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Emin at work. The cover image for the retrospective.
The Kunstmuseum Bern is currently spotlighting the art of Tracey Emin in an exhibit titled Tracey Emin: 20 years. The exhibit includes over 70 works of art. The exhibit was made possible by the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art-- which compiled the first retrospective of the artist which is currently one display at the Museum of Fine Arts Bern. The exhibit marks Emin's first solo exhibition in Switzerland.
Emin is often accused of creating shocking art simply to attract publicity. However, the artist recently stated that her intention is not to be a troublemaker, stating, "I won't put up with any shit and I won't tolerate injustice, but I never make work to shock. That would be so easy. Anyone could go and shit outside parliament and put a little sign in it saying 'this is art' and it would hit all the newspapers. But that wouldn't be art. Not even if I did it!"
Tracey Emin: 20 Years will come to a close on June 21st, 2009. For more information visit, www.kunstmuseumbern.ch
Galerie Almine Rech is currently featuring the art of Aaron Young. The exhibit marks Young’s first solo exhibition in France and is aptly titled, Introducing Aaron Young. Aaron Young has received criticism in the past for what some described as “thin spectacle”. Others have described Young’s art as the embodiment of “art world decadence”. This is mostly due to a showing that involved motorcyclists who Young hired to drive over painted wooden panels.
Key figures in the art world may have not been amused, but the media picked up on the story rather quickly. That said, one of Young’s videos of a motorcyclist repeatedly cycling around the San Francisco Art Institute was bought by MoMA. Young also creates sculptures and drawings. The exhibit at Galerie Almine Rech will come to a close on June 6th, 2009. For more information visit, www.galeriealminerech.com.
An elaborate hoax involving a former chairman of London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, an actor impersonating British street artist Banksy, and a celebrity dinner hosted by Joan Collins has been exposed. Apparently the hoax was masterminded by Ivan Massow, former chairman of London’s Institute of Contemporary Art. Massow hired an actor, Bryan Lawrence, to dupe his longtime friend Joan Collins-- a Golden Globe Award-winning English actress, author, and columnist. Collins hosted a dinner for the fake Banksy thinking that he was the real deal. Apparently Massow had hoped to sell footage of the bogus Banksy attending the dinner party in order to reveal Banksy’s identity to the masses.
Joan Collins and her guests entertained the Banksy imposter for hours. During the event the fake Banksy dismissed the art of world renowned artists and declared that Tracey Emin’s art is “just a thought”, not art. Collins was not the only person to be fooled during the dinner. Apparently the dinner was also attended by comedian Stephen K. Amos, stage actress Ann Mitchell, and socialite Tamara Beckwith. The duped guests were given signed napkins by the bogus Banksy-- he gave Collins a can of spray paint displayed on a miniature easel.
The Banksy hoax fell apart after Ivan Massow contacted Daily Mail in the UK. Massow informed The Mail that he had real footage of the elusive street artist. He suggested that bringing the guests and Banksy together was a work of art. However, The Mail quickly discovered that Massow had orchestrated a hoax-- forcing Massow to confess that he was behind a ‘massive art fraud’.
In reality Ivan Massow was not really fooling anyone. He knew that his hoax would be discovered. After all, he arranged to have Sam Bloom, sister of actor Orlando Bloom, to be the waitress for the event. In fact, the chef for the dinner was also stage-- actress Helen Lederer played the role. Massow has stated-- after being exposed-- that he wanted to “investigate the nature of what’s real and what’s not real”. Of the event Massow has stated, “To pull off what was such a massive art fraud would have been really quite spectacular.”. Oddly enough, after being informed of the hoax Joan Collins stated, “I still think it might be him.”.
The Mail reports that Ivan Massow had intended to use the real Banksy in his film-- but the request was refused. Massow, according to The Mail, intends to still sell his film online as an ‘investigation into the nature of reality’. Oddly enough, Massow has flip-flopped on his confession because he has since stated, ‘I still think he might be Banksy. Prove it’s not him.’ Needless to say, I don't think the 'real' Banksy will reveal his identity anytime soon-- Banksy's anonymity have proven to be a key factor in the market for his art.
The Banksy hoax is interesting because it reveals some of the problems an artist like Banksy can endure when he or she decides to keep his or her identity a secret. After all, how can you prove who Banksy is or is not if he has not been seen? Only a few people know who he is or what he looks like. How can you prove that the people representing Banksy have the right guy or that maybe they have been hired by someone to represent Banksy as a male when in reality he may actually be a she? You never know.
If someone wanted to they could declare that they are Banksy and the only way to prove otherwise would be to have the identity of the ‘real’ Banksy revealed, true? It could easily become a legal mess if someone wished to push it. Would it be easy for someone to claim that they are in fact the ‘real’ Banksy and that the anonymous Banksy we have come to know is actually an imposter who has ‘hijacked’ the ‘real’ Banksy’s work for fame and fortune? Far-fetched? Maybe. That said, Ivan Massow has shown that anything is possible-- or can at least be 'created'.
Link of Interest:
When Joan Collins THOUGHT she'd met Banksy: The elaborate plot to impersonate graffiti artist and how the MoS foiled it
Our Call for Artist for our London Calling Exhibition will be over in less than 2 weeks. Opening night in the west end of London will be Thursday, June 25th.
We believe our Exhibition in London will be our best ever. The jury panel, with representatives from the Tate Modern, the Hayward Gallery and the Barbican Gallery are poised and ready to begin reviewing your work.
The jury will select 50 finalists and 3 winners to have their work live in London. An additional 17 artists will have their work shown electronically!
Save $25 on registration:
White Hot Magazine has become an anchor sponsor for the London Calling Exhibition, and have provided a $25 discount coupon for those artists that still wish to register. The normal registration is $50, but with the White Hot Magazine Coupon, it cuts this in half to $25. White Hot Magazine will be covering the Exhibition with the best contemporary art critics in the industry.
Located in the heart of the West London art district, Scream is just a moment away from Sotheby's, Cork St and the Royal Academy, and rubs shoulders with some of London's most established art galleries in the traditional hub of the capital's art market.
Our NYAXE GALLERY Spring Exhibition will kick off on May 14th in our gallery on Emerson Street in downtown Palo Alto, California. Opening night will run 6-9PM, and you are invited to attend. If you are out on the west coast, we would love to meet you!
Five weeks and 5,600 miles later, the London Calling Exhibition will be kicking off on Thursday, June 25th, 2009. If you are in or around London, we would love for you to stop by from 6-9PM at the SCREAM LONDON Gallery on Bruton Street.
We hope you can attend our upcoming events, AND we hope you submit your work for consideration.
Human Skull in Space (oil on canvas) by Damien Hirst. The painting is the cover art for the 150th anniversary edition of Darwin's On the Origin of Species.
The Wallace Collection is preparing for a Damien Hirst exhibit titled Damien Hirst: The Blue Paintings. The exhibit will feature 25 painting by Damien Hirst completed between 2006 and 2008. The exhibited has been billed as “Hirst’s return to painting”. Sources state that Hirst’s work will be exhibited beside Old Master paintings. Of the exhibit Hirst has stated, “I’ve chosen to show my new paintings here because I love the fact that it is a family collection,”. Hirst describes the Wallace Collection as “a world away from the world.”.
According to the Wallace Collection website-- “The Wallace Collection is a national museum in an historic London town house. In 25 galleries are unsurpassed displays of French 18th century painting, furniture and porcelain with superb Old Master paintings and a world class armoury.”. For more information visit, www.wallacecollection.org.
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac is currently featuring the art of Antony Gormley in an exhibit titled ATAXIA II. The exhibit involves recent drawings and sculptures by Gormley. The exhibited works explore different states of the body with ‘loss of control’ as a general theme. The exhibited work also explores how the body is influenced socially and physically by outside forces.
Gormley describes his work as "an attempt to materialise the place at the other side of appearance where we all live." Gormley won the Turner Prize in 1994. The exhibit at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac will come to a close on May 23rd, 2009. For more information visit www.ropac.net or www.antonygormley.com.
Robert Miller Gallery is currently featuring the art of Dustin Yellin. Yellin is best known for his works that involve layers of ink and resin. His work has been described as permutations of natural life and form. The exhibit marks Yellin’s 3rd solo exhibition in New York. He has been represented by Robert Miller Gallery since January 2005. The exhibit, titled Dust in the Brain Attic, will come to a close on May 22nd, 2009. For more information visit www.robertmillergallery.com or www.dustinyellin.com.
This is Part 3 of my interview with Michael Drysdale. To return to Part 2 click, HERE
Brian Sherwin: You mentioned to me that you have been diagnosed with HIV. Would you mind discussing how having been diagnosed with HIV has changed your perspective on life?
Michael Drysdale: It was a difficult thing, I don' mind discussing it, I contracted HIV/AIDS while working as a missionary for the Church, in another disaster area, we were trying to save children trapped under a collapsed building, and we were pulling up bits of mangled iron and bricks, you name it, with our bare hands and a lot of blood was flowing on that day, everybody's hands were raw and bleeding, and of course, the HIV virus had freedom to flow.
About six months later I became desperately ill with a streptococcal infection in my lungs and my throat, I was then tested and diagnosed as HIV positive, it was only 4 years later that I progressed to stage 3 (Commonly known as full blown AIDS.) And I have been full blown now for six years.
Back to realizing the implications of being diagnosed HIV+ -- it was a shock, but having done so much work amongst people living with AIDS I had about 10 minutes in which to make a decision, and I decided there and then that I was not going to let this disease get to me, I was and still am determined that I am not going to lie down and die, I will live every day as if it is the last day on earth and I will use every opportunity that I have and every resource to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and that is where I have been for the past ten years, trying to make a difference.
It has not been easy, and I hope that perhaps here I might have a voice to say to everyone out there, "ARV's are not a cure, they only prolong life, do not go out and be reckless, it is no fun living on ARV's, the side effects are awful, be responsible" Ok I'm off my soapbox now. Yes it hasn't been pleasant living on ARV's, I have been on them for 5 years now, my CD4 count has gone up from 119 to 490, and my Viral load has decreased from greater than 500,000 to less than 50.
I suffer the most extreme nausea, sometimes vomiting for 3 hours at a time, even when there is nothing to vomit, I have extreme headaches on a daily basis, I have lost part of the feeling in my left hand, I have terrible temperature variations, these are only side effects but I am alive and I am still contributing to society.
Brothers by Michael Drysdale
BS: How is your experience living with HIV/AIDS reflected in your art?
MD: I have tried very hard to have some sort of conscience in my work, but again I have to try not to be offensive, which is a line so easily crossed, I have been working on a series for the past three years where I have been photographing AIDS patients in the extreme (Near Death) with all the horrors surrounding this awful disease, but as yet I haven't yet decided how far the conscience goes, so perhaps one day I'll release it as an exhibition, but as a celebration to life and the living.
One young woman I photographed, I stayed at her side for 3 days, and she had two small children, but the hospice would not let them near her, so I sat with her and held her hand, and I cried, I cried with her, I cried for her, and I photographed her, as she begged me "Please don't let me die?" the photographs are not offensive, they are exquisite, but my heart is in the photographs so as yet I cannot let them tell a story, maybe one day. Sunday Lunch by Michael Drysdale
BS: Finally, have you sought any specific form of acclaim for the work you have done as far as your art is concerned and the documentation of your experiences? Or do you see that specific use of your skills as an artist as a selfless contribution? (I should make it clear that Michael agreed to this interview because we at myartspace.com felt it would be a good way to raise awareness about the project he is working on and the plight of the people he is attempting to help.)
MD: Honour means everything to me, so even though I could possibly win a Pulitzer Prize for documenting a disease, the honourable thing to do is to let it lie right now, or maybe forever. To be a photographic artist, I need to invade personal space, and I have to be trusted and respected, and those are two values which can only be earned.
These values are more important to me than selling a photograph, and if I can let values and respect show through in my work then I will have made a difference. Perhaps a very hard balance to achieve, but again the artist, any artist has a voice and an audience, and both must be used wisely, we as artists have an ability to make a difference.
This is the conclusion of my interview with Michael Drysdale. To return to Part 1 of the interview click, HERE
You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews. Feel free to discuss the interview and the art of Michael Drysdale on the myartspace.com Forum-- www.myartspace.com/forum.
This is Part 2 of my interview with Michael Drysdale. To return to Part 1 click, HERE
Brian Sherwin: Michael, can you discuss your experiences in Richmond and the project in general? What is day to day life like in Richmond?
Michael Drysdale: It's been different, I still have half of my belongings in Johannesburg, we spent our first two weeks sleeping under my grandson's travelling blanket, as all our linen and 90% of our clothes were left behind on the initial trip down, and right now I'm still waiting for all my equipment and boxes, and work tables, which will be here in about two weeks, so we're kind of camping right now, and turning the whole thing into an adventure, I have no stove here, so we're doing barbecue's every night, and my poor grandson still doesn't have a single toy here, but we're all coping.
Richmond is a really small town, and I am used to having the streets buzzing around me 24/7, but here at 5.00pm the streets are deserted, everybody goes home and they close there doors and that's it till 7.00am, so that is taking some adjusting. There is only one store in the town and on Saturdays at 1.00pm they close and don't open again till Monday 8.00am, so that's been another adjustment, in that I have to have everything I need before 5.00pm weekdays and before 1.00pm on Saturday or I go without.
The streets are very quiet, bumper to bumper morning rush hour traffic, "What's That" here rush hour is five cars going past on mainstreet at ten minute intervals. The streets though are safe, I don't have to worry about being mugged anymore, I was mugged 5 times in one year in Johannesburg.
BS: Did the community welcome you? Are you accepted?
MD: The farming community are rather conservative, and they find it very strange that I have come here as a white man with a black grandchild, but little Theo is a charmer, and he is fast winning the hearts of the residents in the town, I thought he would find it difficult to fit in, but even though he doesn't speak the language, he has terrific leadership abilities, and has all the community children running around after him.
He had his first day at school and when he came home I asked him if he enjoyed his first day, only to be told "No Brampa, there were two girls following me around and I told them not to, and they wouldn't listen." So I gathered that he had a fabulous day. He's at an age where all that matters are transformers, cars and trucks, and things with guns and bombs, girls do not feature.
I spend most days going around in the community and getting to know the people, as my first step in being successful, I need to be accepted here, then everything else will be easy.
Lunch at The Soup Kitchen by Michael Drysdale
BS: Can you go into further detail about some of the difficulties you have had in trying to help? I understand that it has not been easy.
MD: I have been coming to the soup kitchen everyday to read to the children, as they need an escape from reality as much as they need nutrition, and carrying storybooks around is quite a mission, but the soup kitchen doesn't always operate, so the children don't come, which is troubling as it should be running 7 days a week. Here we're still working at getting the project up and running, I'm still trying to raise funding as well as equipment, as I can't start skills training until I do.
The property that I've been given to run the project needs to be secured, and repaired. I am down here currently without any form of fixed income, so I have nothing coming in, I have been blessed in that I have a terrific family to help me and wonderful friends, and I am grateful to them for keeping the wolf from the door so that I can get this project up and running.
Story Time by Michael Drysdale
BS: Michael you have mentioned that due to the state of the economy it has been difficult to do fundraising compared to the recent past. I'm sure fundraising in general always involves struggle-- that said, can you discuss how the situation has become harder in the last few months?
MD: Yes fundraising is always difficult, as most donors or Grant givers have very specific requirements as to what they are prepared to fund eg: some will fund children's education, others will fund water projects, and others will only fund projects that target women's issues, so generally it is difficult, and the norm is that for every 20 doors you knock on one will open, and you'll get a small portion of your requirements, so I probably still have a thousand doors to knock on.
The current economic crisis has made it harder, as donors who are usually large corporate entities, are feeling the financial pinch, and one of the first place where they cut the budget is on the disbursement of grants, usually because they are using funds to stave off bankruptcy.
But I have managed to gain absolute legitimacy for the Richmond Community Trust in that the South African Government will be involved in the project, I have a mandate from the Dept. of Labour, and the dept. of Social Welfare as well as The dept. of Agriculture, which is a major coup for me, as many donors, have as a funding requirement the involvement of central government.
I am a go getter, and no matter what I will make this project work even if it means flogging my photographs on a street corner to raise money, I'll make it happen, as this is a community in desperate need.
To read Part 3 of my interview with Michael Drysdale click, HERE
Michael Drysdale is a South African Fashion and Interior designer, motivational speaker, AIDS activist, humanitarian and community development consultant. Drysdale is a promoter of cultural diversity and an Anti Racism Campaigner-- a core of values that he brings into his work as a photographer and artist.
Michael Drysdale is also the founder of Pakedi South Africa, a design company that donates income from all sales to the Richmond Community Trust. Drysdale’s goal is to help improve skills development poverty alleviation in Richmond. He took the time to answer some questions about his project and his experiences in Richmond. For more information visit, www.nyaxe.com/pakedisa or www.pakedi.co.za.
Bone Weary by Michael Drysdale
Brian Sherwin: Michael, you have explored several mediums. You have created sculptures, fashion design, paintings, photography. can you discuss your work in general? Perhaps you can tell us about the different stages of your visual exploration?
Michael Drysdale: Life is a visual experience, and living in a magnificent country such as South Africa which is described as "A world in one country" I am constantly bombarded with changing images. Having been born a natural social worker (my family fight with me constantly about actually giving away the clothes from my back) I have moved through different communities throughout my life, and during the Apartheid years I was constantly in trouble for being "on the other side of the tracks" But this has led to my visual growth as I have been exposed to different vistas of my country as a landscape as well as the different vistas of life, form the wealthiest to the poorest of the poor. And seeing these constantly changing images I've always tried to capture them and preserve them.
As a child I grew up under my grandmother's feet and she was always busy making things, if not on the sewing machine then it was in the kitchen where her pantry was an Alladin's cave for a child. She was instrumental in encouraging me to do things with my hands, and thus I started making things, going to school I had a wonderful Art teacher Nelly Byrne, who encouraged me to paint, I was surprised to see 35 years after I had done a painting in grade one of a tree, she still had it framed in her house, so I began capturing images of nature as a child.
My riding instructor, was a brilliant artist and sculptor Antoinette Markus and she encouraged me to sculpt, here I started to capture the magnificent beasts and to really capture both the strength and the gentleness in these creatures.
After school I did veterinary nursing, but the fashion bug bit and I packed my bags and went to Iceland where I did an apprenticeship in fashion design, once again capturing the beauty of movement in fabrics and learning to create 3 dimentional masterpieces, culminating in my dressing miss world Linda Petursdottir and several of the European beauty queens, this all as a very young and immature individual.
Coming back to South Africa, I was totally taken back by the poverty, after having evidence enormous wealth in Europe, and decided to use my creativity and my skills to make a difference in the lives of others. but I began this stage of my life also as a young inexperienced individual, eleven years later and I have finally grown up, with a few thousand miles under my belt and a wealth of experience.
I have discovered myself through the poverty stricken people that I have been teaching, I have been forced to evolve on a daily basis, and push my talents to the limit, which I feel I still haven't even opened yet. Working in the cholera epidemic that shook South Africa to it's roots was the spark to my photography, I had so many images, of people dying and desperately ill, in the magnificently beautiful surroundings of the Kwazulu-Natal countryside, I was constantly asking my self "It's so beautiful here, how can these people be dying?" So I bought a cheap camera and started to capture images, most of which were awful, but I began my journey of "Painting with Light" (Which is the definition of photography)
Street Kid by Michael Drysdale
BS: You are no stranger to fighting for good causes-- you are a motivational speaker, AIDS activist, and you have actively promoted cultural diversity and an anti-racism campaign. With that in mind, my understanding is that at the heart of your work is the idea that great change can be spurred by means of creativity. How can artists and the work that they do help to support the type of change that you have strived for?
MD: It's a difficult question to answer, but I think that the simplest answer here, is that artists have a captive audience, an artwork is constantly on display, and if it can carry a message, albeit to just highlight an image which will make the viewer think about the subject, they will have succeeded. I try to highlight images around me, the beautiful and the ugly, sometimes I try to capture something terribly ugly in a beautiful way, in the hopes that people may think.
On my web-site is a poem called "Imagine" which I wrote about a beautiful young girl in the slums of Hillbrow whom I used to visit, I think this poetry writing was a beginning to my journey into photography, instead of verbalising the vision, I have begun to capture it with a lens. Here in Richmond where I have come to work at alleviating the most terrible poverty I have started to capture the decline of the community by photographing their homes that are disintegrating, I must admit that I haven't yet the courage to photograph the people, but as I get to know them I will do that too, with their permission. Townhouse by Michael Drysdale
BS: I understand that you recently returned from a trip to The Karroo, a semi-desert region of South Africa. You were invited to help people living in abject poverty in the town of Richmond. You have since decided to move into the community? Correct? What has that been like?
MD: Yes I've packed up my home, my studio, my grandson whom I have been raising since his birth and my animals in Johannesburg to come here, it's been quite earth shattering, more for my family than me, as they have gone through many emotions in that I have litteraly come to the back end of the world, as The Karoo is South Africa's version of the Australian Outback, it is the middle of nowhere.
It's strange moving into a new community, especially a small one like this, where it is very closed, so making friends is harder than moving into a big city, and my grandson doesn't speak the local language so he has a lot moreadjusting to do, but, I always adapt to my surroundings, as the key to community development is not to just dump aid onto the community but to become a part of the community, to share their troubles as well as their joys, and I have always been the sort of person who just "Jells".
To read Part 2 of my interview with Michael Drysdale click, HERE
Stoked Sessions Los Angeles 2009 is an art auction and fundraiser for Stoked Mentoring-- a non-profit action sports organization for at risk youth. Stoked teams up with artists annually in order to raise money for the program. 100% of the sales benefit Stoked Mentoring. This year Upper Playground is currently involved with Stoked Sessions: “I Love LA” at their flagship Los Angeles location. Today is the final day of the two day even-- so if you are in the area do check it out and show some support! For more information visit, www.stoked.org or www.upperplayground.com.
111 Minna Gallery is currently preparing for an exhibit titled Berliner Unkraut,. The exhibit is curated by Gabe Scott and artist Jay Howell and will feature works by Johan Potma, Tina Zellmer, Mateo Pisa 73, and Evol. Berliner Unkraut, is scheduled to open on May 7th. For more information visit, www.111minnagallery.com.
(c) Catherine Tafur, "Filter" image courtesy of the artist
Envoy Enterprises
131 Chrystie Street
NYC, NY
Split; One Night Only, Solo Exhibition
Catherine Tafur presents works on canvas, paper and a live performance at Envoy Enterprises.
“Cha- Cha- Cha Changes, turn and face the strange...” Catherine Tafur’s works explore ideas surrounding gender, sexuality and loss of innocence through images of androgynous figures painfully mutated and transformed.
These “changelings” bare their innocence, pain, sexual pervasiveness and mutations openly to the viewer. Both Beautiful and disturbing, some recall mythical combinations of human – beast not made from divine sources but rather painful interventions. “Bisters”, drawing on paper depicts the boy- girl figure with small horns, a snout and blisters forming on the small chest. The body language also ambiguous seems alarmed at s/he’s discovery reacting as if caught off guard poised to run for safety or making a defensive stand towards the unknown pursuer.
(c) Catherine Tafur, "Blister" image courtesy of the artist
“Family” drawing on paper, depicts two larger pubescent figures with gas mask-like head gear holding the small child off it’s feet as they wrangle a tiger mask over it’s head. The suspended child hangs motionless with arms revealing more of a startled fear of an unknown result similar in feeling to stories of forced clitorectomies on young girls. Though the older figures clearly possess both gender physicality’s it is more the stance that suggests the more masculine of the two alluding to the offense of the mutation is from both genders.
(c) Catherine Tafur, "Family" image courtesy of the artist
CatherineTafur’s performance, a minimal set up consisting of a drawing easel with a drawing of a window with a tree outside. On a small pedestal; charcoal, lipstick, hand mirror, eraser, knife and clear large lidded jar. Tafur plays a soundtrack comprised of therapy sessions, phone messages, readings from the SCUM manifesto by Valerie Solanas and sounds sampled from online pornography layered onto a guitar piece.She draws, erases, re-draws, cuts, and strikes out, the figure and structure of the work continually redefining through process. Her acts are synced with the recording.One memorable act in particular was watching her applying lipstick to her mouth as she kisses the figure’s groin area that is left blank. She then kisses the torso as if healing the wound in an act of love.
And so it begins...
The sound begins with Tafur saying, "Once upon a time, I lay naked, trembling and crying on a bed. I had nothing. I looked out the window and I saw a tree."
Tafur states, “the performance takes as it’s initial narrative, an autobiographical account of past sexual trauma. It then morphs into a hateful rage that becomes directed to the self. The piece is a metaphor about the creative process and the transformation of conflict in art. “
This was Catherine Tafur’s first performance piece. The audience gathered around sitting on the floor or standing. My knee cracked a bit getting up and well worth the effort. I’d gladly do it again to catch her next performance You can find the performance in it’s entirety on You Tube:
Jonathan LeVine Gallery is currently preparing for a solo exhibition of new works by Andy Kehoe. The exhibit, titled Living in Twilight, will feature a new series of oil and acrylic painting on wood panel by Kehoe. The exhibit will include some of the largest paintings created by Andy Kehoe to date. The solo exhibit at Jonathan LeVine Gallery will mark Kehoe’s first solo show in New York and the largest collection of his work in a single exhibit to date.
Andy Kehoe’s allegorical compositions are painted in a strict palette of rich earth tones beneath a fine layer of crisp black accents. His work often involves themes of alienation and the concept of finding peace in solitude. His isolated figures are often surrounded by the majestic grandeur of nature. Kehoe’s body of work draws inspiration from folktales and mythology. In his work the viewer observes visual narratives of the fantastic and grotesque. The exhibit opens May 16th, 2009 and will come to a close on June 13th, 2009. For more information visit, www.jonathanlevinegallery.com
Signal Gallery is currently preparing for an exhibit, titled Domestic Science, that will feature the art of Russ Mills aka Byroglyphics. The exhibit will feature large mixed media canvases that explore movement and the figure. It should be noted that Byroglyphics launched his career independently online by producing a series of prints that quickly captured the imagination of the public. The exhibit will be open on May 22nd at Signal Gallery in London. It will come to a close on June 13th, 2009. For more information visit, www.signalgallery.com.
I've read some buzz about the ArtPrize competition. A few art critics and NYC art dealers have called it a sign of desperation rather than an opportunity for artists-- implying that anyone who enters it is 'just desperate'. In fact, one critic of the competition-- András Szántó -- suggested that anyone who wins the competition will never be accepted in the mainstream art world.
András Szántó also suggested that the $400,000+ cash prize should have been donated to existing art programs or as grants to artists who are represented by notable galleries. He actually made the case that only a select few should dictate what is 'good' art or 'bad' art instead of the general public-- backing the idea that only certain individuals are capable of understanding or appreciating art.
Szántó stated, "we already have a system for recognizing meritorious artists", "Would we pick heart surgeons this way? Architects? Firemen?", and "Rather than creating yet another channel of art-world mobility, how about improving what we have?" The only problem with that opinion is that a lot of great artists are never recognized by the mainstream art world-- or are cast aside due to gender or age -- so one could say that the 'system' Szántó speaks of has failed.
That said, I would have to ask Szántó if that is a sign of the failure of art critics or a sign that maybe, just maybe, there should be more opportunities for artists in general. At the very least there should be more rights for artists within the 'art world'. There is always room for the 'system' to improve, right? If needed there is reason for the 'system' to be destroyed and built again with the advances of today and the idea of equality in mind, true?
The basics of ArtPrize from the ArtPrize site: "At ArtPrize, any artist—from established to emerging—has the chance to show work. Any visitor can vote. The vote will determine who wins the largest art prize in the world. We also took the unusual step to allow people in the city to open a venue and choose the artists to show in their space. There is not one official curator or jury for the competition."
The main point of criticism about the competition is the fact that the public will decide the winner. In other words, those who have spoken out against the concept of ArtPrize feel that the competition is worthless to the winners since the competition does not involve professional jurors (I guess it would be a better competition if it involved them?). True, I prefer art competitions that involve a strong panel of jurors. That said, I don't think an artist is "desperate" if he or she decides to enter an art competition that is judged by the public.
My opinion is that the critics of this competition are stuck in the past and fear change. They fear the same public that they strive to reach out to with their art criticism and exhibit reviews. They don't want the flood gates of the art world to be opened to the public-- while at the same time it is common for these same individuals to complain about how the general public is not interested in art. It is obvious that they want the 'system' to change-- on their terms. They want a segregated system that supports the faces and spaces that they praise while upholding a facade of public inclusion-- just as it has always been.
I think the words of András Szántó reveal that some key players in the mainstream art world are wary of online juried art competitions in general regardless of how they are judged. After all, there have been a number of online art competitions involving jurors from the TATE and other high profile museums and galleries (including myartspace.com competitions-- www.myartspace.com/contests) and, as far as I know, none of the ArtPrize naysayers embraced those competitions. Thus, it would seem that certain individuals are not very accepting of online art competitions in general-- or the way the internet is changing the art world for that matter. Why? Because art competitions of this nature are a thorn in their 'system'.
There is obviously a fear of public opinion coming from those circles. In fact, one comment suggested that if the chosen work does not reflect the choices of professional art critics it would mean, at least in the eyes of the public, that the opinion of high profile critics does not really matter in dictating public taste for art. I think people already know that though-- people like what they like regardless of who said what, when, and where.
It is amazing to observe the unease that the internet has caused for traditionalists within the core of the art world. These are the same type of individuals who scoffed at the importance of having a website in the 1990s. Because of that the majority of the art world is only now catching up to technological standards that other businesses have long embraced.
In closing, one could say that the internet is forcing a few key art world figures to release their grip-- or has at least forced them to think about their future relevance within the art world as a whole. Is it a sign of desperation if an artist enters ArtPrize or any other online art competition for that matter? I don't think so. It is just an opportunity-- an opportunity that some artists will enjoy participating in.
That said, I think individuals who openly scoff at online art competitions are truly desperate-- especially when they talk about their beloved 'system' and how competitions of this nature threaten said 'system'. What say you?
666 Gallery in San Francisco is currently involved with an upcoming exhibit titled The Future Is So Bright. The group exhibition will feature artists from the Bay Area and Portland, Oregon. Including, Nas Chompas, Mark Warren Jacques, Alexandra Steele, and Kyle Lee. The Future Is So Bright opens on May 15th, 2009.
The artists will be exploring different themes. However, they are united with an overall idea that embodies an earthly spirituality and organic quality. 666 Gallery is an experimental space for emerging artists from around the country. It is located on 66 Sixth St. in San Francisco. The gallery currently does not have a website, but can be reached at 666gallerysf AT gmail.com.
‘Don’t forget about me (Keri)’ by Mickalene Thomas
Mickalene Thomas‘s exhibit, titled ‘She’s Come UnDone!’, at Lehmann Maupin in Chelsea comes to a close today. The exhibition-- which is Thomas’s first solo exhibit in New York, features photographs, paintings, and collages. Mickalene Thomas is known for creating elaborate paintings adorned with rhinestones, colorful acrylics, and enamel. Her work often depicts African American women in a kitschy 1970s Blaxploitation style. These works explore notions of black female celebrity and identity while romanticizing ideas of femininity and power. For more information visit, www.lehmannmaupin.com
This is Part 3 of my interview with Catalina Viejo. To return to Part 2 click, HERE
BS: Catalina, what are your thoughts concerning the internet and utilizing the World Wide Web in order to gain exposure for your art? In your opinion, why is it important for artists to embrace the internet?
CV: I think the internet is great to get an initial introduction of your work out there. It is great that someone across the globe can see my work who would otherwise not have a chance to see it. Of course, any work of art can only truly be experienced to its fullest, by being infront of it, but for a general introduction, I think the internet is great.
BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?
CV: I recently had a show "Color Correspondence" of my recent letter collages in the mimi gallery in Ipswich, MA. Also, several of my letter collages were accepted to Tufts University Annual Summer Juried Exhibition and will be in display at their Art gallery all summer.
Shopping by Catalina Viejo
BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this time?
CV: Not necessary concern, since I believe artists are going to make art no matter what. However, I am intrigued by how the economy and the new president is affecting artists and their materials and subject matter.
BS: There has been several stories involving copyright infringement in the mainstream press as of late. What is your stance on copyright? Do you see strong copyright as a reflection of artist rights in general? Or do you feel that copyright restricts creativity? Do you have a stance on this issue?
CV: I definitely think copyright is necessary for any artist. I think it’s a case by case thing. Its very different if someone very obviously steals an image from another artist, or is simply inspired by it.
La Alfombra Roja by Catalina Viejo
BS: As you know, the economy has been hard. Have you had to change-- or should I say adapt-- your practice due to the economy?
CV: Not really. I am still making paintings and collages. It might take me a little longer to save up for good quality paints or materials for the paintings, but I end up getting them regardless. As for the collages, most of my materials are found papers so the economy has no effect on them. Lately I find, that a few more artists are starting to use renewable materials in their work .
BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art?
CV: Only that people can keep updated about my art by visiting my website, www.catalinaviejo.com.
This is the conclusion of my interview with Catalina Viejo. To return to Part 1 of the interview click, HERE
You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews. Feel free to discuss the interview and the art of Catalina Viejo on the myartspace.com Forum-- www.myartspace.com/forum.
This is Part 2 of my interview with Catalina Viejo. To return to Part 1 click, HERE
BS: What about other influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists?
CV: I am constantly looking at everything around me for inspiration. Trash on the ground, papers, graffiti, architecture. I am very sensitive to the divisions of space around me and any sort of mark. For both mediums, I look a lot at Vermeer, Jenny Saville, R.B Kitaj, Hockney, Kurt Schwitters, Gaugin, Euan Uglow and Peter Blake to name a few.
Letter to Katie by Catalina Viejo
BS: So what is the specific message you strive to convey to viewers? Do you adhere to a specific philosophy as far as your work is concerned?
CV: Be it a painting or a letter collage, I introduce a new individual to the viewer. Someone or something that they can get to know.
In the letter collages, I make it a point that words are not necessary to convey feelings and thoughts. The human being is very sensitive to patterns around him/her, and color and light is plenty of information to get a specific message across.
Circle Notes by Catalina Viejo
BS: What are you working on at this time? Can you give our readers some insight into your current work?
CV: I am continuing my series of letter collages and also starting a new series of paintings.
The titles in the letter collages are becoming a lot more abstract. My earlier letters were aimed at specific beings, such as "Letter to Paul Newman" or "Letter to God" but the recent letters are expanding into "Letter to those who think outside the box" and "Letter to Spain".
As for the paintings, it is a series of 12 panels. Six of the panels are representing single individuals and the other six are self portraits with people and figures that have made a strong impact in my life, such as my sisters, or the Virgin Mary.
To read Part 3 of my interview with Catalina Viejo click, HERE
Catalina Viejo has a strong interest in the portrait and its surroundings. In her paintings she emphasizes how important it is to introduce the figure in a challenging space. Catalina states that the space around the portrait is just as important as the portrait itself. Thus, she investigates the division of the painting surface and the relationships of the figure to pulsating color and pattern environments.
Catalina also creates collages. Either figurative or abstract, the collages adhere to the same rules of divisions and layering as her paintings. When combining collage with other mediums to create a figurative collage, she makes sure that all mediums on the piece emerge simultaneously to create a single balanced piece. Catalina states that she enjoys the immediacy she gets from the collages and the fact that they have helped her in the division of large and small ratios in her paintings.
Catalina has worked on a series of letter collages. Each letter is aimed at a very specific being. They vary from people, such as Letter to an Artist and Letter to Mama y Papa, to more abstract entities such as Letter to Barbara’s Womb or Letter to the Night. Just like any letter, Catalina thinks about what she desires to say and who she is saying it to. She states that she translates her feelings about the person, being or thing and the emotions that they express into a combination of shape and color. In other words, a letter to her lover will convey a very different type of excitement than a letter to her parents.
In the Light by Catalina Viejo
Brian Sherwin: Catalina, what can you tell us about your academic background concerning art? Did you study art formally? Tell us about your art studies in general-- any influential instructors?
Catalina Viejo: I went to Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA. It is a very small school (less than 400 students) but that is what I loved about it, since you really developed a personal relationship with professors. All the professors there are great, all very different from one another so you just took a little bit from each and bloomed into your own work.
BS: Tell us about yourself. At what point did you gain an interest in creating visual art?
CV: I am originally from Spain and I went to school in Dublin, Ireland for many years. I then came to U.S for my Bachelors in Fine Arts. I’ve had an interest in creating art ever since I can remember. When I was really little I used to make drawings and paintings and sell them to my parents in order to earn some money. I stuck with making art ever since.
Alejandra by Catalina Viejo
BS: Can you tell us about your art? Give us some insight into the thoughts behind your art.
CV: I have two main bodies of work. My representational paintings and my abstract collages. I work on them pretty equally since each medium allows things to be said differently. The paintings tend to represent figures among environments that speak directly about them.
The abstract collage letters are a series of letters in which I think of a person or thing that I would like to write to. I think about what I want to say and translate those feelings into color. Literal words are replaced by little shapes of colored paper that I feel convey the thoughts just as well as words would.
David by Catalina Viejo
BS: Can you discuss your process in general? Are there any specific techniques that you utilize?
CV: For the paintings I use many many layers to achieve depth within the paintings. I will sometime use photoshop to modify compositions and placement of objects.
In the abstract collages I cut and glue each little shape by hand. It is very time consuming, but there is something very therapeutic about it. I tend to use papers that I find on the ground. That way they already have a history to them that can be incorporated in the letter.
To read Part 2 of my interview with Catalina Viejo click, HERE
"From 1988-2002 [artists Jason Fox and Alexis Rockman] shared a studio space - divided by an eight-foot high wall - that kept them physically apart while audibly in close range. Over that wall, a flow of ideas, conversations about life and art, as well as a host of objects were lobbed back and forth on a continuous basis."
It's a slight concept, but I like the idea; the personality and interests of a studio mate can markedly affect one's work. I imagine the two young artists engaged in happy labor on their respective sides of the studio partition, creative energy and ideas inspiriting the space.
Odd, then, that I don't see a "flow of ideas" exchanged in the artwork. I acknowledge a certain shared boyishness - Fox likes "super-hero comics, science fiction movies, [and] hard rock album covers," while Rockman is into "gargantuan insects, morphed mammals, and carnivorous flora" - but the paintings and drawings at Franklin Parrasch don't provide plain examples of conceptual intercourse between the two artists. It seems a stretch to argue that Rockman's alternately earnest and winking examination of natural history and environmentalism shares "overriding concerns" with Fox's grisly pictures of humanity's dark or lugubrious qualities.
Alexis Rockman "Cloud Forest" 1994 Pencil and ink on paper 18 1/8 x 24 inches
Curatorial concepts aside, however, "Motion Parallax" has a lot to offer. Fox includes several strong, mixed media paintings of red masks and skeletal angels that prefigure his more mature and better known work. Rockman's early works are often excellent, and his watercolor paintings and drawings are generally superior to his oil or acrylic efforts.
At Franklin Parrasch, two of Rockman's ant species portraits are particularly striking, and his pencil on paper series of "Untitled Field Drawings" is comprised of eleven handsomely rendered vespids, mosquitoes, mantids, beetles, a walking stick and one spider.
Rockman's more loose, playful pieces are especially remarkable. Works like "Cloud Forest" marry illustrative detail to explosive and vibrant ink washes, and Rockman's "Corpse Flower" flirts with an almost Kandinsky-like lyrical abstraction (though I doubt the urbane Russian would have smiled upon a parasitic plant so named because it stinks of rotting flesh in order to attract potential insect pollinators).
Alexis Rockman "Untitled Field Drawings" (1 of set of 11) 1994 Pencil on paper 7 x 0 1/4 inches
Emin at work. The cover image for the retrospective.
Brothers by Michael Drysdale
Sunday Lunch by Michael Drysdale
Lunch at The Soup Kitchen by Michael Drysdale
Story Time by Michael Drysdale
Street Kid by Michael Drysdale
Townhouse by Michael Drysdale 
Shopping by Catalina Viejo
La Alfombra Roja by Catalina Viejo
Letter to Katie by Catalina Viejo
Circle Notes by Catalina Viejo
