(courtesy Leo Kesting Gallery)

Looking at Ray Sell’s images is like walking into an American vintage pop culture magazine.  It’s my first encounter with Mr. Sell’s work, so I have a fresh eye for what’s up at Leo Kesting (been wanting to visit the gallery for ages). I was not disappointed to see Ray Sell’s mutedly vivid collages raising questions about American boyhood rising into manhood.  Perhaps some of the imagery comes from his own experiences.  Nonetheless, the subjects are stylishly positioned and he seems to work within a nostalgic color palette. Although the images that Mr. Sell uses are only a few decades old, it feels like some strange distant world. Television, pin-up ladies, cowboys, guns and Miller-Coors beer. Just about sums up the American (macho) “high life” before cyberspace came into the picture.

Ray Sell: Stand Yer Ground is on view from May 13 – June 13, 2010

(image courtesy the Whitney Museum)

If you haven’t already seen the 2010 Whitney Biennial, now is your chance. The Whitney has announced that it will remain open for 24 hours from May 26, 12am Wed. night to May 28, 11:59pm Fri. “Open All Day and Night” was conceived by American conceptual artist Michael Asher as a part of this year’s Biennial. Perhaps it is meant to act as a closing ceremony for the show, which I think the Whitney deserves a respectable applause for granting this to come through. How many reputable cultural institutions would allow this type of conceptual work to happen? Granted that this is such a rare happening, I will definitely join the night owls and become a part of the piece. And cheers to Mr. Asher!

The New York Academy of Fine Arts opens their 2010 MFA Thesis Exhibition tonight with a chance to meet and greet new talents in the fine art world. (above painting by Hudson Holly)

Opening on Friday at the Goethe Institute Wyoming Building is the exhibition “Nachleben” (translated literally it means afterlife and survival), bringing together a group of intellectual imagemakers, traditional and new media visual artists, photographers, and writers. There will be an interesting series of programs and events along with the show including film screenings and talks given by some of the artists such as the filmmakers Stan VanDerBeek, Lucy Raven, and Peggy Ahwesh (below).

“Nachleben” runs from 05/07/10 – 05/29/10.

The ISCP in Brooklyn is opening its doors again for studio visits from May 7th to 16th. The artists involved are both emerging and established artists from around the world. I have visited ISCP sometime back and visited a few artist studios for a show that I was working on curating. The building is divided into moderate sized rooms, enough for artists to work comfortably in (generally speaking).  There is an open communal space with a cozy little couch and kitchen for artists to gather and mingle, all under a pale skylight. I was also impressed by the books that were sitting on their shelf, full of art, theory, and rare philosophy titles.  Overall the ISCP studios are really thought out and inviting to both artists and visitors. I also had a pleasant experience with the staff when I inquired information about the programs that they offer.

Open Studios goes on for 10 days, with a chance to meet and talk with 41 international contemporary artists, residents, and curators at ISCP. It’s an opportunity to peek into the process behind dedicated artists and why they chose to be a residency of New York. (above image courtesy ISCP)

New York Gallery Week opens this Friday May 7th, with an anticipated series of exhibitions, art events, performances, panel discussions, and film screenings, complimented by gallery tours with curators, art historians, intimate talks with artists, and book signings.  This Spring 2010 is the first of the annual involving prominent art galleries and enthusiasts in New York City’s art hub. “NYGW will be an annual event, concentrating on programmatic and artistic rigor, with a mission that aims to ignite the New York art scene and direct focus back to artists and galleries.” Galleries will extend their opening hours this weekend until Monday evening.  Participating galleries include 303 Gallery, Canada, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, Lisa Cooley, Eleven Rivington, Deitch Projects, Zach Feuer, Friends of the High Line, Marian Goodman, Lehmann Maupin, David Nolan, Reena Spaulings Fine Art, Team, David Zwirner, and more.

Looking forward to an opening this Friday on the Highline with artist Richard Galpin discussing his latest work the Viewing Station.  More events and information on newyorkgalleryweek.com. All events are also listed on Artcards New York.

Last night was the opening to the Deitch Project’s final exhibition – May Day. It features Shepard Fairey’s portraits of cultural icons including Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, Keith Haring, the list goes on. “The overall idea is the steps that individuals take to make art, change culture, change politics,” says Fairey supporting the concept behind the show. The line to go inside was around the block on this warm summery evening. People seem to be really excited to see the artist, the art, and to be a part of this New York moment. I realized the power of Shepard Fairey has reached out and beyond to gather an eclectic mix of people, which was the most interesting aspect of the opening. I met a team of indie filmmakers from Yugoslavia doing a documentary on street art traveling across the ocean to do spot interviews including this one with Fairey (more details about this film to come). Here are the photos and video recap from last night.