AO Art Observed™

German artist Jonathan Meese via TheMoment

Jonathan Meese, Daniel Richter, and Javier Peres as players in the Berlin art scene [NY Times- The Moment]
more Jonathan Meese, headlining Friday at the Journal Gallery, Brooklyn [The World's Best Ever]
Valuable, yet difficult to execute and display “extreme” art [ArtInfo]
Rothko, Bacon highlight a very British-painter-based fall exhibit lineup in London [Bloomberg]
On “democracy” as a trend in British contemporary art, and how pricing can suffer from it [Guardian]
Deborah Harris is the new managing director of the Armory Show [ArtForum]
Director Sir Nicholas Serota sets 1 year deadline for funds for Transforming Tate Modern project [London SE1]
In more Tate news: 2007/8 acquisition year for the Tate Collection brought a record $111 million - 494 work harvest [Art Daily]

Vito Schnabel via The Age.com

Vito Schnabel’s art dealing off to a fast start [NY Sun]
The other (non-Hirst) British human skull artist [Guardian.co.uk]
$100M pier upgrade allows Armory Show to expand exhibitors [NYTimes]
An in-depth profile of Larry Gagosian via those who know him [Economist]
Takashi Murakami on Time’s most influential people list [ArtInfo]

Tom Sachs via the NY Times

Ahead of 2 major NY shows, Tom Sachs as resourceful iconoclast [NYTimes]
Auction houses prune pipeline amidst ‘correction’ [WSJ]
Craig Robins’s free art school set to help Miami compete [NYMag]
Christie’s Dubai sale: $2.84M record for Middle East artist [Bloomberg]
More Julian Schnabel art & commerce: a Mastercard contest [C-monster via Art fag city]
A talk with famed German artist Anselm Kiefer [Guardian.co.uk]

Gregory Crewdson via New York Magazine

Gregory Crewdson’s elaborate, freaky-suburban, cinema set works [NYMag]
On the art pilgrimage to Judd’s Marfa, TX [Wall Street Journal]
A Tom Otterness sculpture to Dumbo [New York Sun]
Why Asian nations are bargain hunting Japanese Art [Herald Tribune]
Banksy works headline U.K. regional auction [Bloomberg]
Update: Overview of the Armory Show [Artinfo]
Update: Warhol’s “Ten portraits of Jews of the 20th century” [NYTimes]
Update: Armory sales hold despite economic slowdown [artnewspaper]
An over-the-front-desk look at the “gallerinas” of Chelsea [NYTimes]
C-Monster at the Whitney [Time Magazine]

Screenshot of Armory Video part 1 courtesy of Vernissage.tv (click through for Video)

Vernissage.tv has two videos of the Armory Show currently on display at Pier 94 in New York. The first (shown above) features works from the galleries such as David Zwirner, Contemporary Fine Arts, Cheim and Reid and Arndt and Partner. Artists on display include Jason Rhodes, Daniel Richter, Johnathan Meese, and Thomas Hirschorn.

See Video 2 after the jump (more…)

Martin Creed; Brass & Chrome in front; Multi-Colored Neon in back; Hauser & Wirth

Commentary and Photos by Faith-Ann Young

In the 1950s, neon represented the light of the American Dream- a technological innovation that emblazoned a company or brands’ success and riches into the starry skies. In the 1980’s art world, neon signs were omnipresent, signifying cool kitsch. At this year’s Armory Show in NYC, neon was back and bold- flashing flamboyantly in at least seventeen exhibitions- whether in traditional form or L.E.D. However today’s neon, rather than to flaunt the obvious (like typical commercial signage), most artists employed these glow rays to reveal the hidden, secret or censored. (more…)

The colorful hall near the Deitch Project’s Exhibit at the Armory 2008 via ArtObserved

Photos and Writing by Faith-Ann YoungEntering this year’s Armory Show felt like entering a Hollywood studio lot. Gone is any semblance to its roots in the fleabag suites of the Gramercy Park Hotel, when zealous artists displayed from suites’ sinks and bathtubs. This Wednesday’s VIP/Press Opening? Tons of Champagne, neon, kitsch, glitter, popped-collars, drugs, sex, but simply not enough BANG.

Opening of the Armory show [Bloomberg]
Armory show 2008 [New York Magazine]
Armory Show review [ New York Times]

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Crowds at the 2007 Armory via Kopenhagen

The Armory Show pulls droves of collectors, curators, dealers and enthusiasts.  Now in its tenth year, the Armory Show is New York’s largest contemporary art fair. However, many of the satellite fairs that have sprung up as a result of the crowds are not to be missed.  After the jump, a full rundown and schedule…

Companion Fairs offer variety for Armory attendees [NYSun]
SCOPE art fair sets itself apart[NYSun]
Newcomers to Armory Arts week [Artnet]

(more…)

Mary Heilmann “Yellow Wave” and John Waters Courtesy via The Armory Show

From March 27 through March 30, Pier 94 will host the Armory show in New York. While there will certainly be sales made, the Armory show will expand its offerings to panel of discussions, tours of the Whitney Biennial, visits to New York collectors’ homes, and cocktail parties, and other events throughout the city.

The Armory show [New York Sun]
Official Website of the Armory show [Armory Show]

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“Animal Estates” by Fritz Haeg via the New York Times

The 2008 Whitney Biennial opened this Thursday at the Whitney Museum of American Art, to usual fanfare and anticipation. The exhibition will take place from March 6 until June 1, 2008 and will host eighty-one artists, selected to tell us ‘where American art stands today.’ The Biennial was founded in 1932 and has evolved into the most important survey of the state of contemporary art in the United States.
Whitney Biennial 2008 [Whitney]
Interactive installation view with audio commentary [ New York Times]
Opening of the Whitney Biennial 2008 [New York Sun]
Whitney and Park Avenue Armory Collaboration [City Guide NY]
By-the-numbers: New York, Los Angeles well-represented [artinfo]
Opening night photos: artists, curators and friends [ArtForum]
Whitney Biennial opens with ‘casual idealism’ [New York Sun]
Mood of Biennial reflects ’slowness’ in art economy [New York Times ]
Going prices for seven most talked-about artists [Portfolio]
Best of show and worst of show [artfagcity]
Podcast: Portraits of past biennial participants [Whitney]
Most represented dealers in the show[Portfolio]
Some say witty, some say ingratiating [culturegrrl]
(more…)

Andy Coolquitt, JSUT, 2007 via Art Review

Galleries worth leaving Chelsea for [Art Review]
Details of 46,000 artworks stolen by Nazis [Bloomberg]
Interview with Armory Show chief Katelijne De Backer [Art Fag City]
Artist Hope Atherton on Peter Doig, soon to open at Tate [Style]
No market for stolen art: art thieves will have difficulty selling loot [NYSun]
Poussin Paintings together again [NYTimes]
Saatchi/HarperCollins join to sponsor a book design competition for Sean Dixon’s debut novel [Londonist]
Top Moscow contemporary art galleries merge [Bloomberg]
The Finnish version of the UK’s Turner prize: More of a marketing tool? [NYSun]