2050 5th Avenue, via Art Observed

There’s something particularly fitting about the conversion of Harlem’s Mt. Moriah Church by artist Ugo Rondinone.  Long interested in conflations of the human and the spiritual through physical sculpture and architecture (particularly the artist’s ongoing Human Nature series of human rock sculptures installed last year at both Rockefeller Center and Gladstone Gallery), the space fuses its towering facade with both studio and exhibition space inside.  Last week, Rondinone opened his studio and gallery, still under construction, for a private tour, showcasing the artist’s impressive architectural project, and his new exhibition in the space, a series of monochrome paintings by artist Wesley Martin Berg.

 A work by Wesley Martin Berg, via Art Observed (more…)

Sculptor Antony Gormley was honored with knighthood this New Year’s Day.  “I’m really very humbled and delighted.  I think Britain has this extraordinary history of people who think through making things that live in our world and are to be shared.” (more…)

Artist Raymond Pettibon is interviewed in The Guardian this week, and discusses his recent work, his stance against the US government, and his thoughts on his logo design for Black Flag being one of the most tattooed images of all time.  “I don’t know which is worse sometimes… I’ve never encouraged anyone to get one. I don’t know how those things work. Some things become iconic for whatever reason and people have the logo on their arms, or wherever, but a lot of them don’t even know their music.” (more…)

Vanity Fair Magazine has unveiled an expansive survey of the world’s greatest living artists, with Gerhard Richter topping the list, and followed by Jasper Johns and Richard Serra.  The voting panel included a number of recognized artists, including Marina Abramović, Carl Andre, John Baldessari, and Fernando Botero. (more…)

Gerhard Richter, White, (1988), via Phillips

Frieze London opened its doors to VIP’s and the press today, beginning another hectic week of exhibitions, sales and, as is to be expected, major auctions from Phillips, Sotheby’s and Christie’s.  Beginning tonight, the three auction houses will look to capitalize on the atmosphere of frenzied competition that so often marks the major art weeks, with each bringing forth a strong collection of works from across the contemporary art landscape.

Peter Doig, Red Canoe (2000), via Christie’s (more…)

A number of artists who left the MOCA Board  in 2012 have joined the search team for selecting a new director for Los Angeles’s contemporary art museum.  John Baldessari, Barbara Kruger, Catherine Opie and Ed Ruscha have all signed on as part of the 14-person board, and will help in the search and selection process.  “Pertinent qualities [for a new director] would be fundraising, experience in how a museum operates, and most importantly, vast curatorial skill,” Baldessari said. “It would be a real opportunity to whoever is appointed, because there’s nowhere to go but up.” (more…)

Artist Thomas Hirschhorn, in New York for the opening of his Gramsci Monument at Forest Houses in the Bronx, appeared last week at Artists Space in Manhattan, for a discussion with art historians Hal Foster and Lisa Lee on his practice, writing and the necessity of documentation. “The act of writing is a good way of taking it seriously, to be clear with the work, and also to be clear with intention.  The act of writing is most important for the artistic will.”  He says. (more…)

Artist Dustin Yellin is profiled in The New York Times, detailing the artist’s continued practice, his recently reopened Pioneer Works space in Red Hook, and his ongoing fascination with collecting and antiques.  “My father had the bug,” said Mr. Yellin, who grew up in Aspen, Colo. “Ever since I can remember walking, he was waking me up at 5 in the morning to go to flea markets. As a kid, I couldn’t really stand it, but as I grew up, I became that guy, and when I have kids, I am going to be doing the same thing.” (more…)

Artist David Hockney has broken the silence surrounding the death of his assistant, 23-year old Dominic Elliott.  Elliott’s death, the causes of which remain somewhat of a mystery, sidelined the painter, forcing him to take a break from his prolific work.   “The spring didn’t start until late April this year. I wasn’t doing anything much, had nearly given up, and was still thinking about going to LA when my assistant, Jean-Pierre, said I didn’t really have an option. I had to continue with the work. And he was right. I’m not going to retire. I just keep working and that’s what I think I should do.” (more…)

Artist Gavin Turk spoke with The Guardian this week in advance of his upcoming show this summer at Ben Brown Fine Arts, covering his practice, failing his MA Thesis show, and his views on the tag “conceptual art.”  “People often don’t want to do any work with art – they just want to see something and enjoy it. I can’t see art in those terms. To me, art is always about ideas. Really, it’s all conceptual.”  He says. (more…)

California-based artist Alex Israel recently sat down with AnOther Magazine to talk about his new show in Berlin, his new series of self-portraits (one of which is on view as part of After-Hours 2:: Murals on the Bowery), and the close ties between his work and the film culture of his home city, Los Angeles.  “For me, going to the studio is a phrase that can only refer to going to a movie studio. That is why I made my work at Warner Bros. I am also a fan. I like movies and TV.” (more…)

Artist and architect Maya Lin is profiled in the New York Times, and discusses her new show at Pace Gallery, her recent work, and her thoughts on the environmental catastrophe’s caused by Hurricane Sandy last year, when much of Downtown New York was flooded. “A flood doesn’t exist except in our memory banks,” she said. “It’s a temporal event. It’s not the river and it’s not the land. It’s neither here nor there.” (more…)

Artforum is reporting that dealer and artist Daniel Reich recently passed away, taking his own life on Christmas Day of last year.  He was 39 years old.  Reich began showing art in 2001, and established his own gallery in Chelsea, which closed in 2011.  “Change is hard, but it’s also good,” he said at that time. “It resets you, it returns you to that initial energy, the fire that you had, way back then, when you knew that you wanted to do this.”   (more…)

A group of artists, led by Chuck Close, have filed an appeal to overturn a federal ruling that the California Resale Royalty Act is unconstitutional.  The act, which required all resales of a California artist’s work to pay a 5% royalty back the artist, was struck down last year in a case that saw artists pitted against auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s.  “We believe that the district court’s decision dismissing the complaint was correct, and we believe that it will be affirmed on appeal.”  Said a Sotheby’s representative. (more…)

The Guardian has published a lengthy piece on the role of the artist’s assistant, and assistant’s often ignored contributions to the work of major artists.  The piece features an interview with Jake and Dinos Chapman, who recall their early work as assistants to Gilbert and George.  ‘It was hard labour by any measure,” says Jake Chapman.  “There was absolutely no creative input at all. They were very polite and it was interesting to hear them talking – as we did our daily penance.”  (more…)