The M. Foster Art Collection

Dixon's Contemporary Photographers

2012-01-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

This Must Be the Place

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens always puts together an opening equally balanced between contemporary Memphis culture and elegant Southern tradition. The building and grounds elevate the status and greeters' smiles open the elite status to all who attend. Serving contemporary BBQ at a reception does wonders to unify the crowd in Memphis and with full tummies and ears tuned to live music, patrons are more apt to warmly receive artwork.

Thursday, Jan 19, opened the exhibit of contemporary photographers "This Must Be the Place". The common thread of identity and place cohered to reflect the magic, whimsy, and beauty of Memphis culture, gloss-coating blight and disaster. Tommy Kha's aesthetically gorgeous portrayals of flooded streets and battered belongings took any sense of disaster from the photographs. Ian Lemmond's odd, hidden placement of white plastic toy figurines (variations on army men) are ephermeral yet humorous. Nearby, the work of Anna Hollis showed mythical figures (unicorn heads) in real wooded settings, both enchanting and humorous with an aftertaste of slight disturbance and wonder.

Frances Berry and Michael Darough just made Memphis look pretty with an Eggleston influence in tone and color evident in Berry's work. The show is small but adequately sized to portray nostolgia to true Southern times and mid-century whimsey. The show is worth the view.

Museums are for education - or entertainment?

2012-01-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

During my time in New York I experienced a variety of challenges placed to the museum. Three shows directly questioned the function of the museum and exhibition space by way of the art's treatment of the space. Höller's exhibit turned the New Museum into an amusement park and hands-on science lab. Included alongside traditional viewing pieces of MoMA's contemporary art collection were Felix Gonzalez-Torres' candy piece which allows viewers to take and consume a piece of the silver wrapped candy and Rirkirt Travanija's "Untitled (Free)" which serves museum patrons curry for free in a structure that recreates the layout of 303 Gallery where the performance was first staged in 1992. Exploring the contemporary galleries of the MoMA became interactive and invitational to interact with the art in more ways than shuffling through a white walled space.

After interacting with Tiravanija's piece (and feeling pleasantly full with a medium-spiced lingering burning sensation on the tounge), Dieter Roth's "Solo Scenes" during the last year of his life are initially arresting and increasingly interesting upon inspection. The tedium of others fascinates as a way to see the self more clearly; this piece taps into the voyeurism to elicit one's own loneliness or sympathetic loneliness for Roth. Visually crude and grid-like, the piece taps into the emotive makeup of humans. Interaction with some pieces greatly enhances the viewing sensation of non-tactile art.

Another non-traditional way of displaying art put women's shoes in cubbies built into the wall and sewn shut with painfully delicate stitches reminiscent of medical stitches. The material to cover the shoes was translucent yellow, evoking a sense of decay similar to yellowing pages of books. Doris Salcedo's work uses found materials to communicate Colombian political turmoil in a non-direct and visually captivating way. Her untitled piece of furniture stacked chairs on a dresser and filled the structure with concrete. The act turned the functional furniture into a useless clunky object which is said to be a memorial to the missing. Her intention is to draw attention to the act of hiding violence rather than showing her country's violence directly in her work.

Fluxus - these guys were always thinking of something. If currently working today they would be the ones making computer programs that generate actions. I recently saw a sand box controlled by a programable computer that used a magnetic ball on an X-axis cross rods that drew pictures in the sand. That contraption would be made by the Fluxus fellows. Instead, they made these, from left to right: Joe Jones's Violin in Bird Cage (1965), George Maciunas's Dancing Aerophone from Mechanical Flux Orchestra (1972) and Aerophone from Mechanical Flux Orchestra (1966), Jone Jones's Mechanical Violin from (1964) and Mechanical Bells (1966). These instruments are all hooked up to mechanical or battery power and function. I wish I understood how to do that sort of thing.

On the walk from MoMA to the Guggenheim, a "Tornado" was spotted - Michael Sailstorfer's Central Park sculpture of intertube tires that towers over the park's entrance in a beautifully soft and dwarfing object that reads as junk from afar. Sailstorfer's piece is an example of "junk" art material effectively sculpted for public display.

And THEN - the Guggenheim. The other 50% of my motivation for trekking to New York in January. Italian sculptor (or rather the idea man behind the production of off-set humouous works commissioned to professionals) Marizio Cattelan was showcased in the much affamed retrospective.

Cattelan chose to reject traditional museum display and insist that his pieces be suspended from the ceiling of the circular Guggenheim architecture, in effect usurping the museum's function of walls and floors and jumbling his massive array of works into one convoluted bunch of objects hung from visible ropes. Though bulky and many, the works were interactive in viewing; oddly the show was more interactive than traditional wall pieces which the viewer can stand much closer than one could at this show. The array functioned as a spectical display with hidden gems (Cattelan displayed his smaller sculptures on top of or within larger sculptures throughout the show - for instance, a hand with Christmas trees for fingertips (Christmas '96) on top of the larger, more well-known sculpture of a girl strapped to a bed in a Christ-like posture (Untitled 2007)).

Spotting the hidden sculptures became the interactive game of viewing the bittersweet work that stings with underlying political and social commentary underneath wry humor.

Cattelan has enough work in the show to justify his alleged "retirement" after the retrospective, though the exhibit shows a short career (1989-present). But I hope he doesn't.

Stanford Biggers & the Next Great Artist at the Brooklyn Museum

2012-01-07T17:56:00.000-08:00

Kymia Nawabi will be the next great artist according the Bravo's reality television show. Though I did not watch the series, I am intrigued by the idea of artist selection on the basis of a trend of television. As winner of this year's competition Nawabi walked away with an exhibit in the Brooklyn Museum - a pretty big deal according to the lines of people waiting for the 5:00p.m. free first Saturdays. Nawabi will gain significant exposure from this exhibition, launching her into the real artworld not just the reality television world. She deserves the attention. With a drawing style of Alice Neel and Egon Schiele and sculptures that evoke land art and antique shops, her work is interesting, visually arresting, and slightly eerie. The basis for the works surrounds life cycles and the Egyptian god Thoth (who holds the world together).

In Devotional Medal represent burial mounds and the shedding of old skins for new life. Here Nawabi used snake skin to convey the idea of skins that shed through a literal interpretation used in the ideological metaphor. The "mounds" are sticks, dirt, mulch, etc., and hidden/buried within the mounds are objects/medals of value and signs of significance in (a former) life. Captivating, the sculptures evoke a sense of reverence and curiosity that exists around relics.

Her drawings, this one entitled "If You Feel Close Enough You Can See It", are contour with minimal color, almost like a three color (black, white, red) illustration of 1950s books with a much darker theme. Though the mythological treatment of life's cyclical nature includes death, the works are not dark in a sinister way. Instead, the pieces resonate the feeling of floating, an out-of-body reincarnation.

The Standford Biggars "Introspective" is a happy medium of interactivity (not quite a Holler amusement park, but not quite a sterile white room either). The seminal piece, "Blossom", is the obvious main attraction (with good reason) and oddly juxtaposed against the awkwardly gaudy and chuckle-evoking "Cheshire", a giant neon sign better placed in Times Square of a Lewis Carroll inspired floating mouth with diamond teeth. Upon further exploration the pieces are telling of history in a way that demands reconsideration by the viewer. "Lotus" is a delicate pattern of Buddhist transcendence in etched glass, a medium generally used to display a certain style of expensive interior decoration, composed of 24 diagrams of an African slave ship to America (the figures are how the slaves were packed like sardines onto the ship).

"Kimba II" is an upright piano sliced in half, the pieces rotated and separated by a wall with the intention of a duet playing a piece while unable to see one another. The original piece invites audience participation, but the Brooklyn Museum invites you to imagine you are participating.

Also on display is "Bittersweet the Fruit" which I found to be an innovative way to display a video and invite an imersive environment. Biggers work engages the viewer in a sense of interactive play with an introspective twist. The pieces often begin in whimsy and fantastical interest and end with a pang, kick, or twinge. The work is bittersweet, indeed. Poetically, articulately, thoughfully bittersweet.

Holla at the Höller exhibit

2012-01-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

Half way through my two hour wait to "experience" the Giant Psycho Tank at the New Museum (Carsten Höller) I reaffirmed the stubbornness (not patience) that kept me in line as I realized this exhibit was 50% of the reason I flew to the city in January (the middle of winter, a time I avoid). The two hours I spent in line without a smartphone or a pen and paper were mind-numbing (a word of advice if you go: don't leave your phone in coat check). I have not voluntarily waited in line that long - ever. The only exceptions are hospital or doctors' office waits, which are never voluntary if you are like me.

I am like me, and I AM whining about the wait. It's kind of like a ladies room wait - what takes so long!? Holler's solo exhibition was allegedly about the EXPERIENCE (should read: the experience of waiting in lines). As a trained scientist, Holler took ideas that root in scientific principle and brought into reality objects that follow thoughts like "what if...birdcages were hung like an Alexander Calder mobile?" or "would the placebo effect work on patrons that could take a pill voluntarily and not know it is empty?" or "what if you could float like you would on the Dead Sea in an indoor tank?"
Perhaps less overt, but still a big deal, the question is addressed "what if patrons could touch the art?" and "what if a visit to the museum was as fun as a visit to 6 Flags?"
Well, the lines were just like a six flags, without the funnel cakes (next time?).

In an exhibit that crosses the bridge from Natural History what-ifs to contemporary high art, Höller's work is somehow a smashing success. It drew the usual crowd with a sprinkle more children in family groups gawking at the slide the kids were too short to ride, and a heap of college age hipsters, especially as I left at 3:00p.m. (the time they got up from hangovers and decided to go do something crazy).

The Giant Psycho Tank was pretty crazy and worth coming out for (though I'm not sure worth a super long wait unless you've got a way to occupy your time). It was peaceful and surreal, floating (why do bodies float in a circle?) without holding your breath (like I did as a little girl in the bathtub).

His corridor of wonders was less epic after seeing the main draws, but not every "what if..." has an answer that is as cool as an indoor slide.

The slide was like any neat ride: a moment of childhood movement and play. I don't understand the need for Elmo's voice in the slide, however. Ending on the 2nd floor (it started on the fourth), the ride takes you through the 3rd floor Psycho Tank waiting line where bystanders can view your expressions through the plexiglass top half of the tube (but you are sliding too fast to notice eyes on your facial expression). It ends with a trippy entrance to the flashing lights on the 2nd floor, which is a little bit of a rude awakening from such an adrenaline rush. Höller is, admittedly, influenced by psychoactive mind-altering drugs, which inspire the experiences behind the work. I can't help but wonder what the exhibit would be like on mushrooms since it already attempts to recreate those effects for the sober.

One less experiential work was "One minute of doubt", a 1-minute video of cars in a parking lot jammed up (one trying to pull in, one pull out, one move around). It was a slappy one liner based around its title to convey meaning. Clever. Other pieces functioned similarly, swapping the experience for the title-based meaning, such as the placebo pill patrons could take.

One aspect of Höller's work I have not yet heard addressed is the fact that Höller himself did not construct these objects. His background is in science, not construction, so no doubt skilled technicians executed the plans for the tank, slide, carosel, aquarium, and likely the smaller pieces. So why does Höller get a pass while Hockney calls out Hirst on the very same activity? Is it because Höller's pieces are so damn cool no one cares about the question of authorship? I will just scratch my head on that one, raining down salt from the tank that is still all over my scalp (do I need another shower?).

Clearly there was a lot going on. The New Museum was the perfect venue for the show with enough space to disallow over-stimulus of very stimulating work. The museum is also hip enough to run with the art-attraction thing under any scrutiny, demonstrating they don't give a ((censored)) what critics say. After all, their ticket sales skyrocketed to attraction status with this show. Maybe they should keep the slide...

Over to Chelsea I found the usual: nothing much to speak of. The Flomenhaft Gallery (547 W. 27th St, suite 200) did have a very well rounded and mature group show of African American artists including Romare Bearden, Faith Ringgold, Beverly Buchanan, and Carrie Mae Weams. Highly recommended and resonating folk art traditions and racial themes, the show is a succinct and poignant selection of voices to eloquently address the popular and pivotal theme of racial identity in modern and contemporary artwork.

Ceres Gallery (547 W. 27th suite 201) exhibited work by women regarding the iconographic representation of females throughout art history titled "inside/outside". Visually captivating overall, the show well supplemented the theme often overplayed by feminists. Some pieces were the usual overly preachy, but most were balanced and dashing pieces of art which worked well together.

- Lynne Mayocole "Flower Child" 2011 - cast cotton fiber. This piece was captivating until I saw the other side, a crude doll-like female figure with a giant bush. Case in point of over-done feminism

- Perri Neri "Leaving" 2007 oil. This one has a beauty to it that compares to the Douthwestern sunset. A ravishing color palate and vivid expression, it was a painting that needed nothing other than paint (rare in today's mixed media trend)

- Phyllis Rosser "Insensible Rock" 2011 wood. I'm a sucker for driftwood.

2011 Neglected Year in Review

2011-12-31T13:06:00.000-08:00

2011 is ending.

I am cleaning out my photographs that I neglected to write about from 2011 exhibitions.

The Neglected 2011 Year in Review:

1. Lynda Benglis at the New Museum (Feb 9-June 19, 2011)

Hypothesis of my neglect: plenty of other people reviewed this show.

Benglis' feminist work was the weakest of the survey, despite her inclusion as a primary feminist artist of the 1970s. One exclusion to this statement is her witty 1971 one-liner "Smile", a cast lead dual-headed phallic wall sculpture. It is more humorous than a feminist statement.

The most successful, and arguably epic, are her aluminum, lead, and plastic, and pigmented foam sculptures done through a pouring of plasticity. Best of show: Phantom, 1971, which glows in the dark, and Wing (cast aluminum) for its weight in contrast to its light appearance hanging on the wall.

Cocoon (1971) was interesting to see her process of work with plastics, but overdone with technicolor. Primary Structures (1975) was an attempt to challenge contemporary meaning within art and its display. Benglis's work is best left as an experiment in forms, however. Her work with messages and meanings is too overt, allowing the viewer no need for critical thought or contemplation.

Not a highlight of the survey, I found her "secret" Polaroid collections interesting as any assortment of photos that provides the option to exercise vicarious voyerism while in a public museum space. Plus I'm a sucker for Polaroids. However interesting, I would not consider this piece "successful" because of its explicit, yet banal quality. It has been done over and over, especially in the 70s.

2. A new favorite piece

Beth Cavener Stitcher's "Anywhere But Here", stoneware

first spotted in Chelsea in April, at a gallery I cannot remember.

second spotting at Memphis College of Art's Adrift exhibition in the graduate space gallery downtown. Both times the emotionally charged yet gentle work was riveting, stopping me from moving to other pieces before I took in the potential energy of such a piece. Stitcher creates sculptures that are so lifelike in spirit though not every detail is hyper-real or loses its character of ceramic work.

3. Bye Bye Kitty, Japan Society (March 18-June 12) - New York

This collection of emerging Japanese artists was an arsenal of past and present fusion; the work was the perfect balance of contemporary practice with Japanese traditions of art making. These artists are the future of japanese art. It was not an explosion of florescent colors and anime commonly seen in "contemporary Japanese" exhibitions; the show demonstrated care, thought, and brilliance through multiple mediums. The take homes were:

Haruka Kojin's "reflectwo", artificial flowers and acrylic to create a wallpaper-like pattern of delicacy suspended from the wall.

Kohei Nawa's "Pix-Cell Elk", animal covered in plastic beads.

Yamaguchi Akira's pen and watercolor drawings, which depicted intricate labyrinths in the style of Japanese scroll paintings (sans the scroll and on 38"x30" paper instead). Akira depicts modern structures, such as the Narita International Airport, to critically review contemporary society. These works are the pinnacle of success for a fusion of the traditional with the contemporary.

4. Yoko Ono on the sly at MoMA

wall signature unlabeled at MoMA, New York

reads "Envision Spring y.o. '10"

5. Neil Farber "Slugging" at Edward Thorp Gallery, April 2011

Not realizing this show was the work of famed framer of the Royal Art Lodge, I thoroughly enjoyed the work, thinking, "this looks like something I've seen before and I love it." I initially thought the familiarity was from some folks I knew in Austin, TX, but after I did my research I realized it was the work of the Lodge. Brilliantly funny, cryptic, and slightly eerie, Farber's solo show was a sign the witty banter of the Royal Art Lodge lives on and will perpetuate. Aesthetically playful and scummy, the subject matter of childlike zoo animals, morphed children, and ghostly figures indicates a view of personhood and society unsafe.

6. Sea Worthy, Gowanus Studio Space at the Elizabeth Foundation of the Arts, July 2011

This exhibit was the documentation, detritus, and models from boats build to actually sail in New York waters. The project held workshops and functions all summer long and culminated in this exhibition. It was interesting as a project and an idea, but in gallery space it functioned on the level of a natural history museum exhibit. I'm going to be lazy and just post the captions for these.

7. Greely Myatt's "Just Sayin'" at David Lusk Gallery, Memphis, TN

New work riffs off the old themes of speech bubbles in a medium (metal) Myatt has a certain knack for. The larger pieces are more industrial, less personal, and evoke a playground or a labyrinth. Though large, the open spaces within the pieces make proximity to the work more accessible. Admittadly biased (I am a masters candidate under Myatt), the critic in me does recognize the large metal pieces' inability to nicely function indoors. As is often the nature of large metal works, these sculptures would best sit in a small courtyard or personal landscape; the David Lusk Gallery made the works feel awkwardly cramped despite the gallery's high ceilings.

8. Memphis's Student art, fall term 2011

Hayley Haddad's "Untitled" (2011) is well-skilled drawing. I am glad to see someone still drawing and using charcoal. Now, on to more provoking subjects for her most B.F.A. works (I hope)

Jessica Ajoc "Katsaridaphobia", B.F.A. exhibit, MCA, December 2011

This piece is aesthetically beautiful with content that crawls with infestation of paranoia and loss of control. Fear of cockroaches is a simple reality for southerners; yet Ajoc took the subject and reversed the initial squirm factor into awe, camouflaging the infestation.

Hannah Leggoe's "Yearning" replays modernist construction and abstract deconstruction in a small feminine material "painting" of cloth, embroidery, and thread. Playful and formalist, the softness of the material makes abstraction tangible and warm.

Micah Freeman's "Axiomatic Heresies: Camping and Nature" reads as a poor excuse for found object art. While some elements of humor reach the viewer, the blatant disregard for the handmade or the care taken to select pre-made objects makes the piece like a box full of crap in an 8-year-old's bedroom. Parred down and de-cluttered, Freeman's work may be less appalling.

Another over-stimulized excuse for an installed shrine, Adam Farmer's "One Foot For Every Year Here" looks like its title: a hodgepodge of trinkets and hipster paraphernalia pushed together in amateurish collage style. The upside is its interactivity: the viewer is allowed to page through books in the shrine and touch objects. Nothing goes together, everything is a horror to look at. I couldn't stop staring, but I walked away with a grimace and a shaking head. This is not the kind of lasting impression in a good piece of art.

Nikkola Carroll's porcelain and felt sculptures, most untitled, but some with use of the term "Babycreep", are coral-like delicacies hiding slightly unnerving baby heads. Carroll is my new favorite emerging Memphis artist. Not only do I want to own one of these, I cannot wait to see how the already successful fusion of two craft mediums displayed with such polish will culminate.

I cannot believe someone hung this up in a group show as "art" (read: text art may be hip, but I question the banality of meaningless phrases). However, it is funny. And I empathize with the text.

The M.F.A. show at Memphis College of Art was worse than the B.F.A. show (really? come on M.F.A. kids!). This piece, however, shows innovation and eerie, clever mastery of mediums. The 4' wood trunk was hollowed out and stood on its end. Upon peering over the edge, this was the view - to the floor below. Instant vertigo, check. An unnerving piece of art, it recalled a Murikami novel and worlds that we tell ourselves do not exist while aesthetically functioning as a real good looking piece of wood. Regretfully, I did not write down who did this piece. See piece above for reason why.

p.s. i resolve to write about the exhibits i see in 2012. Check back Jan 5-10 for New York reviews.

Tardy Update of NYC Exhibitions

2011-09-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

Lee Ufan at the Guggenheim began as a blase exhibit. More objects stuck to other object, seemingly without meaning. After reading the explanation of "Moha", the phenomenon of using artificial and natural objects in juxtaposition, Ufan's work began to resonate with his philosophy. Though Ufan borders on philosophical work that is so philosophical it is meaningless, some pieces were as strong as the material used. The "Steel and Stone" series aesthetically failed and philosophically stated its point too blatantly. Yet further up the landing a lightbulb hangs over a canvas painted with the lightbulb's shadow. Is the shadow there or is it painted? Illusionism to question the human logic - clever. Another room held rocks on pillows. The piece was striking and immediately conveyed a sense of meaning without shouting its message. Its plaque-tag read the "Relatum" series deals with the concepts of artificial comfort (indoors) with substance (outdoors).

The painting series "From Point to Line" is also highly aesthetically successful with a direct meaning of start to finish through simple visual process imagery and repetition.

The exhibit is worth the time, and Ufan's thoughts are worth consideration.

Richard Serra's drawings at the MET

What do you expect? An actual drawing from Serra?

"Institutionalized abstract art" 1976/2011 is a black paintstick circle set high above eyesight like a window in a cell reversed. And "Deadweight V (Memphis)" 1991 is paint stick on two giant sheets of paper like a Rothko painting.

Other inclings of Serra's humor and creativity are hidden gems in the otherwise formalistic survey. "Verb list" 1967-68 is literally a list of verbs written in cursive. No wonder it is in the collection of the artist - I wouldn't let that go, either.

In "Hand catching lead", a 1968 video, a hand attempting and failing to catch lead as it is dropped.

Other items of note in visual form:

Procession (Exodus) - Clinton De Menezes - 2008-10 - model figures, ash, and mud

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

This Is Not a Bomb - David Ter-Oganyan - 2011 - New Museum

Geta Bratescu - New Museum

Beard Garden - Jean Dubuffet - 1959 - paper collage - MET

Dress for Five Persons - James Lee Byars - 1969 - MoMA

Richard Prince at Guild Hall

2011-08-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

Covering Pollock by Richard Prince is literally covered up C-prints of Jackson Pollock with punk rock photos, nude photos, sloppy paint, etc. Some photos are printed on high density foam to create raised portions. One such print includes a raised DVD label of Jean-Michael Basquiat, which covers the portion of the photograph that would contain Pollock in the act of painting. Collage of 4"x10" photos create a grid of of Warhol-like repetition to cover Pollock while others are photos of Pollock covered in paint in the style of Pollock.

The exhibit is set in East Hampton, very near the Pollock-Krasner house in Springs. "It is boring. It's the same photos over and over," one elderly woman said. Another quipped, "I need a glass of wine after that one." The Prince witt was not well-received the the Guild Hall members, but the pun and homage to musical covers is cleverly successful. It works. Prince is only in danger of the formulaic nature of his punch-line. The small exhibit is just enough. Any more of this series would cause it to lose its punch, such as his joke paintings.

The Whitney and Chelsea

2011-05-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

"Untitled (Part of What Distinguishes...)" 1990 - oil, sythetic polymer, oil stick, and graphite

Glen Liagon at the Whitney displayed a strong use of then contemporary popular styles to talk about race. Liagon's heyday was in the late 1980s. While most of his work utilizes text (a risky move), it adequately adapts the cultural language in order to critique culture. Only through June 5, the exhibit is worth a look. Many artists approach race, but few do so as successfully and with such tounge-in-cheek wit as Liagon.

Chelsea opened many new exhibits last evening; or at least receptions were held. As per usual, it was vapid rehash. The trends of grunge art and poppy colored crafty found in Austin, TX, for the past few years is now also found in Chelsea with pom poms, old clothing painted onto canvas, and undisguised styrofoam.

The exception of the evening: Beverly McIver at Betty Cuningham Gallery. Though all self-portraits, the work was lively and solid with an expressive palate. McIver's work is a joy to view with obvious content.

Francis Alys at MOMA

2011-05-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Francis Alys: A Story of deception has music for each room which helps control the experience of the viewer in a way similar to being in someone's home. The actions border on art and action or action called art that is not art. Paintings are strongest. "le Temps du sommeil" consisted of 111 paintings of oil, encaustic, crayon, and collage on wood that belong to David Zwirner

A survey of happenings and artworks from the 1990s on the pursuit of the unattainable. The intro quoted Samuel Beckett, "Ever tired. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."

Below are views of some the small works on display - complete with sticky notes. A trend seems to be displaying one's studio as if it is art. (See: AMOA review)

Brooklyn Museum visit: Plains Indians Exhibit

2011-05-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

Fritz Scholder "Indian at the Bar" 1971

Scholder's work aptly presents social commentary of Native American culture with highlights on neglect and alcoholism. He, along with James Luna, represent some of the most progressive Native art available. Unfortunately nothing from Luna was a part of the exhibit.

Much criticism was directed toward the Brooklyn Museum's exhibit that closed on Sunday "The Heritage of the Great Plains". Most critics railed the show for its lack of contemporary art in favor for the focus of artifacts that would seemingly belong in the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian rather than the usually progressive Brooklyn Museum. The points are valid, however, as one piece demonstrated, even contemporary art by Native Americans seems to be artifactual in nature or harken back to traditions of bead work.

Bently Spang "Modern Warrior Series: Way Shirt 3" 2006

cheaply printed 4x6 glossy photos of the Plains sewn together with macramé thread.

Intended or unintended kitsch?

The rest of the exhibit was dominated by tipis of various sizes. The largest was the main attraction of the floor, complete with instructions on how to experience the tipi. Though the show was focused on heritage rather than progressive trends, it pointed to the absence of overwhelming modernism in Native American culture in favor of traditions and rituals. Displaying this exhibit to the wider American audience as heritage was an educational point often ignored to reservations in the States.

In future treatment of Native heritage, I hope to see less gimmicky travel souvenirs in the gift shop. It may have been an educational exhibit, but the second I set foot into the 5th floor gift shop with all items at 40% off for the show's closing, I knew the sense of pride from heritage was ignored for the gimmicks of a culture lost by the greater populous. Don't sell plastic toy Indians and Indian coloring books at a modern art museum. Leave those for the exploitation of Wall Drug.

Also of note:

Situ Studio's archetectural environment in the lobby. Think Cristo on an interior scale.

Visible permanent storage is a genius idea. Still see the art without having it on display!

The strong feminist selects are always worth a look at the Brooklyn Museum. On view was Vadis Turner (Brooklyn)'s 2009 "Reception", an installation of feminine paraphenelia refashioned into jewelry and valuable objects overwhelming the marriage bed.

New York

2011-05-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

David Shapiro is featured at Sue Scott Gallery (near the New Museum) with an exhibit titled "Money Is No Object." In it he has hand-drawn/traced/copied receipts and tickets collected over a period of time onto vellum scrolls. The collection represents an interesting take on record-keeping and by putting it on display Shapiro questions the notions of privacy and its value. He seems to need no privacy as back account numbers are not blacked out (are those his real bank numbers?). Grocery receipts, parking tickets, late credit card statements, and Delta airline tickets are carefully traced. Each scroll represents a month and is meticulous. Orderliness is also a main theme for items that are generally crumpled to the bottom of bags or tossed aside, though they could be meticulous records of human behavior, such as this exhibit. It runs through June 19 and is highly recommended.

So far I am glad I've never had to pay admission to PS1. it is consistently full of vapid artwork. It is a shame for a building of such vast possibility. I was constantly being herded from spaces I wasn't allowed. What art was on view? Even the drinking fountains were temporarily out of order. One very successful body of work was actually available to view: Laurel Nakadate's "Only the Lonely" in which she captured tears, loneliness, and the state of alone that contained the emotions intended for the works. I felt all the loneliness of living in a new place, traveling, all were video or photos, some not even readable photos from their too dark lighting. Some just didn't belong.

Overall I felt as an intruder in the museum. The above William Kentridge hallway stencil was also of note, though nothing else by Kentridge was accessible.

Some interesting selections from a sale near 60th and 1st Ave Phillips de Pury:

Rudolf Stingel "Untitled" 2000

Urs Fischer

Guyton\Walker "Coconut Chandelier" 2006

Austin v. Houston

2011-05-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

It's too bad it is impolite to clip fingernails in public, because that what looking at the art in Austin makes me want to do.

At the Austin Museum of Art, the show 15 Artists to Watch (within a 50 mile radius of Austin) is sorely disappointing.

J. Parker Valentine showed works in progress on table with paperweights as a finished piece. Surrounding the work table called art was tons of shitty photography. Please excuse my low-brow description; it fits the low-brow art hanging in the museum. For years Austin has supported a creative community that also includes much craft-as-art and low-brow work. However, as this work is making its way into a museum, it seems to be the norm and true works of art with content are completely vacant were there was once a glimmer of hope.

The most aesthetically pleasing were Miguel Aragon's drawings of burnt residue on embossing paper; they are mediocre, but compelling in contrast to the rest of the work. Anti-monument sculpture by Ben Brandt was obviously construction insulation with no real attempts to craft it into anything other than what one would find cutting into a refrigerator (which I've done recently and therefore know is true). Perhaps if you look at it at a distance it could be a tree made of insulation.

The one redeeming body of work was the comic spoof on ceramic figurines by Debra Broz. Each featured an animal that would be typically found at the local Dollar Tree with added anatomical impossibilities or alterations to turn the figurine into something that deserves a closer look. Images are below.

The performance/installation below sounded the most interesting and full of content. The installation itself was nothing more than a two-tiered domestic dwelling that could have been on display at IKEA. The most interesting aspect were the notes on the wall (photo below) as a clear documentation to the communication between the two throughout the performance, which resonated with the tension of daily domestic chores and duties and the stresses of sharing dwelling space.

In the lapse of much art in Austin, the underground collective of artists is still making appearances and happenings, such as The Swallow Show, organized by Jen Daly and held at Club DeVille on Tuesday, May 3. Most pieces were without talent and did not clearly demonstrate a connection to the theme of "swallow". Some were passable. Below are the extraordinary:

This interactive piece invited guests to sign a waiver of responsibility and swallow one of the provided pills with contents unknown. To my knowledge the artist had no takers. However, the pill contents were things that we swallow on a daily basis in small quantities that we would not realize, such as lipstick.

On a much more bright note, a view unallowed photos from the Menil Collection in Houston, one of the finest collections in the country. Houston seems to have a thriving art scene, but also with its own niche: anything that looks like it was done from 1950-1970 by an Ab Ex artist or a protege of an Ab Ex artist.

Robert Rauchenburg "Niagra Summer Guilt" 1987

John Chamberlain "Rooster Starfoot" 1976

Cy Twombly detail

the separate gallery building dedicated to Twombly exhibited pathetic scribbles as well as successful masterpieces, exemplifying the value of continuous work as an artist: everyone has epic fails.

Cy Twombly "Untitled" 1992

really, leftover plaster piled onto wood? so you're famous, that doesn't give a reason to make pathetic art.

Cy Twombly "Thermopylae" 1991

from the Magritte Room

Scorn.

2011-02-16T05:52:00.000-08:00

A worker makes last touches to artwork "Sala de Juntas" of Cuban artist Los Carpinteros at Madrid's International Contemporary Art fair ARCO in Madrid February 15, 2011. The fair will be open from February 15 to 20. REUTERS/Sergio Perez.

I don't ever want to see this shown again. This is a poor excuse for an installation. Broken pieces of drywall are never aesthetically successful.

Online Art, the end of art?

2011-01-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

As the trend continues to push art to the "democratic" and highly convenient outlet of online galleries, the first online artfair premiers this week (Jan. 22-30) at www.vipartfair.com

Viewing of the fair is free upon sign-up (a required entry in the fair digital guestbook). "VIP" stands for "Viewing in Private" for this fair, which is precisely what I am slowly doing with the galleries. Though convenient and novel, the fair lacks the in-person experience and capacity of the art. Sculptures look like photos and photos look like paintings until further investigation reveals their true medium. As a self-professed late adapter, I am wary of this online art fair, despite the fact that I may attend this fair versus the other art fairs in New York and Miami which I cannot drop everything and fly to attend. A part of me loves this accessible fair and the other part of me chimes in with warning sirens blaring, "don't make art something only digital!"

Depending on the art world's response, this phenomenon could eliminate the exhibition of artwork in the gallery setting (saving the galleries' high rent costs in Chelsea) and make the viewing of art less on an interaction and more of a office-cubicle pastime like Facebook or eBay. However scary these dystopic ramification seem, I rest assured that artists will not stop making the physical art object and turn wholly digital. You simply can not digitize the creative urge to feel an art object in the artists hands.

Lund, Jess

2010-11-08T19:29:00.001-08:00

Though perhaps in bad fashion, I am commenting on my fellow grad-school colleague and friend's most recent piece. In her words, stolen without permission from her facebook, "This installation is based on a memory of New Years eve in 2007. Materials are hotel fabric, polyurethaned romance novels, varnished ramen noodles, solo cups, orange juice, spoons, cotton balls, film."

The installation is tiled with picnic blankets (sewn fabric) with little walking room between the blankets. Each blanket holds a grotesquely explosive romance novel with ramen noodles oozing from the figures of the novels' cover figure. Lund chose to be literal with some aspects of the piece (ramen was the food of choice/affordability for this memory) while alluding to drug use in less specific ways (only those experienced would pick up on the orange juice that enhances certain drugs injected and the presence of cotton is also for those in the know).

With my sheltered upbringing much of Lund's work thus far has puzzled me as the allusions completely bypass my level of understanding. Once the connections are explained, however, a new dimensionality is present in her work. The items she uses to refer to drug use would make sense to a current or former drug aficionado, but without the translation of the symbols, her work reaches me in much the same way as the Beat writers - I love it, but I don't have the slightest idea what it is about.

Since the induction of our graduate program Lund's aesthetic and work technique has intrigued me as well as drawn me in. Her use of found objects, haggard materials informs the deeply embedded meaning present in her pieces. With the new understanding of content her work examines drug use without reveling in it or condemning it. The future pieces guarantee

more insightful content. Lund tends to say "here it is" with her work. She hides nothing, but puts nothing in black and

white, either. The way in which she examines perceptions of 12 step programs, drug use, and memory evoke the way Lorna Simpson tells it like it is (or is it?) that necessitates a inward re-examination.

Video Art: Chris Miner at Jones Hall Gallery

2010-11-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

Politely occupying the gallery space with five videos, one projected large onto the longest wall and four subsequent intimate viewing experiences (to hear you must wear headphones, effectively secluding you from anyone you may or may not be with), Chris Miner's show at the University of Memphis Jones Hall Alumni Gallery entitled "every other girl in the world" runs through November 26.

Setting aside my bias against video art, I allowed Miner's work to engage me. All but one video held me rapt with an attention span I forgot I had. In other words, Miner's work is better than most video artists, or at least more bite-sized. Miner's ability to propel a subject matter while utilizing a Southernly slow pace keeps his work fluid, despite the seemingly hand-held quality of the videos themselves. Miner focuses on still scenes, does not utilize the camera's ability to pan, and features limited movement.

The most successful work on display (likely why it dominates the gallery) involves Miner singing a lullaby to a baby (assumingly his own). The lyrics could be a hip-hop ballad rather than a lullaby, but the soothing tonalities and sing-songy melody let it be a lullaby, despite featuring lines like, "suck the head off that crawfish" and "a nigga like me" amongst other vulgarities. I can't help but be soothed while on edge anticipating the next lyrical content.

Miner's overall tone parody reaches a dry chuckle in all other videos, except an autobiographical tale of a honeymooning couple. This video, though philosophically investigative (what is happiness? why is it always greener on the other side, even on a honeymoon?), is a bit longer than his other shorts and requires dedication to the slow-paced narrative as well as dedication to the less-than-humorous intellectual content. This video would likely be appropriate for a philosophy class or personal reflection; thankfully the other four works balance the weight with bone-dry humor.

Miner clearly has a lot to say and utilizes his wit to say it. However, utilizing varying video techniques may strengthen his future work. As of now, the videos only slightly stray from piecing together photographs to sound, referencing his graduate school photographic field of study.

The next great collage art - a forgotten post for a show still up

2010-10-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

Wardell Milan photographs dioramas he constructs to create an infinitely compelling cacophony. In reproduction, Milan's work is chaotic, but the large-scale 4 x 5 photographs in the gallery create an entirely different sense of the work: I could literally stare at them for hours. (I would still like have no idea what is going on; the scenes make no sense in the surrealist way while dealing with themes of masculinity, history, progress, and memory in a way that evokes the lucidity of a groggy dream.)

His collages are equally successful for opposite reasons. The parred down figures are ghostly by their acquired nature and Milan touches them with delicate pencil overlay (human organs, etc) and a popping underlay of natural forms (flowers) and other vibrant colors.

I cannot load his website. I hope you can: http://www.wardellmilan.com/

Jones Gallery

2010-09-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

New Show at Jones Hall Gallery

My favorite piece was "Hegemons", taxidermed deer heads. Reminded me of Andy Rihn. The space is small and held only 5 pieces. The work is solid, but could be more, and perhaps more cohesive. It was certainly a survey of successful works, despite the fact that an overarching theme was lacking.

Clever digital projection entitled "iCabinet". It moves and changes. Never be stuck with the same nicknacks again! I have a real version of this shelf at home.

"Stock Delegates"

I'm proud of my homies

2010-08-30T11:43:00.001-07:00

From artdaily.org

Austin Museum of Art Present New Works by Okay Mountain Collective

Okay Mountain, Water, Water Everywhere So Let's All Have a Drink (2010).

AUSTIN, TX, TX.- Okay Mountain collective makes murals, installations, drawings, and sculptures together, all while running a gallery in East Austin. For New Works, Okay Mountain collaborated on the video installation Water, Water Everywhere So Let's All Have a Drink (2010), a satirical send-up of mass media. Okay Mountain draws on both their aesthetic and conceptual similarities, as well as their differences, to frequently experiment with mediums outside of individual artists’ personal practice in order to complete and contribute to a cohesive, shared artwork. The result of these experiments reflects the group’s hard work and initiative paired with an equal passion for the light-hearted and whimsical.

In November 2009, the Austin Museum of Art launched a new exhibition plan, including a project space for fresh contemporary art by local artists, an extension of AMOA’s commitment to showcasing local and regional art. The ongoing quarterly series, New Works, debuts art in diverse media, with an emphasis on work by artists taking steps forward in new directions.

Okay Mountain collective is made up of artists Sterling Allen, Tim Brown, Peat Duggins, Justin Goldwater, Nathan Green, Ryan Hennessee, Josh Rios, Carlos Rosales-Silva, Michael Sieben, and Corkey Sinks. In 2006, these ten artists came together for the sole purpose of running a gallery space that would feature the type of art that they wanted to see in Austin. It was only after fulfilling the shared duties of operating this business that the members began to work together on artwork outside of the gallery. What began as doodling during weekly meetings has developed into a wide range of collaborative projects as diverse as the members themselves. The decision to collaborate came not necessarily from a shared artistic vision, but rather the recognition of the group members’ collective strength.

Their 2008 exhibition, It’s Going to Be Everything, at the University of Texas’ Creative Research Laboratory was the first exhibition in which the individual artists made new work together. It featured collaborative work by the Okay Mountain staff originating from the group’s games, challenges, or rules. The formal aspects of the work are scrappy, colorful, and never minimal, with an emphasis placed on drawing and the artist’s hand. Okay’s Mountain’s illustrative style can be seen in two significant mural projects. A board game motif tells a rags-to-riches story of venture capitalism through a 1,300 square-feet painted mural in the Austin Ventures offices, and Food Fight (2010) transforms historic battle scenes into a war between health and junk foods commissioned for the cafeteria of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Pulling from the group’s diverse interests and talents, they have created drawings, murals, videos, sound recordings, prints, zines, and large-scale sculptural installations.

Their Corner Store (2009) installation, commissioned by Arthouse and exhibited at PULSE Miami, turned the art fair booth into a convenience store complete with products, store fixtures, soundtrack, advertisements and Okay Mountaineer cashiers. All items in the store were for sale and had been hand-made or altered by the collective. The installation received both the PULSE prize and Viewer's choice award during the fair.

For New Works: Okay Mountain the artists created a video installation, Water, Water Everywhere So Let's All Have a Drink, (2010) that pokes fun of mass media. A larger-than-life television monitor constructed out of wood dominates the gallery space, amplifying the dominance of media in culture. Despite their hand crafted aesthetic, these artists represent a generation that grew up on the ubiquitous digital screen images of televisions, video games, cell phones, laptops, and ipods. Equal parts homage and satire, Okay Mountain created a multitude of short, collaborative videos, which project intermittently onto the monumental television monitor. A seasoned channel surfer may recognize familiar television tropes: low-budget infomercials, how-to programs, and local news blunders. While their New Works video installation shifts away from the group’s aesthetic style, its production methods remain true to their collaborative process. To produce the videos, each artist listed memories of daytime television features, then working in small groups took turns scripting, creating hand-drawn graphics and props, acting, filming, recording soundtracks, and editing. The resulting assemblage of videos offers great visual texture, while humorously critiquing media’s barrage of imagery. The title Water, Water Everywhere, So Let’s All Have a Drink, a twist on a traditional song in which sailors bemoan their ironic thirst when stuck at sea, suggests that despite the availability of more information than ever before , sometimes it may lack content or quality. Following its display in Austin, Okay Mountain’s video installation will be included in the Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans’ Prospect 1.5 exhibition later this year.

New Works: Okay Mountain is organized by the Austin Museum of Art and curated by Andrea Mellard, Assistant Curator.

I like her....

2010-08-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Shara Rowley Plough

but I want to see more from her. I have a feeling she's in danger of formulaic work.

David Lusk, Memphis Quest

2010-08-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

The Brooks Museum is a downer.

The Brooklyn Museum-organized show "Who Shot Rock n' Roll" was interesting, however, it felt like a bunch of photos I could have sat at home and googled. Effectively it was a photo documentary of the rock n' roll era, but the aesthetics of the Brooks' stripped-down dirty carpet basement feel detracted from the validity of the show. The etchings of Pablo Picasso numbered 5-6, and were in a small passageway. The showcase of contemporary art was in a 10'x10' (estimated) room, with only three pieces. It felt barren and discarded. Those pieces, by John Salvest, were successful.

Salvest's "Consumo Ergo Sum" caught me eye, for obvious reasons. The map is made from plastic lids of consumables. The message is obvious. Salvest has interesting ideas pared with clever titles, and thus appeals to my sensibilities. Too bad the Brooks shoved him off in a corner room.

Another piece from Salvest's website below:

Double Desk, 2004

Today I ventured the other direction to my professor's gallery.

David Lusk Gallery is quite the find. One expansive room professionally filled with a survey of artists Lusk represents is not all. Just around the corner is a small foyer, and another large room, complete with a couple consultation rooms, office size. The place feels professional, but Lusk does not give off the essence of "buy or get out". It is relaxed and as much a gallery for viewing as a gallery for buying. And in a strip mall, no less. As the current exhibit ("The Price is Right") surveys all Lusk artists, I spotted a Myatt (my prof) as well as others I found intriguing. I am excited to see the coming solo shows from the artists.

caught my eye, but upon further investigation I found his work to be well suited for DOMY Austin and a little too reliant on the juvenille aesthetic of sloppy drawing and haphazard collage. His word find works of a 2006 show require further investigation to phonetically decifer the message within a block of text. It looks like other contemporary text art, but holds more of a depth in its content.

Dixon Art Museum - Memphis

2010-08-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Clare leighton, a British printmaker (1898-1989), previously unknown to me, displayed a curious number of high contrast detailed woodblock prints influenced by japenese techniques and visual style of 1920s painters logging scenes, people at work.

In the Catmur Foyer I found father-daughter duo John and Clare Torina. Both use lush color in their paintings, father drawn to landscapes and daughter (who is my age and also just entering grad school) to portaits. Clare is influenced visually by Georgia O'keefe but has the lush brushwork and color of Aaron Hagan. I resolve to show in the Dixon!

New York on the Way Out

2010-08-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

MoMA offered early entrance to the Matisse exhibit for members. This allowed me not only a peaceful view of the not-so-exciting, though thorough, exhibit, but also to be at the MoMA inside at 10:30 when it opened. Therefore, I was able to spend more than 10 minutes there since less people triggered my claustrophobia. This time around I visited not only old favorites, but some new favorites in the contemporary art galleries.

I was pleased to see Kara Walker, a favorite on mine and of the contemporary art world, in the lobby of the MoMA.

Special Exhibition of Lee Boutcou's work (two photos above) were fantastic. She is still alive, uses steel framing poking out from a wall-mounted canvas, and fills in the frame with more canvas. In photos it looks 2-D, but it is very much three dimensional. She clearly likes space-ship evoking figures. The work is very yahnic in the same unintentional way as O'Keefe. The steel canvas works always evoke the idea of portals, and the whole thing reminded me of the plotline in Donnie Darko. Cheers to Boutcou. She should live in New Mexico.

Never before noticed the above painting my Lee Krasner. It is the essence of feminine joy, excitement, and rage in one energetic fluid action.
Yoko Ono, I believe.

awesome.

I've seen a lot of pieces in the last two years by contemporary artists from Asia that look a lot like this: things seemingly haphazardly smushed together. This is titled "Waiting for Goudou." Is this style a reflection on the overpopulation of Asia? It makes me intrigued and claustrophobic all at once. I can't decide if I should run and hide or step closer.

Bruce Nauman's "Days" was an apropriate Biennial pick. It made me forget what day it was. Something you can read about, and is simple, but you must experience it to fully understand.

Yoko Ono. "Wishes" (she is amazing.)

If this is the future of contemporary art, I want out. Just hang the blind back on the window, open it, and make some real art.

Above are two scenes from the Museum of Natural History - definite fodder for future sculpture work. One week later in the Rockies, I recalled the realness of these little window environments in relation to the National forests I was driving through. Nature still holds some spectacular art - landscapes that cannot be matched in realistic copy, but matched in play-style pretend-you-are-there may be in order.

The space at P.S. 1 is ripe for cultivating a showcase of contemporary art. It is an old school building with slate stairs, rusty metal doors, and the aesthetic of a 1980s high school. Yet it is pollished, creating a feeling of moving back in time and sneaking into an abandoned building simultaneously. As a result the floorplan map is needed; it is a labrynth.

The Greater New York showcase enticed me in the courtyard, which held a gigantic playground of inflated balls, netting, and hammocks. I wanted this playground to be my backyard. Entitled "Solid Objectives", the piece was created by Idenburg Lie.

Other notable artists became sparse upon my entrance to the galleries. I questioned my own disdain, wondering if the works simply didn't mesh with my aesthetic bents. I still lack the answer, but I know I am jaded of installations made of neon-color and masking tape. Keep it in Austin. It was never good. As per contemporary usual, too many video pieces were displayed throughout the exhibit. The overarching feeling was empty art. Art has become so relative in post-post-modernist art avant-garde and post-modernist hipster society generally lacks substance, greating hipster contemporary art that spews nothingness. Viewing the exhibit felt a little bit like the disparing scenes in I Heart Huckabees where Jason Schwartzman's character is told everything is the same, the blanket is the blanket, and thus nothing is everything and everything is nothing. I am most bent toward existentalism, but I believe everything has meaning and that meaning gives it value. This art lacks meaning and thus has no value beyond space-filler. I would have rather walked through the old school as an abandoned building.

David Brooks's sculpture (a recreation of a rainforest) was aesthetically interesting and looked like a section of the Museum of Natural History transplated to P.S.1, then declared some semi-arbitrary connection with the environment, making it trendy, and thus validating it as contemporary art. It was a good piece, but it's not innovative and its meaning was not interesting. Points for trying?

Kalup Linzy seems to have something beyond the minimalistic collages that meld glops of black and cut-out. Clearly dada-influenced, I want to know what's eating and driving Linzy.

Another installation straight-up copied carved book topography of Mia Lyn. Copy and paste is lame. Stealing ideas and reinterpreting them is not. This was copy and paste.

Several Things.

2010-06-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

What's A Picture Worth? Polaroid Auctions Photos

More than 1,000 Polaroid photographs are being auctioned at Sotheby's in New York City as part of Polaroid's bankruptcy court order. The auction includes legendary photography dating back to the 1940s. Some artists argue that they only lent their work to Polaroid and that the company does not have the right to auction it.

Guggenheim and YouTube Seek Budding Video Artists

By CAROL VOGEL

Published: June 13, 2010

For artists, being included in a museum exhibition generally means first having to penetrate the well-guarded gates of a prestigious art gallery. But now the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation andYouTube are aiming to short-circuit that exclusionary art-world system, at least briefly, in much the same way that other hierarchical systems have been blown apart in the Internet age.

Beginning Monday anyone with access to a video camera and a computer will have an opportunity to catch the eye of a Guggenheim curator and vie for a place in a video-art exhibition in October at all of the foundation’s museums: the Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York, the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin, the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.

Artstar, a reality TV show of artists vying for a solo gallery exhibition has begun. Drama ensues, allegedly no art is made, and it is ego fluffing of the show's creator (also the gallery owner). I'd like to watch it. It sounds rediculous and my coffee shop reality show sounds way more dramatic than watching artists. Most artists are introverts and express ourselves through the art, not through griping to the camera. It airs Thursdays on Gallery.

Recent Spottings

2010-06-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

Ace Hotel, New York City

Studio for Rent in SoHo

Magnificent Specimens, Chelsea Market

Montauk Cardboard work

2010-06-07T12:16:00.001-07:00

Kathy Hunter, The Unfolding, on view at Montauk art gallery in old train station. 6.4.10

Street spotting

2010-05-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

2010 Whitney Biennial

2010-05-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

As printed in Art in America, I expected the Biennial to be full of crap. The critic who wrote the article was 75% right, but the other 25% I found quite intriguing. And I think my sculpture professor has a daughter, who made the above work. It looks like his style (and subsequently my style) and they have the same last name. Awaiting confirmation on this, but I think the two Tennessee Greelys are relatives.

I was also introduced to another Charles Ray piece (I am becoming fond of him) from a past biennial of a figure of a man in a bottle. However, I agree with AiA on his current contribution to the 2010 Biennial (a room full of flower drawings), saying he has more more interesting work to offer and to show drawings of flowers that any artist could have done seems to belittle Ray's clever capabilities. Curator, think twice.

The NY-based Bruce High Art Foundation also put up an interesting piece of a vehicular cross between an ambulance and a herse that showed YouTube videos on its winshield. I know little yet of the "pranster" art association, but the piece pulled me to find out.

The room installation by Ellen Ghallager and another artist was below her standard depth, like that found on level 5 of past biennials.

A few other pieces were clever or caught my eye, but only Greely's and the Bruce High Art Foundation's quips made me smirk. The 5th floor survey of past biennials by far overshadows the current one, which leads me to ask: are artists now just making sub-par art? or are curators laking discernment? or does the Whitney need to wise up?

New York, New York

2010-05-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

For some reason I cannot control the copy/paste features on my dear friend's computer. So first, photos, then the text. I meant them to intertwine.

Above: Maria Ambriviac's "The Artist is Present"

Below: Henry Darger collage "Jenny Wants Her Flowers to Grow"

Below: detail of a Henry Darger panel

Below: the wonderful Brent Green's "Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then"

Below: Christian Boltanski's "No Man's Land" (boxes you see upon entering)

Below: crane and clothes mound at "No Man's Land"

Below: Boltanski press conference (Boltanski on right)

From the art capitol of the world, New York, I began a tour-descavenge of the city via foot. The first stop was the Armory for Christian Boltanski's "No Mans Land" that opens Friday, May 14. I thought the exhibit was already open, but it turns out that a press conference and media preview were underway, so I stretched my Barista Magazine credentials to get myself in. Which, I say with a flutter of the heart, was thrilling. It's surprising my heartbeat wasn't more outrageous.

A wall of candy-tins with numbers - boxes to represent the heartbeats of those on sound exhibit for No Man's Land. The Armory is dark and santuary-like, eminating a simultaneously eerie and medatative vibe (one woman's eerie is another's peacefulness). From the handout, "Incorporating 30 tons of discarded clothing, a 60-foot crane and the sound of human heartbeats, the installation offers an unforgettable and deeply moving experience." Essentially the exhibit is a warehouse sized area with plots of used clothing, each lit and projecting its own recording of a heartbeat. Boltanski records and collects the heartbeats in his library. I had mine recorded in the "doctor's office" at the exhibit. If I was smart enough to upload it here, I would.

During the press conference Boltanski said "it is important to me you are a part of the work." and encouraged us and those who would see the exhibit through June 13, 2010, to be inside of it. He talked of how some will journey to his library to find the heartbeats of deceased loved ones only to find their absense, as a heartbeat is only as real as a photograph of a person. "To be an artist is to try to touch people and to ask questions," he said. "No Man's Land" does just that. One of the most successful installations (of a magnificent size!) I've seen to date, Boltanski has outdone any of his reputation with a well-thought-out, simply, yet jarringing deep work. "When you see a piece you see from your own background and see what you want to see," he also said. Indeed, our perceptions influence our experience of the piece. I found the environment medatative and touching while another woman I spoke to found it eerie and unsettling. For yet another woman it evoked memories of the haloucaust.

Next up was the MOMA to see Maria Ambriviac's "The Artist in Present" in which Ambriviac is seated in the MOMA's space and invites viewers to be seated across from her for a duration of their own choice. She just stares at the person, expressionless, emotionless. In the 6th floor gallery videos and recreations of performance pieces provided a retrospective of her work. I found it odd that though she was present, her soul was certainly not, whereas in Boltanski's exhibit, the heartbeats seemed much more human, alive, and present than did any of the artists recreating Ambriviac's works. Or Ambriviac herself for that matter. I found the whole thing jarring, with an unsettled spiritual environment. Ambriviac flirts with the spiritual space negatively, pushing herself into a zen state of absence that is not filled with peace, but with void. Only the spiritually strong or oblivious should see this exhibit. It is not for sensitive spirits. I had to leave as the aura of the space and the intent behind it began to seem evil and unsettling. A van piece in the exhibit reads, "Art is easy." Art may be easy for Ambriviac, but she certainly does not create easily-digestable art.

Floating next door to the Folk Art Museum, I glanced at the Henry Darger exhibit.l Folk art has so much overlooked validity! Darger created very interesting child-like coloring book panels and scenes as well as really wonderful collages.

Then down to Chelsea, where I was blown away by some guy I'd never heard of with no formal art education at a gallery that simply caught my eye. The windows were painted black with the exhibit titled scrawled in chalk-board style white text, "Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then." Gravity drew my into the Michael Goundry influenced installation and video. The installation is the set of a video, full length of the same title. The film is a true story of Leonard Wood, an unknown from Kentucky, who created an original and bizarre residence. This exhibit is open through June 5. edlinggallery.com. See it or regret it. This art not-quite-unknown Green guy is churning out imaginative, dark fairy-tale genius. I wanted to buy a copy of film without seeing it, but it was $5,000. So I just enjoyed the exhibit instead.

My final stop was the New Museum. (for the record I began at 9:00 a.m., walked the whole time, and ended at the New Museum at 4:00 p.m.) Currently up is the Jeff Koons-curated exhibit, which means the museum is full of lude, obsurd, explicit images and sculptures. There is also some glitter and two candle-shaped mountains covered in white chocolate icing. Of not is the work of Charles Ray with "Figure '91", a giant manequin of a 90's-era woman dressed in clothes probably found at Sears. Did I mention it is giant? (Thus, freaky.) Ray also recreated a piece "Revolution Counter Revolution" a grey-toned miniture carosel that rotates backwards instead of forwards, very slowly. It is eerie, and meant to be so. The chatter piece of the show is the cross mounted on the wall with a bicycle seat. A performer mounts the seat in a loincloth and crown of thorns daily at 3:00p.m. and stays until he can stand it no longer (the guard said it has averaged about an hour). I just missed him on the cross; he was changing back into streat clothes behind his dressing screen while I was there. It seemed like most of the other pices in the exhibit: slightly pointless.

Walker Art Center

2010-05-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

The en route stop at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis gave me a chance to see the new selections from the permanent collection. It was overwhelming being at the large museum with such an expansive collection when most of it is art I have not yet seen. The exhibit will remain at the Walker for two years with some pieces changing.

The collection selections is titled "Event Horizon" and is filled with intriguing pieces, among them are Peter Fischli and David Weiss's installation of painted styrofoam painters objects under a stair well in the gallery in a modern-day tromp de loielle art practice. Alfons Schilling also has a painting on the wall from 1962 with a push button that makes the circular canvas spin. (Why put a painting on an electric motor? Why not?) It is a giant piece of "spin art" - the fusion of action painting and a spiralgraph from childhood.

Shorter-lived exhibits also on view at the Walker are "Abstract Resistance" and "Contact". Abstract Resistance was shoddy and left the viewer wanting from only minimal explaination of the 3-gallery exhibit. I began viewing with two items of information: the exhibit holds graphic content - caution - and the entire thing is a survey of artists' political response. But the pieces were without labels on the walls. The only way to match the piece with the artist was the accompanying pictoral gallery guides. It provided no historical context for the pices. I'm still wondering what Rachel Harrison's "Huffy Howler" is about - Huffys, the wold, or Mel Gibson? The pieces themselves were shoddy with haphazard mismash construction. The installations looked like an Ed Kienholz piece 1/18th finished slapped with a politically-related title.

"Contact" provided a feeling of journeys, nomadic trips, and quests for mecca that invited you along as a journeyer with the artists Helio Oiticica and Rirkrit Tiravanija. The small gallery included objects you will need (canned curry paste) and documents of places seen and journeys taken (such as a map of a U.S. journey on an Asian-style umbrella - with cultures colliding and marrying). Behind a curtain another room contained hammocks and blaring Jimmi Hendrix music. If you took off your shoes, you were invited to lie in any hammock of your chosing. I found the music a bit too jarring for a hammock environment, but a very interesting idea.

Other highlights from the remaining galleries ("1964" and "The Talent Show")
-Tehching Hsieh's "Wanted by Immigration Service" from 1978 (a document Hsieh exhibited admitting himself as an illegal alien and where to report him if he was seen during the duration of the wanted piece's posting).
-Lorna Simpson's "Wigs (portfolio) from 1994 (a collection of pictures of wigs on felt with text like "she dressed them as twins sometimes female sometimes male).
- Daniel Spoerri's "Snare-picture" from 1964 (items reflected playfully on mirrors)
- Paul Thek's "Untitled (soda fountain glass)" (a sculpture of a soda fountain glass filled with undrinkable liquid - likely human matter, including hair - as commentary on pop art)

Augustana's Senior Exhibit

2010-05-01T17:39:00.001-07:00

The senior art exhibit at Augustana's Eide/Dalrymple Gallery is nice college level work from seniors in print and installation. Entitled "Unity of Time and Space", the show explores basic figure studies in painting to technically sound ceramics to simple installations crafted after larger contemporary installation works within the art world.
Especially talented and prolific are Adam Goodge and Jamie Horter. Goodge has found his style cartoon-influenced and stuck with it in gusto-driven bright colors and playful lines. Not all his prints feature tight registration. The loose nature of his registration compliments the play of cartoons in his work. Goodge has comrades in We All Have Hooks For Hands’ Eli Show and Dave Lethcoe.

above: "Save the Whales", Adam Goodge, screen print, 2008.

Jamie Horter struck me with “Black Spot”, an installation on the floor that consisted of small black paper squares. The edging of the pile said, “You may take one but you may not open it until after you leave. There are 321 envelopes.” I did as instructed. When at home I found inside my square the following:

I wondered, why 321? I later found out there were more than 321 envelopes. Liar. An interesting piece, nonetheless. Horter also exhibited a very detailed life size female skeleton on duralar, hung in the middle of the room. The carefully shaded illustration could have come out of the Grey’s Anatomy text.

I also appreciated the functional nature of Brian Iverson's Koi Bowl #2. It was not just a ceramic bowl; it contained a live koi and bamboo. Let's use the art we make: yes!

An all around nice show. Augie does well to keep the caliber of art in Sioux Falls above a joke.

Denny Pearson//Washington Pavilion

2010-04-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

Denny Pearson—Portraits from Guatemala: Elders and Students

April 9 – June 27, 2010

It hits my soft spot for the colorful Central American lifestyle. Worth a look.

Also worth a gander, Arts' Night Exhibition (Through May 5). All images stolen without permission from the Washington Pavilion website. Please visit it for more information, if you desire. My favorites are below:

Zach DeBoer, Away (print)

Steve Bormes
Mixed media, 2010
Fly on the Wall

Stacey Evangelista
Oil on canvas, 2010
Painting of a Song ( or You're So Cool)

Dayle Sundberg
Plaster, wire and wax, 2010
Kathy's Story

March First Fridays Sioux Falls

2010-03-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

Though perhaps biased, the only work worth noting in the “Emerging Artists’ Showcase” were friends, whose work I had already seen. When going out for a night or day of art viewing I always take my camera in the event that I see captivating artwork. The camera stayed in my bag this evening. Even the art of Eli Show was underwhelming (perhaps because I have seen stronger works from him). Sarah Zobrist is an up and coming Augustana student artist; however, she is one of my best friends, so I was prepared for the caliber of art she displayed. Otherwise, it was the same old same old from the Sioux Falls crew – a plethora of somewhat dull landscapes or formulaic styles. Nothing worth noting.

The IPSO gallery was also underwhelming. Their previous exhibits have upscaled what I expected in the Midwest region. However, this “DrawnTown” exhibit was merely a display of sketches hodge-podged about the gallery. Drawing about town is a great group activity to hone artist skills, but to display the sketches was short of inspiring.

I know Midwest artists are capable of more. Is it the winter that keeps the artwork drab?

Masterpiece: The Art Auction Game

2010-02-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

I found this board game at a local thrift last week and broke it in with my parents last night. Besides being surprisingly fun, it is very telling about the art world. It insinuates art is only worth what it can be gained for money from other players or the bank. It's much better than being at an art auction at Sothby's and fun to test art knowledge. But really, what is the value of art?

Part of me wishes art was bought and sold with the roll of a dice and the shuffle of a board character rather than the game of shmoozing. I'm up for playing this board game any time. The real game...I'm working on it, but I'd prefer art to be for aesthetics than price.

Grad school thesis on this game? Likely.

Masterpiece is a board game by Parker Brothers, now a brand of Hasbro. Players participate in auctions for famous works of art. It was originally published in 1970by Parker Brothers, and then published again in 1996. The game is now out-of-print. In this game, players compete with other players to bid on potentially valuablepaintings, and negotiate with other players to trade these works of art, build a portfolio, amass money, and win the game. The top value of a painting is $1 million; however, getting the full value for the painting requires some luck in landing on the right square on the board to sell a painting to the bank.

The game takes utilizes bluffing because the players possess asymmetrical information about the value of the paintings they possess. Some pictures are known to their owners to be 'forgeries' with an actual value of zero. These 'forgeries' can, however, be resold to other players.

One version of the game has paintings featured in the game that are on display at the Art Institute of Chicago and include At the Moulin Rouge and Paris Street; Rainy Day. Another version has paintings on display at National Gallery in London and include Sunflowers.

Austin Museum of Art

2010-01-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

David Bates "Barn Owl II", 2005, 60" x 44"

David Bates - Magnolia and Lemon (Blue) - woodcut and oil on paper - 32" x 25"

A visit to the Austin Museum of Art delighted beyond my expectation with David Bates. His Dallas Southern Methodist University BFA and MFA degrees have educated him well. The work focuses on subjects of Southern life, the Gulf Coast, and natural forms. His palate is a vibrant, earthy with Picasso and Basquiat strokes of think, blockish lines and abruptly shifting gues to construct color gradation. His work is mature and appropriate for the mid-career artist. Sculptures in mixed media, wood, and bronze evoke Picasso's style, especially "Green Guitar", a cardboard-esque wall-hanging sculpture of a guitar.

Also on view is Jade Walker's new work. It is more abstract, a sense of frozen movement is found in the would-be lifeless plastic surfaces, pulling her amorphus figures to life. They evoke a sense of amputated apendages to form a bleacher full of sport spectators. The installation begs the question if the figures are spectators or players, as well as what exactly they are.

December Art in America reflections

2009-12-10T05:46:00.000-08:00

Wayne Gonzales said, "Working [for Peter] was like going to graduate school but better. It was stimulating, and I met other artists, as well as writers, curators and dealers." Real life experience trumps school again.

The Art in America book review of Jack Tworkov cites him with this charming description, not like descriptions of other Ab Ex painters, "He might have been moody and withdrawn at times, as numerous diary entries attest, but he was never a serious depressive, an alcoholic or a womanizer, as were many of his peers. Tworkov was, in fact, a prime example of constancy: he worked hard and steadily, was highly responsible in all matters, and made a point of doing things right, whether it be preparing a canvas, repairing a table, or setting his thoughts in order for a lecture." I hope for a memoir similar to this. I think Tworkov, who's work I was unfamiliar with part due to his tame life, are similar souls.

Switchboard at IPSO Gallery

2009-11-21T05:13:00.000-08:00

Fresh Produce's IPSO Gallery (6th & Main, Sioux Falls) presents "Switchboard", featuring new work by Liz Bashore Heeren, Kristen Ericsson, Diana Behl, Reina Okawa and Michael Hook. The Gallery is open during general business hours for the design firm: Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00. The show is strong and a great array of what is going on in the SD college art courserooms with pieces from professors and recent students. This SD art movement should continue; out with the old (dull) (T. Redlin) and in with the new (delicate lined, vibrant colored).

above: Michael Hook's acrylic works

Liz Bashore Heeren's new works feature the juxtaposition of nature (bears) with man-made forms featured in development of civilization and man. These are small (smaller than her previous paintings) works on paper with areas left seemingly unfinished (an effective touch reminiscent of Alice Neel or Egon Schiele).

Above: Reina Okawa's work. Okawa is what I would call the rising star of the exhibit. Finishing her MFA at USD this fall, she will dive into the gallery world. I cannot wait for the splash that results. Her screen prints mixed with other media evoke the tightness of the photo emulsion process with the delicacy of drawing, hand-coloring, and hand stitching.

If anyone wants to buy me one of Okawa's pieces for Christmas, I am not opposed.

Senior Show: Thomas Haugan

2009-11-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

USF senior Thomas Haugan presented his paintings, drawings, and prints of portraits last evening at the Mears Library. I had painting I with Thomas a few years back and this fellow has come a long way. Even then he was interested in portraits, the figure, and deep shading. However, painting I is never anyone's best work and I didn't anticipate work of this caliber from him. His color is refined, he can mix flesh tones (a feat for anyone!), and using dramatic lighting to create deep shadows. His approach to his work is as a master craftsman, including details and smoothing the image to evoke drama. Some highlights below:

"This is who I Am"

acrylic on wood
"Embrace Who I Am"

acrylic on wood
"Wrap"

color reduction print (glare courtesy of my camera and library fluorescence)

Excerpt from the Color Purple

2009-11-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from the Color Purple, p. 196

"God love all them feelings. That's some of the best stuff God did. And when you know God loves 'em you enjoys 'em a lot more. You can just relax, go with everything that's going, and praise God by liking what you like...God made it. Listen, God love everything you love - and a mess of stuff you don't. But more than anything else, God love admiration...I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it...People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back."

Minneapolis : The Walker, Dan Graham, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art

2009-11-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

Dan Graham's Beyond has arrived at the Walker (on view through Jan 24, 2010). It is the first major U.S. retrospective of his work and has already been viewed at the LA MOCA and the Whitney. With a genius twist, the Walker presented the opening day with Dan Graham himself answering (or non-answering) questions from a panel and the band Japanther (who opened the event and so spunkily married punk rock to art panels at the talk). We ask, why haven't we paired live music and art panels before? It was a perfect combination with a short Japanther set introducing Graham, a hero for the duo.

Graham is touted to be one of the most influential artists of the past few decades, however, I think he is influential due not to the influence of his work, but because he has dabbled in so many forms: magazine ad criticism featuring humor, minimalist pavilions, and performance art. Graham describes his view of art as a "passionate hobby" and with this approach he does whatever he wants. (More power to him - art is my passion and hobby, too, so there, art world, I am going to follow Graham's example and do whatever I want!)

At the end of the panel I now have an astonished admiration for Graham. He is witty, effective, and psychotic. He made a comment during the panel that he has never done LSD because he is close to psychotic already. I will take that further and say he is a scatterbrained (still focused) psychotic artist with awkward mannerisms and perfectly endearing and inspiring. Everything from his lips is intriguing even if he is answering a question with another topic entirely. Essentially, he is an art stud. And a national artist, wether he wants to be labeled that or not.

Above: one of Graham's magazine ads where he simple inserted a receipt. Why? He explained at the panel, because what do you get when you buy this product? A receipt, maybe not results.

Below: One of Graham's crazy minimalist intellectual fun-house two way mirror contraptions.

The Walker also exhibited Haegue Yang, it's resident artist in the Medtronic Gallery (through Feb. 28, 2010). It is terrible. The accompanying guide leaves Yang seeming as if no thought was put into the art and what little was put in is not conveyed. The installation of blinds, red lights, and heat lamps was void of any meaning and too chaotic to be minimalist. It included a drum set (why?) that became very obnoxious when played. The other works on the wall also seemed devoid of meaning. Yang tried, but any intended point or impact for the art was sorely missed.

In the MAEP (Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program) Gallery at the MIA, Roxanne Jackson presented the timely morose, powerful, slightly unnerving, and overarchingly intriguing "We Believe in Some Thing". It closed Nov. 1, just after Halloween. This exhibit would have been perfect for a good Halloween party decor and touched on themes of humanity, the spiritual, the unnatural, and stuff that looks just plain creepy. It was by far the most powerful art I saw all weekend. The MAEP website describes her work this way, "Her installations are macabre scenarios of predator vs. prey, good vs. evil, instinct and survival."

Her statement encompasses it well, "I am concerned with confronting the shadows of the unconscious, having a dialogue with the grotesque and, therein, discovering beauty. The tenor of my work is macabre and emotional as I deal with extreme axioms to dramatize the dualities of our nature; these polar aspects reside within us and include the male and female, vulnerability and strength, the light and the dark. The contrasts I explore exhibit a breadth of emotions that express our psychological and spiritual maturation. The emotions I’m concerned with are sometimes buried and inaccessible to most people. They include pain, fear and separation. Confronting these emotions can serve as a catalyst that melts barriers to our development."

A brief interview with her can be read at the AV Club website

Lyuba Rorschach, 2009

25' x 18'

Part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art's "Wordscapes: Text as Image in Contemporary Art", several prints stood strong. The exhibit is up through March 14, 2010

Above: Tom Phillips, Untitled, 1977, suite of 4 screen prints on old book.

Lesley Dill's A Word Made Flesh, 1994, photolithographs with etching and stitching

This piece was inspired by Emily Dickinson's poem that included the lines "A Word made Flesh is seldom / And tremblingly partook" and the idea of painting a body (becoming an extension of clothing) like Indian henna tattoos.

I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art, John Baldessari, 1971, MIA

Finally, a friendly reminder from fellow saterical-lover John Baldessari. According to the title plaque at the MIA, Baldessari "uses chance, irony, and paradox to battle the high seriousness of contemporary art." This work was a result of Baldessari's comission to student artists at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design when he could not make a scheduled visit there. The students were to write "I will not make any more boring art" on all four walls of the gallery there. Baldessari did the same and videotaped it.

So, Mr. Baldessari, I too will not make any more boring art. (Perhaps Haegue Yang should join us in this resolve.)

SD Art Faculty

2009-10-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

The SD College Art Association exhibition at Augustana's Eide/Dalrymple Gallery features college professors throughout the state. It is a great survey to see what students are learning from examples. Most of the professor-artists have established styles that can be recognized, especially if one has taken his or her class. The exhibit is on view through November 6 with a reception on November 5

More information available at Augustana's website

Steve Thomas (Augie) "Got Gas?" Steel Pipe construction, 2009

Though I have not met Thomas, he seems to consistantly produce ironic genius-level pieces that are both contemporary and relevant. This construction dominates the center of the gallery and is inspired by "displacements". Thomas has a brief statement to accompany his piece. Much appreciated - I always enjoy getting inside the artist's mind. It adds much meaning knowing "Got Gas" is meant as a displaced construction to question where things belong.

Nahee Kim - Imprecise Baker, symbol design baker, laser cut on acrylic, 2008

Though Kim's piece not exceptionally innovative or awe-invoking, it's pretty darn cute.

Jontimothy Pizzuto (USD) "What is Left After Meaning", 2009

Pizzuto's piece evokes a nostalgia for my grandmothers' house with the corner image of an old-style heat register. This mezzotint is intricate yet fuzzy in the way that jogs memory and questions meaning. Appropriate title. It is a far cry from Pizzuto's screen prints on view at USF. This is much more successful while the screens on button-down shirts in the Mears' Library are random image pairings that evoke the sloppy side of Warhol. Most of it lies in the presentation with the shirts simply hung on hangers. Perhaps framing a shirt isn't such an absurd idea. Or perhaps Pizzuto should frame the shirts because it is an absurd idea.

First Friday Sioux Falls

2009-10-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

The First Friday Trolly Tour October 2 in Sioux Falls highlights were found at IPSO Gallery at Fresh Produce. The new gallery is located in the front lobby of Fresh Produce, a design firm on 6th & Main. The thematic show "muse-ic" commissioned artists to create a piece with a song from selected local musicians as their inspiration. Shown below is Eli Show's piece "We Reproduce Like Shapes in the Night" mused by Cloud Dog beats. Each piece is accompanied by the "muse" track on cassette. Creative idea with some young artists (in or just out of college) strutting their styles with reinterpreting musical art into visual art. Next month, poets and painters at the Pavilion. Soon, everyone in a pow-wow?

Also on view at the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Sciences is Chris Meyer's installation "Passage <>". The installation is felt boats surrounded by felt-covered stones on a sea of brown paper. Meyer invites interactivity by allowing the audience to reorganize the stones at will with a sign "Please DO touch". (I wonder who put the "YES" there. I would have put S.O.S.) The whole thing evokes Joseph Bouys influence (felt, journey, etc). Meyer is a graduate of USD and always carries across something poignant and simple.

In the large Pavilion gallery a retrospective of the past 10 years' solo exhibits can tell quite a lot about the evolution of art shown in Sioux Falls. Especially captivating and/or peculiar were the works of Shannon Sargent ("Isolated Elements That Have Been Striped For the Purpose of Understanding" - 2009)

and Patrick Harris' "Goldfish" (2007)

Matthew Cusick

2009-09-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Spotted Cusick's defaced book pages at the Bemis Art Center in Omaha and immediately fell in love.

His work is well rounded. Exhibiting a strong sense of comfort with restraint, Cusick knows when to stop with his images (i.e. not too many maps, not too many lines). The images are complex and the collages complete, creating an aesthetically interesting full picture as well as intricate detail to take the left brain mind further. The defaced book pages are genius. They are witty, chuckle-worthy, and simple. The simplicity leaves room for the wit.

Empire Revisited, 2009 (below)

Alone Time (2008)

What Is Not But Could Be If // Kevin Foote & Corinne Loperfido @ Birdhouse

2009-08-25T06:03:00.001-07:00

What if you had cookies for teeth?

Or a beard made of flowers?

This simple, create-your-own-disguise idea is playful and ongoing for both artists. Foote does the cookies, Loperfido the beards. Novel, playful, and lively. Trading card material, anyone?

Sean Ripple

2009-08-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

"How Much Can you Get with 6 seconds and 4 Weeks?"

Home installation in East Austin

Ripple is an intriguing space artist. One of his projects are these home installations, created on site in the willing's home, using materials from their homes. This installation ran "open" for one night (Saturday, August 22) in the washing machine room of friends in East Austin. His work is improv, impulse, and idea. This work had the feeling of complex thoughts burped and spit onto the corner of the room. The haphazard appearance was likely plotted and planned, however, had a messy and distracting quality of a child's makeshift fort. Still the work compels the viewer to study the piece, though likely not understanding the fusion of the looping (and distracting video) and the messy on-site piece. This work isn't his strongest, but the way he works is fluid and intriguing. The concept of brief home installations is interesting as a process and the product may or may not be successful.

more: www.flickr.com/photos/flatlife

www.incurve.blogspot.com

Ripple is self-taught, and resides in Austin, TX

TARP = lona 14th Young Latino Artists at the Mexic-Arte Museum

2009-08-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

The concept of the show is to showcase young latino artists selected by the curator from cities across Texas. This exhibit focuses on how the creative process responds in tough economic times. Allegedly. It more so speaks to popular culture and the fusion of cultures for this generation of Latino artists. It speaks of hardships, but it more speaks of tradition meeting mass American culture.

The tag below explains Julia Barbosa Landois' performance piece staged at the opening. The cake was filled with all kinds of plastic goodies, reminiscent of the Mardi Gras baby cakes. Her other work in the show is sugar-based conical forms on a veiled figure. Definitely reminiscent of Eva Hesse, Landois work takes installation/sculpture/performance to an innovative and intellectually/culturally provocative level. The exhibition catalog quotes her, "I challenge corporeal entrapment by performing it." Enough said.

Landois received her BFA from UT and an MFA in sculpture from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently resides in San Antonio. She might be a genius. http://www.julialandois.com/

Gil Rocha is interested in the everyday. His work is about drama and suspense juxtaposed with fantasy and humor, according to the catalog. The image below is definitely humorous when the mind imagines the moving unit in function. Rocha dances with function and fantasy, real and ridiculous. He effectively questions whether the functions of everyday are functional or merely an attempt (fleeting) at practical and productive and yet futile functions.

"Cartomado" - mixed media - 4'x4'x8' - 2007

"You and Me" - mixed media (H2O, light, tin, dirt, and magic) - varied dimensions (partially ephemeral) - 2009

Hector Hernandez has some strong work influenced by cartoons, graffiti, and Jeff Koons. "Magic Year" - mixed media - 12"x16" - 2009 (above)

"Who are you I & II" - 40"x30" - 2008 (below)

Carlos Donjuan (is that his real name? really? doubt it.) has an interesting painting style by featuring the everyday with figures masked. He is influenced by hip-hop, graffiti, and cultures he is a part of. Especially strong is "Quack Quack" (middle), reminiscent of a field labor image, this is actually a pond with ducks. Stylistically Donjuan edges on photorealism, but stops closer to Edward Hopper.

"Digital bath" 6'x4' 2009

"Quack Quack" 4'x5' 2009

"Death Blow" 6'x4' 2009

Sean Adam Ibanez creates what he calls "simple relationships between materials that are devoid of reference" creating an "underlying theme of existentialism and beauty." This is minimalism with a sense of humor. Something upsidedown, falling over, left at that. It makes me cock by head, giggle, and appreciate it for what it is (an object on a wall that points to something clever). His work is like a good version of minimalism. It is not trying desperately to make a statement. It does make a statement of the everyday without needing a theory or essay to back it up. Existentialist, yes. Beauty, up to the beholder.

"The Erstwhile Room: Synthesis" - mixed media - varied dimensions - 2009

"Inequity (From A Swiftly Tilting Planet Installation) - mdf, cup, plaster - varied dimensions - 2009

Abi Daniel goes to Rio Rita

2009-08-18T14:52:00.001-07:00

Photo tour. Check this chick out. Up though September.

Her work is meticulous, folk-art driven, and pulls on the stream of her and the viewers' consciousness.

Creative Research Lab : Half and Half Part II

2009-08-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

This show is a winner. Even more impressive than the first half of Half and Half, these graduate students displayed humor, wit, ingenuity, and aesthetic pleasure in just a few pieces each.

For instance, Tim Schmidt's strongest piece in the exhibition is pictured below. It has no wires. Nonfunctional. Titled "Recept", Schmidt intended this piece to play off Donald Judd's notion of the specific object. It is what it is.

But is it more?

Bethany Johnson is using some interesting techniques with burned paper. www.bethanyjo.com

Teruko Nimura's work by far impressed me the most in the exhibition. The catalog references her methods as meditative and transformative. Below is her "Oriental Ladies", a piece made from differently configured statues mounted outward from the wall. Very phallic in aesthetics, yet delicate in medium, and curious it each figure's disformations.

Below: "Lantern", which in this photo could also be "explosion". It is ruffled satin sewn in a spiral. On display it becomes luminescent and explosive simultaneously.

Richard Yanas is funny. When I asked him what inspired his work he responded,"I don't know," pausing with a giggle, "the internet?" Below is his His work is about manipulation of images (some found, some taken - are they the same thing, anyway?). It really is inspired by the internet, digitalization, and a game-like sense of "one of these things is not like the other". His Double Self-Portrait is actually two portraits, one of Yanas, the other of a look-alike. Clever.

Kristina Felix should receive a trophy for her work in this exhibition. Her brain is concerned with archiving, materiality, originality, and temporality. Below is Mrs. Willis' Romance Collection. The catalog puts it best, "Made of poor quality paper, the romance novels were never printed for posterity. Rather, these common and oft discarded objects function as temporary escapes from daily life."

Below: "It's not enough that you've lived here for most of your life" - Clay casts of golfer trophies, some broken, disfigured, in transition, ask what is worth a trophy? (Golf, really?)

My personal favorite, "For wearing your heart on your sleeve even though it makes you seem like an emotional bitch," is relatively self-explanatory. (Or is it?) (Why do we give trophies?) (Does repetition result in the loss of the individual object, and perhaps the individual self?)

Finally, Christina Weisner's "Tied Down" (below) questions weight according to the show catalog. I think it questions more deeply the weight of being tied to a certain material or medium as an artist. Can the artist today really break free from the notion that sculptors are supposed to use clay and the sculpture is supposed to look like an object? Weisner seems to state that she can do whatever she likes as an artist. (Here, here, sister!)

"Minimal Protection" (below) is a curiously functional/dysfunctional beach umbrella.

I am rarely impressed by contemporary art these days. This show, however, brought traditional mediums into contemporary dialogue with simple challenges (is the outlet functional? can statues hang off a wall?). This group of grad students is full of clever antics and deep thinking. They should just be handed their degree, but I am glad they have more work to produce before UT does so (I want more to look at!).

Half and Half: University of Texas Art & Art History Departments Summer Colaberation

2009-07-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Four curators from UT's Art History department curated this show of fifteen UT studio artists in two parts. The first half on view from July 25-August 9

The show is eclectic and showcases just enough from each artist to get a taste. UT's art department seems to be churning out variety (a good indication it is encouraging and equipping artists rather than indoctrinating them).

- Kate Abercrombie's work is small gouache scenes constructed of intricately painted patterns. At first glance the interior scenes look like they are constructed from origami paper collage, but these patterns are the product of meticulous brushwork. The catalog proclaims Abercrombie's concern with color, space, and form in 2-D. The detail is fabulous and her sense of perspective is spot on. The patterns mismatch to create a sense of space, however, the mismatching could be played with to encourage more harmony in future works.

- Sonya Berg's charcol and oil works evoke movement with her main subject of water (pools, Niagara Falls, etc.). Her style is a mix between haphazard painterly marks and clearly defined space. She creates a strong aura with each piece, likely due to the sense of movement in her almost-sloppy brushwork. Taking from Ab-Ex style, her representations border the abstract, but we still know where we are.

- Sam Dahl's paintings are nothing special, save for the unique cuttings of the panels. The undefined shapes of the panels are his strong points, making me wonder if he should turn away from the brush into sculpture.

- After hearing his articulate comments on art, I would have never guessed Scott Eastwood's work to be so goofy, playful, and humorous. A one-night-only piece "Head Asshole" is pictured above. Pretty self-explanatory. Eastwood explained it is meant to be walked through (I did - almost getting stuck like constipation on the exit). His indoor work is a series of masks that explore what can be read from a facial expression. They are obnoxiously colored and evoke play-doh, tribal masks, theater, and the slightly insane. Eastwood is someone to keep an eye on.

- Colombian born Santiago Forero presents four large digital prints of staged scenes from his series titled "I Want to Live in America." They explore stereotypes with sharp color and distinct action. His scenes look as if someone said "freeze" - his subjects look caught in the act of whatever they are engaged in. Questioning culture is a noble subject for the artist. Forero also created "Snow White" with Robert Melton, a hilarious parody of a drug dealer with a vacuum cleaner as the subject. It is hilarious, well-done, and should be the first of many partnerships of the two artists.

- Robert Melton's individual video puts together slow, creepy, and elusive images from a moving car in his "Outside In" to explore the division between nature and human construction. Less successful than "Snow White", "Outside In" lacks the definite structure to convey his purpose. It becomes more of what it would look like it video when one's mind wanders.

- Marya Spont's video installation of a catalog of Michael Jackson's possessions for sale was a little out of focus, making it impossible to fully view. It was projected on the floor, but could have been more effective projected on a stand or something a bit more accessible to the viewer's eyes (staring at the floor for 30 minutes isn't my neck's idea of a good time).

- Jeff Stanley's video constructed of still images was a fast paced lament on the quality of painting. "Fictional Self-Portrait" makes use of humorous statements on the state of art-making and the artist self. According to the catalog it became a vicarious introspection for Stanley through the portrayal of the artist Melton. Watch for Stanley's work - his video speaks of more genius to come.

- For one night only, recent graduate Jennifer Lynn Remenchik utilized the often overlooked medium of performance art by reading the silver style of viewers. The "reading" consisted of an easy (and seemingly arbitrary) quiz of four questions. Upon completion Remenchik handed out a paper explaining the silver style. I got the feeling she would give out whatever style was at the top of the stack. Intentional? The piece was simple, yet I am certain it was well thought-out with lots of intricate details the viewer did not know about. Hopefully Remenchik will continue with performance art. I'd like to see what else she has up her sleeve. (My silver style was completely inaccurate).

Half and Half is at Creative Research Lab 2832 E. MLK (just east of Chestnut).

word of the day

2009-07-20T10:42:00.001-07:00

pastiche \pas-TEESH; pahs-\, noun:

1. A work of art that imitates the style of some previous work.
2. A musical, literary, or artistic composition consisting of selections from various works.
3. A hodgepodge; an incongruous combination of different styles and ingredients.

Co-Lab and MASS Gallery openings

2009-07-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

Co-Lab

The space is a down-to-earth approach to art for all. The space is open for installations and presentations of all sorts. Last evening was Margaret McInroe's "Culmnia bambusa major multiplex", a concept for optimal urban living. McInroe's installation of a bamboo structure, insulation, and cement bricks fused the organic and inorganic as a model for the conceptual 100 ft-diameter dwelling. The accompanying slideshow detailed materials used and drawings act as blueprints for the dwelling. McInroe's structure is well-informed and well-inspired by literature (Italo Calvino's "Invisible City") and design (Bauhaus elements). The structure fuses the opposites of organic and inorganic, a bio-composite. McInroe stresses the possibility of the structure rather than demoting it to an unattainable "utopian" model.

Additional elements included group aromatherapy devices (above) and supplemental drawings.

Could the piece stand alone? Yes. With its detailed concepts it accelerates into contemplation. Aesthetically the drawings fall short, but the installation revives the blueprints into reality. McInroe has clearly thought through this optimal dwelling space.

MASS Gallery "Inspired Inspirations: Eeew, that MASSty!"

Notable pieces include Michelle Devereux's cardboard television - a log device for summer and the ever humourous and surprising Carlos Rosales-Silva's wall dedication to Edward James Lou Diamond (do you know who that is? I don't). Silva's work is always worth a gander. No gallery list or guide was available while I was present (the downside of an early-to-bed lifestyle), so my information is visual only. The survey is playful for summer and the array well represents the personalities of MASS staff.

2009-07-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Art Palace

Cruz Ortiz "Ice Cold"

(image not in exhibition)

Ortiz's work looks like stamps made from potatoes. His messages are that on teenage lover angst that both tug at your heart and make you smile with his use of spanish-english fusion, such as "Tengo Thirsty" and "Tu Eres La Sadness de mi Vida". His primitive watercolor techniques are poppy and raw with that cut-out kindergarten teacher style. The words could be a font - (is it?). Working with words is tricky, especially when one is using only words to convey a message. While reading his pieces you almost forget he is using two languages - its fluidity is a success.

The room-sided "Tu Eres la Sadness de Mi Vida" uses the title texted wrapped around the room in no particular pattern and is accompanied by a cardboard megaphone, music stand, and tape player. This 30-something San Antonio based printmaker has got something going on beyond his seemingly simple texts that warrants another look. The second time around my heart did a little tug with his texts, despite the rudimentary colors.

"I Am Not So Different" in the Palace's project space attempts to show the similarities in photographs with a group show. It's hard to make a group show of photos pop in the age of flickr and twitpic. Rather unimpressive, though some images do stand alone nicely.

www.artpalacegallery.com

OK MOUNTAIN

Colby Bird displays postmodern distance mixed with the sassy sensibility of today's sarcastic art generation. He seems to take inspiration from the likes of Damien Hirst, Basquiat, and even Donald Judd (Utile is a piece made from florescent lights with one unit missing bulbs). Born in Austin, living in Brooklyn, Bird is now in his early 30s making work about "longing and desire".

"Kodak" looks like a Morris Louis piece with spraypaint instead of poured paint. "24/Hours" is a video projection of the words 24 Hours. The piece description includes the chair the projector is set upon. Staring at the tiny projection on the wall makes me wonder if it is a still image or video and if it is 24 hours of film (it is film; no length is confirmed). "Unknown Tapestry" is someone else's tapestry. It seems Bird's longing and desire is to be some other artist.

"White Monochrome" is the backboard of a basketball hoop with evidence of the ball in smears like shoe-prints. In an interview provided at OK Mountain Bird goes through his day at the studio, which mostly involves rearranging objects. Bird is an artist of the new sculptural generation that sees something in the ordinary that is ironic or simply curious and runs with it. He is on to something with his removed tact and talent for eliciting artists' past. As long as Bird keeps rearranging for the peculiar, his work will succeed. The moment his minimalistic sculptures settle into a known range is the moment his artwork will die.

Joshua Saunders: "Gluey Vuitton" at Birdhouse

2009-07-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

July 12 brought Saunders' first solo show for Birdhouse's summer one-night-only art show series of the Austin unknown. Saunders has been in Austin 4 years and works non-stop. He said he leaves his house occassionally, but can't stop making work. The body is prolific and one can tell it is a stream-of-consciousness process that he cannot help but continue.

Saunders' work is witty, bringing about chuckles and head-tilts upon consideration of the subjects, most of which are erotic, featuring male genitalia or couples humping. The images are cutouts, circa 1950s-1960s.

With Saunders' debut, I cannot believe he was not showing before. His work is a great critique and commentary on domestic life, our perceptions of such, and sex. He himself is very real about art-making and clearly enjoys the process. Watch out for this Northwest-bred kid - you want to own his work (I want too, as well).

(I also appreciated his snack tray - playful array of M&Ms, Cheet-ohs, baby carrots, and Fritos - kid snacks, anyone?)

Joshua Saunders' Website

Lori Waxman - 60 WRD/MIN Art Critic Performance

2009-07-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

The Arthouse at the Jones Center is one of a few stops for Chicago-based art critic Lori Waxman. She is conducting her own "fine art" piece while still functioning as the critic by inviting artists in the cities she visits to sign up for a critique time, in which Waxman will write a short critique of the artist's work. The critique could be good or bad, inviting vulnerability.

My appointment was Friday at 6:40 p.m. Upon check in I was informed Waxman was running behind schedule. Fine by me, I had a book due at the library in need finishing. The space was in direction view of the passing-by downtown public (sparse in the evening on a Friday). It was

also very quiet save for the whirring of a fan. The air had an ease to it, but remained businesslike.

Waxman wrote this critique of my work:

Her critique is a bit vauge, but surmises work fairly well. While scanning the other critiques posted, I noticed no really negative comments. I must admit a part of me wanted to see a scathing review, even if it was mine.

I benefitted from her feedback and think the project is a wonderful idea. I'm glad it is being done - critical review is a space rarely invited by artists and critics themselves are seen as the "bad guy". Waxman challenges this view by becoming the artist herself while still functioning critically. Important stuff. We should all remember that we can learn from one another.

Austin Exhibits this July

2009-07-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Current Exhibits : Austin, TX

AUSTIN MUSEUM OF ART DOWNTOWN

The Lining of Forgetting: Internal and External Memory in Art

The aim of this exhibit, curated by Xandra Eden and UNC at Greensboro is to "explore the ways we remember, both as individuals and collectively, and highlight how we often forget, rewrite and fabricate memory" (exhibition guide). The works of various living artists (a span of 20-somethings to the 80-something Louise Bourgeois does this well. Some notable pieces include Mungo Thomson's The American Desert (for Chuck Jones) in which she erased the Road Runner from cartoons, recreating collective cartoon imagery of the desolate desert (I can still here the "meep meep" in my brain watching the video); Emma Kay's Shakespeare from Memory rewrites only what she remembers of Shakespeare (interesting idea - Kay remembers more than I but Shakespeare would be appalled at all that is forgotten); a beautiful piece by afore mentioned Bourgeois entitled Ode a LOubli; and my personal favorite, Deborah Aschheim's June 10, which shows videos circa the 60s of her childhood birthday parties. Aschheim's piece is seen surrounded by sculptural webs and accompanied by drawings of the webs, connecting family and friends and memory to the videos. This piece brought me back and back to the exhibit to stare. It is aesthetically science-fiction meets Gak meets 8mm films from 1960s. The drawings are also interesting with correllating green color and neat handwriting. The exhibit is worth checking out just for this piece, which is maybe why it is hung in the entrance.

If you go, be sure and add a sticky note to the wall through the education center, which invites you to contribute to the art by completing questions like "I hope I never forget..." and "I want to be remembered for..." (I hope to be remembered for making people question reality.)

(image of Aschheim's work, though not the specific piece at AMOA)

ARTHOUSE

New American Talent

(should be titled new Southwest and South Central talent)

More of the same.

Except:

1. Kristin Wanek's 3-D photo collages with drawing elements. A clever and intricate commentary on politics and current events. Lives and works in LA. Watch for her

2. Jenn Figg's lifesize cardboard layered sculpture of tree stumps. Playful yet something troubling and void in the scene. Perhaps the mix of the carboard cutout childhood mixed with destruction of the forest (and subsequently, childhood?).

3. Tim Eads (Detroit, MI) screenprinted these plastic moldings!

(Images goinked from the Arthouse website without permission)

Denver Museum of Contemporary Art

2009-06-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

On the way to the Denver Airport to fly home last week, my lovely Colorado family unit and I stopped off at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver for a quick peak. Though small, the museum was packed with great work from working artists - a rarity in museums. Below is a photo of Jim Green's piece in the project space, a series of mounted whoopie cushions activated by a motion sensor when you walk into the gallery space. His statement declares he is about humor in art - I smiled the moment I walked into the room. I think he succeeded.

Also a small Damien Hirst exhibit (four pieces, all facinating) and some amazing prints, including Red Grooms and Enrique Chagoya.

Then this guy Paul Slocum from Houston had the new media gallery space. His video was a series of reenactments of a scene from the hit TV show Full House. This pulled me in to view (I cried when Full House went off the air - of course I want to see what this is all about!). The scene was the daughter yelling "You can't tell me what to do; you're not my father!" at Uncle Joey. He then sits down defeated after she storms out of the room. The scene was reenacted by various actors that Slocum found off craigslist. The camera work is home-video type and the quality of the film is low, but the elicited emotional response is profound. For me it went from humor to feeling Joey's defeat, to wondering she these random craigslist people are and if they have any relationships in their lives that elicit this response. I want to see more of Slocum's work.

His video is available to be seen here .

www.mcadenver.org

New York Art Seen Week of May 13, 2009

2009-05-17T05:33:00.001-07:00

My visit to New York City was full of art - impressive art. The Whitney’s retrospective of Jenny Holzer was more political than expected, though did include her LCD scroll light works. The front room was mesmerizing with several giant scrolling messages on the floor. After reading and watching the scrolls for a while one stops comprehending the words and enters a sort of introspective meditation. Holzer is smart, witty, and wise to using her medium as part of her message.

The Whitney also had a great show of Claus Oldenberg’s soft works, which are always playful and inspiring to view. Soft Toilet was present, as was a corner of soft cigarette butts. The MOMA also carried an artist who outlined a cowboy in actual cigarette butts. New trend? Creative.

The other impressive work at the MOMA was Konference by Ján Mančuška. It was a conference table set with drawings of glasses, eye glasses, etc. Intricate, basic, and profound.

Gallery going in Chelsea was the most rewarding. We accidentally happened upon Liao Yibai and Laurie Frick, also from Austin, TX. Mike Weiss gallery displayed Yibai’s show Imaginary Enemy. Most wonderful was his Chairman Mao’s Map, a view of America in Mao’s eyes (the assets – aircraft, oil, etc). And of course, I love maps. Yibai was present when I inquired about him and he got the chance to explain his work to me personally. I am impressed with his emerging art. His sculpture is shiny like Koons, but packs a powerful and critical message on culture, unlike Koons.

Frick’s work is college-based landscapes. It borders between commercial tastes (using bright colors found at IKEA) and the sensibilities of Mondrian.

Also saw Nam June Paik works. Basically had some sort of art-media-awe-drool.

The only impressive MFA from Hunter’s exhibition was Claudia Pena Salina’s installations. I am excited to watch where she goes.

YAYOI KUSAMA has created a room which one steps into. The door is closed and darkness begins. Lights slowly illuminate the space and sparkle in the mirrored walls. It feels like eternity; the piece oddly enough, is titled, The Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity. Kusama is in her 80s. Wonderful to see such great work by someone well into life!

The New Museum is also wonderful. Best new museum in years. It includes interactive elements, but is not so overrun with video pieces to completely overwhelm. Faye Driscoll’s video piece Lonliness was new-wave and can be found on YouTube. It is catchy and taps into the primitive urge to dance dance dance and play play play.

loneliness

Chu Yun’s installation piece This is Ingrid, 2008, was a great delight. It included a female volunteer/paid participant to take a sleeping pill and snooze in the Museum space while viewers peeked. No room separated the girl. It made me see the beauty of sleep.

One more interactive performance was pleasurably viewed Thursday evening at PPOW gallery. Melanie Bonajo’s furniture people were displayed in photographs. I was disappointed at first, thinking the pieces would be much more effective as performance pieces. I then learned that they were, and a performance was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. We made our way to a few other unimpressive openings and made a point to return to PPOW by 7:30. Bonajo harnessed the power of performance art with a kind of memorial to a friend, featuring furniture people, an aboriginal figure, a carebear, and lots of candles. She is hot artwork – keep your eyes open for this Norwegian lady.

I also had the chance to watch a Sothby's auction. Educational.

Let's not forget Duane Hanson!

Mass Production & Democratization

2008-11-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

The ethical concern of mass production art is to eliminate the high cost and pompous ritual that separate art from the public. - statement from "Art is Experimental: The New York Graphic Workshop 1964-1970", Blanton Museum of Art, University of Texas, 2008

Warhol was all about this!

Perlin at Arthouse

2008-09-04T04:37:00.001-07:00

Arthouse, Austin, TX

August 2008

Jenny Perlin, "Models"

Perlin created a 16mm story-type report with kitchy childlike handwriting reporting on shopping malls. It is a three part film, literary style, with a punching epilogue. Her structure reflects her background in literature. The silent film details the Mall of America v. Mall of Arabia, a home-topia entitled the freedom ship which travels all around the world, and punches your view of society with a short epilogue of a Somali imprisoned for terrorist suspect. The Somali had worked in an American shopping mall and viewed it as the best example of American freedom.

Perlin's piece was the only outstanding piece at the current Arthouse exhibit "Songs of Praise for the Heart Beyond Cure." Her work demonstrates a curious and innovative approach to documentation, social commentary, film, and art influenced by lowbrow and folk styles.

Impressive. www.nilrep.net

SITE Sante Fe Biennial

2008-08-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

SITE Santa Fe's 2008 Biennial impressed me with only two on-site artists.

Piero Golia's severance of the exhibition's ramp with the option for the viewer to leap onto gym mats (where are we going? how are we a part of art? is art participation?).

*The only downside was the necessity for a waiver to be signed before each patron makes the short jump (less than 5 feet onto very padded mats).

The other impressive spot was Luchezar Boyadjiev who distributed ten dollar bills to the public (chosen randomly from the phone book). The individual could remove the bill with his or her name but individuals were not notified by the artist of their luck. They had to encounter the ten by chance or word of mouth (I imagine a friend saying, "hey, bill, did you know you have ten dollars with your name on it at SITE Sante Fe?"). Underneath the bills were messages, like fortunes.

(Photo above)

The other works were a little abstract and as usual, too much video was used. Each artist was very creative, but as a whole the exhibition seemed a bit scatterbrained.

Value of Artists

2008-07-09T15:20:00.001-07:00

From the introduction to The Life of Pi:

"If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the alter of crude reality and we end up believing nothing and having worthless dreams." Yann Martel

Glossary of relevant terms

2008-07-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

Art (n.) A common experience open to everyone. Defined by the greatest common denominator.

Artist (n.) 1. An individual who acts on their imagination. 2. Someone creatively inspired from within. 3. One who performs with exceptional insight and skill.

Bohemian (n.) 2. a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices. 4. a gypsy (adj.) living a wandering or vagabond life, as a gypsy.

Levity (n.) lack of seriousness; frivolity; lightness. (syn) humor, triviality, giddiness. hilarity, fun, frivolity.

The Postmodern Condition

2008-06-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

Pluralism is impossible.

Not everything is art.

Kerouac says

2008-05-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

"Art is a readjustment of perception, from physical actuality to a perception expressed by the artist. ...But now I am presenting it to my readers in the form of Art, so that their cognizance of this sequence is readjusted from reality to art. Why does the human being insist on presenting reality through an artistic and expressive medium? Why doesn't he let well enough alone? Why should he express Life, through Art? Since the cavemen did it themselves, carving crude images of animals on stone, I am concluding that man is making and attempt to intensify consciousness, which is a very religious thing to do. Art, therefore, is in one measure religion. That may be why the Catholics like to call Art the language of God, or the such. But I say that Man, seeing Life about him, desires to express himself about this phenomena, and in so doing, exercises what is probably the only differentiating faculty between human and brute: That of Art, the act of readjusting perception, from reality to a new objectification and revaluation, thus exhibiting a religious desire to worship what we have us, which is Life." from Odyssey (Continued)

Statement of intent

2008-05-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

Purpose of blog:

to post thoughts on art, specific and general.

for further artwork, see www.fostercollection.com