I've been thinking pretty much non-stop about the new Ellsworth Kelly print from Gemini G.E.L. (Blue, Gray, Green, Red) I kind of liked what I saw in print (Artforum, probably) before I went to Miami, but I was not expecting to see what I did at Gemini G.E.L. at ABMB. I find Kelly interesting, he is one of those artists that when you look back at say Picasso or Mattise - he goes Mattise (as do I). While possibly far too many go Picasso. It is an artwork that has just continued to resonate in my head and I am thinking of it constantly.

It seems to be in the spirit of an earlier piece Painting for a White Wall, 1952. I became aware of this artwork (Painting...) in the recent Blinky Palermo catalog from that amazing retrospective in Germany last year.



Blue, Gray, Green, Red is a real egalitarian piece - all colors are the same size, chroma, etc. but the presence of the piece is just a knockout, when you think of doing so much with so little - this is a landmark.

I've always liked Kelly, but I've never really been knocked out by him like this.

Programming Note: This is the last post of the year as I take time to enjoy the holidays. I hope you and your loved ones have a great holiday however you may choose to celebrate it.


Top: Ellsworth Kelly, Blue Gray Green Red,  2008, 4 color lithograph, 48 x 130 inches, Projected edition of 18

Lower: Ellsworth Kelly,Painting for a White Wall, 1952, Oil on canvas, five joined panels, 23 1/2 by 71 1/4 inches

Labels: Ellsworth Kelly, Painting

Austin Thomas and Sharon Butler are planning to have a Blogger Conference/Think Tank/Pre-Inauguration Party at Pocket Utopia (Brooklyn, NY) on Sunday, January 18.

Bloggers: Save the date. With the long-awaited changing of the guard, we have plenty to discuss. Will the despondent installations of the Bush years and the starry-eyed images of "Obamart" give way to something that's actually interesting? Lets find out shall we?

I'm going - hope to see you there.

Labels: New York, working

Douglas Witmer interview at "visual discrepancies"
Brent Hallard, in Tokyo, has just published a short interview with Douglas. Read it here.

JT Kirkland interview at PDX Art
Richard Schemmerer has a few words with JT here.

Richard Serra Reinstalled
After almost twenty years in storage, Slat by Richard Serra was reanchored on Monday in La Défense, a Parisian business district. The sculpture spent five years in a nearby Paris suburb, Puteaux, but vandalism and graffiti prompted that town’s mayor to remove it.

Labels: general notice, Painting, Philadelphia, Richard Serra, Sculpture, Washington DC

This is more than likely my last post on the Miami art fairs of this year - thanks for reading.

Snippets of conversations/ideas
I'm in a both at one of the Wynwood fairs and I hear a gallerist complain that as soon as a red dot is placed on an artwork, that artwork is immediately interesting to any number of people coming through the booth. Is this really something to be complaining about? Try pulling out the catalog of that artists work and show those people something...

On Art Basel Miami Beach (and other shows) being slow...
I'll admit the traffic at ABMB for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (Saturday and Sunday is kind of like tourist season so I don't count them as much) was slower than in times past, however some other things were missing as well, namely the blue chip artists (you know who they are) only a handful of very minor Warhols, almost nothing of note from the eighties, etc. I understand galleries bringing slightly less expensive works to the show - that makes sense, why fire sale something special if you can hold on to it for five years (frankly the idea of holding on to a multi-million dollar painting for five whole years seems so outlandish - doesn't it? [end sarcasm]). But it still addresses the point - if you are concerned about the sales and the traffic, and you bring mid-line work to the fair, isn't that what you deserve?

Sales are down, but so is the entire world economy - thats a non-story. The question is; why are galleries playing small when this is the time to be big and bold - grabbing eyeballs and new clients from other galleries that are sitting down and complaining. It's business 101 - when all your competitors are creating a vacuum by leaving, something has to move in to take it's place, it might as well be you.

Shoes
By this I mean women's shoes. Miami Beach is usually a great place for shoes and people watching - as it's all kind of wrapped up together - however the shoes that women were wearing this year were simply amazing - not in a slutty way nor in a "I love Sex and the City way, but in a stylistically amazing way. I know that there are people that are turned off by this kind of thing, I am always amazed (and probably a little turned on) at the sophistication of design that is on display in such a relatively simple thing like footwear.

On Art Miami
Evidently there was a bit of drama around Art Miami this year with galleries pulling out or not pulling out - along with whatever legal wrangling might come with all that. What really struck me was how grown up this show was compared to the others. A strong mix of recent work along side more mature work. It's presentation was more like ABMB than any of the other fairs - which is nice. It also really shows the work in a better way than the other fairs. I heard no one complaining here as sales seemed as strong as suspected by the galleries I spoke to.

Showing the same artwork from booth to booth
I was shocked to see so many galleries selling the same multiple so close together in more than one fair. In one case it was literally two booths away. This is a shame - but at the same time are galleries supposed to put away the work? it's unfortunate.

Labels: Art Basel Miami Beach

Things I desperately want to own - Aqua Art Fair (Aqua Wynwood version)
Ted Larsen, Bumper at Rule (Denver, Colorado); I'm only just beginning to learn about Ted Larsen's quietly engaging small sculptures. I'll be learning more. By the way, the entire staff at the Rule Gallery booth were some of the nicest people, go see them just for that...


Mingering Mike, Hemphill Gallery; I'm thrilled to see people buying the MM artworks. A wise decision was made to reproduce this work as multiples - that If I'm not mistaken is actual size to the originals. Mingering Mike is the real deal by the way - it's such a great story about how that work was lost, found, returned and now presented that it really should be some kind of movie.

Kevin Finklea at Pentimenti Gallery (Philadelphia); These are just amazing. Reductive images that quietly hold the space they are in and activate the area around them in an amazing way. Probably the most interesting work I had no idea of before I came to the fairs.


Things I desperately want to own - Art Basel Miami Beach (Part 2)
Kris Martin, For Whom... at Sies + Hoke. This is the spectacle of all the fairs, and usually I'm not the guy going wow that's the biggest, shiniest thing - therefore it's the best. In this case a bell that is mechanically driven to fully swing - with out a strike inside to ring said bell is oddly political and universal at the same time. very timely and in this case one of the best things at all the fairs I've seen. (image not from ABMB - but from other installation)

Anselm Kiefer Merkaba at Galerie Thomas; This surprised me because I have known of AK disdain for art fairs for a few years - in fact he does not allow his primary gallery to sell his work at the fairs (a couple of years ago his NY gallery actually rented out a space to show just his work in Wynwood). So clearly this is a secondary market type gallery, still it was a great Kiefer - sized in a way that you could actually live with it (maybe 4 feet tall x 6 feet).

Things I desperately want to own - Scope

Derick Melander Flesh of my Flesh ADA Gallery; Richmond Represent! A great column of folded cloth going from light to dark to light again. Some serious time was logged at fan thrift to be able to find just the right colors and amount of material to get this right - time well spent. By the way, ADA is really showing some great things these days - so keep an eye out for them.

Things I desperately want to own - Art Miami
Doug and Mike Starn Bhudda; I love these images, in fact I really like the entire output that the Starns have been doing since the early eighties. I really don't know why they are not one of those names that people talk about all the time.

Cy Twombly Roman Notes Leslie Toknow; I just love this six part print of CT. It just sings.

Things I desperately want to own - Pulse


Envoy Enterprises; Frankly I don't remember any of the art at EE. I did love the installation, with its baroque wallpaper, beautiful sofa and bookcases. Enormous points for thinking about the presentation in ways that is very different than the standard - the booth was busy as well - I guess that helps also.


Right across the hall from Envoy Enterprises is Bitforms Gallery is showing an r. luke dubois who presented these amazing letterpress images that are styled on vision charts, but with narratives that address current situations.

Labels: Art Basel Miami Beach

I am woefully behind on just about everything I need to discuss from the Miami art fairs week. However I wanted to get this up before too much time was lost. I have a number of posts in the works - along with a few artists I had not seen before. Look for these posts to finish the week.

As far as commerce at the fairs goes, I'll discuss that a little bit later, as far as the shows go clearly some shows are going to be better than others. This is clearly the case, not only between shows but also different venues of the same show. A great example of this is the Bridge fair. The Wynwood version could not have been more different than the South Beach version. At the end of the day the curatorial/selection of this fair was probably right by attendees but more than likely wrong by the galleries showing, Wynwood was the ugly stepchild to the far more interesting South Beach version.

While you had this, you also had two shows that were almost identical NADA and Pulse. I am probably in the minority here, but neither show was all that interesting. The selection (with very few exceptions) seemed like a formula - deadpan photography, Illustrative looking figurative work/messy figurative work, and maybe some ironic approach to abstraction. Yes you can nit pick this general criticism, but at the end of the day it is a dispassionate view of these two fairs. Was the curatorial/selection approach too similar? is the current zeitgeist just that simple? I don't know. But I know that it made for an amazingly redundant viewing experience.

I'm sure you might say the same things about Scope, Aqua (both versions) and Art Miami, but I would not. In fact those fairs seemed like shining beacons compared to the others. One last negative thought; Why would a gallery pay to be in the containers (Art Positions) at ABMB? It has to be the worst viewing experience and I cant imagine much if any commerce happening.

However even after all my bitching about a few of the shows, I remain completely optimistic for the next 48 months of the art world.

I've seen more people discussing the ideas about the work before they even think to ask about price - and this is at a fair which really is closest in nature to a yard sale for the art world. This is going to be the time after the next couple of months where the standard rules start to change. Galleries will actually aggressively start to differentiate themselves from each other and real growth in approach - not growth in sales will help dictate the changes we see on gallery walls. I know this sounds a little bit like some senior year art school fantasy, and maybe it is. But this is the kind of thing we have always talked about wanting - will we be happy if we get it?

At the same time we have to be prepared for more competition between the spaces offered to artists, because some of them won't be around for much longer. Jerry Saltz estimates that 50 - 75 galleries will close in New York in the next few months. I live in Washington DC how many will close here? Consider that there are probably 20 places really showing work you want to see, where does that leave you? Competing for 16 that already have full rosters and will try to cherry pick the best from what goes under. I think it means that artists will have to take control of there own practices like never before.

The reality is this.
Art will continue to be made, because for the people who make art - it's what they do. Why would they stop?
Galleries will continue to sell art, maybe not as much, but it will continue.

We all know that being in the arts is not the easiest thing in the world, we knew that when we started. Let's start moving forward.

Labels: Art Basel Miami Beach

Art Loves Film: Herb and Dorothy Directed by Megumi Sasaki.
A lot of interest has been circulating around the collection of Herb and Dorothy Vogel. The story is one of two collectors who against almost unbelievable odds became some of the most important art collectors in the world. Megumi Sasaki has created an amazing documentary which is three love affairs in one, the Vogel's with art, the Vogel's with the artists they collect, and with each other.

Before I go into talking about this movie, I would like to tell you how (before this movie) the Vogel's entered my life.

In the mid-ninties, my wife (Catherine for those of you late to the show) and I went to the show of the Vogel's collection at the National Gallery. We had never heard of the Vogel's, but the story intrigued me. We went to the show and realized the we could do something similar (we were smart enough to realize that we were never going to be in the same league as they were). To say we were inspired is an understatement. I still believe that the two of us bring that spirit to the few works that we do buy. Anyway, I hold the Vogel's in the highest respect.

Back to the movie. This is Ms. Sasaki's first feature length film - and its a good, honest, straightforward film about two extraordinary people. It has a couple of places that seem a little bit too clumsy in the telling of the back story of the Vogel's meeting, but other than that, it is a brisk and enjoyable film. We as viewers watch the love the Vogel's have for each other and the way that is reflected back to the artists and the art they collect. The film is scheduled for release early next year, I think you'll enjoy it.

I was in Wynwood today at Pulse, Scope, and Aqua (among others) I'm still chewing on that just a little bit - look for a big post tomorrow...

Labels: Art Basel Miami Beach

I'm narrowing my focus on the fairs this year in order to be able to speak with a little more depth on subjects - don't worry, there will still be a bunch of half baked ideas floating around for everyone. I have four basic areas I'm going to focus on; the state of the artworld, the Vogels, Interesting art works, and oddball stories I stumble over.

Things I desperately want to own - Aqua Art Fair (Aqua hotel version)


Lisa Neighbour; LN does these amazing etched or engraved knife blades with text, usually snippets of poetry. This is a horrible description. Represented by Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects.


Mark Todd; MT uses a comic book vernacular to create his small scale artworks. Using Jack Kirby as a jumping off point, his work seems to respect the past, while at the same time look towards the future. I saw his work at Billy Shire Fine Arts


Richard Hell/Christopher Wool; Psychopts. I want all of them - it's like a disease. They are probably available many places however I was treated so nicely by the folks at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller that's where I'd spend my money.


Peter Dayton; The Stella paintings. These are just the greatest things - a month or so ago I spoke of seeing his work at Winston Watcher where he uses old surfboard techniques to work in and around color field artwork - this is similar except it uses the Stella black paintings to the same effect. Glenn Horowitz Bookseller (again)


Lori Nix; one of my favorite artists has a new series she is working on - its a continuation of her most recent work and even more ambitious, but seems to be heading thematically to everyday kind of places, in this case a laundromat. At Miller Block Gallery

Jerry Saltz is very different when you hear him speak
Caught the conversation with Jerry Saltz at ABMB This is the End: The Rising Tide of Money Goes Out of the Artworld and All boats are Sinking love him or hate him, this was a great talk. It has singlehandedly made me happy about the current state of the art world for easily the next 48 months. Essentially we are in the art world not the art commodities world. Art is still going to be made and art will still be sold. The big difference is that the talk about art as investment, art as high priced ornament, etc. will go away and we can actually talk about art again. I'm already seeing signs of this and could not be happier.

I am putting together a larger post on the sales aspects of the fair - I don't expect that to be ready for a few days.

Things I desperately want to own - Art Basel Miami Beach


Mark Tansey; MT looks better and better especially with the post I will have on the big show tomorrow or friday. At Gagosan


Elsworth Kelly; The new EK print at Gemini G.E.L. is just a masterpiece - it's bananas as Rachel Zoe would say. At Gemini G.E.L.

Labels: Art Basel Miami Beach

I'm taking a break until Monday or so. I'll be in Miami that week for what I think might be one of the most interesting art fairs weeks in the last few years.

If your going, drop a note to langley.matthew@gmail.com and at least, lets say hi to one another.

Labels: general notice

I end up doing a post like this every year, usually is because I've received the Taschen Catalog - well this year is no different so step up and enjoy.

America Swings, Naomi Harris
I want to buy this book, although to be honest I also don't want to be that guy with the creepy books that no one else understands. I think the photo's I've seen are fascinating and outerworldly - but so very american.

From the Taschen web site:
Naomi Harris's subjects are not the usual perfected androids who populate contemporary erotica, but ordinary people with extraordinary sex lives; this book explores a rarely-seen side of sex in America.

Christopher Wool
This book features writing from Richard Hell and Glen O'Brien. Oh yeah, on top of that it's a thousand dollars - signed and numbered of course.

From the Taschen web site:
Covering all work phases in large-scale reproductions and accompanied by extensive texts as well as production Polaroids and installation photos by Wool himself.

Six-inch Wraparound Canvas Pliers from John Annesly
These canvas pliers are the best I've seen and used for larger canvas. They are big and strong - but be careful the first time I used them I actually tore the canvas.

Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors
Carl Plansky has been making paint since the mid eighties. As he traveled he would research the history of painting and the relationship between painters and paintmakers. In France he bought colors from the houses that had made paints for Monet, Matisse, and Cezanne and analyzed their paint to see how fine or coarse the grind was and to determine where they found their pigments and oils. With this same passion, He now searches for the most beautiful raw materials in the world, importing pigments from dozens of countries. Frankly making the best paint I've ever used.

price = not cheap (that's why they are good for holiday presents)

Moleskine Cahiers
Some people like them in black, but I prefer them in the kraft paper cover - a light slim and nicely made sketchbook with no wire binding that will last almost forever. Besides Bruce Chatwin, Matisse and Andre Breton cant all be wrong

About 15 bucks for three of the larger ones

Music:
I have a rule here: no greatest hits albums. Greatest hits albums are for housewives and little girls. (no offense, but I think you know what I mean)

Spiritualized, Songs in A&E
Songs in A&E is the sixth studio album from Jason Pierce's Spiritualized and the first since 2003's Amazing Grace; drawing on his recent near death experience as well as his usual themes of love, god and drugs. The sound is stripped back the songs are still soulful and hugely epic. Stunning melodies, stompers, big orchestral pop and delicate ballads all come correct and that will please long time fans, as well as people new to pierce's work

David Byrne and Brian Eno, Everything that happens will happen today
This is the first collaboration of David Byrne and Brian Eno in nearly 30 years. that release was 'my life in the bush of ghosts' which was a combination of jittery dub, afro-influenced funk and borrowed voices and sounds. Eveything That Happens Will Happen Today is a collection of what Byrne describes as 'proper songs', with Eno providing the music and Byrne the vocals and lyrics - but neither party has lost the capacity for the kind of unprecedented blue-sky thinking that fuelled their previous collaboration's most groundbreaking aspects.

Craft Design Technology, small adhesive notes $6.00
These are the best things ever, and I hate sticky notes.

Parkhaus Pencil Pouch
It's made of wool, its nice to keep your pencils in, and finally its a small piece of luxury you can afford. 37.00

Labels: holidays