Thursday Night Openings in Chelsea

by Art Fag City on July 11, 2008 · 2 comments Events

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The bell of the ball: movin’cool air conditioner at Jack Shainman. Photo AFC

Like many art objects, the aesthetic value of a Movin Cool air conditioner can be viewed in direct proportion with its functionality. Needless to say, I think it’s gorgeous. It also aided the viewing of other works in Jack Shainman’s exhibition Unbalance — art always looks better when you don’t have to view it through a film of sweat.

A few highlights from this exhibition and Moti Hasson after the jump.

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Dave Hardy, Space Question? 2007 Photo AFC

On the one hand large star form sculptures such as this easily resolve themselves, on the other, the light bulbs add an unexpected dimension to the work, and the object is inarguably moving. Two thumbs up from me.

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Dave Hardy, Space Question? (detail) 2007 Photo AFC

The pink pom pom is a nice touch. Also note: pom-pom socks are making a come back!

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Justin Matherly, The Capacity of Being an Indestructible Support, 2008, Photo AFC

Speaking of fashion, while I doubt there’s any getting away from eco art this year, I’m constantly surprised by how much of it I like. Justin Matherly’s plants growing on the sturdy support of crutches and cement meets our approval. I particularly enjoy the anthropomorphization happening in these works, which lends the pieces a real charm.

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Dave Hardy, Teaching Tai-chi to the Trees, 2008, plaster foam and aluminum Photo AFC

The above image is posted because I think it’s a good looking object.

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David Renggli, Die, die sich Hochgeschlafen II, 2008, Metal and enamel, 98 x 50 x 23 inches, Photo AFC

This is posted because it’s not. Abstracted aisles won’t receive any positive remarks from me.

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Mark Barrow, Loose Knit Network, 2008, Acrylic on linen, 14 x 14 inche, Photo Jack Shainman

I really respond to the texture linen imprints on the paint. Mark Barrow’s paintings are carefully and skillfully executed.

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In other gallery opening news, Moti Hasson Gallery was a total mad house yesterday. Intransit, or as we like to call it, A Little Something For Everyone, featured the work of 30 artists, which of course means about 150 friends of the artists showed up, plus the regular opening attendees. Such experiences lead me to believe performance art must best be viewed by small numbers of people since my vision was so limited, I was only able to catch sight of a bowl filled with dry ice held up by a caped artist (presumably by Micki Pellerano or a performing friend). This coupled a lot of “art noise”, gave me the surreal feeling of being part of a Big Lebowski remake. Needless to say, I don’t think openings such as this are the ideal way to experience performance art.

{ 2 comments }

Ted July 13, 2008 at 10:07 pm

I agree about Moti Hansson: this was ridiculous and kind of scary. I was unfortunately one of the “friends” and only went because the e-mail I’d received listed a sculpture that I actually wanted to see which is soon going to Europe. When I arrived and crowd surfed to the wall I was after, I realized that it was different work entirely, and what’s worse, work I have already seen and decidedly DON’T LIKE. It’s just as well, because if the sculpture I was interested in had been there I would have been just as frustrated for lack of being able to see it anyway. At least I was able to turn around and flee quickly back to Brooklyn knowing I wasn’t missing anything…

Ted July 13, 2008 at 5:07 pm

I agree about Moti Hansson: this was ridiculous and kind of scary. I was unfortunately one of the “friends” and only went because the e-mail I’d received listed a sculpture that I actually wanted to see which is soon going to Europe. When I arrived and crowd surfed to the wall I was after, I realized that it was different work entirely, and what’s worse, work I have already seen and decidedly DON’T LIKE. It’s just as well, because if the sculpture I was interested in had been there I would have been just as frustrated for lack of being able to see it anyway. At least I was able to turn around and flee quickly back to Brooklyn knowing I wasn’t missing anything…

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