William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, The Third Mind, ink and typescript on paper, 1965.

An original Dreamachine is also on display. In 1961, Gysin along with Ian Somerville conceived the device that is intended to be viewed with closed eyes. The Dreamachine produces light that pulses at a frequency that stimulates alpha waves in the brain. Initial experiences conjure common symbols to roll through the mind’s eye. Consistent use over time has been known to invoke virtual three-dimensional spaces and trigger senses beyond vision. I built my first Dreamachine in 1994 and have used it occasionally over the years. Here is a link to an online simulation, please heed the warnings as the effect can elicit photosensitive epilepsy.

Bryon Gysin with Dreamachine at Musée des Art Décoratifs, Paris, 1962.

It is impossible to sum up the importance of this man, his art and collaborations in a few short paragraphs. This is why it is so important to get to the New Museum before October 3rd. We are going to be spending the Fall and Winter in New York and actually altered our plans so that we would be sure not to miss this long-deserved remembrance.

William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, The Third Mind, crayon, gelatin-silver prints, letterpress, offset lithography, and typescript on graph paper, 1965.

Brion Gysin
Dreamachine
7 July – 3 October 2010
New Museum
NYC

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

“Big Bang Big Boom” is a narrative, frame-by-frame animation that runs a course from the initial big bang that sparked our Universe to a hypothetical end to our own planet.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

Despite the potentially alarmist nature of the material, Blu’s sense of play can be felt running through the entire video. This endearing quality is enhanced with a marvelous soundtrack by Andrea Martignoni.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

This is the most impressive animation that Blu has done to date. This is saying a lot as there has been some astonishing work in the past. “Big Bang Big Boom” continues to evolve with new ideas in addition to providing a perfect balance of two and three dimensional animation with powerful transitions.

Mark Ryden, Incarnation (#100), oil on panel, 2009.

Ryden has put together an exhibition that carries over his easily identifiable style with a meticulous commitment to the application of oil paint. Be sure to check out the time lapse video from the making of “Incarnation” at the bottom of this post.

Mark Ryden, The Piano Player, oil on canvas, 2010.

For some time, his paintings have concentrated on the juxtaposition of the darling and disgusting with subtle stabs at humor. Some of the work exhibited bypasses innuendo and heads straight for the punchline. Knee-jerk opinion will raise suspicion but the fact is that these pieces are strong and the artist should be commended for his alterations to the expected.

Mark Ryden, The Grinder, oil on canvas, 2010.

Oh Abe!

Mark Ryden, Riding with the Lord, graphite and watercolor on paper, 2010.

If you have merely seen the paintings in digital form, do yourself a favor, jaded New Yorkers, drop the pretense and get over to the gallery.

Mark Ryden, Virgin and Child, oil on canvas, 2010.

***UPDATE***
The images in this post have been updated (at the request of the artist) to include the intricate hand carved frames that stage these exceptional works.

Mark Ryden, Pink Lincoln, oil on canvas, 2010.

Mark Ryden
The Gay 90’s: Old Tyme Art Show
29 April – 5 June 2010
Paul Kasmin Gallery
NYC

Bernardi Roig, Pierrot le fou (detail), mixed media, 2009.

Art Miami (covered here on LIMO) offered a lot of excellent work this year. One of the highlights for me was the engaging output from Bernardi Roig at the Claire Oliver booth. The repeated form of Roig’s stark white man acts as a surface for the viewer to project their own ideas and misconceptions. The rapport that builds can range from affinity to compassion.

Bernardi Roig, Despondency Exercise (detail), mixed media, 2009.

The exhibition of “Pierrot le fou is (not) Dead” includes several pieces that were shown in Miami combined with a larger scope of the artist’s recent work. The balance of strong concept and superior craftsmanship will remain long after a visit to the gallery.

Bernardi Roig, Pierrot le fou – Study 1, charcoal on paper, 2009.

Bernardi Roig
Pierrot le fou is (not) Dead
10 December 2009 – 16 January 2010
Claire Oliver Gallery
NYC

Mark Mothersbaugh, Drinkin’ with Cyclops, five color serigraph, 2009.

The full bleed, five color serigraph is limited to an edition of 80 signed and numbered prints. In addition to this run we will have a few of the ultra rare four color variant on silver mirror paper. Both versions feature areas of metallic and glow in the dark inks.

Mark Mothersbaugh, Drinkin’ with Cyclops signing at Mutato Muzika, Los Angeles, 2009, (photo: J. Brewton).

Mark’s recent visual artwork has been largely inspired by his 30-year habit of creating handmade postcards to send to friends from various stops on DEVO tours. This obsession has evolved into a visual diary that currently yields the artist 1-25 new images per day. These images have served as the basis for the artist’s critically acclaimed solo shows of the 80s/90s as well as for his “gallery tours” which have been occurring at art venues throughout the globe since 2003.

Mark Mothersbaugh, Drinkin’ with Cyclops, glow-in-the-dark-detail, 2009.

You can find L.I.M.O. coverage of the printing process for “Drinkin’ with Cyclops” here.

Mark Mothersbaugh
Drinkin’ with Cyclops
Release date: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
NOWhere Limited

Kiel Johnson, Two Sides to Every Story: AKA Boom Boom, chipboard, foam, tape and glue, 2009.

The artist has brought a wide array of media into play for this exhibition. The work operates on a memetic algorithm that holds significant personal meaning for Johnson but also conjures complex nostalgic reactions in the viewer. The transformation of fact through the circuitry of memory and experience drive the presentation.

Kiel Johnson, After and Before, ink on paper, 2009.

Communication of fuzzy thoughts that exist in a states of change can be a difficult task. In the form of a basic, albeit intricate abstraction, “After and Before” (above) posits a direct view of this duality in perception.

To further clarify his individuality, Johnson created an “autobiographical printing press” (below). Images chronicling the construction in the artist’s studio can be found here.

Kiel Johnson, Publish or Perish, pine ply, steel, aluminum, inkjet on paper, chipboard, 2009.

Kiel Johnson
17 October – 14 November 2009
Mark Moore Gallery
Santa Monica, CA

Gino Rubert, Heroes, mixed media on canvas, 2009.

The paintings are explorations into the personal attitudes of the artist. There is often the feeling that you’ve opened the wrong door, apologized and replaced the wood firmly into the hole. When extraordinary moments, or in this case paintings, occur it is human nature for the memory to loop like a film on the mind.

Gino Rubert, Toy Kiss, mixed media on canvas, 2009.

This exhibit is giving us a first look at the drawings of Gino Rubert. They are technically exquisite with varying degrees of complexity. The inclusion of these pieces in “Irma Lentamente” is a great counterpart to the paintings offering the most complete view of the artist’s manner to date.

Gino Rubert, Legs Mind, mixed media on paper, 2009.

Gino Rubert
Irma lentamente
17 September – 24 October 2009
Galería Senda
Barcelona

Sarah Lutz, Burst, oil on canvas, 2009.

The show is comprised of artworks that highlight small details that draw together into larger forms. Works of this character tend to change dependent on the distance of the viewer from the surface. Approach an unassuming abstract shape and vanish into the microcosm.

Adam Fowler, Untitled (7 Layers), graphite on paper hand cut and layered, 2009.

The world we inhabit and the vessels that contain us exist from the same construct seen in this exhibit. On some level, this show could be considered naturalistic. Experiencing this art in person will accurately edify the senses. If possible stop in at the gallery and indulge in the particulars.

Olalekan Jeyifous, The Cyclical-Cities of Impact-Craters, digital print on watercolor paper, 2009.

Laura Battle, Josephine Durkin, Matthias Düwel, Margaret Farmer, León Ferrari, Adam Fowler, Robert Jack, Olalekan Jeyifous, Sarah Lutz, Anne Neely, Mayumi Sarai
Intricacies
23 July – 4 September 2009
Lohin Geduld Gallery
NYC

Martin Wittfooth, Saints Preserve Us, oil on linen, 2009.

More than twenty artists have converged for this expansive group show. Works from the display will also be featured in the next installment of BLAB! Monte Beauchamp’s almanac that showcases fine art, illustration and comics.

Teresa James, Hand Autopsy, colored pencil and graphite on paper, 2009.

The fifth chapter of this annual exhibit is infused with the theme of “21st-Century Apocalypse.” The reactions to this charged tone range from humorous social and personal observations to heavy corporate and environmental concerns.

Jeff Soto, The Corruption of Mankind, acrylic on wood panel, 2009.

MARK RYDEN, JOE SORREN, JEFF SOTO, SHAG, FEMKE HIEMSTRA, ALEX GROSS, NATALIA FABIA, RYAN HESHKA, MARTIN WITTFOOTH, OWEN SMITH, GARY BASEMAN, XNO, JEAN-PIERRE ROY, KRIS KUKSI, GEORGANNE DEEN, GARY TAXALI, Zap artist SPAIN, FRED STONEHOUSE, ANDY KEHOE, MARC BURCKHARDT, MARK TODD, CALEF BROWN, Garbage Kid’s creator JOHN POUND, DAVID SANDLIN and more.

The BLAB! Show
8-29 August 2009
Copro Gallery
Santa Monica, California

Paul McCarthy, Puppet (Original), 2005-2008.

Paul McCarthy has been testing the limits of depravity for more than four decades. The abject horrors and anti-heroes presented along the way have grounded the audience in the comfort of his nightmare.

Paul McCarthy, Happy Traveler, 2008.

The sculptures in the current show represent the low end of the social meter over the past six years. We’ve seen the ultimate in mindless greed and perhaps even some genuine evil in the course of the chronicled period. More than adequate fuel for the master to trek into new territory. Life has been imitating McCarthy recently, it should be interesting to see where he goes from here.

Paul McCarthy, Static (Pink), 2004-2009.

Paul McCarthy
7 June – 25 July 2009
Hauser & Wirth
Zürich