Wednesday, October 28, 2009

the Fair from Seven Days in the Art World

The fair seems like a rat race and may the quickest most charming person win. It doesn't seem fair the way its laid out. Certain galleries prefer certain locations. and buyers stand at the gate for it to open like horses at a race.The dealers then decide in finality who the work goes to. I feel overall the fair is pretentious and out of control from what the book explained.

visit to the Princeton Art Museum































































Upon going to the museum I had decided to look at the paintings I would usually not spend my time on but this time they fascinated me. The modern section is usually my choice of visit when I go to the museum but instead I chose to look at religious paintings and the depictions of christ in the works some showed christ with the proportions of a full grown man but minaturized. this reminded me of a sculpture by Charles Ray. Other depections of christ were just strange and they make you wonder how is this the ideal depiction of the lord's son? and at what age did he learn to read. Since one of the paintings has him sitting on mary's lap reading a book.









Friday, October 16, 2009

Museum Visit Review

Upon Visiting the Zimmerli Museum of art @ Rutgers I was please to see a show in conjunction with Exit Art(a non-profit gallery in NY). I have not visited Exit Art for many years and forgot of their existence but was surprised to see they were still around. The show involved digital prints by numerous "cutting edge" artist namely Terry Winters, Vito Acconci, Ann Hamilton, Carrie Mae Weems, and Glen Ligon to name a few.The show did not have any landmark work by these artist but instead works that showed a way into their process. Works that showed in essence sketchs of the artist greater final works. Sometimes in this manner of looking at artist traces its almost like looking at the underbelly of their finished work. All in all it was quite ennjoyable.

The second show i went to while in the museum was one on Woodblock Printing. Having done work in intaglio i found this show to be expansive on the little scope i have on printmaking. The prints dated back to 1890. They went through the changes that we have experienced in woodblock printing and also through various periods in the span of art from then til know. The most enjoyable piece i saw in the show would had been the Pinocchio piece by Jim Dine. It towered over you at slmost 8 ft high. The figure reminded me of Howdy Doody on a bad day with an elongated nose. and for some reason the Donald Judd work though I hardly even looked at it as with the Shirley Levine (of whom I have never been much of a fan) have a particular resonance that seeses to pass.

Friday, October 2, 2009

paintings that came out of my hands literally














































gallery visits and rehabilitation

how did you feel about the gallery situation that we have upon us in the current moment?comment please

Interview with Jeniffer Manning

The interview was relaxed in the quaint studio of Jennifer Manning. I asked to see her most recent paintings and she took out about 4 canvases. They were store bought and about 18"x24" in size. They immediately hit me with the sensation i get when i see an Edward Hopper. The were representational but the content is what struck me. One painting had a child playing bumper bowling with noone in sight. just a weird snapshot of a solitary figure. But it was the nondescript nature of the room or rather the alley that the action was taking place in.
There was another painting of a Christmas tree with the presents at toe. This is that moment before the disaster occurs when everyone rushes to their gifts as children. It is a frozen moment of the impartialness to manifest its profussion to the balcony of our final jump. It was also painted in muted colors as the precursoral painting style was in. The paintings capture a warmth and nostalgic feeling of youth and the awkwardness of it.
When i had asked Jen when she had started to paint she said not until recent years (appx. 3yrs) but she has been drawing since she has been able to hold a pencil. That maybe the greater of her strengths. I had not seen any drawings in her studio but i recal in the previous year we had been in a drawing class together and i remember admiring her work she made during that duration.
as far as her technical prowess with painting she seems pretty straight forward. she told me of the medium she had used ad i had made a few recommendations i could make for other mediums she might like to try.
The conversation digressed into film and she told me she was fond of japanese anime (i.e. Miyazaki for the most part was the conversation).We spoke briefly of music and then we reached a point where we realized the interview was exhausted for that moment so we parted ways.