More New York Shows

Ever wish you had a secretary? Having been one in years gone by, I sure wish I did so that I could lean back in my chair, put my feet on the desk and dictate this post to someone with a steno pad on her knee. Ah, those were the days! Must be the Mad Men influence.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. In Chelsea running over to Blank Space on West 25th Street to see Debra Ramsay's show, Desire Lines.

The title of Debra's show refers to a landscape architecture term for the paths that people take through a landscape regardless of which path they were meant to take. This heedless traffic results in visible pathways, usually the quickest routes between desired points, that circumvent intended control or restrictions. (Note that many of the images will expand if you click on them.)

Debra Ramsay, Week One, 2012, wax on panel, 6" square

In the same way, Debra's recent paintings at Blank Space are based on a predetermined system of mark making that retains control to a certain point but then allows accident and chance to take over. The works above and below are from the "Pouring Over Time" series. Here is Debra's program for these paintings as quoted from the show's press release:

"For the 'Pouring Over Time' series, Ramsay developed a methodology based on a fixed linear constant: time. Each panel is divided into six columns, representing the two-digit numerals of the month, day, and year of the painting's title. Those numbers determine the number of times a line of poured wax will start in that column, thereby encoding the date in the painting. The starting point of each poured line retains the hard edge determined by the original division. Ramsay allows the effect of gravity on the molten wax to direct the quality of the line, and this new line creates its own representation of the time of its making."

Debra Ramsay, Cruel Desire, 2012, wax on panel, 12" square

The beautiful, saturated color in these works really stood out as contrasted with the graphite and white palette of Debra's wax and eggshell works also in the show.

Debra Ramsay, Gratitude for Agnes Martin, 2012, wax on panel, 12" square

On the other hand, there were also lovely pale greys and taupes such as the soft palette of this work just above. This coloration was taken from Agnes Martin's painting, Gratitude, and the painting encodes the date of Martin's birth in pink, the date of her death in grey.

Here is the link to Debra's press release on the Blank Space site that describes the show in detail. Desire Lines is up until May 19th so there is still plenty of time to see it. Go, go!

Reed Danziger at McKenzie Fine Art

Right across the hall from Blank Space, McKenzie Fine Art had a great show of paintings by Reed Danziger. This work was as complex and layered as Debra's work was pared back and reduced to essentials. All three of us (if you recall it was Greg Wright, Binnie Birstein and me) just loved the work even though our own work ranges all over the map. 

Reed Danziger, Angles of a Particle, Phase E, 2012, 20" x 20", mixed media on paper mounted on wood

These works were painted with a delicacy and fineness of detail that compounds their expressive movement and dense accumulations of marks. There is such a lot to absorb in the masses of marks centered on the scumbled and stained backdrops, but they feel perfectly balanced and uncrowded. Here's what the artist said about them:

"In this latest group of paintings, I've continued to explore the shift towards greater abstraction through color and movement. The new work is more celestial, and the forms less clearly describe organic structures; rather they feel like the sum of entire universes. The particles that define these galaxies merge and shift, expanding and contracting, and each disruption reveals an ever increasing unpredictability. As the paintings progress, what is complex and what is simple becomes relative and continues to change with time. The tension I often feel when making the paintings is reflected in the cosmic chaos captured in each piece. As I continue to explore the folding and flexing of these abstract worlds, I allow myself to be more and more consumed by the random bursts of energy defined by the unique gravity of these paintings."

Reed Danziger, A Differential Coherence, 2012, 36" x 36," mixed media on paper mounted on wood

Reed Danziger, A Second Order Reaction, 2012, 36" x 36," mixed media on paper mounted on wood

This show is only up until April 28th so you have one more week to get there. Worth the trip!

Catherine Lee, Galerie Lelong

As we strolled down West 26th Street, we saw some interesting paintings when we looked into Galerie Lelong. These glowing, gridded works are painted with repetitive brushstrokes that are meant to mark the passage of time.

Catherine Lee, Chocolate Cadmium (Quanta #21), 2012, 54" x 54", oil on canvas

For example, in Chocolate Cadmium, the underpainting is a chocolate brown and the grid on the surface is cadmium red. However, you can see the color variation of each square in the grid that gives the work its feeling of being lit from behind. Each square is painted with a separate brushstroke, meaning that smaller grids are painted with smaller brushes and so on.

Catherine Lee, Like the Bright Sky All Fired Upon (Quanta #24), 2012, 30" x 30", oil on canvas

Here's a description of the work from the gallery's press release:

" The exhibition and series’ title, Quanta, takes its name from the physics term that refers to a discrete quantity of radiant energy. Each individual square on the canvas’s grid releases its own unit of light and color, resulting in an overall dynamism. In Tottenheads (2011), Prussian blue peeks out from under the foreground of supple squares of cadmium red, thrusting the red towards the viewer. Lee sees painting as a ritual act and each square on the canvas as binding a relationship between her and the individual painting. The titles are often drawn from the artist’s own poetry, adding another personal element to the work."

Catherine Lee, Act III, Scene IV (Quanta #31), 2012, 8" x 8", oil on canvas

The blue pieces were my favorite because they really were exceptionally glowing. When we asked the price for this 8" x 8" piece, however, we were astounded. I won't even mention how astronomical it was. I guess if you had to ask...

Lush Geometry at DM Contemporary

Finally, after a long slog to East 29th and Park, we arrived at DM Contemporary, our ultimate destination and true motivation for the New York trip, the opening of Lush Geometry featuring our guru,  mentor and friend, Joanne Mattera.

Lush Geometry is a show of work by five artists: Steven Baris, Richard Bottwin, Carole Freysz Gutierrez, Joanne Mattera and Louise P. Sloane. The standouts for me (and my pals) were Joanne and Steven. I have given the website links for each of the artists so you can see what their work is like, and I'll just include here three of Joanne's five Diamond Life paintings that were in the show. I'm sure that Joanne will be writing more about the show as a whole on her blog.

Joanne Mattera, Diamond Life 18, 2012, 22.5" x 22.5", encaustic on panel

This subtly-colored beauty includes unpigmented wax with a pale metallic so that the diamonds seem to appear and disappear depending how light strikes the piece. The bisecting horizontal lines seem to ground the verticality of the diamond-shaped panel and add a counterpoint to the grid of diamond shapes. Brushstrokes on the surface of the wax add physicality to the work and show the artist's touch on the sensuous and "lush" surface.

Joanne Mattera, Diamond Life 20, 2012, 22.5" x 22.5", encaustic on panel

Joanne Mattera, Diamond Life 21, 2012, 22.5" x 22.5", encaustic on panel

Here is Joanne's statement about the work:

"For the past year or so, I have been turning my square panels diagonally so that they become diamonds, a shape that both punches into the space around it and rests in perfect equipoise en pointe. Within that diamond field is a formal arrangement of attenuated diamonds bisected horizontally so that the surface appears almost faceted. In a largely monochromatic palette, light hits the diagonal grain so that structure and pattern are pronounced. For the paintings in Lush Geometry at DM Contemporary (http://www.dmcontemporary.com/exhibitions/lush-geometry/intro.html) I upped the ante with iridescence and the shimmer of metallic. The color, though mutable, is more luminous."

The End of a Perfect Day

We had a great time at the lively, crowded and very noisy opening at DM Contemporary and enjoyed seeing friends and meeting new people. We capped the evening with a great and inexpensive dinner at a Thai restaurant right down the street and had a fun ride back to Connecticut chatting, dishing and laughing all the way home.

Looking Quickly But Deeply

Yesterday was a treat for me when I emerged from working so hard in the studio to make a road trip with my friend Greg Wright for a couple of art visits. It's always worthwhile to come up for air and get enthused by looking at some great work.

Martin Kline, Romantic Nature
Our first stop was the Martin Kline Retrospective at the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Connecticut. I have seem images of Kline's work in Joanne Mattera's The Art of Encaustic Painting, but this was the first time I saw his work in person. Unfortunately, photography was not permitted so the images here are taken from Kline's website. However, it's impossible to appreciate the beauty and skill of his work unless you see it in person.

Martin Kline, Intimate Universe Revisited, 2010,  48" x 48" x 4", encaustic on panel

Kline's show, Romantic Nature, includes about 75 works, mostly paintings in encaustic. Many of the pieces are absolutely spectacular. There is one tall vertical piece at the entrance to the show painted in a metallic silver or aluminum that appears to be a waterfall of threads falling from the top of the painting and cascading down its length. Greg and I were absolutely in love with it. For artists who paint in encaustic, this show is a must see because we can appreciate the technical skill involved but also how Kline is able to employ that skill in creating truly beautiful works that speak to his fascination with the natural world.

Martin Kline, Eros, 2010, 48" x 48" x 4", encaustic on panel

We enjoyed seeing how Kline is not hung up on making precious works but lets drops and spots of paint stay where they landed surrounding the works and on the edges of panels. Greg and I were unsure that we could let such "blemishes" remain, but they do serve to let viewers into the process of painting -- a messy and often uncontrollable business no matter how much skill you have.

Also really great were Kline's sculptures cast from wax paintings. Even more than the cast parts, I loved the bases and supports that Kline left apparently just as they came from the casting process, with no smoothing of rough edges or manipulating into "art." This rawness contrasted with the skillful building up of was forms was very effective and I thought gave the works an African appearance -- and you know how much that appeals to me!

The museum was selling Kline's book Romantic Nature in the gift shop for $50 or in a special slipcase for $100. It's also available on Amazon for less. If you can't go to the show, you should at least get the book. We were also very pleased to see Joanne Mattera's book prominently displayed right next to Kline's.

The Missing Link
No, of course I'm not saying that Binnie is part of homo sapiens' evolutionary history; I'm just indicating that Greg and I had to link up with Binnie Birstein, our arting pal, before making the trek into New York City. Binnie has just moved to Old Greenwich, CT so that was our next stop, and then the three of us entrained.

A Pop-In to Chelsea
Our ultimate destination was the opening of "Lush Geometry" at DM Contemporary at 29th and Park Avenue, but we detoured first to Chelsea for a quick look at a couple of shows.

Studio shot of Lloyd Martin's Mettere paintings

Lloyd Martin at Stephen Haller Gallery
After trudging all those long Chelsea blocks over to 26th Street, we made it to Stephen Haller's to see Lloyd's show, Mettere (Italian for "put" or "place." Although none of us have ever met him, we felt we knew him somewhat because of his interview on Lynette Haggard's blog. (And by the way, Lynette was supposed to be the fourth member of our little art gang, but could'nt get off work.)

We enjoyed seeing Lloyd's work in person. These pieces seem to be much less about horizontal movement and more about smaller rectangular areas brought into the flow and appearing to move forward or backward in space.

Lloyd Martin, Large Mete, 2010, 84" x 42", oil & mixed media on canvas

Here are two pieces I liked particularly - Large Mete, above - and Shim Series (5) below.

Lloyd Martin, Shim Series (5), 24" x  24", oil & mixed media on canvas

To Be Continued
Uh-oh. I thought this would be a quick post with just a few mentions but instead it's turned into a book. I have to go watch one of my guilty pleasures (America's Next Top Model - which Bonnie is telling me I shouldn't admit to, but what the hey), so I'll continue to post some art highlights tomorrow.

Alexander McQueen and The Cone Sisters

Now there's an odd trio for you - two elderly Victorian ladies and a contemporary avant garde designer - but all three were actually quite ahead of their time.

Ever so long ago, in mid-July, this was the way we spent our Saturday in New York - visiting the McQueen show at the Metropolitan Museum and the Cone Sisters exhibition at the Jewish Museum. I have to hand it to myself for having the persistence to continue with posting about this trip because I've dragged it out so long. Nevertheless, I'm determined to finish. (click pix to enlarge)

Metropolitan Museum
We (Binnie Birstein, Greg Wright and I) started off the day with an early train to NYC from Connecticut. When the cab dropped us off in front of the Met, there was a long line waiting to get into the museum. We raced upstairs to the McQueen line as soon as we entered, but the crowd behind the ropes waiting to get in was already in the hundreds. Greg and I were dismayed (to put it politely) and would have given it up, but the Binster was determined.

Crowd waiting for entry to McQueen show (image from the internet)

She decided that she would wait in line while Greg and I looked at exhibits downstairs and she would call us when she reached the doorway. Although we didn't really agree, she was not to be moved, so Greg and I went about our business.

Greg with the Ancient Greek krater showing a painter applying encaustic to a statue
of Herakles

The first stop, but of course, was the krater of the encaustic painter that Greg had not seen in person before. He was so happy to be there. You can see that he is beaming.

Greg with the Fayumn portrait of the boy  Eutyches

In this photo, Greg seems to have turned into a Fayum portrait himself

Anyway, we happily visited several galleries in the antiquities wing for an hour or so while Binnie waited upstairs in line. Then we went to an information desk to ask where the exhibition of Richard Serra drawings was located. While we were standing there waiting, I noticed a sign that said if you joined the museum, you and all the members of your party could be admitted to the McQueen exhibit without waiting. I was incredulous and made sure that I was reading it correctly. Why hadn't we known about this before? Membership was $70 and Greg and I agreed to split the cost. We stood in another longish line to get a membership and with our temporary pass, we texted Binnie. She met us upstairs and we went into the exhibition with the membership pass.


Alexander McQueen, "Savage Beauty"
“You’ve got to know the rules to break them. That’s what I’m here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition.”  - Alexander McQueen

Was it worth the wait and the $70 is probably what you're wondering? Overall, I would say yes, it was. I am certainly no fashionista and Project Runway is the closest I come to being concerned with fashion, however, I do think that McQueen was an artist who was closer to a sculptor than a designer. His mastery of tailoring was superb, but more than that, his imaginative innovation in conception and use of materials was quite incredible. Following are some examples.

Dress made from shellacked razor clam shells he first found on a beach.

Dress made from medical slides stained to look like blood on top and
dyed ostrich feathers feathers on the bottom

Coiled corset made from aluminum 1999-2000

Dress of woven leather, neckpiece of pheasant feathers with resin vulture skulls

Leather shaped corset with horsehair skirt

Spine corset made of cast silver

Here is an 8-minute video narrated by Andrew Bolton of The Costume Institute, curator of the exhibition. This will show you the exhibition gallery by gallery. (For more photos of each gallery and info on the designs, here's the link to the Met's blog on the exhibition.)




Seeing the exhibition was not a great experience in that it was so crowded that it was hard to get close to the pieces and see the detail. It was also much darker than in the video and I found the soundtrack annoying. But despite all that, I am glad I saw it. I had no idea of who he was or what he had accomplished in his short, rather sad life.

Isabella Blow with Alexander McQueen early in the fashion game

One blog (which apparently is stronger on fashion than punctuation) gives his story as follows: "Son of a taxi cab driver he dropped out of school at age 16 and went to work on Savile Row as a cutter and tailor at : Anderson & Sheppar, Gieves & Hakes and then Romeo Gigli. McQueen finished his education and graduated in 1994 with a Master’s degree in fashion design from London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Isabella Blow legendary fashion guru discovered Alexander and purchased his entire graduating collection, which helped him make industry connections."

By 2006, he had markedly changed his appearance and was dressing and
hobnobbing with fashion icon Sarah Jessica at a Met gala

When I saw the shoes and hair from his spring 2010 collection (image below), I couldn't believe it and actually wrote a blog post about how horrifying I found it. However, seeing everything in context makes me understand it better, even though I still think those shoes are pretty devastating.

Spring 2010 collection on the runway. The lobster claw shoes horrified me.

Greg and I went through the exhibition together and looked pretty closely at things. We noticed that the first dress in the shot above was called the "bee dress" and I found an image of it by itself (this gallery was about the influence of Nature on McQueen).

The gold-colored hexagons on the hips are separate paillettes 

Alexander McQueen committed suicide at age 40 on February 11, 2010, shortly after the death of his mother. R.I. P.

Read the NY Times story about the final few hours of the show here.

“Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment, I wasn’t born to give you a twin set and pearls.” - Alexander McQueen

Claribel, the eldest and one of the first female doctors, and Etta Cone

The Cone Sisters at the Jewish Museum: Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters

After a visit to the sculpture show on the Met's roof (underwhelming), a brief rest and then an incredibly expensive but tiny lunch in the Met's restaurant, we hiked it up to the Jewish Museum to see an exhibition about the Cone sisters' collection.

Etta bought the first five paintings in 1898 to decorate their apartment, but after the sisters met Gertrude and Leo Stein, they discovered Matisse in Paris in 1905, began collecting his work, and eventually owned 500 of his works, making theirs the largest and most comprehensive collection of Matisse's works in the world. On their death, the collection was donated to the Baltimore Museum and that museum has put together the loan of 50 pieces for the show at the Jewish Museum.

Matisse: Interior, Flowers and Parakeets, 1924, part of the Cone collection

Matisse: Large Reclining Nude, 1935

The Cones also collected about 100 works by Picasso and had extensive collections of lace, textiles and jewelry. This was another very crowded exhibition and it was difficult to see the works. The most interesting part to me was not the paintings but the jewelry and the handwritten letters between the sisters and with Matisse and Picasso. There was also a short film about the sisters, their relationship with Matisse and their collection. This show runs until September 25th so there is still time to see it. Here's another good link.

The Cone sisters' apartment showing their extensive collection of art

Maira Kalman
After looking around the rather compact Cone exhibition and seeing the film, we went upstairs to an exhibition of works by Maira Kalman. I like her witty drawings and ironic commentary but I have to say that I was about done in by the time I got there.

Maira and Pete by Maira Kalman

Maira has done many covers for The New Yorker and writes a blog for the magazine

Viewing her work and the collection of objects she put together required some intimate looking, ironic interpretation and a lot more attention than I was capable of giving, so I'm afraid I really couldn't do it justice, but if you are a fan of Maira's, you probably would have loved it because there are many small works to look at. Unfortunately, it ended July 31st.

And so, dragging ourselves slowly and reluctantly in the heat, we made our way to a coffee shop where Greg and I told Binnie we wanted to cut our plans short and go home to Connecticut. We are just not the troopers that the Binster is, and that's all there is to it. Luckily, we revived enough after the train ride to have dinner in Binnie's favorite Chinese restaurant before we called it a day.