Martin Bromirski Gallery 817, at the University of the Arts, in Philadelphia, Through March 6th. Artist talk on February 25th, from 11:30 AM, Room 815, Anderson Building, U of Arts, 333 South Broad
Lori Nix Abandoned: But Not Forgotten Miller Block Gallery, 38 Newbury Street, Boston. Through March 14th.
Leave a CommentLet’s start with the celeb sightings today – frankly I’m tired and need to do the easy stuff first. Jay Z and Beyonce this was a total fluke. I was leaving through the most inconvenient door – because where I was going was right on the other side. I get my bag checked and the next thing I know – I’m looking at this really beautiful woman – with big eyes and the most perfect skin I’ve ever seen. Pretty amazing, so it took me a few moments to see the bodyguards – and then there was HOV. The amazing thing is that I always assumed that he was like 6’2″ in fact he is more like 5’10”. 5’10” nicely dressed though. It was then I realized who it was – I’m the worst on that stuff (although reading this week, you’d think it was all I do.
Dennis Hopper I attended the “art loves movies” event last night for a special screening of “Easy Rider”.(full disclosure – I had never seen this all the way through before) Hopper mentioned that at the time he was influenced by Allen Darcangelo, Ed Ruscha, and a few other of the california artists at the time. Funny thing you can really see this during the quieter road scenes, which granted act as a transition between scenes, but still the influence is there.
The secret mass transit system I think some people know this, but did you know there is a mass transit system that effectively links all the art fairs together? Here are the basics – every fair has a bus that goes from ABMB to the other events – AQUA, NADA, and ~pulse. So your basically looking at a web of bus trips that emulate from the big show at the convention center. This has probably saved me and a number of folks a ridiculous amount of money in cab fares.
NADA This is a good show. Saw some really interesting stuff here – most of it I had not seem before. Murray Guy is showing Matthew Higgs (above), and other than having a great first name, his work is just great. While reusing book elements, he isolates them and allows the viewer to apply outside thinking to his work. This is not far from the process that William S. Burroughs and Bryon Gysin developed in the seminal book “The Third Mind”. Samson Projects (Boston) is showing the classical nudes of Gabriel Martinez. Galerie Olaf Stuber (Berlin) is showing just a couple of photos by Poison Idea. Galleri Christina Wilson, and White Columns had a few really interesting pieces as well.
Flow Art Fair is probably the best of the smaller fairs. I know this is saying quite a little bit. here’s the deal, the galleries are positioned below ABMB but above the NADA and AQUA fairs – and maybe this is just me but the quality seems higher than all of the rest (with the exception of ABMB). I was real dubious of the show – thinking it was just a me too type of event. A bought a Lori Nix(not the one above) from the Block Gallery in Boston. I was pretty giddy after that and completely ignored doing any kind of legitimate note taking. So sorry about that – I’m going back Saturday and I’ll have some real notes for you then.
Leave a CommentThis is an unfortunate show for the most part, although there are two highlights that I think deserve mention.
1.Mathieu Briand, “UBIQ, A Mental Odyssey” is lacking in its virtual reality goggles and immersive artificial world – the installation, a direct quotation of Stanley Kubrick 2110 A Space Odyssey is spot on. I just enjoyed walking through that space more than the actual technological experience.
2. Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, “Opera for a small room” is an installation in a room inside the space – feeling like the unabombers cabin but stocked with turntables, records and speakers. This mechanical performance is the most engaging of the entire exhibit. It’s use of technology – not for the sake of technology but to use the technology to go beyond the presentation is quiet and spectacular.
Most of Sensorium felt like a science experiment masquerading as art – these two pieces are the standouts of a poorly executed and lackluster curatorial approach to the experiential nature of art. I hope part two is quite a bit stronger.
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