LOOK INTO MY OWL

Christo’s project, “Over the River” is scheduled to be installed for two weeks in the Summer of 2013 here in Colorado. The Bureau of Land Management has opened a comment period to the public which ends on September 14th. To voice your support for the project, please click this link to get involved. The process only takes a few minutes and you needn’t be a Colorado resident to comment.

Christo, Over the River, preliminary design, 2010.

The mammoth installation is privately funded and will bring substantial tourism to the area. I have been impressed with the level of concern the artist and his volunteers have shown toward the community.

Christo, Over the River, preliminary design, 2010.

I am really excited to get up close and personal with this installation. If you want to see the coverage from L.I.M.O. please say YES to Christo, say YES to “Over the River.” Thanks for the help.

Christo, Over the River, preliminary design, 2010.

Christo
Over the River
scheduled for Summer 2013
Arkansas River, Colorado

“Surviving the End of Your World” is the first Los Angeles solo exhibition from Chad Person. The multimedia effort currently fills the Mark Moore Gallery and continues through the middle of August.

Chad Person, The Mayor Rests, vinyl, steel, electronics & mixed media, 2008.

The economic downturn has left most of the country feeling a little flat. A large inflated sign of power slumped in the corner might not make anything better but it can’t hurt. In trying times, change occurs and we’ll need to be ready. For his part, the artist has constructed an “apocalypse bunker” in New Mexico and has been appearing in the gallery from there via live video feed.

Chad Person, Improvised Double Barrel Shotgun, wood, steel pipe and fittings, glue and twine, 2010.

“Surviving the End of Your World,” is a display of repurposed goods. The halted commercial backdrop to these pieces exclaims a transformation of value and a new sense of what may constitute as raw material.

Chad Person, Twelvepack, US currency on canvas, 2010.

Chad Person
Surviving the End of Your World
10 July – 13 August 2010
Mark Moore Gallery
Santa Monica, CA

“Have You Ever Really Looked at the Sun?” is a two man exhibit of new and recent works from Damien Hirst and Michael Joo. The show runs through the middle of August at the Berlin branch of Haunch of Venison.

Damien Hirst, Temple, installation view, Haunch of Venison, 2010.

The pair of artists met twenty years ago and have been close friends and influences since. They were originally introduced in Germany and this exhibit is a return to the geographical genesis of their relationship.

Michael Joo, Tree, oak and stainless steel, 2001.

On display is a shared interest in museum scaled sculpture. The spacial demands of these works often claim attention before the content is even considered. It is a deluge of sensation not unlike staring into the sun.

Damien Hirst / Michael Joo, Have You Ever Really Looked at the Sun?, installation view, 2010.

The dissection and reordering of the natural world is a common thread stretched between these collaborators. The viewer gets a sense of old school victory, something has been conquered with this show. It’s good to know that if either of these guys find themselves creatively cornered, they have someone to call.

Michael Joo, M, S, G, mixed media, installation view, 2010.

Damien Hirst / Michael Joo
Have You Ever Really Looked at the Sun?
1 May – 14 August 2010
Haunch of Venison
Berlin

Blane De St. Croix is currently exhibiting his “Broken Landscape II” project at the Night Gallery, Tempe Marketplace in conjunction with F.A.R. (Future Arts Research) at Arizona State University.

Blane De St. Croix, Broken Landscape II, mixed media, 2010.

Research for this project had the artist traveling more than 3,000 miles covering the border between the United States and Mexico. He investigated fifteen crossings and gleaned information and opinion from communities on both sides. The result is this marvelous one hundred foot miniature replica of a slice of this highly contested boundary.

Blane De St. Croix, Broken Landscape II, mixed media, 2010.

It’s easy to recall in detail the emotional images from the first chips in the wall that once divided Berlin. Righteous cheers of freedom were nearly unanimous in the free world. Today our walls are fences and our voice does no longer registers with the same harmony.

The sculpture “Broken Landscape” acts as a wall that divides the gallery space. The artist makes no outright statements about the barrier but prefers the audience to examine both sides and open the lines of communication.

Blane De St. Croix, Broken Landscape II, mixed media, 2010.

Blane De St. Croix
Broken Landscape II
1 – 23 April 2010
Night Gallery, Tempe Marketplace
Arizona

This Spring, independent curator Olympia Lambert is inviting the New York art community to take a short trip across the George Washington Bridge and experience something wonderful in Paterson, New Jersey. “Escape from New York” is an exhibition of work collected from an exciting list of thirty-six artists. The venue is a massive and beautiful five story structure that at one time operated as a silk factory.

A fundraiser is underway right here seeking crucial capital for the advertising budget. Minimum pledge is only five bucks but I encourage you to spend more to receive a reward donated by some of the participating artists. Help get the word out about this impressive project. Act quickly because the fundraiser is ending soon…

Escape from New York, Silk Factory, 2010.

Escape from New York
15 May – 19 June 2010
Fabricolor Building
Paterson, NJ

“Transition” is a captivating installation from Li Hui currently on display at the Mannheimer Kunstverein in Germany. The piece is inspiring in its simplicity. Very few elements have been combined to create a commanding visual.

Li Hui, Transition, mixed media installation, 2010.

A Jeep Cherokee that had fallen prey to accident has been carefully bandaged by the artist. The work is illuminated from above by a tight grid of thirteen thousand lasers. Heat from the laser light releases vapor from the cloth into the surrounding space.

Li Hui, Transition, mixed media installation, 2010.

Beyond an unconscious connection to Chinese philosophy, Li Hui has shared little about the installation perhaps preferring that his audience design their own conclusions.

My interpretation is fairly literal and parallels the candor of the essential elements. I see something broken that has been aided into a healing state. The lasers represent an overwhelming threat of termination from a distance. (Similar to most Americans I have been subjected to too much television forcing this singular response to a directed laser.) The “Transition” that occurs as a result of the close scrutiny initiates a symbol of freedom in the escape of vapor. Then again, I might just be cloud watching.

Li Hui, Transition, mixed media installation, 2010.

Li Hui
Transition
7 February – 21 March 2010
Mannheimer Kunstverein
Mannheim, Germany

In the summer of 2013, Christo will bring “Over the River” to our home state of Colorado. The recent passing of Jeanne-Claude, Christo’s wife and partner was felt deeply by the art community but her legacy will surely live on through this awesome artwork.

The project consists of nearly six miles of silvery translucent fabric suspended horizontally over various parts of the Arkansas River spanning the forty mile stretch between Salida and Cañon City. “Over the River” will be viewable from two vantage points. Motorists will be able to witness it’s grandeur from US-50 and rafters are encouraged to float directly under the fabric panels. The temporary artwork will be in place for a mere two weeks. The image below is from a test conducted on private property near the Colorado/Utah border.

Christo and Jeanne Claude, Over the River, Life-Sized Test, 1999.

“Friends of Over the River” is a grassroots advocacy organization in support of the project. I just joined and encourage you to do the same at this link.

From “Friends of Over the River”:
“Becoming a ‘Friend’ is easy and can involve as little or as much time as you are willing to give. At a minimum, the group typically asks their participants to help by discussing the project with their friends and neighbors and by submitting a written comment during the permitting process. Those who want to get more involved can do so by writing letters to the editor, volunteering at events or attending the Bureau of Land Management’s public hearings, to name a few activities. It’s up to you how much you participate, and there are plenty of different ways to get involved.”

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Over the River
scheduled for Summer 2013
Arkansas River, Colorado

“#class” is an interactive, multidimensional exhibit organized by artists Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida. The Winkleman Gallery has bravely given over their space to encourage the public to engage in dialog concerning the current state of contemporary art.

Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida, #class, installation view, 2010.

No clear goals have been set for this project; however, participants will be manipulated by various speakers along the way. Check here for the full schedule of events.

The art world has been forced to endure a lot of negative hysteria over the past year. The rise of social media has coupled with stress brought on by poor economic times to create an immutable hostile chatter. We seem to move from one “crisis” to the next with nothing to show for the effort. Stepping back, the field often resembles the Serengeti. Scavengers have been picking rotten flesh from one kill in order to gain enough substance to carry them to the next carcass.

Everyone has different hopes for this project. My wish is to see an erosion of this tunnel vision. There is no fine line between critical and cranky, it is open space and never too late to turn back. There will be some brilliant people offering insight throughout the term of the show and my trust is with them to soften some of the harsh edges. Look in for yourself as the action will be streaming live during gallery hours, Wednesday – Sunday, 2-8 pm.

Jennifer Dalton & William Powhida
#class
19 February – 20 March 2010
Winkleman Gallery
NYC