Photos for Art Observed by Charles Shoener

On Monday evening creative unit FAMNYC and international auction company Phillips de Pury came together to host a charity auction at The Intercourse, a new studio in Red Hook founded by artist Dustin Yellin.  The offered exhibition, titled “The Exquisite Corpse Project”, was sold both silently and live with a portion of the proceeds benefiting ART Start, an organization helping to foster creativity among unprivileged youth.  A group of ART Start’s very own One Mic students also gave an intermediate performance at the event.

The live auction items, at left: Ross Bleckner, Thomas McDonell, Sebastian Errazuriz; at right: Dustin Yellin, Jordan Wolfson & Joey Frank

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Piano in the Rain, a solo exhibition by painter Dana Schutz, opened at Friedrich Petzel Gallery on May 2^nd.  Schutz’s signature blend of cubist figures, brightly colored scenery, and chaotic compositions is a stylistic combination reminiscent of the artwork produced by the German Expressionist groups of the early 20^th Century.  Similar to the way that many of these groups found inspiration in the streets of Dresden and other large European cities, Schutz’s work also reflects troubles related to urban life; Heroin in the Wind shows a woman struggling with drug addiction while Small Apartment confronts the frustrating physical realities of city habitation. And as the title of the show suggests, each of these 13 paintings feature worlds fraught with troubles and instability and characters whose problems seem both common and insurmountable.

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Anish Kapoor, Untitled (2012) installation view, Gladstone Gallery, West 21st Street. All photos on site for Art Observed by Perrin Lathrop.

Anish Kapoor’s current solo exhibition at Gladstone Gallery confronts visitors with two opposing sides to the artist’s three decade long investigation into the nature of objectness. A veritable global art star, with a Venice Biennale Pavilion (1990), a Turner Prize (1991) and countless prestigious public art commissions under his belt, Kapoor is known for his perception bending works that verge on spectacle. In the Indian-born, London-based artist’s first show in New York in four years his new works expand across two gallery spaces on West 24th and 21st Streets. As an artist interested in the metaphysical polarities inherent in individual objects, Kapoor invests these two galleries with both organic and highly engineered approaches to the materiality of form.

Anish Kapoor, installation view, Gladstone Gallery, West 24th Street.

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The chair-raft. All photos on site for Art Observed by Samuel Sveen.

16 reclaimed boats make up the second summer of the Boggsville Boatel at Marina 59, an artful floating hotel in the Far Rockaways about an hour outside of Manhattan. Constance Hockaday created the project last year with the help of Flux Factory, taking a bit of loose inspiration from the 19th century floating brothel of Nancy Boggs outside of Portland, Oregon. This year Angie Kang and Orien McNeill organized 23 artists to convert an additional fleet of abandoned boats into accommodating art spaces. The artists were able to live on the boats for a two month residency, reconstructing and customizing the boats, building a community on the docks. Encouraged to be ‘adventure ready’—the suggested packing list includes sleeping bags and liquor—Art Observed was on site for the opening night, May 19.

Art adorns a hull

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Live painting of models Ilva Heitmann and Maciej Markowicz by Marcy Rosewater for “People and Places”

This past weekend, Arts in Bushwick organized the 6th annual Bushwick Open Studios festival. Since its start in 2007, BOS has shared an expansive community of art with the public in hopes of promoting interaction and discussion.  This year there were over 500 participants, ranging in scale from multi-floor gallery spaces, street art, pop-up studios and personal apartments.

Oliver Warden’s “Untitled Box 2.0″ installation resembles a plain mirror at first, but reveals a live man inside (the artist) as soon as viewers flick on the box’s light switch. Photos for Art Observed by Elene Damenia and Lisa Marsova

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All photos by Lisa Marsova for Art Observed.

Canadian artist Bruce LaBruce has done extensive work in photography and film, with world premiers at such festivals as Sundance.  He is perhaps best known for his erotic zombie content as seen in his 2010 film L.A. Zombie and 2009 solo show “Untitled Hardcore Zombie Project”, which opened at Peres Projects in Los Angeles.  His most recent solo exhibit was “Obscenity” at Madrid’s La Fresh Gallery this past February.  Yesterday evening he showed both his print and live work at The Hole gallery in New York City.  His book signing for the new release of Bruce(X)ploitation was accompanied by a bloodied and fairly jarring performance piece, featuring the assault of a prisoner by two suited army men.

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New York-based artist Hanna Liden’s show Ghost Town is on now at Maccarone Gallery in the West Village. The show features mixed media sculptures, installations, and photographs; most of which represent Liden’s recent work steeped in a visual language specific to downtown Manhattan. However, three photographs of a female Greco-Roman style sculpture belong to a previous body of work that Liden has been waiting to showcase. These photos, with the close-up of the engraved graffiti on the body of the sculpture, are imbued with the same urban specific aesthetics that comprise the rest of the show.

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Helmut Lang, Untitled (2012). All photos on site for Art Observed by Ryann Donnelly.

Helmut Lang: Sculptures is on view at 24 Washington Square North in New York City. Co-curated by Mark Fletcher and Neville Wakefield, it is the first exhibition to be shown at the townhouse turned art space, and Lang’s third solo show since exiting the fashion world in 2005. Last year, Lang’s process of reidentifying as a visual artist saw his shredding of nearly 6,000 objects from his former label’s archive for an exhibition at East Hampton’s Fireplace Project. Following that drastic, and literal destruction of his past, Lang’s new work emerges as a recontexualized exploration of his complex aesthetic.

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Kehinde Wiley, Judith and Holofernes (2012). All photos on site for Art Observed by Perrin Lathrop, © Kehinde Wiley.

For his debut exhibition at Sean Kelly Gallery, Kehinde Wiley embarks upon new territory: women. Titled An Economy of Grace, the series depicts African-American women selected straight from the streets of New York City. Wiley poses his subjects to mimic portraits of 18th and 19th Century society women by artists such as Jacques Louis David, Thomas Gainsborough and John Singer Sargent. Set against Wiley’s signature bold, decorative backgrounds, these women exude power and elegance—they refuse to be ignored. Reflecting on his decision to portray females, Wiley states, “I am painting women in order to come to terms with the depictions of gender within the context of art history.”

Kehinde Wiley (center) at the opening of ‘An Economy of Grace’ at Sean Kelly Gallery, May 5, 2012 (more…)

Tom Sachs and Kanye West at the opening of SPACE PROGRAM: MARS. All photos on site for Art Observed by Elene Damenia.

Tom Sachs takes New York City to Mars in his new immersive installation at the Park Avenue Armory, SPACE PROGRAM: MARS, co-presented by Creative Time and the Armory. For four weeks, the artist and a crew of thirteen will enact various missions and rituals as if on Mars, albeit a world of faux space suits, space ships, and craters, constructed of plywood, found junk, and several trips to the hardware store. At Tuesday night’s opening preview, guests sipped ‘Astronaut Sunrise with Mars Salt Rim’ and ‘Vader Piss,’ including the likes of Kanye West, Julian Schnabel, Nate Lowman, and Hanna Liden, with Bill Powers manning the Indoctrination station. According to the press release, Sach’s work “provokes reflection on the haves and have-nots, utopian follies and dystopian realities, while asking barbed questions of modern creativity that relate to conception, production, consumption, and circulation.” One visitor remarked, “I wanted sand, red sand everywhere… but other than that, it’s great!”

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Jean-Michel Basquiat’s, Untitled (1981). Image courtesy of Phillips de Pury.

The Contemporary Art Evening Sale at Phillips de Pury marked the last auction of the May season in New York. At the start, the salesroom was filled with lively energy among the crowd, with collectors mingling, including a Mugrabi brother. This show came after a record breaking fortnight of auctions and fairs within the art world. Coming down to the final sale, it was apparent that the buying was beginning to slow. Still, Phillips de Pury achieved a solid total sale of $86.8 million, which fell within their anticipated estimate of $75–110 million.

Before the Contemporary Evening Sale begins. Photo By Aubrey Roemer for Art Observed.

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All photos on site for Art Observed by Rachel Willis.

New York-based painter Will Cotton’s most recent body of work is currently on display at the Mary Boone Gallery on Fifth Avenue. The show consists of multiple large-scale paintings and one sculpture, all of which feature the imagery of Cotton’s signature candy-filled landscapes. Cotton comments on Western consumerism by creating an aesthetic world inhabited by two hallmarks of American overindulgence: attractive women and trans fat goodies. Featured in this exhibition is Crown, the first of a series of paintings that depict pop singer Katy Perry surrounded by a world of ornately decorated cakes.

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Sotheby’s staff preparing for the sale. Photos on site for Art Observed by Aubrey Roemer unless otherwise noted.

After Tuesday night’s multi-record breaking sale at Christie’s, last night’s Contemporary Evening Sale at Sotheby’s seemed to hold a somewhat lower energy, possibly a result of the second consecutive week of auctions and fairs wearing on the collectors. Yet the sale totaled $266 million—within Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate of $215–300 million—a number considerably higher than last May’s Contemporary Evening Sale total of $128 million. Seven of the artworks sold at more than $10 million, and there was an overall sell-through rate of 80.7%. In a post-sale press conference, Sotheby’s Head of Contemporary Art, Alex Rotter, commented “the market is very healthy with active bidding.”

Tobias Meyer giving a press talk about the sale. (more…)

Louise Bourgeois, Untitled (2004). All photos on site by Art Observed.

The last of the throng at the first Frieze Art Fair on Randall’s Island in New York City petered out Monday afternoon yet, the most avid collectors simply shifted course to the remainder auction sales at Christie’s and Philips de Pury. Overall, gallerists at the fair appeared to be immensely pleased with the inaugural event, some booths claiming blowout sales, while others were content with merely executing reserve transactions.

John Ahearn casts a fairgoer in plaster as part of Frieze Projects

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Christie’s Auctioneer, Christopher Burge, about to hit the hammer at $75.5 million ($86,882,500 with buyer’s premium) for Rothko’s Orange, Red, Yellow. All photographs on site for Art Observed by Aubrey Roemer unless otherwise noted.

“We kinda broke the bank,” said Christie’s Chairman and International Head, Brett Gorvy, last night in a press conference, held after Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale. The total sales for the evening were $388,488,000—a record for the house, making it their most valuable auction to date. Eclipsing their former record by $4 million for a sale in May of 2007, their grand total soared nearly $150 million over their anticipated estimates.

Selling Rothko’s Orange, Red, Yellow

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Ibid Projects/Untitled, New York

In its eighth year running, the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) converged on Center 548—a five-story, roof-top-access building at 548 West 22nd Street in Chelsea—for its first visit to NYC; a long weekend that would coincide with the initial New York Freize Art Fair as well. Among the varied crowd, Aurel Schmidt and Jerry Saltz were in attendance on Friday (Schmidt was premiering a print that was available through Exhibition A for only 24 hours).

Exhibition A’s Flash gallery on the roof top

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All photos on site for Art Observed by Samuel Sveen.

Karen Kilimnick is showing at the Brant Foundation in Greenwich, Connecticut. The opening event occurred this Sunday with a preview by founder Peter Brant and a list of other art world notables such as Jeffrey Deitch, Gavin Brown, Julian Schnabel and May Anderson, John McEnroe, Dan Colen, Nate Lowman, Hanna Liden, Elias Hanson, Rikrit Tiravanija, and Elizabeth Peyton amongst other collectors and members of the press. Backing up to the expansive Greenwich Polo Grounds, the event mostly took place outdoors, under and around a tented table area where visitors snacked on steak frites and lamb roasted within view.

Cell phone video of the festivities

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Jim Drain and Ara Peterson, Pinwheels (2004-2005, 2009, 2011). All images on site for Art Observed by Megan Hoetger.

Curated by Mike Diamond, best known as one of the Beastie Boys, Transmission LA: AV Club is an exhibition/coffee bar/event series which has brought together visual art, design, technology, performance, music, and food to give viewers a complete sensory experience. The spectacular 17-day festival has been host to a busy line-up of DJs and musicians, transforming MOCA into a hip nighttime hangout—into the club atmosphere that Mike D. ambitiously envisioned.

Tom Sachs, Toyon’s (2002)

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Cy Twombly, The Last Paintings installation view. All photos on site for Art Observed by Megan Hoetger.

The Last Paintings and Photographs of legendary 20^th century artist Cy Twombly, currently on view now at Gagosian Gallery, include some of the final paintings by the artist, as well as a large collection of photographs amassed over nearly 60 years.

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Gavin Brown and Mark Ruffalo cooking sausages. All photographs by Aubrey Roemer for Art Observed.

The always fresh but now venerable Frieze Art Fair of Regent’s Park, London, has successfully completed its maiden voyage to this side of the Atlantic. The pavilion, designed by Brooklyn-based SO-IL Architects, places Frieze New York on Randall’s Island Park from May 4-7, 2012. The fair is being held in a distinctly snakelike structure that houses 180 leading contemporary galleries presenting works by more than 1,000 artists. There are a number of culinary options as well: Roberta’s, The Fat Radish Café, Frankie’s Spuntino Restaurant, Sant Abroeus Café and the Standard Biergarten.

Entrance to the Frieze Art Fair

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Aurel Schmidt

Downtown for Democracy and OHWOW have teamed up for a new book, The Pocket Guide to Politics. Providing an approachable entry point to politics for the average citizen, last night’s launch party took place in the Standard Hotel’s Boom Boom Room in New York. Aaron Bondaroff of OHWOW welcomed art world figures like Aurel Schmidt, André Saraiva, Terry Richardson, Bill Powers, Dustin Yellin, and Peter Coffin, while Donald Cummings of the Virgins played a piano tune, Kilo Kish rapped on the bar, and Nate Lowman DJed throughout the night.

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Paul Cezanne, Jouer de cartes (1892–96). Image courtesy of Christie’s.

Last night’s Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale at Christie’s began this season’s auctions in New York. Christie’s overall sales totaled $117 million—well over their low estimate of $90.5 million. According to Christie’s, they achieved a sell-through rate of 96% by value and 90% by lot. In a post-auction press conference, Christie’s Head of the Department, Brooke Lampley, said that the results were exactly what they had expected, given that they had tailored their sale to match what the market was looking for.

View of the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale at Christie’s. Photo by Aubrey Roemer for Art Observed.

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All photos on site for Art Observed by Samuel Sveen.

With a “kind of secret” French glue, JR and assistants pasted up a 65-foot mural yesterday in the Soho area of Manhattan at the north west corner of Mulberry and Prince streets. The work is part of the Inside Out Project, JR’s TED-awarded “One Wish to Change the World.” Inside Out is an open invite to submit black and white photographic portraits which are then blown up to various poster sizes and returned to be placed wherever the owner chooses. The image in Soho—with no tear-down date as of yet—is part of the North Dakota Native American project, submitted by Brandon Many Ribs, according to a Facebook post.

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All photos on site for Art Observed by Elene Damenia.

Charles Atlas’ pioneering work in film has evolved since the early 1970s to today, ever re-defining his medium and the field. As Artist in Residence for the 2012 Whitney Biennial from April 18–22, Atlas showcased his recent exploration of live performance, as well as screening Ocean April 11–15, his full-length film of the legendary Merce Cunningham‘s performance at the Rainbow Granite Quarry in Minnesota in 2008. As Filmmaker-in-residence for Cunningham from 1974–83, Atlas explored the technical possibilities of capturing dance on film, conflating time, scale, and angles to create a multi-dimensional viewing experience for a genre whose single viewpoint documentation often drains the piece of its power and effect. Atlas is the self-proclaimed inventor of ‘mediadance,’ a genre of performance conceived exclusively for video broadcast, demonstrative of his active engagement with performers. Known for his collaborative work with performance artists such as Marina Abromovic, Leigh Bowery, Michael Clark, Douglas Dunn, Yvonne Rainer, Mika Tajima and New Humans, Atlas states, “the essence of my work resides ultimately in the relationships that develop with my subjects and my collaborators.”

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