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.

New Photography 2009: A Bold and Innovative Future

If you haven’t viewed the New Photography 2009 exhibit recently opened at The Museum of Modern Art, rush to Midtown West for a visit. Since 1985, MoMA sets an annual display of cutting-edge photographers—70 artists from 15 countries thus far.

This year, the chosen six are all American—albeit from vastly different backgrounds. Upbringing plays a key role in their visual aesthetic. Leslie Hewitt, for instance, highlights her African-American heritage in the series, Untitled (Epiphany of Circumstances).

Hewitt negates traditional perspective by hanging scenery upside down; in three panels, only an old family photograph is right-side-up and distinguishable to the eye. In the final two panels, the addition of a mirror and a photo on its side leave the viewer disoriented and intrigued.

Daniel Gordon’s style is even more unusual. His montages are both grotesque and alluring; they simultaneously compel and repel the spectator. Gordon combines paper and online photos into body images that challenge conventional standards of beauty.

Gordon’s techniques are definitely new! He photographs his initial collage, rearranges the pieces, and re-photographs. His methodology and the discomfort it elicits are reminiscent of performance art. Gordon’s creations resonate with a powerful message.

I am equally moved by Sarah VanDerBeek’s pictures of “temporary sculptures”. Composition for Detroit salutes a disappearing manufacturing economy, and incorporates photos from the 1967 riots. That which is old is new again. Her moody style and use of space are evocative of Robert Rauschenberg and Hans Hoffman.

Sterling Ruby, Carter Mull, Walead Beshty examine photography in the digital age. Ruby starts with graffiti snapshots, and manipulates the defacement into biting social commentary.

Mull begins with a page of the Los Angeles Times. He alters and re-photographs layer upon layer, until the sheet is unrecognizable. Mull questions whether photography, like print, will be obliterated by technology.

Beshty goes further, suggesting that conventional photography is already obsolete. Beshty works in total darkness, exposing photography paper to different color light, thereby creating random patterns. Is this the only remaining use for standard chemical processes?

These artists awaken my own creativity, as I ponder how to move my process forward—into photography’s bold and innovative future!