Archive for July, 2010

Go See – Montreal: Jenny Holzer at Fondation DHC through November 14th, 2010

Friday, July 30th, 2010


Artist Jenny Holzer, via Artnet

Currently showing at the DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art in Montreal is an exhibition of works by Jenny Holzer, an American artist. The exhibition covers a variety of works by Holzer, ranging from the 1990s to the present, and highlights her ability to use text in her art. Holzer was an abstract artist who turned to painting and finally to including language and words in her art. She is well-known for her large LED art.


Redaction Paintings (2008) by Jenny Holzer, via Art21

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Go See – Bilbao: Anish Kapoor at Guggenheim Bilbao through October 12, 2010

Thursday, July 29th, 2010


Anish Kapoor with his work, Vertigo (2008), via Guggenheim Bilbao

Currently showing at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain is an exhibit of works by Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor. Kapoor is known for his simple, large, monochromatic pieces. His work has been shown internationally and is featured in many large cities around the world. According to the gallery’s website, this show is the first large-scale exhibition of Kapoor’s work shown in Spain.


Shooting into the Corner (2008-09) by Anish Kapoor, via A World to Win

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Don’t Miss – New York: ‘Christmas in July’ at Yvon Lambert through July 30th, 2010

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010


Loved Despite Great Faults
(2008) by Andrea Da Corte, via Yvon Lambert Gallery.

Currently on view at Yvon Lambert in New York is “Christmas in July,” a group show which features the work of John Baldessari, Lynda Benglis, Michael Brown, Alex Da Corte, Douglas Gordon, Christian Holstad, and Katja Strunz among others. The exhibit also includes a section of the gallery designated to artist Jonathan Horowitz who creates a “Free Store” where visitors can drop off their belongs and take things if they please. The work displayed reveals the multiple meanings of the spirit of Christmas.

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Go See – Berlin: Darren Almond at Galerie Max Hetzler through August 1st, 2010

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010


Darren Almond, Fullmoon@Eifel 2, 2010, c-print, 180 x 180 cm. All images via Galerie Max Hetzler.

From July 31 to August 1 Galerie Max Hetlzer, Berlin will present a show by London based artist, Darren Almond. The exhibition contains several large scale photographs all of which the capture moonlit landscapes. To achieve the surreal effect of these half light half dark nature scenes, Almond uses a lengthy exposure time to photograph a landscape illuminated solely by the light of the moon. The artist has been experimenting with this technique since 1998 when he created Fifteen Minute Moon. Almond has traveled extensively to attain new scenes for these Fullmoon photographs. The first location, Montagne Saint-Victoire in Provence, evoked Cezanne’s impressionist explorations in the same region, while the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda and South East China’s Yellow Mountains have been the focus of more recent series. All seven photographs included in Fullmoon@Eifel were taken in 2010 and feature the landscapes of Weidingen (Eifel), Germany.


Fullmoon@Eifel 7

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AO on Site – New York: The Bruce High Quality Foundation's 'Field of Dreams' Saturday, July 24th, 2010 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Monday, July 26th, 2010


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Rachel Garrard performing Geometric Void, in which she mapped the sacred geometry of a human form on a perspex window over the course of the six hour exhibition

Art Observed was on site July 24th for “Field of Dreams”, a D.I.Y. world’s fair of music and art, presented by Celebrate Brooklyn!, The Bruce High Quality Foundation, and Andres Levin.  The much-anticipated event took place at the Prospect Park band shell in Brooklyn, running from 4PM to 10PM. Music was a constant throughout the day, featuring a wide range of established and emerging acts alike, including standouts Pablo Picasso (who performed a second set, to great effect, at the Littlefield after-party), Les Nubians, and Luis Guzman.


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Performing band

Approximately forty installations were constructed in a semi-circle on the grassy knoll across from the band shell, representing both individual artists and creative collaborations.  In a nod to the synthesis of visual arts and musical performance which was the order of the day, Ray Smith created two massive canvases to adorn each side of the band shell stage.  Art Observed was able to speak with a few of the participating artists, who offered comments on their own work and its place in the show.


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Performers with a friend at  “Power Animal Pavillion,” which featured Power Animal wrestling.

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Go See – New York: Rineke Dijkstra at Marian Goodman Gallery through August 21, 2010

Sunday, July 25th, 2010


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Rineke Dijkstra, Still from The Krazy House, Liverpool, UK, 2008-2009, 4 channel video HD installation, color, sound, 32 minutes, loop. All images courtesy of Marian Goodman Gallery.

Currently on view at Marian Goodman Gallery, New York is a solo exhibition of recent works by Dutch artist, Rineke Dijkstra. Three video installations and a number of photographs are on display. Dijikstra frequently takes adolescents and teenagers as her subject, and these works are no exception. Her emphasis on youth never feels exploitative or overly voyeuristic, rather it invites the viewer to recall the feelings associated with nascent adulthood – a mindset focused on escapism, self-consciousness, and a burgeoning sense of identity.


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Still from The Krazy House, Liverpool, UK, 2008-2009.

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Go See – Berlin: Gary Hume at Sprueth Magers through August 21, 2010

Saturday, July 24th, 2010


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Gary Hume, Big Bird, 2009. All images courtesy of Sprueth Magers.

Gary Hume’s first solo exhibition in Berlin in over 15 years is currently on view at Sprueth Magers. The show consists of a selection of new works, including Big Bird (2010), a major large-scale six-panel painting, in addition to a group of six paintings, four sculptures and five works on paper. Painted in Hume’s trademark bright palate, the series of six paintings relate to his earlier American Tan series which explored cheerleaders as an emblem of American society. Elegantly simplistic in appearance, yet endlessly complex in its meaning, Hume’s imagery conveys a potent sense of discontinuity at the heart of representations of beauty.

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AO On Site/New York: Opening Reception, ‘Young Curators, New Ideas III’ at P.P.O.W through August 20th, 2010

Friday, July 23rd, 2010


Hired dancer at exhibit next to piece chosen by curator James Shaeffer
All images by Olivia Loving for ArtObserved unless otherwise noted.


Gallery View

Art Observed was on site July 22nd for the opening of ‘Young Curators, New Ideas III,’ the new exhibit at P.P.O.W. in Chelsea, Manhattan. As the name suggests, the exhibit focused on eight individual curators and the pieces that they chose. The list of curators is as follows: Andrew Russeth & Liza Buzytsky, Erin Dziedzic, Kate Greenberg & Hilary Schaffner, Stamatina Gregory, Gabriella Hiatt, and James Shaeffer. The gallery was packed, and despite no air-conditioning (handmade fans and cups of water abounded), the elevators constantly opened and closed, shuffling in new visitors. The exhibit will be on show until August 20th, 2010.

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Go See – London: Polly Morgan on show for ‘Psychopomps’ at Haunch of Venison until September 25th 2010

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010


Atrial Flutter (2010) by Polly Morgan, via Haunch of Venison

Currently on view from today until September 25th, 2010 is an exhibition of works by Polly Morgan, a British artist known for her fascination with taxidermy. The exhibition is Morgan’s first solo show at  Haunch of Venison in London. Morgan has been interested in animals since a young age; after college, she experimented with films and sculpting before she finally turned to taxidermy. Her animals are well-known because she often places them in unusual and unrealistic situations.

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Go See – Hamburg: ‘High Ideals and Crazy Dreams,’ a group show curated by Gerwald Rockenschaub at the Vera Munro gallery through September 30th, 2010

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010


Image featured on gallery website, via Vera Munro

Currently showing at the Vera Munro Gallery in Hamburg, Germany through September 30th, 2010, is an exhibition of works by various artists and chosen by Gerwald Rockenschaub.The full list of artists can be found on the gallery’s website, and includes established artists such as Ellsworth Kelly and Gerhard Richter, and younger artists like Tomma Abts and Katja Strunz.


Show assembled by Gerwald Rockenschaub, via My Contemporary

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Go See – New York: 'Off the Wall: Part One, Thirty Performative Actions' at the Whitney Museum of American Art, through September 19th, 2010

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010


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Dara Friedman, Bim Bam, 1999, courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Currently on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art is the first part of a two-part exhibition titled “Off The Wall.” The exhibition at large brings together thirty works from 1946 to the present involving performative actions and seven iconic works by Trisha Brown. Part one, “Thirty Performative Actions,” was curated by Chrissie Iles, the Whitney’s Anne and Joel Ehrenkrnaz curator and is scheduled to be on display until September 19th. Part two, “Seven Works by Trisha Brown,” will run from September 30th to October 30th. This section features the return of the Trisha Brown Dance Company to the Whitney. Many of Brown’s dances were performed at the museum in 1971, so in addition to the performances taking place in the fall there will be video footage of Trisha Brown’s past work.


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“Off The Wall” Opening at The Whitney Museum of American Art on June 30th, 2010, photograph courtesy of Taylor Derwin.

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Go See – Barcelona: Pipilotti Rist ‘Friendly Game – Electronic Feelings’ at Fundacio Joan Miro, through November 1, 2010

Monday, July 19th, 2010


Sip my Ocean
(1996) by Pipilotti Rist, via Ars Magazine.

Currently on view at the Fundacio Joan Miro is “Friendly Game- Electronic Feelings” an exhibition by renowned Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist. The show is the largest exhibition of her colorful work in Spain and features 13 installations spanning the artist’s career. Ten installations are shown at the Fundacio Joan Miro and the other three are hosted at the Centre Cultural de Caixa Girona. Also shown are small video installations including Porque te vas? (Nass) (2003) and Grabstein fur RW (2004).

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Go See – Berlin: Gordon Matta-Clark at Galerie Thomas Schulte through July 31, 2010

Sunday, July 18th, 2010


Gordon Matta-Clark, Office Baroque (view of second floor & removed section), 1977, 10 x 8 inches, via Galerie Thomas Schulte.

Currently on view at Galerie Thomas Schulte (in partnership with Florent Bex), is a rare collection of works documenting one of Gordon Matta-Clark’s last building interventions, Office Baroque (1977).  The Antwerp office structure was legally secured for Matta-Clark’s building cuts, which—in contrast with pieces like Bingo (Bin.go.ne) (1974) bulldozed by authorities immediately upon completion, or Day’s End (Pier 52) (1975), for which the artist repeatedly evaded police arrest—allowed for ample opportunity to record the alterations Matta-Clark executed.  Three rooms reveal photography, photo collage and film, on loan from public and private collections, much of which has never before been published.

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Go See – Zurich: Sigmar Polke at Thomas Ammann Fine Art through September 30th, 2010

Saturday, July 17th, 2010


Liebespaar II
(1965) Sigmar Polke, via Thomas Ammann Gallery

Currently on view at Thomas Ammann Gallery is a selection of important works made by one of the masters of contemporary painting and photography, German artist Sigmar Polke (1941-2010). Renowned for his pictorial jest and vibrant layering of found images, the exhibition features some of the artist’s masterworks many of which probe the ghosts of Germany’s postwar years.

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Go See – Buenos Aires: Gerhard Richter 'Synopsis' at National Museum of Decorative Arts until July 25th, 2010

Friday, July 16th, 2010


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Domecke – [Cathedral Corner] (1987) by Gerhard Richter, via Gerhard Richter

Currently showing at the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentia, is an exhibition of works by German artist Gerhard Richter. The exhibit is titled Synopsis, and it includes a variety of works that span four decades. Richter is well-known for his photo-paintings and abstract pieces, both of which are on display. The title Synopsis is fitting; the museum called the exhibit “retrospective” and therefore indicative of Richter’s growth over the years.

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AO On Site – New York: Opening Reception, ‘Normal Dimensions’ at Half Gallery, curated by Neville Wakefield, through August 13th, 2010

Thursday, July 15th, 2010


Half Gallery Opening Night: July 14th for ‘Normal Dimensions’. All images by Olivia Loving for AO unless otherwise noted.

AO was on site July 14th for the opening of “Normal Dimensions,” the new exhibit at Half Gallery. The six-piece exhibit is curated by Neville Wakefield, and shows work by Carol Bove, Olympia Scarry, Xaviera Simmons and Susan Collis.  All are women in roughly the same age group. The works in the exhibit largely reflect the artists’ past works, and the issues that continue to inspire them. The opening was packed, and visitors spilled out onto the street, relaxing and chatting with fellow attendees. The show will be on display until August 13th, 2010.


Saliva (2010) by Olympia Scarry.


Olympia Scarry standing outside Half Gallery

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AO On Site: New York: Lush Life Exhibitions on Display at 9 Lower East Side Galleries

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010


The Story of Edward Holmes (2008) (video still) by Tommy Hartung, via Lehmann Maupin

In the midst of an abnormally steamy and a typically slow New York City gallery season, the Lush Life exhibitions aim to inspire cross-media buzz.  Curators Franklin Evans and Omar Lopez Chahoud have organized the work of 60 artists across nine shows at nine Lower East Side galleries—Sue Scott Gallery, On Stellar Rays, Invisible-Exports, Lehmann Maupin, Y Gallery, Collette Blanchard Gallery, Salon 94 Freemans, Scaramouche, and Eleven Rivington—each corresponding to a chapter of Richard Price’s celebrated crime novel set in the LES,  Lush Life.


Lush Life Opening at Lehmann Museum on July 8, 2010

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Go See – London: Rodney Graham at the Lisson Gallery until July 31, 2010

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010


Artist’s Model Posing For ‘The Old Bugler, Among the Fallen, Battle of Beaune-Roland, 1870′ In The Studio Of An Unknown Military Painter, Paris, 1885 by Rodney Graham, via Hauserwirth

Currently showing at the Lisson Gallery in London, England until July 31, 2010, is a solo exhibition of works by Canadian artist Rodney Graham. Graham is well-known for his schooling in the field of conceptual art, which places the idea of a work of art above the importance of its execution. Graham often creates art out of art; one title alludes to a British horror film by the same name. As a whole, Painter, Poet, Lighthouse Keeper is a versatile and creative exhibit: it contains light boxes, paintings, and short films by Graham. The Lisson Gallery is working with MACBA, Barcelona and Hamburger Kunsthalle to host the exhibit.


Lighthouse Keeper with Lighthouse Model (1955 2010) by Rodney Graham, via Lisson Gallery

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Go See – Rome: Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres / Ellsworth Kelly at Villa Medici through September 26, 2010

Monday, July 12th, 2010


Red Curve in Relief
(2009) by Ellsworth Kelly, via Villa Medici.

Currently on view at the French Academy in Rome the Villa Medici is an exhibition featuring the work of two great artists: Twentieth-century American artist Ellsworth Kelly (b.1923) and French Neoclassical master Jean-August-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) who was once the director of the Villa Medici. The show will explore the relationship between the two artists despite the many centuries which separate them.

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Go See – Switzerland: Rosemarie Trockel at Kunstmuseum Basel through September 5th, 2010

Saturday, July 10th, 2010


Preliminary Study (1989) by Rosemarie Trockel, via Kunstmuseum Basel

Currently showing at Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland through September 5th, 2010, is an exhibition of works by German artist Rosemarie Trockel. Trockel is an artist of contrasts. Her early “knitting pictures” are an example of such; they consist of logo-stamped wool stretched thin across a series of frames. The logos belong to large corporations or countries. For example, one logo uses the symbol of the Soviet Union superimposed on the colors of the United States’ flag. Besides the obvious intimations of a power struggle through the use of symbols, another contradiction can be noted. Knitting is traditionally a woman’s job, but the frames and the logos recall industrial production and manufacturing, or traditional male jobs. While these “knitting pictures” are not on display at the Kuntsmuseum, other equally suggestive works are. The Kunstmuseum in Basel is working with the Kunstmuseum in Bonn, Germany, to coordinate the exhibit.


Untitled (2000) by Rosemarie Trockel, via Kunstmuseum Basel

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Go See – London: Francis Alÿs at the Tate Modern until September 5th

Friday, July 9th, 2010


Tornado (2000-2010) by Francis Alÿs, via inglebygallery

Currently showing at the Tate Modern in London until September 5, 2010, is a series of works by artist Francis Alÿs. Alÿs is famous for sacrificing his own comfort and health for the sake of art, as he does with his “Tornado” video (2000-10) on display at the Tate. A still of this video serves as the picture on the museum’s banner of the exhibit, entitled Francis Alÿs: A Story of Deception. The picture shows a man, bent against the wind and obscured by dust, essaying to reach the center of the storm. This footage was collected over the course of a decade, as Alÿs struggled both to keep his cameras intact (he reportedly lost six) and to capture the sense of “adrenaline” that he craved. While many works are videos, other media are included, such as paintings.


Re-enactments (2000) by Francis Alÿs, via Tate

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AO AUCTION RESULTS: TURNER & RUBINS ARE TOP LOTS AT SOTHEBY’S & CHRISTIE’S OLD MASTER AUCTIONS LONDON JULY 6 & 7

Thursday, July 8th, 2010


J. M. W. Turner, Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino, 1839 (estimate £12-18 million, realized £29,721,250), via Sothebys.com

Master Paintings Week continues in London after a boost from the Christie’s and Sotheby’s Old Master auctions that took place on July 6th and 7th. The Sotheby’s auction earned £53,484,350 against a high estimate of £50.8 million, while the Christie’s sale realized £42.3 million against a pre-sale estimate of £36.9–55.3 million (totals realized include buyer’s premium, estimates do not). More than half of the Sotheby’s earnings came from the sale of a single canvas by J. M. W. Turner, which sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles for a staggering £29,721,250. The painting, showing a view of the Italian capital from the Capitoline Hill, has a sterling provenance and equally impressive exhibition history. The sale established a new record for the artist at auction.

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Go See – Monaco: Damien Hirst at the Oceanographic Museum through September 30th

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010


Hymn (1999) by Damien Hirst, via Oceano.org

Currently showing at The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco through September 30, 2010, is an exhibition of works by British artist Damien Hirst. This exhibition is a break-through for the Museum, which is working in tandem with the New National Museum of Monaco, as its first display of contemporary art. True to name, The Oceanographic Museum showcases exhibits relating to marine life. While Hirst is being shown as a contemporary artist, many of his works do feature a type of marine life; his suspended sharks, for one, resemble exhibits that typically would be in such a museum. Monaco’s temperate climate and its booming summertime tourist industry should attract many high-income visitors to the show, entitled Cornucopia.

After the Flood (2008) by Damien Hirst, via Artnet.com

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Go See – New York: Ragnar Kjartansson at Luhring Augustine, through August 13

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010


Ragnar Kjartansson, The End – Venice, June 2009, Performance shot, Commissioned by the Center for Icelandic Art. Image by Dave Yoder for The New York Times/Redux, courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York and i8 Galleri, Reykjavik.

Currently on view at Luhring Augustine through August 13, 2010 is the gallery’s first solo show of Icelandic-born artist Ragnar Kjartansson. The exhibition offers a video and a room full to the brim with canvases Kjartansson painted during the Venice Biennale 2009. Born in 1976, the artist is the youngest to ever show at the Biennale. Multidisciplinary in his approach, Kjartansson creates with drawing, painting, sculpture, video, and theater. His work taps into not only his own cultural history and the Nordic notions of tragedy, but also the nostalgic history of bygone eras of theater, television, music, and art.


Installation shot. Image by Art Observed.

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