Last Saturday was a beautiful NYC day and so I decided to go gallery hoping in Chelsea. Note to self: never go to midtown on ST. PATRICK’S DAY! Ugh what a total mistake!! Thankfully by the time I made it across town to Chelsea the drunk green crowds were behind me.
I started off on 24th St, walked over to 21st St and then called it a day.
1. Alan Rath: Skinetics @ Bryce Wolkowitz
I was drawn in by a very interesting looking piece in the window – An eerie yet delicate kinetic sculpture with feather tendrils that moved in a fluttery, disquieting manner. The combination of the industrial machine, the organic material and natural almost birdlike movements was so fascinating, however, there were no more such sculptures inside the gallery – only videos that didn’t really hold my attention.
2. Donald Moffet: Radiant Future @ Marrianne Boesky Gallery
Again – the sculptures didn’t really move me and the gallery smelled so oppressively like oilbar that I couldn’t be in there for longer than a few minutes.
3. Jim Shaw @ Metro Pictures
Meh
4. Tom Freidman: New Work @ Luhring Augustine
This was the first exhibition of the day that really made me stop. There is a quite beauty and humour in Freidman’s work that I think a lot of artists try for but fail at – ending at crass and arrogant. When done right this combination is pure magic and Freidman’s exhibition really was (sadly, Saturday was the last day). I’ve been trying to pick a favorite from this exhibition since Saturday but really can’t decide – I admired each piece from afar and then when I got closer – gasped at some hidden surprise. I can tell you that my least favorite was Untitled (peeing figure) (because I’m very old fashioned and don’t like penis, boobs, blood, pee etc in art) but in terms of favorites… it is a six-way tie between the amazingly simple Untitled (portrait), the miniscule Untitled (kite) that led your gaze to Untitled (blue space station), the smart Untitled (verisimilitude), Untitled (apples), Untitled (wrinkled photo) and the just plain beautiful Untitled (bscsb). Finding out that all of the objects on view were made by hand made me revere Freidman even more – I love an artist that actually creates something handmade. And when that object is beautiful and smart – not compromising aesthetics and elegance for a gimmicky “trick” – I am in art heaven! I wish there were more like Freidman.
5. John Wood @ Bruce Silverstein
Simply breathtaking. Readers, I wasn’t familiar with Wood’s work before I walked into Bruce Silverstein but I have been reading about him furiously since then. Such gorgeous photographs and drawings, and photographs of drawings, and drawings and collages, and collages of photographs. It sounds like Wood is doing a lot but his work is so simple, quiet and beautiful. The quality of Woods’ photographs is out of this world – almost all black and white with sumptuous tones of grey. And his delicate line drawings mimic shapes that are in his photographs. And then there are photographs of drawings in sand or stone that also echo these same shapes. Again, I found myself in art heaven. Walking through this exhibition was like listening to an opera – with the same motif reappearing various times through out my visit – often embellished and then transformed into something else vaguely familiar yet even more beautiful.
6. Kim Dong Yoo @ Hasted Kraeutler
Funny – a bit one noted. I won’t give away the “surprise” to any potential viewers. The photos in the backroom I found much more haunting but can’t figure out if they were by Dong Yoo as well (doubtful).
7. Roy Lichenstein: Landscapes in the Chineese Style @ Gagosian
Ugh? What happened?! I did not like these at all.
8. Dan Walsh @ Paula Cooper
Really nice! I gravitated towards the monochromatic pieces but the whole show was a very tight cohesive selection of great work.
9. Terry Winters: Cricket Music, Tesselation Figures & Notebook @ Mathew Marks
Wow – possibly the worst thing I saw all day!! I was so disappointed by this show – usually I love Terry Winters but these pieces were such a cacophonous mess. And the Times gave it such a glowing review!! …… maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about :S
10. Georg Baselitz @ Gagosian
Anything that fills up the cathedral space that is the 21st Gagosian is bound to be impressive looking – even if only because of it’s size. But I have to say, that is all I could say about the Baselitz show – they were big paintings, they were nice….there was a big sculpture too.
Summary of the day’s adventure: Well done Luhring Augustine & Bruce Silverstein! I still can’t stop thinking about those shows. It’s amazing what truly talented artists can create with the simplest materials.
