Weekend Review

Moma

To walk the halls of Moma is to breath in the very essence of the New York art scene. But if you don’t plan your visit appropriately, the breadth and depth of the current exhibitions might leave you gasping for air. To avoid overwhelming your senses, I highly suggest absorbing only one artist per visit. The following, however, should not be missed:

William Kentridge

His large scale charcoal drawings and animation offer a delightful and fascinating exploration of human emotions.

Marina Abramovic

I am not sure if I loved or hated this. Her often sadistic and sometimes downright disturbing works left me wondering where the line lies between art and porn. When art is just as vulgar and all-bearing, what differentiates the two?

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Impeccably curated, I couldn’t help but lament the ongoing demise of the photojournalistic field. Bresson’s mastery in capturing a moment and imbuing profound meaning into everyday life is always inspiring.

I relish the fact that Bresson was not a dark room maven. As a 25 year veteran, I am increasingly delegating the retouching of my work. Overseeing post production has granted me the freedom to focus on the moment of making the photograph without getting bogged down by photoshop.

Chelsea

James Welling at David Zwirner

Welling presents a vibrant and colorful interpretation of one of residential architectures greatest treasures. His playful use of filters, color negatives, and printing techniques give a distinct cross-medium feel to his creations.

Sculptographs at Andrea Rosen

Wiry sculptograph sit juxtaposed against the three-dimensional works of Elliott Hundley. A modern take on fashion against a mythical exploration of reason and ecstasy. Both offerings provoking a dialogue about space, shape, form, and perception.

Other galleries I visited this weekend and recommend:

Bruce Silverstein – For his guest curators

Hasted Hunt Kraeutler – for their extensive photography exhibition

Danziger Projects – For the fashion photographer who ventured to africa

Lauren Augistine – For an impressive carousel filled with sound and visual delights

The Art Auctions

Historically I have avoided attending the pre-shows preferring to participate in the actual events. This year was different. Acting as a consultant to a friend, I spent a portion of my weekend browsing through the Christies collection. It was a refreshing way to participate, and a wonderful chance to get up-close to the art.

Loretta Lux, Irving Pen, and surprisingly the Michael Crichton collection stood out. For very different reason.

For the most part, the Photography prices were reasonable.

A Question to The Photography Industry

Every image goes through post-production. In photography’s early days this happened in the darkroom, today it happens on the desk-top. My question is this: do photographers allow retouchers to show before and after of their work? In my opinion, there is a lot that goes into a final print and I feel bearing it all can be detrimental. Would to hear your thoughts.