Artists Unite Issue

Our February 13th gallery crawl began at Howard Greenberg Gallery on 57th Street, in the magnificent Fuller Building, itself a fine example of Art Deco architecture. We passed beneath the limestone frieze by sculptor Elie Nadelman, and headed up to the gallery to see an assortment of photographs from India. There are three separate exhibitions on view, Betsy Karel: Bombay Jadoo, Sacred Sight, and Mary Ellen Mark: Indian Circus, all united by the theme of India . (On view until March 14th.)

Off in a side area is a very small selection of photos of Indian circus performers by Mary Ellen Mark. You could easily make the mistake of bypassing the unobtrusive portal to this strange and impassioned world. Mark’s camera seems to disappear, and the viewer steps right into her place, experiencing with a direct jolt the intensity of connection with her subjects.

Betsy Karel’s “Bombay Jadoo” and the assortment of photographs in the main gallery by ‘Anonymous’ to not-so-anonymous artists like Margaret Bourke-White and Henri Cartier-Bresson fully rounds out this large range of images that effectively transports one to India old and new, conveying little of the misery, and much of the jadoo (A Hindu term for magic or wonder-working).

From there, we saw Judy Pfaff’s show Paper, at Ameringer Yohe Fine Art. [Exhibition closed Feb 21.] An affinity between sculpture and drawing is often remarked upon, and that was clearly evident here. These pieces exist somewhere in the realm between the two disciplines, leaning closer to relief sculpture and assemblage or collage, but none of those are fitting labels. They are works on/of paper, but you can find just about anything else amidst the layered and cut paper, including found images, ink, wire, artificial flowers, coffee filters, plant stems, fishing floats, and umbrella parts. The colors range from earthy to day-glo, and as wild and chaotic as these pieces may be, one doesn’t lose confidence in Pfaff’s ability to orchestrate the entire composition. It’s easy to envision how these pieces would evolve organically in the studio with the artist deliberating over each decision to build the complete whole, which deceptively looks as if it burst forth into being all at once.

Pfaff’s dynamic works encompass the complex experience of the natural world around us. Within each piece one can find beauty and decay, messiness and fine detail, chaos and order, fear and delight — all the stuff of life. Pfaff comes across as a fearless, mature artist who obviously loves her creative process — one of discovery and adventure. Viewing this work, you feel you get to take that exciting ride along with her.

Next was Kori Newkirk’s show at The Project [up until March 20th]. There was something very affecting about being in The Project’s space. Rounding the corner from the large, open main room, one turns to the left and enters the more intimate gallery spaces. There are less than a handful of pieces in this show–three drawings in the small front room, and then a lit, sculptural piece in the darkened back space. The sensitive, seductive lines of Newkirk’s drawn self-portraits are done using bleach on pigmented paper, a sort of reductive process that appears paradoxically both ghostly and very physical. For such a spare show, Newkirk’s work fills the space with a silent forcefulness that has remained strong and persistent in memory.

At the front of the gallery, there is a display of literature on some of the other gallery artists. I picked up a catalogue on Julie Mehretu, and although Meheretu’s accomplished drawings/paintings are much more tightly worked than Pfaff’s, there seemed to be a visual connection, a language in common between these artists of different generations.

Jack Sal at Zone Contemporary Art, [closed Feb 28th]. This show presented a varied cross-section from small, naturally weathered lead plates that look allude to landscapes and natural phenomena, to minimal works on canvas of gesso, ink, and silk surgical tape.

As noted in the gallery’s press release, Sal is an under-recognized artist in the United States, in spite of his long, accomplished career, including a series of site-specific installations in Europe, collaborative projects with William Wegman and Sol Lewitt, and inclusion in public collections such as MoMA. In the front of the gallery, one was able to get a nice sense of this artist’s journey by spending some time with a wonderfully installed wall of dozens of widely varied smaller pieces, hung salon-style.

We ended up at MoMA to see Rebus (closed Feb 23), curated by artist Vik Muniz, and while there, also stopped in to see the show of work by Marlene Dumas, both of which have been widely reviewed. A “rebus” is a combination of visual images and symbols that piece together to add up to another meaning. As a kids’ brainteaser, you might see a letter, then a plus sign, then an image that would add up to an unrelated word or phrase.

Muniz was the 9th artist in MoMA’s Artist’s Choice series to don the curator’s hat and hand-pick this show from the museum’s vast collection. The pieces included are not just culled from the art collections, but also include many design items, such as a piece of bubble wrap, that may leave viewers scratching their heads. But scratching your head is indeed part of Muniz’s intention, as this show is one big brainteaser. You are intended to follow through it as chronologically installed, and make a connection between each piece you see and the one situated before and after it. This makes for some fun, especially if you’re visiting with friends. Who can guess the connection first?

I feared Muniz’s concept would turn out to be a bit of a one-liner, leading one to dash away as quickly as one could figure out the connection, rather than stopping to really consider the pieces in the show. “Oh, it’s yellow, and the glass piece that looks like an egg-yolk is yellow, and next to that is a timer, like you’d use to time your egg, and next…” But besides providing an easy in for looking at the work, it also provides a context to think about the ways art connects to our world, the ways it evolves from our world, the ways things are connected, and ultimately to the basic concept that making connections between things is a key to understanding. The show’s first piece is the tremendous 1987 homage to Rube Goldberg in film by Peter Fischli and David Weiss called The Way Things Go, and it’s hard to go wrong with a start like that!

[...article continued at Drawn Together]

[Images above: Contortionist with Sweety the Puppy, Great Raj Kamal Circus, Upleta, India, copyright Mary Ellen Mark , 19" x 19", 1989, Platinum print, printed later, courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery; Benares, India 1956, copyright Marc Riboud, gelatin silver print, 40 x 30cm, printed later, courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery; Konya, 2008, copyright Judy Pfaff, Layered/cut paper, Joss paper, found images, ink, wire, artificial flowers, wire, Crown Kozo paper, umbrella parts, framed: 94 1/2 x 94 1/2 inches, courtesy Ameringer Yohe Fine Art; Detail of drawing, copyright Kori Newkirk, bleach on paper, courtesy The Project Gallery; White/Wash III, 2008, copyright Jack Sal, courtesy Zone Contemporary Art; Yellow from the series Line, Form, Color, 1951, copyright Ellsworth Kelly, colored paper, 7-1/2 x 8", The Museum of Modern Art; Yolk, 1999, copyright Kiki Smith, Multiple of glass, overall: 3/4 x 1-1/2 x 1-1/2", The Museum of Modern Art; Timer Model No. 152, 1960, copyright Rodolfo Bonette, ABS polymer, 2-3/8" x 4-1/2", The Museum of Modern Art; Installation view of portraits by Marlene Dumas at the Museum of Modern Art.]

Brooklyn Museum Presents SPEAK OUT!
Women’s Visions For the Nation: What’s it Going to Take? 
March 21, 2009, from 2 to 4 p.m.

In celebration of the second anniversary of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, the Brooklyn Museum will present
SPEAK OUT! Women’s Visions For the Nation: What’s it Going to Take? onSaturday, March 21, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium. 

The event features a keynote address by C. Nicole Mason, Women of Color Policy Network, NYU Wagner School, titled “Now is the Time: Activating Women Leaders for Collective Change;” an audience speak-out moderated by GRITtv host Laura Flanderswith respondents Ana L. Oliveira, New York Women’s Foundation, and Ai-jen Poo, Domestic Workers United; a performance by award-winning musical artist Toni Blackman; and closing remarks by Liz J. Abzug of The Bella Abzug Leadership Institute.

SPEAK OUT! was created by UNFINISHED BUSINESS, a think-tank founded by a core group of diverse women to identify ways of mobilizing external networks to raise public awareness about intergenerational communication, issues of race/class/gender, and the effects of current events on women and children. Participating founding members include Liz J. Abzug; Sharna Goldseker, 21/64: Strategic Philanthropy Through the Generations; Sara Gould, Ms. Foundation for Women; Mia Herndon, Third Wave Foundation; Carol Jenkins, The Women’s Media Center; C. Nicole Mason; Monique Mehta, Independent Consultant; Benita R. Miller, The Brooklyn Young Mother’s Collective; Elizabeth A. Sackler, Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation; and Amy Sananman, Groundswell Community Mural Project. 

Kay WalkingStick will be having a retrospective works on paper exhibit at the Grossman Gallery of Lafayette College in Easton, PA, opening March 7th. The show will remain on view until April 25th. The artist will be giving a lecture on the development of her work at 4:00 pm at the Williams Center, also at Lafayette College, after which there will be a reception. [More information, PDF]

“The works in this exhibition were completed over a 20-year span and directly relate, often as value studies, to the paintings made at the same time.

When I look at these works, I see and remember different periods of my life, various states of mind. My mind. Drawing is the most direct medium; it is as immediate as dance, and often as vigorous. Each of these series of works represents one of four rather distinct decades of my life, expressed very directly in marks, like a journal. The earliest are representative of the minimalism of the New York art world, and my involvement in it. The colorful group of oilstick works from the 1980s reminds me of my travels in the Southwest; the dark charcoals of the late ’80s and early ’90s are of loss and redemption; and the final charcoal drawings are about my life in Rome and the possibility of refound love. These drawings are a chronological representation of my life.” —Kay WalkingStick

[above image, copyright Kay WalkingStick]

On Thursday, I had a couple of hours to dash through The Art Show of ADAA member galleries at the Park Avenue Armory. Given the amount of work on view, you do have to keep up a fast pace to see it all in that amount of time.

The overall mood of the dealers was perceptibly and understandably somber, and the show had far less exciting work to offer than usual. Some galleries had a big sticker next to a piece stating “ADAA Dealer’s Choice.” At first, I didn’t know what this meant, but apparently it was code for “This piece is $10,000 or less! Get your bargains here!” They might as well have had a sign “Buy one, get one 1/2 price!” It was depressing, and if you were the artist who created the “Dealer’s Choice” piece, I bet you’d cringe to see that big, ugly sticker next to your work.

I missed encountering the wild and unknown tangential work of major artists, often sequestered in private collections forever, which had become the main thing I always looked forward to seeing. Nonetheless, there were still plenty of things that stood out, and as always, I wish I had more time to peruse!

Here’s a list and some pictures of highlights:

Ron Nagle at Rena Bransten Gallery. Nagle’s two diminutive sculptures on view were some of the most surprising and original work to catch my eye. A catalog from a recent show of his made me crave to see even more. The work has something of the comic sadness of Guston. Nagle’s idiosyncratic use of form and color make these engaging abstract sculptures both entirely human and entirely his own. [Above, "Scrunchabunch," copyright Ron Nagle, courtesy of Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco.] Also at Rena Bransten, a beautiful wire piece by Ruth Asawa. A rare treat to view work by this superb artist.

Above: An untitled slate sculpture from 1945 by Isamu Noguchi (for $1.2 million) at Martha Parrish & James Reinish. This booth also had a couple of outstanding Milton Avery landscapes, pure and simple.

One could watch the subtle movements of Julian Opie’s digital piece Maria Theresa with Red Shawl, 2008, above, at Barbara Krakow, for hours. It was interesting to overhear discussions about the problems the technology of this work presents in terms of preservation and conservation. It’s a concern for the artist, collectors, and museums alike. There were some other powerhouse works in this booth, notably Tara Donovan’s untitled (glass drawing) and a very dynamic series of wood block prints of spirals by grand dame Louise Bourgeois.

[continued at Drawn Together]

Think Picasso rocks? Think he’s the most overrated artist of all time? Join the Times of London’s poll to pick the 200 most influential visual artists of the era (lumping together modern with contemporary). Sattchi Gallery Online and the Times put together the polling list from user votes, narrowed to 500 — so you can’t put yourself in — but the list is pretty interesting, from my once over.

GOT SOMEONE WHO YOU THINK IS MISSING? Add it as a comment to this post.

Can you picture this? Arrested for taking photos of the NYC subway, even though it’s legal. Don’t these guys have anything better to do? The camera-wielding perp knew his rights and it didn’t seem to matter. Still, you might want to know your rights:

“I said, ‘According to the rules of conduct, we are allowed to take pictures,’ ” Mr. Taylor said. “I showed him the rules — they’re bookmarked on my BlackBerry.”

Rule 1050.9 (c) of the state code says, “Photography, filming or video recording in any facility or conveyance is permitted except that ancillary equipment such as lights, reflectors or tripods may not be used.”

I guess the cops don’t need to keep up on the laws that much. Maybe policing is more of an intuitive art than I’ve realized, and has less to do with enforcing actual laws. More info on the photography ban (or lack thereof).

[continued on Drawn Together]

February’s gallery crawl is this Friday. Details posted here.

Well, according to the Senate, they should all be banned from receiving any funds from the the economic recovery bill. Casino = museum? This is ridiculous.

Breaking News
Americans for the Arts reports that yesterday the U.S. Senate, during their consideration of the economic recovery bill, approved an egregious amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that stated “None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.”

Unfortunately, the amendment passed by a wide vote margin of 73-24, and surprisingly included support from many high profile Senators including Chuck Schumer of New York — who just received my opinion about that!

Please take a minute if you can to send a pre-prepared and easily customizable letter to your senator. This form will let you know how your senators voted on the matter, so if nothing else, at least keep yourself informed!

Americans for the Arts is calling for a coordinated public relations response to educate the public and put pressure on Congress to support the arts. Please take two minutes to send a short letter to the editor of your local media outlet. They’ve provided the talking points and just ask you to customize it to your community.

As Americans for the Arts has previously reported, the House bill includes a $50 million provision for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which will act as a lifeline for many nonprofit arts organizations, and by extension, for artists as well. There is solid research to demonstrate the stimulus gains that can be provided by this funding. However, here are some examples of the negative press on the matter from publications across the country:

• “True to form, Congress has loaded the [bill] with hundreds of billions in wasteful spending. The bill includes $650 million for digital TV coupons, $140 million to study the atmosphere and $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. None of these proposals would create jobs or boost our economy. They’re just old-fashioned waste” - Op-ed in the Indianapolis Star
  
• “The National Endowment for the Arts would get $50 million for new exhibits to deem America racist and sexist.” - Op-ed in the Norwich Bulletin
  
• “The National Endowment for the Arts, for example, is in line for $50 million, increasing its total budget by a third. The unemployed can fill their days attending abstract-film festivals and sitar concerts.” - National Review Editorial
• “I just think putting people to work is more important than putting more art on the wall of some New York City gallery frequented by the elite art community.” [U.S. Rep Jack] Kingston said. “Call me a sucker for the working man.” - Congressional Quarterly report

Congress will spend the next few days completing their work on this legislation, so now is the time for arts advocates to write to their local media outlets today and fight back against threats to the funding and anti-art amendments. If you take action today, this pro-arts message will show up in news reports by early next week, when Congress is expected to be making final decisions on the legislation.

I confess: I know less than nothing about sports. In fact, my closest connection to any football field came last Thursday at Marlborough Gallery in Chelsea, where I went to see Jane Dickson’s show Night Driving, an exhibition of about twenty recent oil paintings on astroturf. Yes, that’s right. Astroturf. Think pointillism meets the playing field. It’s difficult to capture in reproduction, but the effect is quietly mesmerizing, even hypnotic.

Dickson is no stranger to the exploration of unusual painting grounds, having already used sandpaper and carpet surfaces for her paintings. The astroturf bears a certain relationship to velvet paintings, imbuing an eerie luminosity to the works, but these lack any overt sentimentality or kitschiness.

Dickson provides views of cars on highways, bridges, garages, and sights so familiar they might seem bland. However, as the artist states, she is “…drawn to represent the uncanny, defined by Freud as, ‘the familiar grown strange,’ aiming to pull the unnoticed, the unquestioned, into the foreground, aiming to provide a space within my work for reflection on where we now find ourselves and what that tells us about who we are.” These stated intentions are extremely well-realized through her new paintings. Slightly three-dimensional and definitely tactile, these works, not just for their scale, demand to be seen in person.

From afar the paintings appear to be realistic, but with each step closer, shapes dissolve into a shimmering surface of color. Depth perception disappears, and indeed the familiar grows wonderfully strange.

This show is up until February 14th at Marlborough Gallery in Chelsea, 525 W 25th St., New York, NY.

(FYI, Jane Dickson is also the artist responsible for the mosaic of New Year’s Eve Revelers, permanently installed in the NYC subway tunnel between Port Authority and Times Square.)

[image above: Blue Tunnel 2, 2006-2008, Oil on astroturf, 29 x 36 in., 73.7 x 91.4 cm. Copyright Jane Dickson, courtesy Marlborough Gallery, New York.]

For more reviews, visit Sky Pape’s blog Drawn Together

After reading Damon Krukowski’s review in Art Forum of Brian Eno’s latest venture in atmospheric composition, I rushed right over to the iPhone Apps store and bought my very own copy of Bloom. Bloom is an interactive compositional piece by Eno and Peter Chilvers made exclusively for the iPhone and iPod touch.

I’ve spent hours over the last two days creating and enjoying the recurring and “evolving” loops that you create by tapping the iPhone’s screen. Each tap becomes a blooming dot of color as well as a piano note in your composition. While Krukowski analyzes the minimalist musical considerations, I love the improvisational instrument where every note sounds good.

It will cost you $3.99 for all this fun. If you don’t have an iPhone, I’d advise you to buy it for a friend who has one (just be sure you get playing rights!).