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By Webmaster, March 12, 2010 3:51 pm

Weekend Review

This weekend was a flurry of activity.  Rather than focus on any one artist or exhibition, I thought it best to share some of the highlights:

Film and Theater

Karsh is History

How did Karsh become one of the 20th centuries foremost photographers? This is the question explored by the new film “Karsh is History.” Rather than the life of Karsh, I found myself pondering the extraordinary parallels between Karsh and Richard Avendon: Their fame was built on the same premise – photographs of powerful people. Commercially they set out to achieve the same goal, yet their approach differers in one distinct and critical way. When making portraits, Karsh was driven to show the ideal of the individual and the archetype of their public figure. Avendon wanted to capture a moment, a never before seen glimpse of the individual. Some might consider this a subtle shift, but I was struck by how deeply it impacted their individual bodies of work.

The Ghost Writer

I am increasingly drawn to films by european directors. In The Ghost Writer, Roman Polanski weaves his magic to create a captivating thriller that kept me engaged until the closing credits.

Mr. and Mrs. Fitch

Urbane, smart, witty, and stylish. Enough said.

The White Ribbon

This film explores the origin of terror through the distant memories of a man living on the brink of WWI. Dark, powerful, and moving, it left me with an unshakable sense of disquite.

Exhibitions

Olafur Eliason at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

This show caused great debate amongst myself and another artist friend. She felt that Eliason was overtly similar to that of a 30 year predecessor James Turrell, yet lacked the sense of poetry and refinement that Turrell possessed. To her, the fact that Eliason hires a staff of architects to help manufacture his work is a discredit to his talent. Personally, I liked his work and felt that her opinion was just that – opinion. We ended the discussion agreeing that only time will tell. This show raised the recent Roberta Smith article and the responsibility of the galleries and museums to put the best art in front of the public. I would love to hear the thoughts of others on both the show, and the article.

Jacco Olivier at Marianne Boesky Gallery

Creative and vibrantly visual, Jacco combines film and painting into layered montages of movement.  While his work requires time to digest, it is worth the investment.

Wolfgang Tilman at Andrea Rosen Gallery

This show epitomizes a new trend in gallery display. A trend that I have noticed across the New York art scene with increasing frequency. In one show, Tilman exhibits a vast array of subject matter and themes. To some, they find this approach slightly manic and unnerving. Personally, I find it a refreshing break from the traditional.

Baron Adolph de Meyer at Robert Miller Gallery

Baron Adolph de Meyer is an Icon of elegant, early 20th century photography. Yet this exhibition captures little of his genius. His best work was suspiciously absent from the show making the collection at best banal and at worst silly.

Robert Adams at Mathew Marks Gallery

There is something wonderfully casual about Adams work. In an age of hyper-processed and excessively calculated imagery, his work is a tribute to the uncontrived. The small-scale photographs of night scenes harken back to a bygone era of simplistic authenticity.

Restaurants

Maialino at Ian Schragers Gramercy Park

The fried artichokes with a luscious anchovy-rich sauce are absolutely delicious.

Thank Chef Boulud for divine canapes.

Sant Ambroeus and Bottino

I just can’t say enough good things about both of these places.

Final Thoughts

Since the death of my cat Sheva, I’ve had a recent surge of desire to be out and about. Indulging my inner social butterfly has been invigorating, yet as an artist I need solitude to create. It is solitude that makes me hunger for social interaction, and social interaction that inspires me to find solitude. I’ve never found a balance. All I can do is hold on and hope to thrive.

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By Webmaster, March 8, 2010 10:46 pm

Weekend Review

Exhibitions

The New Museum Curated by Jeff Koons

I was of the opinion that the New Museum was supposed to be about emerging art. What happened? The Jeff Koons exhibition had my art friends in a fluster this weekend – twenty-five-year-old art from an established collector is hardly emerging. That aside what really aggravated my co-museum goers was the lack of cohesion in the exhibition. To them it felt sporadic. For me its organization was akin to the art fairs I was viewing this weekend. I embrace the randomness of selection and placement and feel that in some ways it enhances the discovery of viewing art.

The Hort Family Collection

The vibrant and eclectic aesthetic of Susan and Michael Hort was on display this weekend in their Tribeca home. It is fabulous to envision them living day-in and day-out with so much art adorning their walls. I appreciate their passion for emerging artists and their dedication to a continually rotating selection. Fifteen years ago they created a foundation in honor of Rema Hort Mann whose untimely death from stomach cancer at the age of 30 inspired them to become the advocates for emerging artist that they are today. To the support their efforts, please got to www.rhmfoundation.org

The Armory Show

Every March, artists, galleries, collectors, critics and curators from all over the world journey to New York for the Armory Show. This year was no different.

In general, I wasn’t overly impressed with the production of the exhibits, especially with PULSE. The show felt cramped, overcrowded, and left me gasping for air. At it’s best, was “Pier 94” which offered the occasional glimpse of avant-garde. There I enjoyed the work of Daniel Gordon. Gordon creates vibrant, tactile, and innovative photographic collages that boarder on the surreal and grotesque. The female figures he depicts are cobbled together concoctions of found images, reconstructed into three-dimensional tableau.

At the Armory Show on 67^th and Park, there was one artist in particular who stood out – “The Horizon Line in 19th-Century Photographs.” Although, I am not typically a vintage photography enthusiast, I found these photographs exquisite.

What struck me the most was actually more the viewers than the objects being viewed. Many of today’s art enthusiast seem trapped by generational gaps: traditionalists unsure where and how to look in a contemporary world. The paradigm has shifted and many appear incapable of adapting.

Can I say I came away inspired? Not really. But I was uplifted and felt satisfied if not satiated by the occasional glimpse of good work I was able to catch.

Eldridge Synagogue – Kiki Smith Design Preview

The Kiki Smith stained-glass window is the final element of the synagogue’s 20 year $18.5 million restoration. A piece that is intended not to be a replica of the damaged window it replaces, but rather an interpretation that integrates into the Neo-Moorish interior without entirely mimicking its structure. The window is scheduled to be unveiled later this spring, but from the preliminary designs all I can say is “beautiful”!

Theater and Lectures

In the Words of Duras  – La Vie Materielle

Included in the multi-venue tribute to Marguerite Duras by fi:af is the stage production entitled La View Materielle. Director Irina Brooks (daughter of the famed Peter Brooks) promised “extraordinary words whilst cooking, laughing, crying, singing and dancing together in an imaginary and theatrical kitchen.” And in my opinion, she delivered. The ensemble cast portrays vivid interpretations of daily life and intimate relationships with frank guile. Hats off to my dear friend Joan Juliet Buck for her splendid performance.

Panel Discussion: On Gluttony at Independent

When you gather an art historian, a gallery owner, an art advisor, a journalist and writer, and a handful of artists together on one stage it is inevitable that disparate opinions will emerge. Throw in a topic as polarizing as the systemic nature of gluttony in the art world, and you’re bound to witness a few flairs. In this panel of experts, the dialogue ebbed and followed over topics of our the insatiable appetite for “new,” the transformation of art access and digestion fueled by the ever-increasing pervasive nature of information, and the resulting pressure on galleries and artist to produce. Peppered in were excellent commentary and visual examples of greed versus gluttony by Anthony Haden Guest.  But, what I found most resonant was a point raised by Linda Yabonsky on the topic of morality. Many artist, like co-panelist Jennifer Rubell, blatantly ignore the morality of their work. If morality were of paramount importance, could or would you be creating what you do? Utterly absorbed by this question, I approached Linda after the panel. Her response: “Well, we live in a hypocritical world.”

Restaurants

Lunch at Freeman’s

Bored and disgusted. Not by my company nor by the food, but by the topic of conversation. Here we were – three New York City Art Veterans – and all we could do was bitch. Worse yet, regurgitate the pre-voiced opinions of the many art-critics this city spawns. It’s maddening to hear the same thing again and again. We read the same blogs. We follow the same columnist. But come on New York is there really no original point of view left? It’s not that the critics lack opinion, it’s that we as viewers and artist have become lemmings to their thoughts.

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By Webmaster, March 2, 2010 7:39 pm

Weekend Review

Film and Play

The Barne’s foundation was created as an antitheses to the hallowed halls of conventional museums.  Since the 1990s it has been at the center of one of the greatest art scandals of our decade. The cast of villains and heros, of wills and trusts, of monetary gain an invaluable loss weave a defining tale of our times. This revealing documentary raises an interesting debate over preservation versus commercial exploitation. Where should the boundaries lie and at what cost?

Time Stands Still

Sarah Goodwin is a female photographer daring to document a controversial subject, she is also a strong-minded individual in the midst of an uneasy relationship. While the parallels between Sarah’s life and my own were uncanny, her contemplation on the role of the artist as witness is what caught my attention. It is a timeless quandary, yet one of profound significance: when horror is happening in front of the lens when should the photographer go from observer to participant?

Exhibitions

Elisa Sighicelli at Gagosian Gallery

Elisa work is printed by hand on matt paper rather than on the customary transparent film, then mounted onto a Plexiglas structure using black-tape and florescence to manipulate light and shadow. Her work is a carefully crafted exploration of light.

Hirst has always worked on the edge of contemporary art, and once again he delivers by boldly addressing the zeitgeist through large scale installations. Provocative, interesting, and worth viewing.

Richard Tuttle at Joni Mosiant Weyl

A departure from his typical material creations, these prints embody the same innate delicate nature of Tuttles other works. Intimate, subtle, and beautiful geometric forms that envelope the viewer in a sense of calm.

Whitney Biennial Preview

For me, the highlight of the Biennial was an instillation entitled “Hearse” from artist Bruce High. The windows of this iconic looking white hearse were replaced with large screens on which clips of american history were displayed. An electric and ironic view of the past century.

Guggenhiem

Malevich in Focus

Malechivich has many influences, but in this intimate exhibition of his work the development of his style unfolds in-front of the viewer. His distinct cubic masterpieces remain avant-garde to this day.

Tino Sehgal

These “constructed situations” engage the audience through the interplay of dance, of fleeting gestures, and social subtleties. It is impossible for the viewer to hold back from participating and becoming part of the art itself. Some have said that sehgal is attempting to exhibit the very joy of life. For me it was mesmerizing.

Eggleston, Shore, Myers

These three artist share a remarkable sense of bold, vivid, and vibrant color. It was Avendon who first recommended I study Eggleston’s approach to photography. To this day his works still capture my attention.

Ida Applebroog – Hauser & Wirth

A year long study of an oft ignored part of the female anatomy, Applebroog presents 160 drawings of her own vagina.These beautifully simple sketches lay dormant in storage for nearly 40 years. In 2009 the vault was opened and 100 new drawings were created using digital manipulation to enhance the original works. Displayed in a home-like wood construction symbolizing the the exterior and interior walls of her life. It was witty, focused, and poignant.

Restaurants

Lest I forget back to brunch at Minetta Tavern where the best bloody mary, the best hamburger in New York, and the company of a good friend awaits.

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By Webmaster, February 22, 2010 7:50 pm

Weekend Review

This weekend was a flurry of activity.  Rather than focus on any one artist or exhibition, I thought it best to share some of the highlights:

Film and Theater

Karsh is History

How did Karsh become one of the 20th centuries foremost photographers? This is the question explored by the new film “Karsh is History.” Rather than the life of Karsh, I found myself pondering the extraordinary parallels between Karsh and Richard Avendon: Their fame was built on the same premise – photographs of powerful people. Commercially they set out to achieve the same goal, yet their approach differers in one distinct and critical way. When making portraits, Karsh was driven to show the ideal of the individual and the archetype of their public figure. Avendon wanted to capture a moment, a never before seen glimpse of the individual. Some might consider this a subtle shift, but I was struck by how deeply it impacted their individual bodies of work.

The Ghost Writer

I am increasingly drawn to films by european directors. In The Ghost Writer, Roman Polanski weaves his magic to create a captivating thriller that kept me engaged until the closing credits.

Mr. and Mrs. Fitch

Urbane, smart, witty, and stylish. Enough said.

The White Ribbon

This film explores the origin of terror through the distant memories of a man living on the brink of WWI. Dark, powerful, and moving, it left me with an unshakable sense of disquite.

Olafur Eliason at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

This show caused great debate amongst myself and another artist friend. She felt that Eliason was overtly similar to that of a 30 year predecessor James Turrell, yet lacked the sense of poetry and refinement that Turrell possessed. To her, the fact that Eliason hires a staff of architects to help manufacture his work is a discredit to his talent. Personally, I liked his work and felt that her opinion was just that – opinion. We ended the discussion agreeing that only time will tell. This show raised the recent Roberta Smith article and the responsibility of the galleries and museums to put the best art in front of the public. I would love to hear the thoughts of others on both the show, and the article.

Jacco Olivier at Marianne Boesky Gallery

Creative and vibrantly visual, Jacco combines film and painting into layered montages of movement.  While his work requires time to digest, it is worth the investment.

Wolfgang Tilman at Andrea Rosen Gallery

This show epitomizes a new trend in gallery display. A trend that I have noticed across the New York art scene with increasing frequency. In one show, Tilman exhibits a vast array of subject matter and themes. To some, they find this approach slightly manic and unnerving. Personally, I find it a refreshing break from the traditional.

Baron Adolph de Meyer at Robert Miller Gallery

Baron Adolph de Meyer is an Icon of elegant, early 20th century photography. Yet this exhibition captures little of his genius. His best work was suspiciously absent from the show making the collection at best banal and at worst silly.

Robert Adams at Mathew Marks Gallery

There is something wonderfully casual about Adams work. In an age of hyper-processed and excessively calculated imagery, his work is a tribute to the uncontrived.The small-scale photographs of night scenes harken back to a bygone era of simplistic authenticity.

Restaurants

Maialino at Ian Schragers Gramercy Park

The fried artichokes with a luscious anchovy-rich sauce are absolutely delicious.

Bar Pleiades at The Surrey

Thank Chef Boulud for divine canapes.

Sant Ambroeus and Bottino

I just can’t say enough good things about both of these places.

Since the death of my cat Sheva, I’ve had a recent surge of desire to be out and about. Indulging my inner social butterfly has been invigorating, yet as an artist I need solitude to create. It is solitude that makes me hunger for social interaction, and social interaction that inspires me to find solitude. I’ve never found a balance. All I can do is hold on and hope to thrive.

Comments (0)

By Webmaster, February 1, 2010 5:55 pm

Miroslav Tichy at the ICP

Last week I attended a preview at the ICP and found myself deeply drawn to the work of Miroslav Tichy. Through the dizzying blur of the digital era, Tichy’s work stands refreshingly authentic. His distorted studies of women and landscapes capture a quiet repose and humanity that is often lost amongst our digital swirl. His attention to form, to light, to subtly have an evocative rhythm of their own.

Adding to the mystic of his art is the fact that his images are born out of self-made cameras inventively cobbled-together from found materials. Tichy is a man unafraid to highlight the flaws of life: “…the mistake is a part of it, it is poetry…and for that you need a bad camera.” -Miroslav Tichy

I was so inspired by Tichy’s work that I wanted to explore the introduction of purposefully blurred and distorted focus in my next shoot. However, I found that “tricking” my high-end digital camera into creating the desired effect was far harder than I imagined. The camera was always attempting to correct my purposeful incorrectness.

If you have any thoughts on Tichy’s work, or the use of digital equipment in a non-digital manner, please share them with us here. I am very curious to know how other people are responding to his work, and evolving their own in turn.

The ICP exhibit offers a glimpse into the mind, life, and work of this recluse Czech artist. Some 100 of his works will be on display through May 9th. A must see.