When ideas collide

So it often happens that there are waves of thoughts which occur in all aspects of culture, including, of course, the art world. Its like when three galleries in Chelsea are all showing works somehow involving maps, or that there are a lot of shows which involve drawn patterns. (I've seen both of these waves, among others over the past few months).

And so too, it has happened recently to me. It is probably more likely to happen when there is a specific curatorial theme to which the works are responding.

After some well founded procrastination (house hunting) we finally made it to Smack Mellon to see the Site 92 show. A promise of both Almondine and Grimaldi's ensured G would be right there with me. Besides he had seen the proposal I had submitted and was equally as intrigued as I (he brought some extra ire to the mix as well). The open call for works requested that works respond to the site of the new Smack Mellon space at 92 Plymouth Street in Dumbo. My proposal came back with the requisite form letter not long after it was sent in. So it was with equal parts shock and curiosity that I read the press release regarding the show:

"Between its operation as the boiler building and its new function as a gallery, living things and organic materials had taken over 92 Plymouth. Funghi and mineral deposits clung to the structure; pigeons nested in the coal trough. Taking into account this past, Danielle Dimston creates shelf mushrooms made out of cardboard that cling to the metal columns. Carey Ascenzo'’s installation also inhabits the brick wall with tiny red hand-knotted wire balls. The small dots are found clustered in various groups around the wall like an infestation of insects or crystal formations."

You see, my proposal included not just something similar to Danielle's works, but, ahem, almost the exact same idea. And as for Carey's works, I had proposed a number of other pieces which were startlingly similar. See more about the proposal here.

It's not entirely surprising that this kind of thing would happen, especially given that if you did some research you would learn that corrugated cardboard was invented in Dumbo, and the infestation theme is a pretty big concept. The thing that strikes me is that the curators would dismiss my proposal without so much as a mention of the fact that they had selected some other works that might appear similar, but that they made the decision to go with the other works because blah, blah, blah. That's all I'm asking for here, a little consideration...

Did they really think that I would not go to see the show? Did they think that maybe I wouldn't notice the similarities? In all fairness they could have selected one of my suggestions to include instead of dismissing the entire thing out of hand. I generally give the benefit of the doubt since I (obviously) have no idea what goes on behind closed doors, but this is just strange.

So we did go see the show, and I had hoped that the shelf mushrooms would at least be really supremely detailed and intricate - but they weren't. I thought they looked pretty good on the rusty columns - just as I had imagined they would.

The little red infestation was really hard to find, but there they were in the brick, looking sort of like an infestation.

I don't want to disparage the artists (I like Danielle and Carey's work), the work was interesting, so enough about that, and on to some other works in the show.

Wade Kavanaugh & Stephen Nguyen created a beautiful craft paper work thatmimickedd the beams in the space, but it also had overtones of wood. There was a strange strength and fragility in the mass of craft paper.

Karen Dolmanisth's work was a tactile investigation of architectural mass. She used sticks which had been deftly carved to build a small sheltering structure which swirled around one of the columns. Enmeshed in the piece - trapped or finding refuge? - were cultural detritus.

Luisa Caldwell's candy wrapper piece was so festive, decorative and delicate in such a massive industrial space. It swayed gently with the drafts coming through the building, and reflected fragments of light. The piece took detritus and celebrated it and created a beautiful sculptural piece which defined space in an interesting way.

Claire Watkins created a fascinating investigation of suspended energy, by utilizing a magnet to attract a number of needles tied to the columns by long threads of red. (There's a good picture of it in the link).

So the curatorial thesis of 'site specificity' seemed quite broad. Some of the pieces responded to the location of the space, some of the works responded to the shape and size of the space, and some of the works responded to the concept of site specific in itself.

Technorati Tags: Smack Mellon, Sculpture, Installation Art, Site Specific Art

On being an artist...

J.T. got me thinking with his post, and the ensuing commentary regarding Motivation vs. Inspiration, and of course my class keeps re-enforcing thoughts which I already hold to be true. But given all of this - what does it mean to be an artist?

I feel somewhat blessed to have come to my art when I did, although there are many who identify their path earlier than I, there are many who don't commit or devote to it until later in life. Basically I realized my own need and desire to create at the level of I guess 'professional' about a year out of undergrad (studied architecture, so there was creativity, but I had not fully embraced the visual arts). I decided at that time that I would devote myself to it fully. That meant going to grad school (at great expense) and a continuing commitment by devoting evenings and weekends to working away in my various studio set ups. (Whether it was a live work, or a closet sized separate studio, or sometimes just a patio or rooftop). Besides the financial and time commitments there is also the question of emotional and mental commitment.

As an artist (unless you are extremely talented AND lucky) you get an awful lot of rejections, and even when you get an opportunity to show there will be vocalized criticisms, although frequently mixed with heartfelt praise. Putting lots of effort thought and pure sweat into something, and sacrificing other things in life and then putting it out to the public, only to receive repeated rejections can be a Sisyphean existence. So there has to be an awful lot of ego, and belief in one's self to keep going.

There are a lot of people that I went to grad school with who don't do their artwork any more. But there are just as many who are still working and showing. Like me they have all had their ups and downs. But, speaking for myself (and I would imagine others) there is something within me that truly believes that the work I am creating is interesting and will speak to people (probably not everyone, but to those whom it does...). I also believe that when I get rejected, its not my work or me being rejected, but just not a harmony between my work and the curator, jury or theme.

I have certainly had some pretty down moments - getting three rejections in one day - but there are ups as well. I just keep making work - because I can't honestly imagine a day without it - its kind of like breathing, it is who I am. And I keep on believing that it is truly worth showing and that there is an audience for the work.

So this is a little off my rants of late (don't worry there's one in the pipeline), but I thought I would put some thoughts out there, and would love to hear from other artists what keeps you going and how do you picture yourself?

Technorati tags: Art, Motivation, Inspiration, Ego, Artist

I won't write about the Whitney, I won't write about the Whitney...

That's what I keep saying in my head, over and over again, and yet I am bombarded by comments on the biennial (Thinking About Art, From the Floor, New York Magazine, The Village Voice, NY Times, Bloomberg, Blake Gopnik)--

aw, hell...

Of course I have thoughts on it, and I keep thinking about what is good and bad about the 'curatorial thesis' prior to even seeing the show! So here's what I am going to do, I am going to write a serial response to all the Whitney Biennial input that is so pervasive in NYC. (Its funny that it passed virtually un-noticed in SF except the year that celebrated the -ugh - Mission School).

So, here are some initial thoughts on the curatorial thesis (given that my responses are based MERELY on the media saturation, and not on having actually read the catalog or thesis - yet).

Internationalism - I support this viewpoint, I think it made sense in the early years for the Biennial (and at times Annual) to focus on American artists, but with globalism as a reality of our time, it would be shortsighted and contrived to only have 'American' artists in the show. And what does it mean to be an American artists anyway?

This years Whitney takes the leap and explores what the 'American Experience' is - whether that is by an American living abroad, or a foreign born artist living in America. I think it is an important issue to review, and applaud the curators for taking it on (successfully or not).


Political art - I have talked about this before, so has Donald Kuspit, and more recently J.T., in Thinking About Art There was actually a good quote from Philippe on this, taking from Godard, 'Don't make political films (art), film (make art) politically.' That to me doesn't mean holding up a mirror or regurgitating the same things that we see over and over again in the media. Instead make it your own, use your own style and voice to either comment on it, provide refuge, or look to the future. Of course escapism isn't always applauded either.

Controversy - Doesn't seem to have much controversy this year (yet), in fact critically it is being well received.

The title - 'Day for Night,'Truffauts' 'La Nuit Americaine.' This refers to the old style of filming night scenes for movies in the middle of the day by using a filter and under-exposing the film. G didn't realize this was done (probably because it is a mostly American phenomena) and since I pointed it out, has driven him crazy ever since. It really breaks the suspension of disbelief. So what is this show attempting to do - is it trying to make us believe in the trick? Or is it exposing the faults in society and breaking our suspension of disbelief in modern day culture?

Exploration of the Alter Ego - I have a street artist alter ego - does anyone else have alter egos that they want to come forward with? Grayson Perry has an alter ego, Man Ray had an alter ego. It is an interesting artistic tradition to explore, but to have a fake or alter ego adding to the catalog - cute and clever, yes, important to the investigation, no.

Curators as artists - Todd's spot on about this. I am working on curating a few shows, but those are completely outside my practice as an artist. Yes it takes, skill and talent and effort to create a successful and cohesive show, but it is not at all the same as making art. With the inclusion of 'The Wrong Gallery' while an interesting 'action' and fitting within the theme is ultimately a bit of a slap in the face to the artists who are included.

(I swear this is the last for today, I have drawings to work on and jobs to apply to... Just wanted to say that I appreciate the irony in my large amount of comments regarding a show I haven't seen, when I hesitate to read press releases for shows I have seen. Or maybe that isn't ironic at all.)


Technorati tags: Whitney Biennial, Art, Donald Kuspit, The Wrong Gallery, Phillipe Vergne, Chrissie Iles, alter ego, political art

Drawings and decorations

I finally made it out to Chelsea (blame the travel, apartment hunting, sickness), which meant that unfortunately I missed a LOT of the shows I had wanted to see. Still, there was enough on my list still to render me completely knackered.

I saw a lot of really lavish work - some richly detailed, some glamorous and gaudy - but all of it finely, and obsessively created. I also am seeing a LOT of drawing lately. Is this because I am doing more drawing and am therefore more tuned in to it? Or are there a lot more people doing more drawing? I wonder if there is an immediacy and intimacy about drawing which appeals to us in this day and age? On to the works--

PH Gallery presents an installation by Andrea Loefke. She is a talented installation artist, creating worlds of events having just happened. This work is playful and pop in its brightly colored objects. The viewer has the distinct feeling of having just walked in on something exciting (good or bad?) that had just happened. This work adeptly plays with our urge in this media saturated world to get more facts, more information, more pictures... She doesn't let us have that, instead letting us feel a bit anxious and very curious.

Another artist playing with a missing storyline is Caitlin Atkinson, who is showing self-portraits at Foley Gallery. These works were all staged (which is really important to know) moments of anxiety - she stands in a misty field calling for a missing dog, or holds laden grocery bags in an empty parking lot. The work is successful in conveying a feeling of discomfort and loss.

Another photo show worth noting were the photos by Thomas Wrede at James Nicholson. Wrede produces large scale lushly printed photographs of expansive spaces. In the photographs he (appears to) distort the field of view to remove any realistic sense of scale. Beaches look enormous and desolate, a huge container ship looks like a tiny toy in bath water.

In the magpie category, Marianne Boesky featured Angelo Filomeno an stunningly crafted show of 2d and 3d works utilizing iconography of death rendered in shiny fabrics, semi-precious gems, glitter and feathers. This work, though I found it oddly attractive/repulsive has stuck in my mind. A different style of decoration was employed by Shimon Okshteyn in his show at Stux. These works were strangely unsettling and humorous, black and white traditional paintings surrounded by self referential gaudy, colorful decorative frames, also some very nice glass pieces.

As for the drawings, Sebastiaan Bremer presents drawings on photographs at Roebling Hall. Mostly the photographs are barely there but they are clearly idea catalysts for the drawings. The drawings themselves are intricate and delicate layers of intense personal reference. Andre Schlechtriem Temporary presented the work of Ralf Ziervogel, who creates obsessive monstrosity stunningly rendered as ink on paper. In addition he creates interesting sculptures out of rolls of tape.

I also visited Gregory Coates' show at Magnan Projects. It was an interesting show of reductivist forms. The wall pieces were wooden structures wrapped with plastic wrapping, not original but of some interest. Best piece of the show was the floor to ceiling installation of bicycle innertubes strung taught. This pieces reminds me of a modern day forest, the knots tied like stunted branches or thorns.

I also really really wanted to like the work of Lucky DeBellevue at Feature Inc., and part of me did, I was atracted to the forms and the wonderful use of such a tactile material as the pipe cleaner, but there was something missing in the work. I will have to think about this more because in a wierd way it bothered me that I didn't like it more. Maybe its because I had seen some pretty stunning things done with pipe cleaners by Annie Varnot. Nonetheless the photos still look really good.

Overall the work was not uninteresting but there was nothing out there that I was really struck by. Maybe everyone is saving it all up for the upcoming fairs.

UPDATE: Okay, it did bother me about not liking Lucky Debellevue's work at Feature, Inc. and only this morning (c'mon, remember I was knackered!) that it wasn't the work it was the venue. I looked at a lot of other pictures of Lucky's works and liked them all. And when I looked at the images of the work (without the context of the gallery) I liked those too. The space is interestingly divided into many smaller spaces with a lot of different work being shown. I think all that detracted from work that really needed more space, solitude and silence. Of course I also like these pieces, more for conceptual content than form.

Site, Cults and Curators?

The lobs have already started against the not yet opened Whitney Biennial and the cult of the curator. I (and From the Floor) am more interested in the recent announcement of the artist's for the Sixth Site Santa Fe.

I have always found this biennial to be compelling for its focus primarily on installation and site specific work. Curated by Klaus Ottmann, and titled "Still Points of the Turning World" this years show promises to focus on the artworks instead of forcing them into a curatorial theme. He has chosen (I can't find the full list) to include Patty Chang, Peter Doig, Wolfgang Laib, Jonathan Meese, Wangechi Mutu and Catherine Opie. There are only 13 artists to be included in this show, and of those listed each is quite different in their style and approach from the others.

Patty Chang creates works that are performance based and self-referential (in the mode of Chris Burden and Carolee Schneeman). Peter Doig, a painter, works with contemporary landscape imagery to create works that are dreamlike. Wolfgang Laib (the only artist whose name I recognized in the list) is known for his meditative and spiritual installations. Jonathon Meese creates installations and performances which examine cultural references and identity. I will let James Wagner speak for the brilliant and surprising collages and works on paper of Wangechi Mutu, who was moved into the realm of video and sculptural installations as she explores the female form in international modern culture. Catherine Opie has covered a wide variety of cross sections of humanity with her startling and honest photographic eye.

So it will be interesting to see how these diverse and independent artists come together in a single. I will also be on the lookout for the full list (if you know where it is, let me know).

As for the 'cult of the curator' I have referenced this topic in a couple of other posts, with Olu Oguibe urging artists to regain the power in the art community hierarchy, and an examination of the 'cult of the artist' which exists in the UK. So it is interesting to turn the looking glass on ourselves (the artists) to try to figure out why the US celebrates the curators, collectors and dealers more than the artists. I don't have an answer to why this exists - will need to get rid of the headache and maybe read some more recent art history to try to understand it better, but here are some initial thoughts. There was a time when artists were self reliant (for financial reasons) and created works not for the mass public or collectors, but for themselves and each other. As soon as money starts to flow into the art world, the shift changes and the power slides over to those who have the money. The success of the YBA, was largely due to their own self determination. They hosted their own shows and promoted themselves outside of the structure of the art world (until they were of course subsumed by it). So, I call again to all artists to take back the power - curate your own shows, create alternative venues, promote yourself in new and different ways.

In light of that. I am currently creating two curatorial proposals, the first is going to be a show of artists from various regions of the world who deal with identity, the second the show of synthetic naturalists that I have long wanted to do. I will post the thematic statements when I get through them. If you know of any great artists which might fit in either of these themes let me know. Also still hoping to bring the wonderful Budget Gallery to NYC (which reminds me I need to get back in touch with Steve Lambert - one of the cleverest people I know).

Anyone else working on something to promote their work or their friends? Would love to hear about it. Oh - one project like that is the Bushwick Art Project (or BAP as we prefer).

distractions and Distractions...

I haven't been really good about writing blog posts, and even when I do lately, I tend to forget to include the stuff I want to say. This is in large part due to the fact that I am looking for A) a new place to live (anyone know of a nice brownstone for rent?) and B) a part time job (something in the arts?) Hopefully one or the other of those will be sorted soon and I can devote more energy to blogging and, more importantly, making art!

I forgot to mention in my 'discussion' of art v. activism the work of Simon Starling, see the comments to get my thoughts on his work. I also totally forgot to mention my support of the recent discussions by Modern Art Notes and From the Floor regarding the use of the MoMA lobby for a program similar to the Unilever program for the Tate Modern Turbine Hall. I meant to put that at the end of the recent post.

Despite my lack of attention though, some people out there are keeping me on my toes, both with my artwork - is this a backhanded compliment? And then there are the comments that occassionally come in on the blog that activate 'the little grey cells' in my brain. Glad to get feedback though, whatever the flavor. I am certainly not above criticism, and give fair and due consideration to all that comes my way.

Lots of interesting shows up right now, and I hope to get out really soon (right now we have sold our freetime souls to the househunt devil), because I could just kick myself for not seeing the Amy Rathbone show at Priska C. Juschka! Here's a shortlist of some of the interesting looking stuff out there (thanks as always to the diligence of the guys at ArtCal.net):

• Jessica Bronson's LED text works at Lombard Freid Projects
  
• Andrea Zittel at the New Museum (we saw this at CAM in Houston first, its worth going to see again)
• Eric Drury's skeletal sculptures at Boreas
• Caitlin Atkinson's photographs at Foley
• Sally Smart's The Exquisite Pirate large scale collages at Postmasters
• Ebb and Flow at Hogar Collection ( top image by Young Wha-Lee)
  
• Robert Gutierrez's intense abstractions at Sixtyseven (bottom image by Gutierrez)
  
• Karen Heagle's awkward, ambiguous and beautiful paintings at I-20

There are quite a lot of others, including a lot of really great drawing shows out there which I can't wait to see. If there is anything anyone out there could recommend that I add to my list please do! I will have to get out soon too since many of these shows end this week!

On the other side of the pond

Besides chocolates, oatcakes, marmite, and a cold, I brought back a bunch of pictures of Rachael Whiteread's installation, 'Embankment' at the Tate Modern. The latest in the hugely successful Unilever series in the Turbine hall . I wanted to see the work since I usually enjoy Whiteread's work, but I wasn't expecting much because of the pictures I had seen of the work, but like most installation works, the pictures can never do it justice.

I was quite pleasantly wowed with the work. As I say, pictures cannot do it justice (but I am including a lot in here anyway). It is the act of walking through the work that is powerful. With all of these white boxes and their detail (you can see the corrugating) stacked and piled, I had a sense of incredible emptiness...

Also got a kick out of the sign at the entrance to the installation, instead of 'do not touch" we go with the threat of bodily harm...

I will also try to post more when the cold in my head lets me think a little more clearly.

You wanna piece of me? ...bring it on... in the Garden

Most people who know me, know I like a challenge. Whether its a killer physical workout with mental challenges, a good debate on a political topic, or an impossible artistic task. I enjoy learning about different sides of a story, I enjoy having my preconceptions challenged.

Thats why I recently applied for an 'assistant curatorship' at Exit Art. . The hours were perfect (part time, with additional time for specific projects), and the requirements seemed like a good fit for me: works well under pressure, dynamic fast paced environment and a need for multi-tasking capabilities of the highest order. Believe me, that all describes my work style to a T.

Here's where the challenge comes in. A lot of the programming is not something I would have chosen to do. Don't get me wrong, they have also hosted some of my absolute favorite shows ever (see below), but a lot of the shows are, well, challenging. And I like that. I don't want to go out to galleries and just see stuff I already know I like - what fun is that?

I go to lots of galleries and see lots of shows to be able to give my brain a little excercise. Thats why I thought this would be a great job. It would allow me to see more of the process involved behind the scenes in putting together a show like that and I could be an integral part of staking its claim. I think it is really important to present a varied palette of works (Exit Art does that probably better than any other NYC institution), and to also present well thought out reasons for presenting said works. Well, so thats why I wanted the job. If anyone knows anyone who knows anyone...

So the shows I liked:
The Garden of Sculptural Delights: This show in 1994 happened during my grad school time (first time around, and, um, yeh, that dates me). One of my professors, Gillian Jagger was participating, but there was also work by Ming Fay, Petah Coyne, Judy Pfaff and Roxy Paine among others. It was really fascinating. I think it had a great and lasting affect on me, even though I may not have realised it directly at the time. I remember having gone back a couple of times and wandering through the fascinating (and huge) installations of gorged, morphed and multi-colored organic mutations. These artists are still favorites, and the show was incredibly unique for its time.

Sweat!: This was a fascinating show because a lot of people I was in school with were in this show: Lynda Abraham, Jeff (Jeph) Gurecka, Heather Stephens and Jeff Wyckoff. It was a disgustingly hot summer and the show explored the idea of escape. This manifested itself in a variety of ways, including fantastical, ritualistic, and tribalistic. There were always lots of people just hanging out too, it was like an urban sweaty Caliguan party...

The Studio Visit: This just ran for the month of January. The show explored the artistic environment through the medium of video and onsite studio spaces. I thought this was a fascinating idea and interestingly presented. I have always enjoyed open studios because it lets you get a look at the inner mind of the artist. You can get a glimpse of the things that the artist collects as interesting visual objects, it is like seeing inside the womb from which the baby was born (but not gross). It makes me think of the seminal photographs of artists in their studios. I find that having some non-text background to the work is really important to understanding the work.

So maybe they are just slow in getting back to me, and I will be working for Exit Art before too long. Let's hope, because everyone needs a good challenge.

Random notes on a lot of things and some pretty pictures too

So mostly this posting is about catching up on things I have been wanting to comment on. (And I am waiting for the Friday craigslist to populate itself with the apartment listings for the weekend).

First up, Activism v. Art v. Stunts. I have for some time now been curious about the blurry lines between art that is political in nature and politics that are artistic in nature. This may seem a curious statement, but here's what I mean. Many artists want to address political issues in their work, creating 'artwork' that come off more as 'stunts,' the work is more interesting in its political content than in its artistic content.

Let me say right now that this is an issue that I contemplate quite a lot. I do think it is important to make some kind of impact with your artwork (otherwise why bother to put it in public view). This impact could be purely emotional or have a more cognitive impact.

So here are some of the artists I am thinking about (pulled from this article on Green Futures): Mark McGowan turned on a tap at a gallery to demonstrate water waste, and pushed a peanut around with his nose to protest student loan debt; Michael Landy's destruction of all of his belongings: WEEE man in London, the giant sculpture made of technological refuse; and Banksy, who's clever street art is stunningly well executed.

I like all of these works and artists, but I have some questions and comments regarding the works. I am struck by Landy and Banksy's work on an artistic level. McGowan and WEEE man strike me as terribly clever stunts that bring awareness to issues, but not necessarily art. Of course as soon as I say that I start to waiver. So here are the questions:
What makes political art successful as Art (yeh with a capital a)?
What makes political art successful as activist project? (Do any of these works *really* make people rethink their habits?)

So here are some answers I have formulated. I definitely believe that for political art to be successful it has to have more than the "moment effect." I am making up this new term to describe the kind of artwork that you look at and immediately 'get it' and then there is no more to the work. It is work that is really easy to understand what it is addressing. Its the kind of thing that Kuspit in 'The End of Art' describes as a lack of translation. Artists taking information readily available in the news and recontextualizing it as art without translating it using their own creative voice.

In response to the second question, I don't think these works have any long term affect. Yeh people got mad about McGowan running water in the gallery, and the Water company threatened to shut off water to the gallery. But I doubt the people involved in getting it shut down really than changed their habits (taking less and/or shorter showers, conserving water while washing dishes).

So how then can artwork achieve both of these issues? I think it is important to do one of two things, either create artwork that involves the public in its process, thereby teaching them something *in the process* of creating the work. Or (and this is far more difficult) create works that are so powerful emotionally that they affect the viewers on a very very deep level.

So now you want to know, okay who has done this? Well I don't have a lot of contemporary artists, but as the Green Future Article points out, there's Joseph Beuys' 7000 Oaks project. Much of Beuys' work was political or social commentary that was presented in an emotionally powerful way, the Oaks project was a very direct hands on project which involved the community. Another work which I constantly rely on (I should try to find some others) is Picasso's Guernica. It is an extremely powerful work which emotionally affects the viewers. (And that's reinforced by the need of the US Govt to request the painting be covered).

Bottom line, I don't have it all figured out yet, but that's part of the process of art making right? I am still angry, so I am working on environmental action projects, some which involve the public, and some which I hope will have an emotional impact, so we will just have to see what comes of it all.
(Okay this post was longer than I had hoped, so the posts on remembering Exit Art's Garden of Sculptural Delights, and what is environmental art, will just have to wait)

A quick note!

I just came across Martin Bromirski's blog on the Packets of Rejection. What a truly beautiful thing. I think most artist's keep their rejection letters, they become a kind of testimony of effort. Some bother me more than others. The ones that have handwritten notices that say 'we're intrigued keep us posted' or 'please submit again next year' can be uplifting and depressing at the same time. The form ones are horrid, but some have been very kind and given insight into the rejection decision.

Btw. I would have Martin in my list on the right, but I read blog's by rss pretty exclusively, and though I have him bookmarked, I overlooked noting his when doing the list (which was based on the newsgroups). I will try and rectify that when I next update the list. Martin - this is by no means any kind of rejection!

This one is for the dogs...

Happy Lunar New Year!

I am pretty sure the fact that it is the year of the dog means good things for everyone. It should be a year of loyalty, undying love and happiness and determination in the face of obstacles. Dogs always amaze me. They can be blind, deaf, three-legged, whatever and still have the most optimistic outlook. So I am going to try that!

I will have to start with getting over the fact that Smack Mellon chose someone else's cardboard tree fungi and mold than mine. Hope to go see the show this weekend.


I will try to have patience with galleries that still request slides. (Little rant here) although I don't really know what the hold up is. LMCC *requires* that you submit a cd of images, and even better, Art in General's commission submissions are *entirely* online. Hooray for progress! It is so expensive to get slides reproduced (especially if you want them done well!) and re-labelling them for each submission that has different requirements is a HUGE pain in the butt. So there.

I will work doggedly (get it!) to get through the soma series. (I just finished the second circles dwg and am halfway through the 3rd lines dwg). (And yes, those are my 'work shoes' in the picture).


I will read all the things I have been meaning to read and comment on, especially the article on art as eco-activism.

I will do an awesome job curating the shows I am curating. One (co-curating) is an international show of work dealing with women's issues and points of view, the other is the show I have wanted to put together for a while on the synthetic naturalists. If you know any work that would fit in either category, let me know the artist by leaving a comment.


I will find a sunny apartment for my cat :).

Hope everyone has a succesful and joyous year of the dog!

grit, soma, and perceptions

I have been busy working on the large drawings (48"x85"), and finally got two layers of one of them done, and decided I definitely need one more layers. Ugh more circles! Apparently though, tenacity, or 'grit' is a promising thing (courtesy of ArtsJournal).

Speaking of circles, JT has been going nuts with lots of really beautiful and precise drawings. He is beginning to branch out and looks like he is having fun. The works look great, and I hope to see them out and about sometime soon.

This weekend I got out to see PS1 and The Sculpture Center. Pipilotti Rist's piece at PS1 was the tiniest and most compelling of the works on view. A tiny monitor embedded in the floor with vibrantly colored video of a woman shouting 'help me!' in a variety of languages while being engulfed by cartoon like flames. The viewer stands towering over this teeny woman feeling entranced and helpless. She can't be helped since she is in a video, but her being beneath the floor makes it a visceral piece. Many people walked by without even seeing it...

I also enjoyed the piece by Mckendree Key (whose work I have seen a lot lately: here, and here) did a wonderful work continuing her investigations of preception of space. By imposing structures in architecture or the environment Mckendree challenges our notions of space and personal relations to the external world. Her work is often whimsical at the same time, which I enjoy.

There was also a stunning and subtle piece by Mary Temple that had us enthralled and investigating the work closely. She also seems to be toying with preconceived notions of seeing.

Overall the Sculpture Center, while having the occassional outstanding pieces (Key, Temple, and previously works by Petah Coyne, Elena Herzog and Ana Linnemann), is so consumed by the 'investigation into the practice of what IS sculpture' (my words not theirs), that I often find the premise of the investigation interesting, while the pieces are sadly lacking. I am a supporter of expanding the boundaries of what constitutes sculpture (after all the drawings above will become something in between drawing and sculpture when I am finished with them), but the work and curatorial mission shouldn't suffer for it. I will keep going back, and heck probably even one day become a member, but I will also hope that the work shown there improves on the whole.

Actually to be fair, here are their words: "SculptureCenter is a not-for-profit arts institution dedicated to experimental and innovative developments in contemporary sculpture."

If there is one thing i really appreciate about new york, it's the subway performers. Some are obviously in it for the money (probably most actually-some are just more obvious about it), like the wonderful duo of breakdancers who work the train between manhattan and brooklyn (which gives them a longer performance period). But some just seem to be really passionate about their work - and awfully resilient (if not always talented). One of my favorites is the L train guy. I first discovered him at lorimer station over the summer. Lately he has been appearing more at the union street station. He has a sweet and resonant voice and he just keeps on playing and singing, even when the trains come through and drown him out. I once even say him play while competing for sound space with a loud, fast paced drummer. The thing that caught my eye today was that he was playing and singing while wearing a puffy coat! How hard must that be? I wish i had taken pictures of him throughout the changing seasons...

Round 'em up!

There's been a lot of good activity in the past day or so, I thought I would post about some of it...

I noticed in sculpture magazine this month that the inemitable Gillian Jagger won a nice prize. Except I didn't note the name of it, and I don't have my issue yet. I will update this when I find out what it is. Congratulations Gillian! Apparently there is also a documentary being made about Gillian, which should be very interesting as she is a fascinating character.

jameswagner.com posted about the shows at Dam Stuhltrager. I was glad he did since it reminded me of the drawings by Michael Schall that were on view. I forgot to post about them in my gallery round up. Michael's drawings are curious and meticulous drawings of industry and nature intertwined and interdependent. The drawings are strange and a little off-putting, but fascinating as well. Because of the scale at which they are drawn it is more lilipudlian than overwhelming or disturbing. As Michael says in his statement: "associations with our own society’s desire to dominate and control both its environment and its individuals." I do also want to comment on the work by Gae Savannah, whose colorful works were exhibited in the front room. I liked the structures and the magpie in me enjoyed the colors, and luscious treatments and fabrics. I do however wish that the craftsmanship was better on these. They begged to be finely crafted to the minutest detail. But they are not. Also another word of caution, the photo of Gae's work on the postcard, and the photo that James took were both in the category of photos of the images that look better than the actual work. Its a fine line to tread. Her smaller works may work better than the architecturally inspired pieces in the show. I will watch out for more of her work though

Apartment Therapy brought "Knitta, Please!" to my inbox. This is the kind of clever street art that I think is worthwhile. Not that ridiculous pee-ing on the street that is so much of the tagging around here. (Still have to write my rant, I mean post, on street art).

ArtMoco posts an update on one of my favorite public art project in years, the enormous pink bunny by Gelitin, apparently there is grass pushing up through the bunny now, and it looks great covered in snow!

But I wasn't too thrilled about the ArtMoco posting about Pixar. Really guys, just because the MoMA does it, doesn't mean you have to.

Can't remember where I saw this, but the green building excitement in New York just keeps on going - yay! In 2004 Benton Brown and Susan Boyle reno'd an old Ice House in Crown Heights through sustainable methods. Wah! Why can't I live there instead of my scummy place!

NewYorkology reports on the Guardian's article about Art Galleries as antidotes for stress, well that should help build business! And finally the guardian has rss feeds...
Art.blogging.la writes that CSU Long Beach is hiring a sculpture professor, and she says that sculpture is HOT right now! Hmmm, surfing sounds awfully good right now. I think those bahamas ads on the trains are working their magic, even though if I were to quit the rat race I think I would go to Maldives. And if sculpture is HOT I should be rich any minute now.

And soon, we will have our very own version of Maldives right here in Gotham, out on Randall's Island of all places.

Last but certainly not least, the Drawing Center has found a home. After the debacle of being invited and then uninvited to be at Ground Zero (so much for American freedom of speech and liberties). The New York Times is reporting that they will relocate to the recently vacated Fulton fish market at South Street Seaport. The Drawing Center talking heads have been nothing if not extremely polite and mature in all of these dealings, unlike the embarassing displays by Pataki, Clinton and the families of 9/11 victims. If we don't stand for investigating and being open about what happened on 9/11 and our history, then we are merely setting ourselves up for more attacks. I am glad that the Drawing Center refused to have oversight on their curatorial decisions. (And yeh, I wrote letters to Clinton and Pataki, but never even got a polite formmail reply.)

Joy of craftsmanship in chelsea

Time again to get out and see some work before the closing of the shows. I am glad to have gotten out when I did, but sorry that I didn't post sooner as it means that some of the shows will have already closed.

So the top of the list, two shows that were fantastically good. One of which blew my socks off. (Isn't that a fun visual image?)

We started the day off well with the Cynthia Atwood show at Morgan Lehman. The works were sculptural works that investigate something between organic and bodily forms , rendered in precious and fine fabrics. The work elevates the forms to a more regal and celebrated place. The works were created with evident care and attention to detail. They were consuming and intriguing, easy to spend time investigating at length - tactile, somatic, organic, feral...

The blow my socks off work was Robert Jack at Josee Bienvenue. He was showing ink on paper and a few paintings. The artist has taken the obsession of mark making to an extreme. The drawings were obsessively created with the repetition of at most three forms of "marks" all small and repeated ad infinitum to create a larger whole that contained surface, depth and texture. We kept walking around the gallery saying, "hey come look at this!" "wow" and just generally feeling overwhelmed and impressed with the intensity of the work.

Caren Golden Fine Art had a fun show of plastic balls in the gallery and out in the environment by McKendree Key. Going to keep that gallery on my watch list as they have some interesting artists on their roster, Jonathon Calm, Seong Chun, Richard Klein, and Paul Henry Ramirez.

We saw some other shows, Shinique Smith at The Proposition. She created large bundles of clothing, investigating the disposable culture of the urban environment. Her earlier, more graffiti based works are more interesting, although I liked the piece in this show that worked with sculptural elements and graffiti on the wall. Some other works at Feature, ClampArt, Daniel Reich and Alexander & Bonin, but nothing worth noting.

Sunday we had plans to go see the galleries in Williamsburg. Which turned out to be fortuitous since the L Train wasn't running into Manhattan *sigh* again.

I want to note out front one really huge difference between Manhattan and Brooklyn (well Williamsburg in particular) galleries. The Williamsburg galleries are, well, friendly. No, its not really important when looking at art to have someone chatting you up, or have a dog or cat greet you at the door, but it sure is welcoming. Usually I am just looking to get in, look at the work and get out, and avoid all human (or animal) interaction. But the *vibe* in the WillyB galleries is to hang out, enjoy the work a bit longer, talk to people get to know something more about the artists, the gallery or the dealer, it definitely creates a better atmosphere if I were ever thinking to actually plop down a pile of money for some art. So Manhattan galleries, take note, friendliness might just bring out a wallet or two...

Having said that, the very generalized sense of the works in W. (the name just keeps getting shorter) is of work that is more experimental, and to its detriment, sometimes less well crafted. And so the quick rundown...

We met at the coffeeshop next to the Bedford Cheese Shop (there is some physical or chemical thing in my brain which keeps me from remembering the name of said coffee shop, but Bedford Cheese Shop is easy for me to remember!) and from there we started with the little gallery in the window, Realform Project, where Linda Byrne had installed replicas of birds nests made with those plastic six-pack things. She describes the work better than I do, so get the rundown here. Jack the Pelican was showing the work of Tim Folland, who creates disturbing and overwrought mechanisms for destroying paintings, the gallery becomes the memorial to the act. The strange thing was the evidence of and incredible amount of work which goes into the show. The videos and music are all manic, and certainly leave one feeling that coffee isn't all that necessary.

Black and White Gallery is a beautiful space, showing paintings by K. K. Kozik, which seem romantic and surreal. The outdoor space features an urban forest constructed by Sook Jin Jo. Whose drawings are really nice too.

We stopped by Momenta and Pierogi (the two old guards) on our way to see Hogar Collection (with the nice dog), and the interesting work of Adam Stennet, and his mice, at 31 Grand. Though I can't quite work out the fascination with the mice, and the video was strange and disturbing, the works are nonetheless beautiful and captivating. The mice are placed in somewhat tenuous positions that you realize they couldn't have gotten into without help from outside (Mr Stennet?) forces.

Crossed under the bridge and contemplated stopping for brunch at Williamsburg diner, but kept on to visit Outrageous Look, featuring a group show of works of strange and delirious landscapes. Some whimsical, others distraught, and some so completely disconnected from any sense of reality that they were really hard to get inside.

Through the bus depot and back under the bridge to get to KBP, and Ch'i, both very friendly galleries. KBP showing a strange installation of sculptures and fairies celebrating the female form, and Ch'i showing overly slick paintings and sculptures.

Went to get coffee at Oslo Coffee Co. on Roebling and stopped in at Gallery Boreas (who have an outpost in Reykjavik!) who show some interesting and diverse artists, but the current work by Peter Finnemore held no interest for anyone in my group. McCaig-Welles had gorgeous grey persian who stole the show. (All of this in a new building where once a chicken slaughterhouse stood - yeh, the neighborhood has changed).

The trek took us then back under the BQE over towards the Lorimer stop. Klaus Von Nichtssagend (worlds most difficult to say gallery name) featured a group show of drawings, the most intriguing of which was a drawing that was not actually part of the show, but was done by the charming young man at the desk, Matthew Chase. And adding the link in to Matthew's work I realize he is the artist who creates the boiled chewing gum and chewed paper pieces which I just love.

Our last stop was NutureArt, whose group show "Structuring Perception" included some good works in a sadly too small space to really enjoy them. Nevertheless its a great program that puts emerging curators and artists together to provide a venue for their experiments.

Which is a good note on which to end the day, since it sums up what I already said about W. galleries - experimental, a little rougher and mixed in the quality of work, but worth a trip out to see the shows...

Cleaning house

Right now I am over multi-tasking. I am working on fixing the digital images for my January submissions, knitting a scarf for a friend (belated christmas gift) and listening to WNYC. The digital images look pretty good thanks to my friend Peter, and I am so thrilled about galleries encouraging digital submissions. (More on that another time). The scarf is a pretty simple striped one with the lovely non-itchy merino wool from Morehouse yarns, certainly not along the lines of the stuff on You Knit What.

And the interview with Anna Marie Cox , of Wonkette fame, reminded me that I should update my links. So I am going to do that, and talk a bit about the links themselves...
First the blogs I read. It seems like a lot, but most of the postings are short and I can get through them while drinking a mug of green tea in the morning.
A Daily Dose of Architecture - a little taste of what is up in the world of architecture. Just because I didn't do anything with the degree, doesn't mean I'm not interested.
About Last Night - Terry Teachout's blog on ArtsJournal about the arts, mostly theater, but sometimes more.
Apartment Therapy - Things to improve your living space, especially a small one. I may not actually do anything, but its nice to imagine it. (Which leads to the idea of moving ugh again).
Art MoCo - Yummy an artist everyday. Sometimes great work, sometimes not at all interesting but art in the morning is always a good thing.
art.blogging.la - mostly LA stuff, but an interesting read from a gallery owner
ArtCal - whats showing and opening around NYC, I really love this blog and use it to make my lists of what to see
Artopia - John Perrault talks about art on ArtsJournal, longer posts than most, but less frequent and engaging discussions on contemporary arts
BBC News Arts & Entertainment - I subscribe for the arts information, but also find out such juicy tidbits as Nick Nolte is finally off probation (remember this photo?)
bloggy - the personal blog by Barry Hoggard 1/2 of the team that brings me ArtCAl
CHOW - recipes straight to my inbox woohoo!
From the Floor - Opinions on art and art shows. From Todd Gibson, who seems to travel a lot! I like his insight and thoughtfulness.
Gothamist - All things NYC!
Jameswagner.com - James Wagner, the other 1/2 of the ArtCal team, talks about art and other things
Modern Art Notes - Tyler Green on art on ArtsJournal, interesting notes on art and the art world. (He talks about art, artists, critics, curators, museums, galleries, etc)
Modern Kicks - art and life
NewYorkology - more about NYC!
NYT Arts - been thinking about disconnecting this one. Sometimes a good read, but more often than not just interstitial advertising which I won't bother to click past.
Thinking About Art - J.T. Kirkland's blog. An artist and tech worker in D.C. I really enjoy his blogs because we agree on a lot of things :) He has also created the fascinating "Artists interview Artists"
Treehugger - for the greenie in me
Village Voice Arts - mostly funny, sometimes insightful or controversial
Village Voice NYCLife - yeh, more nyc
Words to Eat By - The blog of a foodie in Williamsburg, keys me into yummy places
You Knit What?? - my laugh out loud blog

Whew thats a lot of reading! But since I am interested in all of it, it doesn't seem to take any time at all (of course its noon and I am still in my pjs).

And now for the links:

Michele Kong - a great artist working with a huge variety of materials to create organic (she hates this term) works.
Yuko Oda - works with synthetic materials to create natural forms (synthetic naturalist yes?)
Wendy Testu - an installation artist working to address ecological disasters and environmental inequality
Amy Rathbone - delicate and intricate works. She has a show coming up at Prishka C. Juschka absolutely go see this show!
Chris Natrop - filigree finery and fussiness
Claudia Aranovich - a provocative artist working with interesting mixing of media and materials
Maria Luisa Tadei - dreamlike sculptures and environments
Karen Carlo Salinger - creating funky creatures that are attractive and a little off putting
Cheryl Coon - taking day to day monotony and examining that through visual creations
Beth Galston - environmental arts and synthetic naturalism
Rebecca Niederlander - quirky environments, sci-fi? fairy? toxic?
Ellen George - I love her tender resin pieces, candy colored and infinitely and intimately tactile
Bean Finneran - kooky spikey geometrics.
Joy Hought - fungal growths made of ceramics in warm earth tones and the rainbows of undersea creatures
Sarah Bostwick - mapping the world and our urban landscape in a minimalist way.
Josh Dorman - wild visions of the world, a collison of chaos and order
Susannah Bettag - combining slick candy colored childlike imagery with shocking visuals evoking despair and discomfort
Carol Es - tactility and femininity treated with a wry and deft hand
Sky Kim - organic intense drawings


There are of course many "big name" artists who I love, but don't include on this list (Magdalena Abakanowicz, Bill Viola, Judy Pfaff, Sarah Sze, etc) but I prefer to point out artists that may not be widely known. Have fun, and click away, I would be thrilled to know that I might have turned you on to a yet unknown artist... (and I will go get dressed now).

Oh yeh, I am spitting mad!

I am angry. I mean really really angry. The kind of angry that is a little overwhelming and makes you feel all squished inside. I also feel a little helpless because what I am angry about is so hugely important, so awesome, of great impact to all of us and to future generations. It is the kind of angry that will both spur me to action in many many ways and will sit and boil inside of me.

I have been an environmental advocate for quite some time. I reference the beauty of nature in my work and am constantly AWED and fascinated by it. It provides escape, surprise, contemplation, pretty much every emotion available to us.

For some reason, when I started reading my latest issue of Sierra magazine it really really hit home. I don't know if it was the article on the editing of documents on global warming done by the bush administration (substituting "maybe" for "is" and crossing out masses of information from documents and questioning findings). Maybe it was the stunning images of the Galapagos by Sebastiao Salgado. But I think mostly it is the article entitled "Year One, Climate Chaos Has Arrived" and its accompanying photos of Hurricane Katrina, and disappearing glaciers.

I mean really - who do we think we are? What gives us the right to decide that we can live an ultra disposable lifestyle without concern for our HOME PLANET, without concern for FUTURE GENERATIONS? What happened to the Native American theory of living in such a way that is sustainable for 7 generations? I just can't believe how blind and stupid we as humans (as parasites) can be able the destruction we are inflicting upon the very thing upon which we rely for LIFE? Science won't solve all of our destructive and selfish habits.

There is a growing awareness of environmental consciousness, but what are we really really really doing about it?

Time for me to walk the walk. I have given money to environmental causes (Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, etc), and I have thought about trying to make work that relates more directly to the environmental desecration. So I am going to volunteer, I am going to make that work, I am going to speak out more to friends who aren't thinking about it (watch out everyone). There are so many issues which I feel are important (the UN millennium goals, equal justice, women's rights, animal rights, etc.) but if we don't have a planet on which to enjoy them, what good are they?

I hope I stay angry I hope I keep the fire burning to have that in my work. And I hope I get to show the work, and I hope it affects people. And I hope that it changes some minds, and I hope that drives people to action.

The image at top is from Sebastiao Salgado's Genesis Project.