Archive for the 'Interview' Category
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Interview :: TAC Talks with Curator Mónica Ramírez-Montagut about KAWS
(All Images: Jeff Newman/TheArtCollectors, except where noted)
Despite years of circumventing mainstream art circles and rarely showing his work publicly, KAWS has built up a massively dedicated following of collectors who obsessively seek out his creations, from limited edition toys and clothing, to even more elusive original paintings and drawings. After eight years of absence in the U.S and five years since exhibiting internationally, 2008 marked the artists’ return to gallery walls. With three consecutive solo shows in Miami, New York and Los Angeles, KAWS unveiled entirely new bodies of work that signaled a young artist on the verge of his most productive phase to date.
His most recent display is is no exception to this trajectory. On June 27th, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Connecticut, opened the doors to KAWS’ first solo museum exhibition, providing a retrospective look at his graffiti roots, fine art, and commercial projects, as well as brand new sculptural and installation pieces that stand as his largest and most ambitious to date.
TheArtCollectors spoke with curator Mónica Ramírez-Montagut about the process of creating the landmark exhibition. Read on for the conversation, click images for larger views.
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
Saatchi to Gift Gallery and Millions in Art to England
Tracy Emin’s My Bed (1998), one of the 200 works of art Charles Saatchi plans on gifting to the British government.
Outspoken advertising and art collecting tycoon Charles Saatchi has announced plans to gift his London gallery and some 200 works of art to the British government upon his retirement. While terms of the donation have not yet been ironed out and Saatchi has not specified a retirement date, the deal would put an estimated $37.5 million worth of art, along with Saatchi’s 70,000 sq ft exhibit space (to be renamed The Museum of Contemporary Art, London) in the nation’s hands. Statements from the gallery clarified that no charges would fall on the nation’s taxpayers, nor would Mr. Saatchi himself receive any tax benefits from the gift.
While the works to be donated may serve as hefty building blocks for a new museum, ultimately its success as a major public art institution will rest on what government agencies are given the task, who is brought in to curate and direct, how new works will be acquired by the collection, and in doing so, what will be purged.
More at the NYTimes and Guardian
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Jeff Koons and David Byrne: 77
Here we see a young Jeff Koons in candid conversation with musician, David Byrne. The chat took place at 52 Bond Street, widely known for housing many artists during the 70s, and located just across the street from CBGB, where Byrne’s band, The Talking Heads grew their early following. While the video title suggests the talk took place in 1975, references to Jimmy Carter’s upcoming presidency and celebrating New Year’s at a NY strip club indicates it most likely occurred in early January of 1977, just two months after The Talking Heads signed with Sire Records. Their first album, Talking Heads: 77, was released in September of that year.
In more timely news, on April 10 Byrne and Fatboy Slim will release Here Lies Love, their collaborative concept record about first lady of the Phillippines, Imelda Marcos. Listen to Please Don’t, the first single, here (via Stereogum)
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Last Chance: Andrew & Peter Sutherland
Supreme Management Being has posted an interview with Andrew and Peter Sutherland, whose current show Amateur Hour at ATM (New York) closes this weekend. Check out a slideshow of the exhibit on Peter’s blog here.
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Interview :: Ryan McLennan
(All Images © Ryan McLennan via Joshua Liner Gallery)
Virginia based artist Ryan McLennan has created a dense visual parable for our own existence, where animals, much like we humans, shape their surrounding world while engaged in the struggle to survive and coexist. McLennan opens a solo show of recent works this weekend, at New York’s Joshua Liner Gallery. We had time to ask Ryan a few questions before packing up his new paintings and heading to the city. Make sure to click images for larger views.
TAC: The title of your upcoming show is “The Strain of Inheritance.” Can you talk a bit more about this?
RM: Basically it is the struggle for survival and trying to build upon what little there is to begin with. Who exactly these animals have inherited their world from is not important, but they have it and what they are doing with it and themselves is the focus.
TAC: How crucial is it for you to create images that contain a political, social, or environmental message? Is this the starting point for you when planning a piece or body of work?
RM: The environmental message built the landscape for my paintings so it remains prevalent, though not always at the top of my thoughts. Political and social issues come through in the narrative, but again not a focus. I think those messages seep in through the subconscious, as I don’t consider myself an overly political person, definitely not a political artist. I am telling a story, creating a world that in many ways reflects our own. The animals in this world deal with issues just as we do. They have social relationships, varying religious beliefs, love and family, opposing political views, crime, work, and so on.
TAC: What can you share about your creative process and the research that goes into your pieces? – Has it changed or evolved at all with the latest work?
RM: When I started making these paintings, I was concerned with factual information and researching the behavior of the animals. This is still important, but lately I have found interest in fantastic and absurd scenarios. Using what I have read in mythology and legend to create landscapes and taking influence from portrait photography to individualize the animals, giving them roles in society. These sources have pushed my work in a different direction. I feel like these paintings have evolved into stills from a fantasy movie.
TAC: There seem to be conflicting messages of both hope and despair, violence and peace in your paintings – as if new life is being sustained by the death and destruction of previous life. What are your thoughts on this?
RM: The life and death cycle is very important in my work as well as in nature. I recently spent some time in Yellowstone National Park, which is crawling with wildlife. For all the elk and bison I saw I also came across plenty of skeletons and antlers. Those remains help in sustaining the ecosystem there. I use this in my paintings, but I push it a little further. The environment in my paintings is so barren that anything existing there must be considered for sustenance, shelter, or as something sacred. I lean a little more to the despair and struggle, which brings us back to the show title, but there is still a feeling of hope…with a little humor, at least funny to me.
TAC: So, you’re packing up and heading to NY for the show – anything you are looking forward to in the city?
RM: I’m really looking forward to seeing my NY friends. My family, Boston, Richmond and Philly friends all coming together. Simen Johan at Yossi Milo Gallery and some other shows I want to see around Chelsea. Museums. Bookstores. Restaurants. Just being in NY and not in Richmond. I try to visit enough to not have to live there.
Ryan McLennan – The Strain of Inheritance
Oct. 17 – Nov. 14
Joshua Liner Gallery
548 W. 28th Street
NY, NY 10001
info@joshualinergallery.com
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Lori Early at Opera Gallery, London
(All Images: © Lori Early via Curated Mag)
Lori Early opens Laments and Lullabies this Friday, Oct. 16, at Opera Gallery’s London location. The event marks her first solo show since exhibiting at Jonathan LeVine in the winter of 2008. Check out Curated Mag’s new interview with the New York based painter.
Lori Early – Laments and Lullabies
Oct. 16 – Nov. 14
Opera Gallery London
134 New Bond Street,
London, W1 2TF
london@operagallery.com
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Art:21 Season 5 Premieres Tonight
Season 5 of Art:21 – Art in the 21st Century premiers tonight, at 10pm EST on PBS. The first episode features William Kentridge, Doris Salcedo, and Carrie Mae Weems. Future episodes will include Jeff Koons, Paul McCarthy, John Baldessari, and Cindy Sherman. For now enjoy this preview from the season opener or watch previous episodes here
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
Ed Templeton Interview
Image: Toy Machine
Juxtapoz has posted a two-part interview with Ed Templeton, conducted by fellow artist, Kelly D. Williams. Read: Part 1, Part 2
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
KAWS + Wonderwall Designing New Brooklyn Studio
Image © Complex
Complex has just published a new interview with KAWS, where the artist speaks of a new Brooklyn studio being designed with Masamichi Katayama, founder of Wonderwall Inc., who are highly regarded for retail design including Uniqlo, Bathing Ape, Marc Jacobs, and Colette stores.
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
Spread ArtCulture #4
Image: Jeff Newman/TheArtCollectors
Spread ArtCulture #4 recently hit newsstands and is worth picking up. While the issue’s cover story features Pharrell Williams, several other articles will be of interest to art enthusiasts, including a look at Deitch Director, Kathy Grayson, an intimate view of Robert Longo’s studio (shot by The Selby), interviews with Marilyn Minter and Steve Lazarides, and pictorials from several notable photographers including David Eustace and Ruud Baan.
For us, the most significant is Spread’s look at the cutting edge practices of Phillips de Pury’s contemporary art team and their Saturday@Phillips auctions. Unfortunately, by the time of the magazine’s publication (and to the dismay of us here at TAC) Phillips had already announced restructuring of its auctions and the elimination of the weekend sales which had grown increasingly popular with young and seasoned collectors alike.