LOOK INTO MY OWL

Mary Reid Kelley recently opened her first solo show in NYC. Two videos are being shown at Fredericks & Freiser on W. 24th Street. Both of these pieces utilize live action performance in combination with stop motion animation. The effect, along with the heavy World War I era influence are a visual banquet.

Mary Reid Kelley, Sadie, The Saddest Sadist, still from video, 2009.

The speech in her videos is broken down into sets of consonantal and vocalic alliteration that further disfigure the principals of the exchange. In “Sadie, The Saddest Sadist”, rhyming patterns of speech overlay a story of destroying to consume.

Mary Reid Kelley, Sadie, The Saddest Sadist, still from video, 2009.

“The Queen’s English”, a previous video will be running parallel to the headliner. Language again is the catalyst to a visual breakdown. The beauty in deterioration is explored through an anecdote of bereavement.

Mary Reid Kelley, The Queen’s English, still from video, 2008.

Mary Reid Kelley
Sadie, The Saddest Sadist
1 September – 3 October 2009
Fredericks & Freiser
NYC

An exhibit of sculpture and photographs from Roman Signer is on view at Häusler Contemporary in Munich. “Der Letzte Schnee” (The Last Snow) is comprised of work created in 2009 specifically for this show.

Roman Signer, Beim Chef (With the Boss), 2009.

Water in it’s many forms has been a reoccurring theme in the Signer’s work over the past four decades. Following the physics of fluid his artwork is intended to take the shape of it’s container. These boundaries have been set like a science experiment with the results firmly established as art.

Roman Signer, Fenster (Window), 2009.

Room is left for variables in these investigations. More than simply proving a hypothesis, the artist is interested in data that falls beside success. Hit or miss the denouement always entertains the unpredictable. The detachment involved in calculated performance is at once broken when the artist hand delivers a small box of snow to the doorstep of a participant.

Roman Signer, Schnee (Snow) 3, 2009.

Roman Signer
Der Letzte Schnee
25 June – 5 September 2009
Häusler Contemporary
Munich, Germany

It is safe to turn off the television for the next few months as there is a constant sideshow on stage in London’s historic Trafalgar Square. Antony Gormley has invited 2400 people to occupy the fourth “empty” plinth for one hour each over the course of 100 days. The entire spectacle is being broadcast via live streaming video at One & Other.

Antony Gormley, One & Other, still from video, 2009.

The Fourth Plinth was constructed in the 1840’s to support an equestrian statue. Owing to financial shortcomings, the statue was never erected and the plinth has stood vacant. In 1998 commissioned works from contemporary artists began to appear atop the structure and Gormley’s project is the latest installment.

Antony Gormley, One & Other, still from video, 2009.

The democratization of space in one of the most recognizable spots on the planet is a moving gesture. The intent of the artist is for the public to encounter ideas that their neighbors feel are important. These living statues may choose to forward a cause, express personal issues or just spend an hour doing nothing. The experiment promises a current portrait of the United Kingdom. I’m hoping that the exhibit grows into a traveling show.

Antony Gormley, One & Other, still from video, 2009.

“One & Other” is a fitting title for this brilliant piece. There is a strong draw to find out how the “plinthers” will use their hour in the spotlight. At the same time, Gormley incites us to ponder the things that we cherish. What would you do?

Applications for time slots are still being taken. Head to the website for details. Below you will find a video where Antony Gormley describes his project in detail.

Antony Gormley
One & Other
6 July – 14 October 2009
Trafalgar Square
London

The first retrospective on U.S. soil for the legendary Dan Graham is currently on view at the Whitney Museum in NYC. The museum has a rich program of exhibitions for the summer including Sadie Benning, Claes & Coosje and Photoconceptualism. I’ll be in the city for a few days in August and the Whitney is a guaranteed stop.

Dan Graham, Figurative, 1965.

Dan Graham has exhibited extensively since the 1960’s pioneering some now fundamental concepts that are in play through every conscious mode of expression. He was among the few that understood that it was conceivable to mash minimalism with rock music, high art and tract housing. The practice of contrasting opposing cultural preferences was unusual and even regarded with apprehension. Brave experimenters like Graham nudged us all a bit into the future.

Dan Graham, Detail from Homes for America, 1966-67.

Graham has enjoyed success in many media including print, film, performance and architecture. The artist has imbued each aesthetic with a flow of heady notions cooked down to simple principles.

Dan Graham, Performer/Audience/Mirror, 1977.

In keeping with the spirit of their subject for this retrospect, the Whitney is hosting a wide array of events. The show opened with an acoustic concert by the Feelies with more music planned through July. There are also film screenings, discussions, and a conversation with Dan Graham and Glenn Branca on tap. Check the schedule as you may want to plan several trips.

Dan Graham, Skateboard Pavilion, 1989.

This is the second leg of the tour for “Beyond”, the exhibit was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles earlier this year and continues on to the Walker Art Center in the Fall.

Dan Graham
Beyond
25 June – 11 October 2009
Whitney Museum of American Art
NYC

“Tian’anmen” is the first solo exhibition in Los Angeles from Ma Yanling. LA Contemporary is hosting the show of recent mixed media paintings.

Ma Yanling, Tian’anmen-B, 2007.

Ma Yanling extends her expression through painting, photography and performance. These painted canvas giclées demonstrate facets of each approach. Yanling photographs her suicide performances and prints them on canvas. The reproduction is then hand painted utilizing a traditional Chinese technique that is composed of eighteen distinct strokes. The fine brushwork is weaved on the surface actualizing a veiled conclusion.

Ma Yanling, Tian’anmen-Gray-A, 2007.

The Tian’anmen Square is a cultural center with a checkered past of protest. The government is concerned with the actions of citizens in the Square and maintains a close control over the area.

The essence of these works satisfy established convention and topical concerns. The statements are not a lionization of violence. The artist makes a call for political change with her display of the paramount in personal freedom.

Ma Yanling, Migrant Worker, 2008.

Ma Yanling
Tian’anmen
23 May – 20 June 2009
LA Contemporary
Los Angeles

A potent mixture of media from Nathaniel Mellors is on display at Lombard-Freid Projects in NYC. The installation “Giantbum” was produced for the 2009 Tate Britain Triennial and incorporates performance,video, sculpture and prints.

The story of “Giantbum” follows an absurdist script that chronicles the adventures of medieval explorers that have been ingested by a giant. Themes of language, religion, cannibalism and coprophagia are all fair game in this world. The content draws on tales from the past coupled with a contemporary sense of humor.

Two versions of the performance are projected in the gallery. The “theater” version parallels the “rehearsal” video drawing attention to alterations that occur throughout the creative process.

The highlight of the installation might be the three animatronic heads cast in the likeness of the lead character. They intone excerpts from the script and chant encouraging phrases that interact with the projected performances. You can see a short video of the trio in action right here.

Nathaniel Mellors
Giantbum
17 April – 16 May 2009
Lombard-Freid Projects
NYC

The brilliant minds behind Improv Everywhere are at it again. Following in the theme of “Best Ever”, the agents descended on the funeral for a man with few surviving relatives. The eight people that attended the burial were joined by thirty agents from IE making for a truly memorable inhumation.

The actors arrived a bit late but put on their best grieving faces and joined the mourners graveside. The family of the deceased were baffled by the turnout for a man that few cared about while he was alive.

Eventually the priest noticed the camera and the gig was up. Apparently the presence of a video camera is frowned upon at such occasions. Unfortunately the real mourners failed to recognize the thoughtfulness of the gesture and things turned ugly.

Improv Everywhere dropped this video yesterday, April 1. Everyone involved in the prank were actors and the funeral was fake. It was a nice prank and an amazing sociological experiment. Just check out the hundreds of comments this mission received on their website. Usually IE aims to confuse and delight people on the street, this time they went after the online public with great success. Get in on the next mission by joining the Urban Prankster Network.

Improv Everywhere
Best Funeral Ever
1 April 2009

A.L. Steiner & robbinschilds brought their collective talents to the New Museum for a multimedia exhibition. Although I was a bit late in posting (the show ended last week) it is still worth a look.

C.L.U.E. or color location ultimate experience is an ongoing project that reacts to and becomes part of the environment that it inhabits. The exhibit at the New Museum featured original performances, interventions and a multichannel video installation. Each evening at sunset an outdoor video projection of C.L.U.E. was visible outside. This street installation was a commendable move by the New Museum encouraging pedestrians to begin a dialog with the work even if it was unlikely that they would step inside.

It is difficult to comprehend the weight of the performances from the still imagery. Check this link for video of the pair in action. Each exploit is unique with an underlying sense that the human element has been transformed into color. The movements of robbinschilds decode the body into furniture and the duo often treat each other as such.

The collaborative effort also included work from AJ Blandford and the Seattle based band Kinski.

C.L.U.E.
A.L. Steiner and robbinschilds
8 October 2008 – 11 January 2009
New Museum
NYC