LOOK INTO MY OWL

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

Valentine’s Day marked the opening of “Icons” the latest show from Mr. Brainwash. The line was around the corner for the opening at the 15,000 square foot building in the meat packing district. Special thanks to Alanna Sarti for taking these excellent photographs.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr Brainwash, Icons, NYC, 2010.

Mr. Brainwash
Icons
14 February – 31 March 2010
415 W. 13th Street
NYC

In five days, “One Place,” the first solo exhibition in the UK from Chiharu Shiota opens at Haunch of Venison in London. The towering work, “A Room of Memory” shown below installed at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanzawa, Japan will be on view.

Chiharu Shiota, A Room of Memory, found windows, 2009.

The piece was created from 400 windows collected over the years from a variety of abandoned structures throughout Berlin. The structure is colossal in scale but the worn and paint chipped forms encourage sentiments of an insular meditation space.

Chiharu Shiota, Biel Klavier 139, mixed media installation, 2009.

Shiota will also be creating a site specific thread piece similar to the work above from the exhibit “In Silence” at the Centre Pasquart in Switzerland. Several small, boxed thread works incorporating household utensils will also be on hand. Her intent with this vein of exploration centers around the idea of drawing in three dimensions. It is a gripping concept carried out to unforgettable results.

Chiharu Shiota
One Place
19 February – 27 March 2010
Haunch of Venison
London

“Meaning is Overrated”, a new show from Mark Jenkins opens tonight at the Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art. Jenkins is one of the heroes of the street that has been able to make the difficult transition from the outdoors into a gallery setting. The gallery has been kind enough to share with us this special sneak peek of works that you will be able to examine as part of the exhibit. The artist will be present for the opening so check with the gallery for details.

Mark Jenkins, Meaning is Overrated, Carmichael Gallery preview, 2010.

Mark Jenkins, Meaning is Overrated, Carmichael Gallery preview, 2010.

Mark Jenkins, Meaning is Overrated, Carmichael Gallery preview, 2010.

Mark Jenkins, Meaning is Overrated, Carmichael Gallery preview, 2010.

Mark Jenkins, Meaning is Overrated, Carmichael Gallery preview, 2010.

Mark Jenkins
Meaning is Overrated
21 January – 18 February 2010
Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
West Hollywood, CA

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

Three installation pieces by Wolfgang Laib are on display at the Sean Kelly Gallery in NYC.

Wolfgang Laib, Frieze of Life (detail), 400 clay pots, white ashes, wooden shelves, 2009.

The wooden shelves that support the four hundred ash filled clay pots in “Frieze of Life” (above) have been situated nearly two-thirds of the way up the walls that enclose the installation. For this most recent work, Laib collected white ashes from various temples approximate to his studio in India. The piece, like much of this artist’s yield does not offer clarity nor division, instead a cyclical singularity has been sought with success.

Wolfgang Laib, Pollen from Hazelnut, 5 jars of hazelnut pollen, 2002.

Twenty-three years have passed since a pollen field has been seen in New York. A great opportunity to engage the senses. The hazelnut pollen was collected by hand and has been sifted onto the floor of the gallery. The shape of the field is that of a window or a door protruding into this reality from an unnoticed realm. This motif along with the use of elemental materials is also conspicuous in the earlier work, “Rice Meals” (below).

Wolfgang Laib, Rice Meals, 12 brass cones, rice, 1988.

Wolfgang Laib
Frieze of Life
29 October – 5 December 2009
Sean Kelly Gallery
NYC

The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC is hosting an exhibition of captivating sculptural works by Brian Jungen. The museum put together an excellent site for the show and is offering a signed book in limited quantities through the online store.

Brian Jungen, Carapace, industrial waste bins, 2009.

Brian Jungen metamorphoses common items into chimerical sculptures that despite their chilling presence impress the viewer with a peculiar sense of the familiar. The soulless products that he manipulates, garbage cans, lawn chairs and sporting goods, serve as a reminder that everything living and inert can be regressed to the same essence.

Brian Jungen, The Prince, baseball mitts and dress form, 2006.

The upcycled components that converge into these new forms represent a venture that elicits a sense time travel. The works strike an equilibrium of past present and future. The items that we use today have been repurposed through traditional craft to birth objects as they might exist in a post industrial society.

Brian Jungen, Prototype for New Understanding #23, Nike Air Jordans, 2005.

Brian Jungen
Strange Comfort
16 October 2009 – 8 August 2010
National Museum of the American Indian
Washington, DC