Friday, March 16, 2012


It’s Smart to Art!

Last week there was an array of art openings and art fairs in NYC. It’s such a great time to attempt to see everything. I say attempt, because there are not enough hours in the day (or space in the mind) to see it all. There’s the Whitney Biennial, the ADAA Art Fair, The Armory Show (which has gotten so big these days that it must contain every piece of art on the planet), VIP, Scope, PooL, Volta and Fountain Art Fairs. There’s also the off the beaten path fairs like The Art Boat, The Outsider Art Chair and The Art Kiosk. OK, I made those up, but the Fountain Art Fair did start out on a boat. 

I love viewing art. I do like how art can transport you temporarily to another place. Sometimes the other place is a world I don’t understand, but I like traveling there none-the-less. I like that looking at art can open up a dialogue for discussion. Whether you think the work you are viewing is beautiful, worthy of ownership (even as a fantasy), or just a piece of shite, it’s good to keep the cognitive brain cells active. Remember, it is just an opinion, unless it is your art.  

A few years ago, I was the curator of an exhibition that I titled Beauty Nothing More than the Promise of Happiness. The quote is from On Love by the 19th century French writer Stendhal. The book is a bit pithy, but I find in that sentiment a deceptively simple description of the art viewer’s potential reward. I hope you can find the time to look at some art and find some enchantment or happiness. 


 From The Whitney Biennial 2012:
One of the fantastic paintings by French artist Nicole Eisenman.
Another painting by Nicole Eisenman ( Leo Koenig, Inc.)
'From The Canyons to the Stars' by Joanna Malinowska (Saatchi Gallery).
 A live performance by the artist Dawn Kasper.
Erika Belle and Brian Batista at The Whitney Biennial preview.
From Rammellzee-The Equation,The Letter Racers:
Part of the installation by Rammellzee at the Suzanne Geiss Company.
 A painting by the late artist, actor and musician Rammellzee.
From The Fountain Art Fair:
I really wanted to buy this drawing, but alas...sigh.
One of the many small paintings by Brian Leo.
The "imploding biomorphic imagery" of Margaret Withers.