Take a leap, 2009. Photo by David Allison © 2010 Sheila Makhijani

Agnes Berecz’s December 2, 2010 lecture/slideshow On Line: Drawing Through the Twentieth Century, coinciding with the MOMA exhibition through February 7, 2011 and part of the Brown Bag Lunch Series gave maximum attention to the most minimal unit of drawing—the line.  On Line, explores the radical transformation of the medium of drawing.” Continue Reading More »

Sheet of Studies (c. 1939-42), Jackson Pollock

Upon entering the MoMA’s Abstract Expressionist New York I immediately felt at home. As cliché as it may sound, MoMA’s most recent exhibition, which takes up the entirety of the fourth floor painting and sculpture galleries, is full of old friends. The show combines hundreds of paintings, sculptures and works on paper from the permanent collection, in an exhaustive effort to showcase New York postwar painting. Many of the paintings in the exhibition are gems usually on permanent display. Re-configured into a new narrative structure, the exhibition has shined new light on old favorites. Barnett Newman’s The Wild, Jackson Pollock’s Echo: Number 25, 1951 and Franz Kline’s Chief are among the most iconic of these examples. Continue Reading More »

Excavations Non Objective, Michael Filan’s solo show of abstract paintings are on exhibit as part of the Intercultural Church’s 50^th anniversary celebration through the end of August, 2010.  Filan uses brilliant enamel paints, which he refers to as light, the intensity of color serving as his “mystical guide”.  Dripped, poured and sprayed on recycled monoprints, with paper pulled away in some areas, exposing the work beneath it, a new genre of painting is brought forward, fueled by curiosity and impulse.

These handsome “pictures of nothing,” Kirk Varnedoe’s coinage for abstract art, are brushless and daringly drippy inventions which have been skillfully curated by Frank DeGregorio on free-standing, staggered walls with negative space above and below the paintings, allowing viewers to mix’n’match paintings in groupings from a variety of angles with great affect.

Enthusiasts of abstraction will see the influences of de Kooning, Frankenthaler and the lesser known Morris Louis, and more importantly, the quiddity of the art form in the delightfully, joyful gallery space known as the Treasure Room.

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present is still going on face-to-face challenging herself and the audience in this intense performance.  I still have not made it to the MoMA yet, but was so inspired and touched by these beautiful portraits of individuals who were all “present” with Marina that I wanted to share some of them here with our readers.

(photos by Marco Anelli)

Here is a comment by one sitter Paco Blancas, who went back to sit for more than 10 times.

I think Marina’s piece has a very strong magnetism. It’s hard to explain but it’s almost like you feel this force, it draws you in, like a magnet. Sitting with her is a transforming experience—it’s luminous, it’s uplifting, it has many layers, but it always comes back to being present, breathing, maintaining eye contact. It’s an amazing journey to be able to experience and participate in the piece.

Also, I love meeting people in line. I’ve met a lot of people and have made a lot of new friends, many of them artists, but really all sorts of people. I keep in touch with them and we e-mail constantly to talk about our experiences. It’s like a little community of people who come to participate in the piece.

(excerpt from P.S.1/MoMA’s Inside/Out)

The Art Book Swap New York at MoMA blended noble intentions with fun and ingenuity.

NADA and Regency Arts Press, Ltd. sponsored the event on Saturday, February 6, 2010, from noon-5pm.  What’s this all about and how is it done, you ask?  Keyword answers are free books, simply, and effortlessly…bring your art books and swap them for the same number of art books donated by others.  “Others” included New York City art galleries, the MOMA book store, plus folks who attended the event and donated books from their personal libraries.

“…remaining books are donated to prison libraries…”

Perhaps a few examples of titles that one of our contributors from Artcards.cc swapped would illustrate why this was such a worthwhile event:

George Condo:  Existential Portraits
Adam Fuss:  Photograms of Life and Death
Rudolph Burckhardt: An Afternoon in Astoria
Amy Cutler:  Paintings and Drawings
Artists’ Sketchbooks: 1st exhibition catalog for Matthew Marks’ new gallery (1991)
Lighthouse Series I-XIV by Helen Frankenthaler

Excellent titles, yes, but more importantly, the event promoted the discovery of titles and/or artists that you might not have previously had an inclination to learn more about.  Discovery, yes, that is why this art book swap was so engaging.

Do not miss the next event!  It will take place in another U.S. city yet to be determined.  See www.regencyartspress.org for more information. Many thanks to the MOMA staff for their help and enthusiasm!