Art MoCo: November 2007 Archives

"Rise Up"
Posted by sabine7

Mixed Media | Nov 30, 2007

Hillevi Baar does beautiful illustrations on Mylar, but also uses this base for some of her sculptural cutting, which is sometimes incorporated into a mix of inks and graphite. The details on these pieces are exquisite; seemingly disparate elements combine to form a composition that borders on the surreal if it doesn’t plunge right in. The white space that surrounds the illustrations or the cut-out work is equally effective, helping the viewer to focus on what is there, as well as what is not.

Artist: Hillevi Baar
+ dbermangallery.com

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"Liquidated Logos"
Posted by sabine7

Exhibition | Nov 29, 2007

Zevs, a well-known French street artist, started tagging Paris in the nineties and making certain spray can modifications to billboards. Liquidated Logos is the name of a current exhibition (but today is the last day!) at the Lazarides Gallery in London of his work with famous logos, plexiglass boards and his trademark paint. The logos drip paint, appearing to dissolve away, but we all know that this is but an illusion. Odd how something that looks so simple can say so much.

Artist: Zevs
+ lazinc.com

"Landschaft #158"
Posted by sabine7

Painting | Nov 28, 2007

Originally from Uzbekistan, Stas Volovik now lives and works in Germany. Volovik’s paintings are very calm and understated compositions of geometric shapes that have been carefully placed in just the right spot. There are many differences, of course, between the paintings, yet there is also an obvious cohesion. Their personalities are subtly different, or different in a minor key, and this is why they keep our attention. Most of the colors are pale, but a studied use of black in small doses, or red here and there, especially in stripes, keep Volovik’s work from being too shy.

Artist: Stas Volovik
+ stas-volovik.com

"Shibboleth"
Posted by sabine7

Space | Nov 27, 2007

Shibboleth by Doris Salcedo is a chasm in the floor of the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. The word refers to a custom or linguistic identifier that serves as a litmus test for belonging to a group; if you do not know the custom or cannot say the word, then you are obviously not part of the group. The installation is about the dangers encountered when crossing borders and when people find themselves in situations of racial hatred. It represents a deep division and the immigrant who is never welcome. This piece is meant to be intrusive and to serve as a reminder of disruption rather than an attack. When the show ends, the piece will be filled in, but a scar will remain. There is a short video on the website where Salcedo, who is extremely well-spoken, describes her work. (And note comment that follows …)

Artist: Doris Salcedo
+ tate.org.uk

"Stump Girl, Conifer Girl, Bush Girl"
Posted by sabine7

Sculpture | Nov 26, 2007

Laura Ford’s trio of bronze wood nymphs wears shiny red Mary Janes and certainly does not fit into the traditional sprite mould. Ford was propelled by the idea of incorporating sculpture into landscape and ended up doing the opposite as well when she created Stump Girl, a tree stump with little girl legs. Conifer Girl and Bush Girl joined her, and this little clique sparks a range of reaction. Are they really trees, or elements of nature? Are they watching us wreak havoc? Are they girls hiding? If so, why? Are they funny? Creepy? Is there subversion at play? What kind? Amazing what a set of gams and a nice pair of shoes can provoke. (And the plain truth is, no questions asked: this trio is one of my favorite pieces of public art ever.)

Artist: Laura Ford
+ sculpture.org.uk

An Eye For Color
Posted by sabine7

Books | Nov 25, 2007

An Eye for Color by Olga Gutierrez De La Roza is a good-looking guide to colour combinations. The intent is to guide readers towards developing colour sense, based on a system of creating patterns devised by the author. She divides the book by colour, taking a chapter for each one and starting with the work of a painter or designer and breaking it down into the palette used (she uses RGB and CMYK). Next, it is up to the reader to create a file of swatches based on these, in order to create an inspiration reference. Or simply refer to the variety of groupings in the book. It is an enjoyable and handy tool, with little text, so is fairly uncomplicated. The kind of nicely-designed book that makes you want to start more projects …

Hardcover, 272 pages. Collins Design 2007. $23.10 at Amazon.

+ An Eye for Color at Amazon

Art MoCo Meta
Posted by sabine7

Meta | Nov 24, 2007

Discover quiet watercolours by Ng. B. Singha at Chatterjee and Lal, but don’t be deceived by the tone. Masked creatures cavort with flora and fauna in an effort to figure out a plan. Via Design Flute.

Ever see a fish taco in plush before? No, I didn’t think so. Along with Pirate Veg and Fermented Fish, there are many varieties of plush food on show at Munky King. Via Core77.

"Watermill Center Benefit Gala 2007 (Teacup Pug)"
Posted by sabine7

Photography | Nov 23, 2007

Jessica Craig-Martin’s photographs are large, glossy shots of the action at society dos, galas and benefits. Craig-Martin doesn’t feed us up the paparazzi standards of close-ups or designer frontals, preferring instead to zoom in on the accessories and details that sum up the whole story. The proverbial thousand words are more than adequately covered by the pug that wears a teacup, the footwear of realtors, the expectant pink satin roses or the remaining cocktail wiener. Biting commentary without saying a word.

Artist: Jessica Craig-Martin
+ gvdgallery.com

Exhibition | Nov 22, 2007

©Murakami is a major retrospective at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in LA that covers over 90 works from the early 90s to the present in a variety of media by Takashi Murakami. Paintings, sculptures, films and installation are all part of the show, which continues through February 11, and includes a Louis Vuitton boutique that highlights the artist’s work for the brand. Murakami’s first film, kaikai & kiki, will be shown in instalments as the retrospective travels to different venues.

Artist: Takashi Murakami
+ moca.org

"Now How Will We Get Around?"
Posted by sabine7

Sculpture | Nov 21, 2007

Jon Pylypchuk’s sculptures are evocative of soft toys that have come to grief, but are creations put together out of an array of scrap material. These pathetic animals reflect the hopelessness of the human condition and the emotions we would prefer to avoid. Emotional frailty is worn as physical weakness, as a bird and a sort of cat sit together wondering how one leg each will serve them. Some other creatures are caught in a situation only made worse by the presence of too many snakes, while a couple of sock-wearing misfits stand around without even a title.

Artist: Jon Pylypchuk
+ saatchi-gallery.co.uk

"Sky"
Posted by sabine7

Installation | Nov 20, 2007

Spencer Finch works with a variety of media in order to depict certain light conditions at different times of day, in different places. The helium balloons shown above are actually violet balloons inside cobalt ones to match the blue of the sky over Coney Island in November 2004, in the early afternoon. The oval fresco that follows is an interpretation of the ceiling over Freud’s couch in Vienna, as seen in the morning. A series of multicoloured fluorescent lights is the representation of sunset over South Texas in June of 2003. Can we prove that the colours and light come even close? No, but we can appreciate the efforts, the concept and the tangible results.

Artist: Spencer Finch
+ spencerfinch.com