LOOK INTO MY OWL

Brace yourself New York, it’s Mark Ryden’s first major solo show on the island since 2003 and he’s brought the goods. “The Gay 90’s: Old Tyme Art Show” opens Thursday, April 29th at the Paul Kasmin Gallery. Here is a peek.

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

Mixed media sculptures and charcoal studies from Bernardi Roig are on view at the Claire Oliver Gallery in NYC. “Pierrot le fou is (not) Dead” runs through the middle of January, if you are in the city, this one should not be missed.

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

Our gallery, NOWhere Limited, is pleased to announce the release of “Drinkin’ with Cyclops” an exclusive art print from Mark Mothersbaugh. The print will be available at this link on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at Noon Pacific Standard Time / 3pm Eastern Standard Time / 20:00:00 UTC.

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