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| September 16th Chelsea Art Crawl Top 5 by Stephan Fowlkes Chelsea, Week Two of the Fall Season, 2010: Not even the torrential deluge and wild winds kept us from high and low culture in Chelsea, and it seems we weren’t the only ones. With over fifty openings--even more than last week--there was plenty of art for everyone, satisfying every conceivable taste--sculpture, painting, photography, video, installation, even some stuff that seemed to defy classification. |
Using a rich vocabulary of iconographic imagery in his paintings juxtaposed with a more expressionistic process, Manuel Ocampo manages to immerse
us in his socio-political commentary of contemporary culture through powerful, thought-provoking, in-your-face paintings where he holds back no
punches. Having attended Catholic school as a child it is no wonder there are strong religious references with a healthy dose of irreverence or straight
up commentary on religion in general. This show, however is less pop-y than his prior oeuvres less colorful, turning more to black, white and grays.
This work seems more to turn inward instead of relying on the external. Good examples of this are “The Holocaustic Spackle in the Murals of the
Quixotic Inseminators III” and “A Series of Images to Replace Vague and Unsettled Feelings,” both 2010. (And yes, his titles kick ass!) This work is
exciting and fresh, a strong, successful departure from what I’d previously known of his work--darker and deeper? yes--but only in the best of ways!
An Arcane Recipe Involving Ingredients Cannibalized from the Reliquaries of Some Profane Illumination
Manuel Ocampo at Tyler Rollins Fine Art
529 W. 20th Street, New York, NY
September 16-October 30, 2010
us in his socio-political commentary of contemporary culture through powerful, thought-provoking, in-your-face paintings where he holds back no
punches. Having attended Catholic school as a child it is no wonder there are strong religious references with a healthy dose of irreverence or straight
up commentary on religion in general. This show, however is less pop-y than his prior oeuvres less colorful, turning more to black, white and grays.
This work seems more to turn inward instead of relying on the external. Good examples of this are “The Holocaustic Spackle in the Murals of the
Quixotic Inseminators III” and “A Series of Images to Replace Vague and Unsettled Feelings,” both 2010. (And yes, his titles kick ass!) This work is
exciting and fresh, a strong, successful departure from what I’d previously known of his work--darker and deeper? yes--but only in the best of ways!
An Arcane Recipe Involving Ingredients Cannibalized from the Reliquaries of Some Profane Illumination
Manuel Ocampo at Tyler Rollins Fine Art
529 W. 20th Street, New York, NY
September 16-October 30, 2010
My first reaction to Liao Yibai’s work focused on the remarkable craftsmanship of these stainless steel sculptures, shimmering and alluring within Mike
Weiss’s white walls. These qualities of refinement and dazzlement play right in to the whole idea behind
“Real Fake,”
which is addressing the world of luxury, name brands and knock-offs. Born and living in China, Yibai has witnessed first-hand the effects that free-
market economy has had on the country when first introduced. Socially placed values on labels has become an obsession, I’d say much of the world
over and Yibai finds a suitable way of commenting on this through these oft-satirical--if not outright hilarious--beautiful, precious objects. And do I even
need to mention the quality of fabrication of these works? I think not. Masterful!
Real Fake
Liao Yibai at Mike Weiss Gallery
520 W. 24th Street, New York, NY
September 10-October 30, 2010
Weiss’s white walls. These qualities of refinement and dazzlement play right in to the whole idea behind
“Real Fake,”
which is addressing the world of luxury, name brands and knock-offs. Born and living in China, Yibai has witnessed first-hand the effects that free-
market economy has had on the country when first introduced. Socially placed values on labels has become an obsession, I’d say much of the world
over and Yibai finds a suitable way of commenting on this through these oft-satirical--if not outright hilarious--beautiful, precious objects. And do I even
need to mention the quality of fabrication of these works? I think not. Masterful!
Real Fake
Liao Yibai at Mike Weiss Gallery
520 W. 24th Street, New York, NY
September 10-October 30, 2010
At 70 years old, Joan Snyder is still painting with the dynamic energy, commitment and intensity of a child. These recent paintings exuberantly praise
painting for painting, with a freedom to add in foreign elements such as burlap, seeds, glass beads, papier mache, rope, glitter, herbs and rosebuds,
adding both to the composition and surface tension. The difference between the child’s whimsical painting and Snyder’s is the depth of emotion and
experience Snyder works from and expresses. Though colorful, vibrant and immediate, her paintings carry a weight, a gravitas, as some of the works
are dedicated to friends who have passed, or reactionary to sad news about other friends. As heavy as some of the impulses for these paintings, there
is a love: for her friends, for the change of seasons, for painting itself. Having shown her paintings in solo shows for over 40 years, Snyder is definitely
the real thing!
A Year in the Painting Life
Joan Snyder at Betty Cunningham Gallery
541 W. 25th Street, New York, NY
September 16-October 30, 2010
painting for painting, with a freedom to add in foreign elements such as burlap, seeds, glass beads, papier mache, rope, glitter, herbs and rosebuds,
adding both to the composition and surface tension. The difference between the child’s whimsical painting and Snyder’s is the depth of emotion and
experience Snyder works from and expresses. Though colorful, vibrant and immediate, her paintings carry a weight, a gravitas, as some of the works
are dedicated to friends who have passed, or reactionary to sad news about other friends. As heavy as some of the impulses for these paintings, there
is a love: for her friends, for the change of seasons, for painting itself. Having shown her paintings in solo shows for over 40 years, Snyder is definitely
the real thing!
A Year in the Painting Life
Joan Snyder at Betty Cunningham Gallery
541 W. 25th Street, New York, NY
September 16-October 30, 2010
More of the super-clean, meticulous aesthetic can be found in James Busby’s works at Stefan Stux Gallery. These wall pieces are somewhere between
contoured painting and bas relief sculpture, and since most of these new works are covered in graphite, there too is an element of drawing. But the
use of graphite is so effective, I thought I was looking at acid etched zinc plates mounted on a backing in some, while others looked like tooled solid
steel sheets. The works sometimes hint at their gesso underpainting which undermines the simple and mysterious beauty of the monochromes,
swaying the work back to the realm of painting. The more sculptural looking pieces have a seemingly mechanical fabrication and finish feel to them, so
precise and clean are they. Clearly a master of his craft, Busby brings it to the table and it pays off!
White and Black: New Minimal Paintings
James Busby at Stefan Stux Gallery
530 W. 25th Street, New York, NY
September 16-October 23, 2010
contoured painting and bas relief sculpture, and since most of these new works are covered in graphite, there too is an element of drawing. But the
use of graphite is so effective, I thought I was looking at acid etched zinc plates mounted on a backing in some, while others looked like tooled solid
steel sheets. The works sometimes hint at their gesso underpainting which undermines the simple and mysterious beauty of the monochromes,
swaying the work back to the realm of painting. The more sculptural looking pieces have a seemingly mechanical fabrication and finish feel to them, so
precise and clean are they. Clearly a master of his craft, Busby brings it to the table and it pays off!
White and Black: New Minimal Paintings
James Busby at Stefan Stux Gallery
530 W. 25th Street, New York, NY
September 16-October 23, 2010
I don’t have much to go on for this one, but walking by the gallery alone was enough to draw me in. Two words: optical illusion. Or, mind f**k. These
sculptures by Yi Hwan-Kwon totally screw with your perception and throw you for a loop when trying to figure out how the artist has managed to warp
space to his own means. These works are a great example of how technology and art can fuse to form a harmonious relationship with staggering
results. Digital manipulation of two-dimensional images then laser-cut by a 3-D printer renders objects which would have been nearly impossible to
conceive even 25 years ago. Wrap your head around these beauties!
From the Movies
Yi Hwan-Kwon at Gana Art
568 W. 25th Street, New York, NY
September 9-October 9, 2010
sculptures by Yi Hwan-Kwon totally screw with your perception and throw you for a loop when trying to figure out how the artist has managed to warp
space to his own means. These works are a great example of how technology and art can fuse to form a harmonious relationship with staggering
results. Digital manipulation of two-dimensional images then laser-cut by a 3-D printer renders objects which would have been nearly impossible to
conceive even 25 years ago. Wrap your head around these beauties!
From the Movies
Yi Hwan-Kwon at Gana Art
568 W. 25th Street, New York, NY
September 9-October 9, 2010
