Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

“Big Bang Big Boom” is a narrative, frame-by-frame animation that runs a course from the initial big bang that sparked our Universe to a hypothetical end to our own planet.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

Despite the potentially alarmist nature of the material, Blu’s sense of play can be felt running through the entire video. This endearing quality is enhanced with a marvelous soundtrack by Andrea Martignoni.

Blu, Big Bang Big Boom, still from video, 2010.

This is the most impressive animation that Blu has done to date. This is saying a lot as there has been some astonishing work in the past. “Big Bang Big Boom” continues to evolve with new ideas in addition to providing a perfect balance of two and three dimensional animation with powerful transitions.

Dread Scott, Money to Burn, still from video, 2010.

The artist meandered among the midday money manipulators bellowing “Money to Burn!” The repeated outcry was presented generally as a statement and then to individuals in the form of a question. Scott burned several of his own bills and then those from interested bystanders. The crowd soon attracted the attention of police and they began also to gather around the performance. Eventually, the law swooped in and put an end to the interaction issuing the performer a citation for disorderly conduct.

Dread Scott, Money to Burn, still from video, 2010.

The action raised a lot of questions that offer no simple answers. It is interesting to note, however, that it is very easy to land a court date in this country. Here is video of the interplay as released by Dread Scott.

Two great new videos of KATSU sprucing up some national pride. KATSU is perhaps best known for his use of a manipulated fire extinguisher to paint large areas in public spots.

Nari Ward, Sick Smoke, ambulance, smoke machine, halogen lights and vinyl, 2010.

Much of Nari Ward’s work involves various manifestations of the silhouette. The clever delineations serve to contain or isolate forms that marry a strong visual aesthetic with rigorous concepts.

Nari Ward, Riot Gate Skull side view, stencil ink, metal gates, shoe tips and laces and vinyl, 2010.

Difficult times often inspires art that deals with the need for recovery. It can be a chore sifting through the desperate and insincere in this genre. Much of the work says little more than “We’re broke” but Nari Ward has left room for the mind to wander. Despite his high contrast palette and efforts to contour boundaries these works achieve an intriguing ambiguity that will continue to be respected when things turn around.

Nari Ward, Church State, stencil ink, church pews, wheel chair wheels, 2010.

Nari Ward
LIVESupport
25 February – 24 April 2010
Lehmann Maupin
NYC

Tamra Davis, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, still from video, 2010.

Big fans of Basquiat will leave theaters with the feeling of seeing an old friend after a long time apart. Artists will have difficulty calming the immediate desire to paint.

Tamra Davis, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, still from video, 2010.

It seems that since our viewing the legendary Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond have been brought in to handle the music. Nice. No news on a release date yet but I will keep you updated as more information is made available. In the meantime, check out the trailer below. Thanks to doghed for the link.

David Lynch, Change the Fuckin’ Channel Fuckface, mixed media, 2009.

David Lynch, I Burn Pinecone Throw in Your House, mixed media, 2009.

David Lynch, painting detail, mixed media, 2009.

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

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.

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

Fred Tomaselli
Art Salon
4 December 2009
Art Basel Miami Beach

Luis Gispert, Untitled (Scion), c-print, 2009.

The photographs glorify the customization of transportation. Fashioning one’s environment is a natural activity that is celebrated in these detailed compositions. The sci-fi landscapes exaggerate an endless search for the impossible ideal.

Luis Gispert, Greengrocer’s Apostrophe, wood, fiberglass and audio components, 2009.

An addiction to depletion is examined in the sculptures. The urban desires of menthol cigarettes, high-end footwear and crack cocaine are mashed up into a romantic pitfall. The heart shaped woofer set into the piece literally crowns the enchantment.

Luis Gispert, René (installation view), three-channel hd video, 2008.

“René”, a three channel video projection is also being screened in the middle gallery. The work immerses the viewer in the daily tasks of the artist’s close friend. René’s mechanical occupation is dramatized through careful editing and time compression. It is this heightening of simplicity that runs through the art in it’s various media. More than a wholeness of design, these works bond in possibilities available to the familiar.

Luis Gispert
You’re My Favorite Kind of American
11 September – 17 October 2009
Rhona Hoffman Gallery
Chicago

Doug Aitken, Migration, single video projection with billboard (steel and PVC projection screen), 2008.

“Migration” is an ambulatory journey across the United States staged in hotel and motel rooms along the way. The interaction of the animals with these enclosures was caught on film, each stop adding a unique experience to the phantasmagoria.

Doug Aitken, Migration, single video projection with billboard (steel and PVC projection screen), 2008.

Two distinctly different presentations of the film are being offered by the gallery. From sunset to sunrise, a silent version will be projected in the courtyard of Regen Projects II on Santa Monica Boulevard. Concurrently, the North Almont space will exhibit the piece indoors on a large billboard complete with original soundtrack. I recommend seeing the piece inside first and then wandering westward for the outdoor loop.

Doug Aitken, Migration, single video projection with billboard (steel and PVC projection screen), 2008.

Images courtesy of 303 Gallery, New York; Victoria Miro Gallery, London; Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich; Regen Projects, Los Angeles.

Doug Aitken
12 September – 17 October 2009
Regen Projects
Los Angeles