Saturday, November 15, 2008

A Quick Chelsea Art Gallery Stroll...

ARTmostfierce just finished a very quick but, efficient gallery stroll in Chelsea. Only 4 major galleries and let me tell you the work is very strong, quite large in size and in star magnitude. Lets not even ignore the artwork price tags. The question is...Who is buying it?
Folks, you need a lot of serious mula $$$$ to adquire one of these works of art...ok! 

Only extremely established artists (Art World Stars***) dominate this main galleries in solo shows.

Eric Fischl
Ten Breaths: Damage (1/3)
57" by 93" by 124"
bronze
2007-2008








Eric Fischl
Ten Breaths: Congress of Wits (1/3)
87" by 122" by 168"
bronze
2007-2008

Number ONE

Artist Eric Fischl At Mary Boone Gallery.Fischl imbues his figurative sculpture with the same awareness of human form
and frailness, interaction and internal conflict that is characteristic of his painting.This show is quite moving, mind blowing gorgeous and WOW. It is beyond words. Please go and see this show. It is a must see!
This new body of work – first exhibited last Winter at the Kestnergesellschaft
in Hannover, Germany – includes three life-size figural groups and two
diametric single figures, one cast in bronze and the other in glass.
The largest figural group, “Ten Breaths: Congress of Wits”, is based on photographs
taken by Fischl of a Brazilian dance troupe. The exuberance conveyed
by these five dancers is countered by the palpable physical and emotional
weight of the figures in “Ten Breaths: Damage” and “Ten Breaths: Samaritan”.
“Ten Breaths: Tumbling Woman”, a variation on the bronze sculpture Fischl
created in response to 11 September 2001, is here given new context in the
presence of another solitary figure – the striking translucent “Ten Breaths:
Falling Angel” mounted high above the floor of the Gallery.
will run through 20 December 2008.




Michelangelo Pistoletto Senza titolo (Untitled) 2008 Silkscreen print on mirror-polished stainless steel
98 3/8 x 49 1/4 inches (250 x 125 cm






Number TWO


At Luhring Augustine, MICHELANGELO PISTOLETTO in his solo show has rather quite large images painted on mirror surfaces. You can have one for only $250,000.00 USD ...can you believe it in this economy? The images are pretty cool and represent today's themes.This marks the artist's first major solo exhibition in 10 years in New York and is his first with the gallery. Pistoletto is one of Arte Povera's most significant protagonists. His iconic mirror paintings and installations that have earned him rapid and lasting international recognition, represent the artist's dual interest inconceptualism and figurative representation.The largest image is only $1, 250.000.00 ...that's all!

MICHELANGELO PISTOLETTO
NOV 15 - DEC 20, 2008




Andreas Gursky
Hamm Bergwerg Ost,2008
C-print mounted on Plexiglass in Artist frame
120 7/8 x 88 inches





















Andreas Gursky
Coccon I
2007
C-Print mouted on Plexiglass in Artist frame
83 3/8 x 199 3/ 8 inches









Andreas Gursky
Untititled XVI
2008 C-Print Mounted on Plexiglass on Artist frame
93 1/2 x 199 1/4 Inches


Number Three

Andreas Gursky- Mathew Marks Gallery

Ok ...do you want to talk about big photographs?..here is the true winner!

This show in particular was not my favorite of Andreas Gursky, but It was interesting and revealing to see a self portrait of the artist himself and his son. Another extremely high price tag show $$$$

Gursky has long been interested in electronic music and for more than a decade his photographs of raves and concerts have made up an important part of his work. For his newest pictures, Gursky has photographed The Cocoon Club in Frankfurt, a famous German nightclub designed by his friend, the DJ Sven Väth. The club resembles a futuristic hive and two of the photographs on view depict nearly 1,000 people dancing. Two other photographs show the club emptied of its clientele, highlighting the unusual architecture. In one, the artist appears for the first time in a self-portrait with his son.

A photograph made in a coal mine near Gursky’s home in Düsseldorf, called “Hamm, Bergwerk Ost”, will also be on view. The photograph shows a locker room ceiling and the innovative way in which the miners store their clothes. Founded in 1873, the mine extends to a depth of 1,500 meters and employs 2,500. Earlier this year it was announced that the mine will be shut in 2010 as part of a government plan to close all coal facilities by 2018 because it has become cheaper to acquire coal from abroad.

That coal mine photograph is the best one of the show in my opinion.

Andreas Gursky will be on view at Matthew Marks Gallery, 523 West 24th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues) and 526 West 22nd Street, through Wednesday, December 24th, 2008. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.








Cindy Sherman
Untitled, 2008
color photograph
90-1/2 x 63-1/2 inches (frame)
227.3 x 158.8 cm
Edition of 6
(MP# 470)









Cindy Sherman
Untitled, 2008
color photograph
101-7/8 x 69-1/4 inches (frame)
254.3 x 174.6 cm
Edition of 6
(MP# 466)

























Cindy Sherman
Untitled, 2008
color photograph
96.25 x 65.25 inches (frame)
244.5 x 165.7 cm
Edition of 6
(MP# 474)




















Number Four

Cindy Sherman at Metro Pictures- Just Fabulous and hilarious!
For her first exhibition of new work since 2004, Cindy Sherman will show a series of color photographs that continues her investigation into distorted ideas of beauty, self-image and aging. Typical of Sherman, these works are at once alarming and amusing, distasteful and poignant.

Working as her own model for more than 30 years, Sherman has developed an extraordinary relationship with her camera. A remarkable performer, subtle distortions of her face and body are captured on camera and leave the artist unrecognizable to the audience. Her ability to drastically manipulate her age or weight, or coax the most delicate expressions from her face, is uncanny. Each image is overloaded with detail, every nuance caught by the artist's eye. No prosthetic nose or breast, fake fingernail, sequin, wrinkle or bulge goes unnoticed by Sherman.

Sherman shoots alone in her studio acting as author, director, actor, make-up artist, hairstylist and wardrobe mistress. Each character is shot in front of a "green screen" then digitally inserted onto backgrounds shot separately. Adding to the complexity, Sherman leaves details slightly askew at each point in the process, undermining the narrative and forcing the viewer to confront the staged aspect of the work.

Sherman's work has been widely collected and exhibited by major museums throughout the world since 1980 and is the subject of numerous monographs.

This is the type of show that justifies large format photographs. I recommend that every new and aspiring photographer interested in portraiture check this show out and learn from a true master!
Photographs are way over the $200,000.00 mark so, that will cover the gallery's rent for a few months to come.I personally think that they are brilliant!


Now after  a day of seeing so much sustained art fabulousness , I am heading over Printed Matter for the Rita Ackermann book signing.

Printed Matter is selling her new book and some records with 2 prints of Ackermann included for only $20.00 . I am getting my prints , book and records  signed by her ...Viola!
Ciao for now!

1 comment:

Mike @ MAO said...

HA..
I totally agree.

The Gursky's were terrible!!! His weakest work to date. They had one at Art Chicago.. the digital work on these new images was way too obvious.

These prices are going to come down.. even for the Sherman work.. which is amazing.