A Feast for the Senses: Drink Me, Taste Me – An Exhibition of Curious Things

Curiouser and Curiouser. –Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

“Does domestic bliss equal artistic death?” This is the question that our heroine, Alice – a painter – asks in a full-length musical production, “Painted Alice,” for which the exhibit Drink Me, Taste Me – An Exhibition of Curious Things serves as a stage. The exhibition, on view at Plaxall gallery April 11-May 12, serves as a look into the contemporary artists working on the borderline of illusion, adventure, and curiosity. Curated by AHA Fine Art & Plaxall Art Gallery’s Norma Homberg, the exhibit offers new experiences and breadth of emotion accessible to visitors of all ages and backgrounds.

Featuring fifty artists on view throughout the space working in a variety of mediums, the exhibition also curiously serves as a platform for the afore-mentioned “Painted Alice” musical, in which Alice (a painter) has lost all inspiration after getting her first commission, distancing herself from her partner and falling through her blank canvas into a visual-art inspired wonderland. Conversely, the visual art on view in Drink Me, Taste Me is inspired, in return, by Carroll’s original Alice in Wonderland book. Thus the reciprocal relationship between this new painter Alice and the original Alice presented throughout this art exhibition is established.

​This exhibition features artists such as Kat Ryals, Elan Bogarín & Jonathan Bogarín, Arlene Rush, Karen Dimit, Jean Foos, Chloe Moon, Robin G Cole, Hisayasu Takashio, and many more. Featuring notes of surrealism, abstraction and the everyday – just for good measure – Drink Me, Taste Me holds something for everyone who is an observer, a dreamer, or a wanderer.

Elan Bogarín & Jonathan Bogarín, “Furniture that reminds me of Grandma” (2018) C-print on Fuji Crystal archival paper mounted on plexiglass

In Elan Bogarín & Jonathan Bogarín’s series, “Furniture that reminds me of Grandma” (2018), memories are transferred into imagery that captures childlike naïveté through compiled vignettes purporting a domestic scene from the artists’ own experience. The artists give childhood a new dimension: formed through the editorial lens of memory, these scenes speak to the inner child in all of us: our memories taking on new forms through the lens of historicization. While domestic scenes in our memories can never capture the full detail of each moment – the smells, textures and sensations we experienced in our youth – the artists are able to encapsulate the overall impression that such moments from childhood leave on our consciousness. Alice in Wonderland is itself written by an adult impressing a childhood experience on a captive audience, and the Bogaríns’ create work in a similar vein, impressing the experience of childhood from an adult perspective and for an adult audience.

Kat Ryals’ works in lenticular print capture a shimmering survey of imagery formed and reformed according to the viewer’s position to the artwork. By their very nature, lenticular prints can never offer one specific truth. They always bend and distort an array of images according to the viewer’s perspective. Offering a shimmering world of perspectives onto an uncertain and frequently distorted truth, Ryals manages to capture a captivating scene that somehow simultaneously feels both otherworldly and organic.

Kat Ryals, “Reflection” (2017) Flip Lenticular Photographic Print, 45″x45″

Various works on view either reference “Alice in Wonderland” via theme, recounting tales and passages related to the original tale, or in spirit, by channeling the sense of otherworldly adventure that Alice encounters during her travels. The musical “Painted Alice,” in particular, espouses the feelings of otherworldliness and un-belonging that women artists seeking to establish firm footing for their own art career while inhabiting the shadow of a partner’s success. Drink Me, Taste Me – An Exhibition of Curious Things acts both as narrative and dream sequence: offering an entry point to the woman artist’s experience, or denying a firm narrative by traipsing down a wonderland of nonsensical occurrences. There lies in wait a curious experience for the visitor to the exhibit, something difficult to firmly grasp, perhaps, but something dazzling nonetheless.

 

Drink Me, Taste Me – An Exhibition of Curious Things is on view at Plaxall Gallery in Long Island City from April 11-May 12, 2019.

Countdown to Truth: Delano Dunn’s Phantom Paradise at Lesley Heller Gallery

Everyone’s coming-of-age story leans on moments of lost innocence. In Delano Dunn‘s exhibition “Phantom Paradise,” on view at Lesley Heller gallery from April 17-May 19, the delicate escapism of childhood – represented in the artist’s allusion to paint by numbers – brings forth themes which emerged during the artist’s childhood when the realities of the Rodney King riots enveloping his Los Angeles neighborhood set in. Dunn, who was thirteen in 1992 when the riots occurred, looks back at the last moments of innocence during this period, dealing with the trenchant subject matter it elicits in this first solo exhibit with Lesley Heller gallery.

“Make Me Feel Like Paradise” (2019) Delano Dunn

Dunn’s masterful mixture of imagery and materiality expresses the nuance of coming of age in an era fraught with racial tensions boiling over. The artist’s own African-American grandfather felt the need to protect his business during the King riots with a shotgun, while Dunn recalls sleeping together on the floor in the family’s living room, huddled together for safety in numbers. The natural and unnatural, reality and fantasy combine in “Phantom Paradise”. The sense of a loss of control is mirrored in the artist’s own use of paint-by-numbers in this series, where this straightforward painting method eschews the usual predictable result due to the arrival of unexpected guests intruding on the narratives on view.

Along with rich, vibrant textures and pointed subject matter, the artist crafts a narrative from disparate, often jarring color combinations. His work, “Make Me Feel Like Paradise,” features a radioactive orange behind a neutral-colored landscape flanked by figures who are apparently in the woods hunting birds – figures who, upon further inspection, turn out to be policemen carrying shotguns. Dunn himself remarks on the unsettling effect of the artwork as a whole. “Maybe it’s the image of this cop with a shotgun emerging from the trees (but) it scares the hell out of me! That’s enough to make (this work) dear to me; It makes me uncomfortable.” The discomfort experienced through a tour of Phantom Paradise occurs alongside moments of great beauty and delicate use of line: there is a discomfort lying in wait here in a paradise that recedes into the background the closer you come to obtaining it for your very own.

“Why Must it Be You Always Creep” (2019) Delano Dunn

The mixed media and collage works on view in “Phantom Paradise” at Lesley Heller gallery repurposes found imagery from the time of the riots, taken from Harper’s Bazaar, alongside seemingly neutral imagery of birds found in nature. Yet are birds free? Do they belong to a world so idyllic? Though they may fly away, Maya Angelou herself knows that the wings of a bird in a cage are clipped. There is great beauty in the bird’s song, yet it is a song of he who is hunted, he who is held captive, he who is not allowed to roam free to find a paradise of his own. The combined result of experiencing “Phantom Paradise” is an understanding of the deep well that binds us together: through imagery, texture, and memory, along with the simultaneous knowledge that the gulf that divides us is so deep that a bridge of listening, understanding, and change is required to be built in order to bring a change to the destructive, all-consuming cycle enveloping us.

“Phantom Paradise” was a solo exhibition of works by Delano Dunn at Lesley Heller gallery, 45 Orchard Street, New York, NY from April 17-May 19, 2019

Hurrah! For the Future of Public, Interactive Art

On view through May 22nd at the NYCxDESIGN Design Pavilion in Times Square, a public art initiative stands out from the pack. Created through a partnership between students at the Strzeminski Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, Poland and the Brooklyn-based Pratt Institute, the project – “Hurrah!” – marks a creative, innovative approach to US-Polish relations through public participation. “Hurrah!” consists of large-scale vertical tubes that form a public installation – a xylophone for visitors to interact with, that – upon visitors striking the sculpture in a percussive form – plays well-known Polish birthday and anniversary song, “Sto Lat.” The aesthetics of the public design initiative itself reference both the beauty of Polish landscape and the verticality of midtown Manhattan, where the project is situated.

Hurrah! installation shot, Design Pavilion, Strzeminski Academy x Pratt Institute for NYCxDESIGN

Polish Cultural Institute of New York Director Anna Domanska comments on the partnership of this endeavor, “The idea of the installation arose from reflections on how we could celebrate the 100th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the USA and Poland in a way that would be interesting and inspiring today. We wanted to talk about the union of Poles and Americans, not by reviving history, but by establishing a new space for people from both countries to create together. We wanted to commemorate not only the material things expressed in this installation but also newly established relationships that may result in future projects. And, of course, we wanted to give people a moment of fun and joy in experimenting with an unusual art object.” The project welcomes a spirit of public participation and celebration, with the uplifting sounds of “Sto Lat” bringing visitors together to honor the long-lasting relationship that binds together the United States and Poland. Welcoming and joyful, this project speaks to the talented, rising stars of design studying both at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and the Strzeminski Academy.

Artist rendering, Hurrah! for NYCxDESIGN Design Pavilion

 

 

The public art design project is on view at the Design Pavilion, NYCxDESIGN through May 22nd! The sculpture can be visited at the showcase which spans the pedestrian plazas between W 42nd-47th and bounded by Broadway and 7th Ave – “Hurrah!” is located within the Design Pavilion, and is sponsored by the Polish Cultural Institute and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C.

Immersive, Experimental Performance Openings at The Ear, Brooklyn

Exciting performance art takes the floor at The Ear (255 Boerum Street, #1- Brooklyn) on May 17th and 18th. Featuring performances by Sierra Ortega, Muyassar Kurdi, Vyczie Dorado, Amanda Hunt & IV Castellanos, Máiréad Delaney, Arantxa Araujo, Sara Meghdari & Oya Damla, and Jazz Coker with installation work by David Ian Bellows/Griess, something fascinating emerges for everyone at this Spring open weekend.

Still of performance by Amanda Hunt & IV Castellanos

 

The Ear’s tightly curated selection of performances takes top marks for creativity and the willingness to push boundaries. Curators Oya Damla & Polina Riabova have assembled a cohort of artists taking risks, showcasing a variety of creative impulses in this Spring open weekend of performance art. Doors open at 7:30 on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 to bring immersive installations and thoughtful, daring performances to visitors. With a $10 suggested donation, these performance showcases make for affordable opportunities to experience cutting-edge contemporary performance art at a rising performance art venue.

Mairead Delaney, still from: Breach reignite

Themes of public and private, identity, materiality and labor intertwine in this variety of performances. Ranging from sound to choreography to projection mapping and beyond, artists on view are stars in their field and have shown in a variety of venues. The Queens Museum, Chicago Cultural Center, Brooklyn Museum, and Knockdown Center have all played host to these innovative and forward-thinking performance artists, among other locations. Unforgettable and unrelenting, the rising stars of performance art are all assembled for this Spring opening spectacular.

Tickets and further details are available at the event site. See you there!

 

Frieze Recap 2019: Don’t Miss These Booths at Frieze New York!

by Katie Hector

 

Spring has arrived, and Frieze New York assumes its annual presentation under the iconic white tent on Randall’s Island. As per usual, Frieze presents an opportunity for galleries to expose their pre-eminent artists to a diverse audience comprised of collectors, institutions, and art enthusiasts alike, who flock from all over the world to attend the five-day event. This year’s fair is host to a distinct collection of galleries displaying impressive rosters of established artists as well as newcomers on the rise. We decided to turn our attention away from spectacle-producing options in order to compile our list of Top Presentations at this year’s iteration, focusing our attention instead on the innovators and risk-takers on view at this year’s fair.

Casey Kaplan: Matthew Ronay

Installation of works by Matthew Ronay. Photo by Dawn Blackman. Image courtesy of the artist and Casey Kaplan, New York.

The enigmatic sculptures of Matthew Ronay displayed on pristine white pedestals at the Frieze Casey Kaplan booth entice visitors to take a closer look. Executed in a spectrum of jewel-toned hues, and various mediums and surfaces, the intricate components of Ronay’s medium-sized sculptures transform into living, breathing extraterrestrial fauna. In contrast to Ronay’s previous monochrome environmental installation to give context to the sculptures, this pair down approach allows each sculpture to be considered as an individual unto itself.

 

Koenig and Clinton: Tony Marsh   – Anoka Faruqee & David Driscoll

 

Anoka Faruqee & David Driscoll, 2019P-12 (Circle), acrylic on linen on panel, Image courtesy of Koenig & Clinton.        

A pairing of Tony Marsh’s ceramics vessels and Anoka Faruqee & David Driscoll’s optical captivating paintings marks an ode to the formal qualities of surface, color, and materiality at the Koenig and Clinton presentation. Organic and evocative, the surfaces of Marsh’s thirteen ceramic vessels give the impression of minerals, lichens, mold, calcium deposits and oxidized samples sourced directly from the natural world. While the distinct color combinations and layered patterns of Anoka Faruqee & David Driscoll’s paintings speak to vision, perception, and new technologies. Koenig & Clinton aims to give their fair-going audience an opportunity to indulge in the optically exciting and technically precise works of Marsh, Faruqee, and Driscoll.

 

Bridget Donahue: Lisa Alvarado

Lisa Alvarado, Traditional Object 34, acrylic, fabric, wood, 54 × 88 inches,  2019. Image courtesy of Bridget Donahue.

Bridget Donahue’s installation is solely dedicated to the work of artist and musician Lisa Alvarado who’s bold tapestry-like paintings, totemic floor objects, and sound installation permeate the space. Before these brightly-colored works are installed upon the white walls of a gallery or fair booth, they first grace the stage serving as backdrops for Alvarado’s band, Natural Information Society. Upon inspecting the rhythmic brushstrokes, tassels, and fringe of Alvarado’s work one slowly becomes aware of a low buzzing noise which soon evolves into a drone, and subsequently a purr. Discrete speakers placed along the parameter of the booth emit ambient sound and alludes to Alvarado’s holistic approach to art making. Alvarado personifies an artist in the process of manifesting her own mythology. By utilizing a compelling mix of image, object, and sound Alvarado creates an experience which invites viewers into her practice, lifestyle, and philosophy.

 

Hutchinson Modern: Freddy Rodriguez

Installation featuring works by Freddy Rodriguez, Image courtesy of Hutchinson Modern.

 

Hutchinson Modern dedicates their booth to championing the work of Dominican-born, New York-based artist Freddy Rodriguez. A series of eight paintings on canvas, executed since the early 1970’s, works on view shine a light on Rodriguez’s long-spanning career and unwavering practice. Vibrant geometric forms and graphic lines carve up the picture plane and convert each canvas into a balanced compositional code. Founder of Hutchinson Modern, Isabella Hutchinson, enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a trailblazer for Latin American art and has made a career privately advising and expanding the contemporary market for works such as Rodriguez’s.  

 

Galerie Lelong & Co.: Various Artists

Paintings/Booth installation: works by Sarah Cain. Image courtesy of Galerie Lelong & Co.

Galerie Lelong’s bifurcated booth boasts the breadth of their artist roster and offers fair-goes two flavors of contemporary art. Vibrant and playful meets socially poignant as Sarah Cain’s chromatic paintings are displayed parallel to a collection of work by Alfredo Jaar, Barthélémy Toguo, and Ana Mendieta. Perhaps conscious of the fair’s draw, Galerie Lelong & Co. cast a wide net ensuring there is something which will appeal to a wide spectrum of sensibilities. The dichotomous nature of the booth allows Cain’s experimental paintings and Jaar’s neon text, Toguo’s sculpture, and Mendieta’s photographs to effectively contrast yet highlight one another.

Alfredo Jaar, Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness, neon, 100.5 x 78.75 inches, 1995/2014.  Image courtesy of Galerie Lelong & Co.

 

Half Gallery: Vaughn Spann

Booth installation featuring Vaughn Spann paintings. Image courtesy of Half Gallery.

Half Gallery’s booth exhibits the imaginative and impactful work of Vaughn Spann, whose five large-scale paintings on canvas commandeer the space and represent Spann’s preoccupation with emblematic imagery. At first, the collection of paintings appear to created by two different artists. Two uncanny oil paintings represent portraits of women, while three abstract paintings of pictographic symbols, “X”s and rainbows are presented side-by-side. These disparate approaches to image-making are in actuality couched within the same conceptual impetus. Spann, who graduated from Yale in 2018, aims to describe the African-American experience by creating images that are politically inspired, with references to social codes. This selection of work emphasizes Spann’s ability to seize current events and historical precedent as relevant subject matter in order to produce paintings that are timely cultural and sociopolitical observations.

 

Various Small Fires (VSF): Diedrick Brackens

Booth installation of works by Diedrick Bracken. Booth images courtesy of Renato Ghiazza.

Diedrick Bracken’s textiles on view at the Various Small Fires booth address notable trailblazers of lore, and hearken to the true identity of the iconic American Cowboy. This body of work expresses the idealization of the American “wild West” during the late 19th century, post-Civil War era, wherein the profession of cowhand was one of few paid professions available to African-Americans. Utilizing a system of woven algorithms, Bracken generates a series of double-sided textiles that incorporate his silhouetted body merging and interacting with that of a mustang, posed in mid-stride. Bracken employs these icons in order to investigate stereotypes, tradition, and veiled histories through the manipulated woven surfaces of his textiles.