Sterling Ruby: 2Traps
Pace Wildenstein
545 West 22nd
February 5th – March 20th

Trap number one, I fell into shortly after exiting the gallery. Do not read the press release. At the very least, wait 24 hours. The Press Release (3-stapled pages) could easily be the intro of a yellow and black book titled: Sterling Ruby for Dummies. Perhaps this is acceptable since Sterling Ruby’s crowd is growing and morphing, this being his first solo exhibition with Pace Wildenstein. One could also argue it is telling people what to think – specifically, collectors.

Now that we are thinking for ourselves, let’s get onto the artist. German born, LA based Ruby recently had a sexually charged (or uncharged depending upon how much porn you’ve exposed yourself to) video installation at Foxy Production in October of last year. In 2008 the Drawing Center showed approximately 50 works dating back to 2003; while Metro Pictures simultaneously showed his ceramic-based sculptures. Sterling is also known for his monolithic Formica and stalagmite structures. Given the space allotted at Pace and a diverse practice to “draw” upon, the stage was set for Ruby to impress. The hype garnered did not compare to say the recent Urs Fischer New Museum show, but unlike Urs, Sterling delivers. He actually parks one sculpture, titled BUS.

The two sculptures in the exhibition both measure 10’ x 9’ x 40’. BUS is an old bus turned sculpture with steel cages inside and an extravagant looking sound system in the rear. The viewer is left to wonder whether sound emits from the work. The “Cliff’s Notes” on hand fail to mention this important detail. The other gigantic work, PIG PEN, is comprised of steel cages. It is a modular grid built with metal security doors. Unlike BUS, you can not enter this sculpture. The desire to attempt to navigate the impassable work is stronger than the satisfaction of walking through BUS. Sterling is operating on multiple levels at the same time, keeping your mind bouncing in between the 2 pieces. He couldn’t have one successfully enter our realm without the other. The artist is deconstructing familiar objects while simultaneously constructing new ones. We are left with new allegories to mediate on. In tandem, 2TRAPS is viscerally seductive and will linger with you long after you exit the gallery. Go park yourself there and think about what you would write in your yellow and black book.

Oh Art Basel, you came and went… we scurried like ants searching for the next delicious sugar cube, trampling those that were in the way just to get our fill. It should be considered an extreme sport to be able to soak in the entire over saturation of art that spills into the streets of Miami Beach for those few days… drowning most. There are many established galleries, specifically in the Wynwood Art District that embrace the flood of art lovers, gallerists & critics alike each year.

One of the newer galleries that surfaced out of the chaos was next door to mine named after the artist & owner: Claudia Calle. She is an emerging artist whose discipline is photography and mixed media with a background in advertising. Setting up for Basel the month prior, I spent a lot of time getting to know this new artist & the body of work that she was debuting. The series that caught most of the attention from the public was “The Republic of China,” a propaganda based series with each detailed print displaying quite the pregnant moment. I am personally drawn to propaganda imagery due to its reflection of a society’s issues with the sarcastic overtones & half-truth twists.

She told me that when she visited China, she began to realize the impact the ‘West’ had on the once traditional based culture.

“More and more Chinese people are adopting our Western culture, forgetting their ancestral heritage and methodologies. They dream of buying new cars and wearing foreign clothing brands; now they not only produce these products, they want to buy them too. The illusion of progress is changing their “Long life” for a lifestyle that is short, solitary, unhealthy and stressful.”

I agreed; the rapid growth (economically speaking) is growing at an exponential rate and is simultaneously creating a new social class. The rise of this new working class reminds me of the French’s 18th Century ‘le petite bourgeoisie.’ Her work sort of harks back to 18th Century Orientalism too, but with an obvious update to meet today’s pop-culture symbolism that is displayed in most of her prints. Moreover, Claudia’s perspective has translated this matter for the public in such a clear, clever & didactic way. Keep an eye out for this artist and visit her site or gallery to learn more.

>>>Wynwood Art District (2722 NW 2 Ave)<<<

‘MacDonalds [1]‘ – Propaganda Series from “The Republic of China”

‘Francia’ - ®egister / ©opyright Series from “The Republic of China”

‘Mao [1]‘ – Mao’s eyes Series from “The Republic of China”

Claudia Calle