LOOK INTO MY OWL

Each year in early March, a mild mania sweeps through our mountain town. Frozen Dead Guy Days is a bizarre celebration that draws thousands for some morbid fun. We stopped in for the parade this year and took some photos.

Frozen Dead Guy Days 2010, Nederland, Colorado.

Frozen Dead Guy Days 2010, Nederland, Colorado.

Frozen Dead Guy Days 2010, Nederland, Colorado.

Frozen Dead Guy Days 2010, Nederland, Colorado.

Frozen Dead Guy Days 2010, Nederland, Colorado.

Frozen Dead Guy Days 2010, Nederland, Colorado.

Frozen Dead Guy Days 2010, Nederland, Colorado.

Frozen Dead Guy Days 2010, Nederland, Colorado.

More photos after the jump.
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Another even year has arrived, time to get Biennial. The seventy-fifth installment of this barometer for what’s to come opens to the public tomorrow and runs through the end of May at the Whitney Museum of American Art. For those of you that can’t make it to New York or refuse to wait for a taste, enjoy this preview. Huge thanks as always from myself and all that frequent this blog to Alanna Sarti for taking the photographs.

David Adamo, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Aurel Schmidt, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Aurel Schmidt, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Hannah Greely, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Aki Sasamoto, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Aki Sasamoto, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Aki Sasamoto, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Edgar Cleijne and Ellen Gallagher, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Edgar Cleijne and Ellen Gallagher, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Alex Hubbard, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Scott Short, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Scott Short, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Curtis Mann, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Lorraine O’Grady, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Ania Soliman, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Ania Soliman, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Marianne Vitale, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Emily Roysdon, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Jim Lutes, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Babette Mangolte, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Martin Kersels, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Robert Grosvenor, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Kate Gilmore, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Kate Gilmore, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Thomas Houseago, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Storm Tharp, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

The Bruce High Quality Foundation, Whitney Biennial, 2010.

Whitney Biennial
25 February – 30 May 2010
Whitney Museum of American Art
NYC

Today held a landmark ceremony for the city of Denver. Groundbreaking took place for the Clyfford Still Museum scheduled to open in 2011.

Clyfford Still Museum, Groundbreaking Celebration, Denver, Colorado, 2009.

Clyfford Still Museum, Groundbreaking Celebration, Denver, Colorado, 2009.

Mayor John Hickenlooper, Clyfford Still Museum, Groundbreaking Celebration, Denver, Colorado, 2009.

After the typical speeches and several rounds of applause, it was explained to the crowd that Still was not fond of tradition and the standard groundbreaking would not take place. Behind the podium a large piece of construction machinery fired up and pounded the ground with a sound you could feel. The appendage rose into the air and paused then turned hard left into the adjacent building. The corner of the building to be replaced with the museum was repeatedly smashed to the tune of low level fireworks.

Clyfford Still Museum, Groundbreaking Celebration, Denver, Colorado, 2009.

Clyfford Still Museum, Groundbreaking Celebration, Denver, Colorado, 2009.

Clyfford Still Museum, Groundbreaking Celebration, Denver, Colorado, 2009.

Clyfford Still Museum, North Rendering, Allied Works Architecture, 2009.

The museum will house over 2,400 of the artist’s work broken down as follows.

100 paintings dating from 1920 – 1943: Still’s student years, Depression-era works, Surrealist-inspired works, and first forays into abstraction.

350 paintings dating from 1944 – 1960: Still’s “breakthrough period” and the years of “high” Abstract Expressionism. Many canvases span over ten-by-fourteen feet.

375 paintings dating from 1961 – 1979: later works, most of which have never been exhibited.

1575 works on paper spanning all aspects of Still’s career in such media as pastel, crayon, charcoal, gouache, tempera, graphite, and pen and ink. Few of these have ever been exhibited.

In addition to the artworks, the museum will also house the artist’s archives of letters, sketchbooks, manuscripts, photo albums and personal effects, most of which has never been seen by the public.

Clyfford Still Museum, Model Elevation, Allied Works Architecture, 2009.

Clyfford Still Museum
Groundbreaking Celebration
14 December 2009
13th Avenue and Bannock Street
Denver, Colorado

We actually told a taxi driver to step on it so that we could attend the book launch for Fred Tomaselli at Art Basel Miami Beach. The artist was flanked by Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, Director, Aspen Art Museum and Ian Berry, Associate Director Skidmore College.

Fred Tomaselli, Super Plant, 1994.

Thoughtful questions were raised by the panel as well as the audience. Here is a short video of some of Tomaselli’s responses. Please note, the video was shot on micro technology without the aid of a tripod, so excuse the quality of the presentation.

Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, Fred Tomaselli & Ian Berry, Art Basel, Miami Beach, 2009.

Fred Tomaselli
Art Salon
4 December 2009
Art Basel Miami Beach

On our last night in Miami Beach we were lucky enough to take in a screening of the rough cut for “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child” as part of Art Basel. The completed film will premiere at the end of January 2010 during the Sundance Festival in Park City, Utah.

The Colony Theater, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Art Basel Miami Beach, ©2009 by MCH.

The film was scheduled to air at the Oceanfront area but threatening weather moved it inside to the Colony Theater. We had walked more than fifty miles in the past few days and welcomed the opportunity to slip into comfortable theater seats.

Bob Colacello, Tamra Davis, David Koh, Fab Five Freddy and Jeffrey Deitch, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Art Basel Miami Beach, ©2009 by MCH.

The Director, Tamra Davis took part in a panel discussion before the film and fielded questions after. She was joined by Bob Colacello, David Koh, Fab Five Freddy and Jeffrey Deitch. Some interesting personal encounters with Jean-Michel were put forth to a very receptive crowd.

Tamra Davis, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Art Basel Miami Beach, ©2009 by MCH.

The film revolves around an interview and wide range of footage of Basquiat shot by Tamra Davis mainly in New York and California during the 1980’s. When her friend passed away, she put the films in a drawer not wanting to cash in on the tragedy. I am glad that after all of these years she has accepted that her work is of important historical significance and should be shared. Even the rough cut had the audience in a trance. The most accurate depiction of the man to date.

It may be a while before this one reaches a theater near you but it is sure to make a big impact at Sundance.

Fab Five Freddy, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Art Basel Miami Beach, ©2009 by MCH.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
Screening
4 December 2009
Art Basel Miami Beach

The Wynwood Walls is an ongoing outdoor mural project produced by Deitch Projects and Goldman Properties. Twelve murals were completed for the opening including work by Aiko, Os Gemeos and Nunca, Stelios Faitakis, Jim Drain, Shepard Fairey, Futura, Barry McGee, Ara Peterson, Clare Rojas, Kenny Scharf and the team of Swoon, David Ellis and Ben Wolf. Here are photos of some of our favorites.

AIKO, The Wynwood Walls, Miami, 2009.

Shepard Fairey, The Wynwood Walls, Miami, 2009.

Shepard Fairey, The Wynwood Walls, Miami, 2009.

Kenny Scharf, The Wynwood Walls, Miami, 2009.

The Wynwood Walls
NW 26th Street & 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL

SCOPE Miami was quite a treat this year. The sprawling floor plan allowed ample space for each gallery. We really appreciated the efforts of the exhibitors and the fair staff. Here are some of the artists that demanded our attention.

Mark Jenkins, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

AJ Fosik, Scope Miami, 2009.

Antonio Santin, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

Melissa Ichiuji, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

Aaron Johnson, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

Aaron Johnson, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

Maddalena Ambrosio, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

Jeremy Dean, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

Christy Langer, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

Daniel Glaser & Magdalena Hunz, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

Jen Stark, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

Guerra de la Paz, SCOPE Miami, 2009.

SCOPE Miami
2-6 December 2009

Yesterday we roamed around the Pulse Contemporary Art Fair at Miami’s Ice Palace. A top notch setup with helpful staff and very high quality artworks. It was particularly good to finally chat with Ed Winkleman face to face. Here are some photos, enjoy.

Pulse Miami, 2009.

Pulse Miami, 2009.

Kiel Johnson – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Kiel Johnson – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Kevin Osmond – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Christopher Mir – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Airan Kang – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Linda Besemer – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Nathaniel Rogers – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Gavin Nolan – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Joy Garnett – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Maddalena Fragnito De Giorgio – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Caro Suerkemper – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Mark Napier – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Dinh Q. Le – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Portia Munson – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Omar Chacon – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Madeleine Berkhemer – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Andy Freeberg – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Richard Klein – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Itamar Jobani – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Eva and Franco Mattes – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Andrew Guenther – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Brian Dettmer – Pulse Miami, 2009.

Pulse Contemporary Art Fair
3-6 December 2009