dash of brilliance and personal flair."  Previous Young Gunners serve as the selection jury and choose the new crop of winners.  Past Young Guns winners include Stefan Sagmeister (YG1), Mike Mills (YG1), and Ryan McGinness (YG2). 

Learn more about all the ADC Young Guns 7 winners and see samples of their work at adcyoungguns.org.  Read more about the ADC Young Guns competition here.  See pics of some of my favorite entries below.  On view at the ADC Gallery at 106 West 29th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues) through November 6th.

Siggi Eggertsson, Chelsea Girls (recreation of movie poster)

Siggi Eggertsson, Coke Side of Life posters

Keren Richter, illustration for Boost Mobile Summer Concert Series poster

Bianca Wendt, Catalogue for Maison Martin Margiela (personal work)

Ben Wiseman, Criterion Collection's Breathless DVD packaging

Jim Stoten, illustrations for Gomez album art (left) and illustration for The Fader article on White Stripes videos (top right); Will Staehle, Design and collage Hi/Bye, from his Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre Collection (bottom right)

Yoko Furusho, Health Virus (top) illustration for Lp and P and Melancholy of a Japanese Girl (bottom) illustration for Dpi Magazine

Laura Carlin, illustrations/book art for translation of Le Grand Meaulnes for Folio Society

Kitman Keung, Love Green Recycle Bin created for Dwell's Kitchen Ecology Exhibition in Los Angeles (June 2009)

Veronica Fuerte, Brands (personal work)

Sam Weber, illustrations for Toronto Soulpepper Theatre posters

Oliver Munday, Who the Hell Is Angela Davis, poster for event at Maryland Institute College of Art