As an American teenager it’s not easy to escape high school without suffering through countless cheesy metaphors maintaining the relevance of sports to life. For this reason I generally eschew sports themed anything, be it movies, art, or theater. This week, I’m truly glad I made an exception. Wednesday I attended the opening of “Horatio”, a new multimedia performance piece playing until the 18th at Here in Tribeca. “Horatio” is the theatrical counterpart to a documentary of the same name which is scheduled for release next year. Both pieces focus on the Corporal John A. Seravelli Playground, also known as Horatio, perhaps New York’s most famous public basketball court. Continue Reading More »
The name Cinema 16 might not be new to a past generation of underground cinema fans, but in this day and age “when film has been reduced to the tiny screens of our laptops and ipods,” the revival of C/16 is a welcoming refuge. Molly Surno, a good friend of mine, is an LA native who moved to NY and was disappointed by the “lack of experimental films shown in enchanted spaces”, so she created the new C/16. She was inspired by the original founders – of the cult film era – Amos and Marcia Vogel, and Maya Deren. Surno’s vision goes a bit further than screening experimental shorts, she enjoys collaborating with musicians and with the local community. The programs get even more interesting as it anticipates a different musical score composed by her chosen bands within a short amount of time. Each program becomes a unique experience not unlike an orchestrated concerto on a small scale. And those local food vendors offering homemade fares along the side are not to be missed. Looking forward to the next screening, which will be in November and this time it’ll be scored by Soft Circle.
There is something very mystical and transcendent about the work of multi-media artist Xaviera Simmons. I was introduced to her work by Ben Tischer at Invisible-Exports Gallery as part of the Lush Life exhibition, and was particularly drawn to her Owl Xerox print. But when I saw a photograph taken by Simmons of herself standing next to another woman both wearing masks perched in stillness, I became even more curious to know who this artist is. The owl is an ancient animal with symbolic associations including wisdom, foresight, messenger of secrets, as well as companions to seers and mystics, and mystery. Simmons surely exudes a plethora of mystery in her work. With a background in photography, Simmons has no desire to stick to just one medium. Continue Reading More »
Art critic Jerry Saltz invites you to email “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Art from an Art Critic but were Afraid to Ask (and maybe aren’t that eager to hear).”
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Art from an Art Critic but were Afraid to Ask (and maybe aren’t that eager to hear).
Ask New York Magazine’s Senior Art Critic, Jerry Saltz, anything you want about art, art careers, art dealers, prices of art, why critics write about artists, how critics are edited, what makes a good dealer, a bad dealer, how to get back at snarky critics, how to behave around critics, what’s up with reality TV, what makes a curator good, bad, or worse. Ask Jerry Saltz anything in his new New York Magazine Vulture column, Ask the Art Critic. Starts the week of September 20. Tough love; my two-cents; advice; admonitions; suggestions; information; misinformation; good guesses; opinions; warnings; and more to get irked about. Three or four selected questions will be answered per week.
Send questions to ArtCritic@NYmag.com. Keep questions clear, simple, and preferably short (75 words or less). All selected questions will be subject to editing. Signed questions are preferable but all questions will be considered.
Go ahead. Take your best shot. Ask the Art Critic. ArtCritic@NYmag.com
While those donning 6-inch heels are running around NY fashion week in Chelsea and SoHo, coincidentally art folks in kicks and flats are running around New York Art week. It’s not officially NYAW but September 9th marked the beginning of another exciting season in the art world, the biggest gallery week of the year. Artcards team has been working doubletime to list our picks and shows, completely unfiltered for our readers. From hi-brow Chelsea on Thursday to the Lower East Side on Sunday, the openings were a huge fiesta, and I was lucky to experience both sides of the horizon. There are lots of photos in this post, so it may take a minute to load, but scroll down for more.
Justin Adian and Rhiannon Kubicka at Blackston Gallery
A thick cloud of people accumulated outside The Luggage Store Gallery(SF) on Friday night to witness the 10th anniversary of Fecal Face. Fecal Face started back in 2000 when the punk rock skater kid, John Trippe started showcasing artists he thought were rad online at fecal face dot com. Since 2000, Fecal Face has developed a cycle in which “the artists that gravitate towards us are also the same artists that we lean towards” (Trippe).
Zilvinas Kempinas is a name that has been popping up in New York for several years now. Since he graduated from Hunter in 2002 his art has been easily recognized in museum, art fair and gallery exhibitions on both coasts. He is best known for his signature material, unwound magnetic tape, which he uses to sculptural effect in both kinetic and static installations. I have come to admire Kampinas as the master of material simplicity. His work often reaches overwhelming complexity with a graceful economy of means.
His latest exhibit, Ballroom, which opened on Thursday at Yvon Lambert, was a pleasant surprise. I found Kempinas’ familiar style tempered with a sense of discovery. Though the installation falls within range of the artist’s interests it is imbued with a sense of color and rambunctious energy which seems altogether new. Continue Reading More »
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