Archive for the 'Galleries' Category
Monday, July 12th, 2010
Barry McGee + Todd James Reunite in Copenhagen
Brush Strokes, a joint exhibit from Barry Mcgee (under his Lydia Fong moniker) and Todd James opened this past weekend at V1 Gallery, Copenhagen. Though there are only a couple of collaborative moments, the themes explored by the two long time friends are a perfect match. Mcgee’s street photography and tag-like block lettered text paintings act as a crucial declaration of identity alongside confusing geometric patterns that mimic the mind numbing, dumbing down effects of constant entertainment and media bombardment. Laying somewhere between Saturday morning cartoons and a Noam Chomsky dissertation, the happy faced war planes, bloody sword wielding tanks and gumball filled soldiers of Todd James’ cartoon drawings provide a darkly satirical commentary on the culture of violence and militarism spoon fed by western media in easily digestible packages.
This is not the first time McGee and James have show together. In 200o the two worked with fellow graffiti turned gallery artist, Stephen Powers (ESPO) on their Indelible Market installation at the University of Pennsylvania Institute of Contemporary Art. The trio expanded the concept for Street Market, a large scale exhibition with Deitch Projects the same year, and were later reunited for the Beautiful Losers museum exhibitions.
Up next for McGee – Looks like he’ll be coming to New York soon 
Read on for images from the show… Read the rest of this entry »
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Pop Will Eat Itself :: Lichtenstein’s Still Lifes at Gagosian
(All photos: Jeff Newman/TheArtCollectors)
Though Roy Lichtenstein is most remembered for his pioneering contributions to the early American pop movement of the 1960s, he continued to make new art up to the 1990s. From 1972 – 1986 he produced a large body of painting and sculpture that can be described as pop still-lifes. Technically, these were rendered in the same style of his popular comic-book based art, mimicking mechanical methods of production through the use of vivid primary colors, sharp lines, and his trademark simulation of the Ben-Day printing process. Thematically however, Lichtenstein’s subject matter veered away from mass culture and the recreation of commercial imagery. In place of D.C. comic panels we find the objects of traditional still life painting like fruits, vases or items arranged on tables.
Make the mistake of reading too carefully, and you might think there was some grand message here – that in the same way mass media has, the stuff of these works too has become part of our collective consumer conscience. However, like the rest of his art, Lichtenstein was quick to question any profound reading of this series, noting, ”When we think of still lifes, we think of paintings that have a certain atmosphere or ambience. My still life paintings have none of those qualities, they just have pictures of certain things that are in a still life, like lemons and grapefruits and so forth.”
For a body of work whose deeper meaning even the artist was quick to denounce, this is truly a site to behold. In the first exhibition devoted entirely to this series, Gagosian Gallery’s presentation of some fifty still lifes is one that rises to museum standards and deserves to outlive its summer gallery viewing. That being said, reflecting on his art with John Coplans in 1972, Lichtenstein remarked, “I don’t think that whatever is meant by it is important to art.”
Roy Lichtenstein – Still Lifes
Gagosian Gallery
May 8 – July 30
555 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
212.741.1111
(All text and photos: Jeff Newman/TheArtCollectors)
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
The Hole Opens for Business
After keeping the art geeks guessing, the official word on former Deitch directors Kathy Grayson and Meghan Coleman’s hit the masses today via the Wall Street Journal. On June 26 The Hole will open its doors at 104 Greene St. with the playfully titled, Not Quite Open for Business. With so much excitement over the shape of things to come, we’re eager to see who the pair have selected for their much-anticipated inaugural group show. So far, WSJ reports future exhibits with Mat Brinkman, Kenny Scharf and Dearraindrop, as well as several side projects including a back-room shop and a dating service for artists.
Our sincere congratulations go out to Ms. Grayson and Ms. Coleman as they take the plunge.
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Ed Templeton Rising
Internationally recognized for his painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography, skate-icon and artist Ed Templeton has several significant projects in the works.
Most immediately, Templeton opens a new photo exhibit at Roberts + Tilton (Los Angeles) this Friday, Feb. 26. The works on display are culled from the artist’s personal archives, and were shot spontaneously from the inside of cars over a span of 15 years. Speaking of the project, Templeton says, “I never went out driving just to shoot pictures. Each one of these was shot going from point A to point B for some other reason, organically; they represent the in-between. Most of it is from my frequent visits to LA from my home in Huntington Beach, 1 hours’ drive south. But there is also a lot from taxi rides in Paris, Moscow, London, Barcelona, and St Petersburg.”
Next up , Templeton’s photography will be included in the 2010 Photography Biennial at MAMAC (Liege, Belgium), which runs Feb 28 – April 25. Lastly, his first solo museum exhibition, The Cemetery of Reason, opens at S.M.A.K. (Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art) in Ghent, Belgium on April 2, and will include works across multiple disciplines.
Ed Templeton – The Duality of Femininity, 2009 (Courtesy of Roberts + Tilton and Tim Van Laere)
Monday, February 15th, 2010
John Matos Crashes Down in Paris
CRASH (John Matos), Tin Machine 3, 2009 (All Image: © Addict Galerie/John Matos)
Born in the Bronx in 1961, John CRASH Matos is widely know as a pioneer of NY subway graffiti, and one of the first of his kind to transition into fine art. By 1980, Matos had abandoned streets and trains in favor of gallery walls, and gained fast recognition with his first solo show at the famed Sidney Janis Gallery in 1983, and exhibiting alongside Basquiat and Keith Haring. His works are held in countless prominent collections including the Museum of Modern Art NY, Keith Haring Foundation, Stedelijk Museum, Neumann Family Collection, Rubell Family Collection, and the Collection of Dakis Joannou.
For Tin Machines, his current exhibition at Addict Galerie (Paris), Matos’ conjures up early inspirations with canvases that evoke the subway cars of his youth. Presented alongside these new works are enlarged photos documenting his legendary graffiti, offering a time capsule and link to his ephemeral roots. While most others attempts are questionable, here is one of the rare instances of a graffiti writer whose movement into fine art is warranted, and whose accomplishments in both worlds have been rightfully heralded for their historical significance.
CRASH - Tin Machines
Jan 30 – March 3
Extension from March 16 – 23
Addict Galerie
14/16 rue de Thorigny
75003, Paris
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
McGee and Frost to Inaugurate Prism Gallery
Curated by RVCA/ANP founder, P.M. Tenore, Mind the Gap will present Barry McGee and Phil Frost side by side, signaling an impressive inaugural show for PRISM Gallery in Hollywood, CA.
McGee and Frost share a close history of collaboration and artistic development. The two artists are amongst the earliest with street roots to cross over into the fine art world, both with representation in highly respected galleries. This will be their first major joint installation effort since 2007′s Family Tree show (also with Creg R Stecyk) at RVCA/VASF. In 2003, they made their major L.A. gallery debut together (alongside Thomas Campbell) with Scribble and Scripture at Roberts and Tilton, Los Angeles.
McGee also has a new monograph due out early next year.
More to come…..
Barry McGee & Phil Frost – Mind the Gap
Nov. 20 – Feb. 20, 2010
Preview Dates: November 12th – 19
PRISM Gallery
8746 West Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Sunday, November 8th, 2009
14 Artists at New Image
Richard Colman
14 Artists opened this weekend at New Image Art in Los Angeles, including works by Richard Colman, Erik Foss, Jordin Isip, Cleon Peterson, and Judith Supine.
Erik Foss
Judith Supine
Saturday, November 7th, 2009
Kelsey Brookes gets Bigger, Brighter Bolder
(All Images via Kelsey Brookes)
San Francisco based artist, Kelsey Brookes, has provided us with a sneak peak of works from his upcoming show with Quint Contemporary (La Jolla/San Diego). Judging from these images, the show’s title is an appropriate one. The increasingly ambitious paintings for Bigger Brighter, Bolder signal the distinct voice this self-taught artist has developed since his first U.S. solo show just one year ago.
Brookes is also participating in an exhibition at The California Center of The Arts. Quint: Three Decades of Contemporary Art surveys the gallery’s contributions to the arts over the past thirty years, featuring works from their represented artists, including Jean Lowe, Mel Bochner, Kim MacConnel, Ryan McGinness, Manny Farber and Patricia Patterson.
Click through for more images of Brookes’ new works, as well as a look into his studio. Read the rest of this entry »
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Dan Witz at Carmichael Gallery
Dan Witz’s latest offerings debut tonight with an opening reception at the Carmichael Gallery in Los Angeles. The show runs from Nov. 5 – Dec. 3, 2009. In Dark Doings, Witz will showcase a selection of pieces from his expansive summer street project of the same name. Created both for the street and gallery, the subtle, haunting images of human and animal faces trapped behind dirty glass windows are inspired by a recent visit earlier in the year to the red light district of Amsterdam.
Artwork at the show is comprised of mixed media on digital prints on plastic, presented either framed or mounted to wood doors, the latter serving as both canvas and contextual framework through which the work can be viewed. A selection of photographs depicting the Dark Doings series in situ will also be exhibited at the show, displayed alongside the piece with which they correspond.
Dan Witz – Dark Doings
Nov. 5 – Dec. 3
Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
1257 N. La Brea Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90038
323.969.0600 for more information
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
Thomas Campbell Surfaces with New Exhibit and Feature Film
We are extremely excited for Thomas Campbell’s forthcoming gallery show, opening Oct. 30 at V1 in Copenhagen. Campbell has spent the past few years focusing on his surf-film projects, and hasn’t held a major exhibition since his 2006 shows at Museum Het Domain (Netherlands) and Roberts and Tilton Gallery(Los Angeles). His latest movie, The Present, will also be screened for the first time in Scandinavia on Oct. 28.
Thomas Campbell – UMMMM
Oct. 30 – Nov. 11
V1 Gallery
The Present Film Film Premier
Oct. 28, 8:30pm
Grand Teatret
Copenhagen, Denmark