Inadvertent Galleries and Almost-Art

A binary ode to minimalism at...is it Jeff Wilkinson architecture?

Roberta Smith reflects on the moments of "almost art" that she encounters throughout NYC in her NY Times piece on "inadvertent galleries."  It's a nice piece on looking and seeing.
It's a piece that I think draws out some of the more poignant aspects of the Windows on Main St. exhibit - and many other psuedo-public art projects.  It's generally not what exists in the project or the "art", but usually what happens outside of it - and most likely what happens after it's gone that is most interesting.
Having one's very act of seeing gently tweaked opens up the possibility of seeing things around us in another way.  A new way.  I think that changed state - reached through the exercise of looking at art -  is at the heart of Roberta's piece.  And it stands at the core of what I think is the greatest power and potential of the WOMS exhibit (even if particular works of art aren't particularly good).
In his essay in the catalogued selection of works from the NY Public Art Fund (Plop: Recent Projects of the Public Art Fund), Tom Eccles offers up an analogy (which I am paraphrasing) that if an artwork in a gallery or a museum is akin to that which you might hang in a place of prominence, over the mantel or a sofa in the living room, a work of public art is more like that painting or photo on the wall at the back of the hall near your bedroom.  That work in the hall neither demands or commands your full attention like the one over the mantel;  your relationship with it is far more informal, yet perhaps more consistent, and it's likely that this is the work that exerts the most influence on how you see through the day.

Of course, I'm a geek in regards to this notion.  I'm tripping out any number of times each day on what I see around me....and what I think I see around me.



The image at the top of the post and the one just below here are just two examples of superb "almost art" that Roberta writes about in her piece.

Even without the dude in the pink shirt, this window is an exemplary expression of a weird, native conceptualized environment.

My midnight waffle courtesy of Theresa and Liam Goodman

In respect to actual moments happening WITHIN the scope of a WOMS work, Liam and Theresa Goodman (Gooby) will be distributing free waffles* at Tas Kafe on Saturday, Aug 27 from 9a-12.  This is the second free waffle give away, and I must say the waffles are good.
I even penned my own testimonial quotes in honor of the waffles:


"These waffles are well worth waking up at 11pm for"
"This was the best waffle I've eaten all year.  It's also the only waffle I've eaten all year, but that should not diminish any of it's bestness."

Marc Chagall in the Hudson Valley

Marc Chagall walking with son David on Mohonk Rd in High Falls, NY.  photo by Charles Leirins

Tonight's episode of the Dead Hare Radio Hour focuses on that consummate Hudson River School painter, Marc Chagall.  Whaaa?, you might say.  but yes, it turns out that Marc Chagall lived in High Falls, NY with his companion, Virginia Haggard from 1946 through 1948. 

I interview Gary Ferdman and Rik Rydant, two fellows who have been digging deep into the details of Chagall's life in this Hudson Valley hamlet and the proliferation of work he created there.
The D&H Canal Museum will be hosting an exhibit on Chagall in High Falls from September 3 - Oct 30.
Tune in this afternoon to 91.3 WVKR in Poughkeepsie to learn all about the details of the exhibit and to hear the details of this moment in the artist's life.  An extended version of my Chagall in High Falls interview will be released in podcast version tomorrow.

Marc Chagall, Blue Violinist, 1947

WOMS walking tour on Dead Hare Radio Hour

Get ready to hit the Mean Streets err... Main Street in Beacon, NY.

Dakin Roy at Beacon Cycles.

Steve Rossi, Jennifer Mackiewicz, Matt Kinney and Angelika Rinnhofer joined me for a walking tour and review of the Windows on Main St  for this week's episode of the Dead Hare Radio Hour. 

Now in it's seventh year, Windows on Main St. is a store front window based exhibit of artist installations.  This year's exhibit, organized by Melissa Tatge and Hannah Anderson features the work of a whopping 40+ artists. 
In the podcast, Our intrepid group strolls and chats about the Western half of the exhibit (stay tuned for the second half very soon).

This is an impromptu, rough and ready recording this week.  I sought to not edit the recording....something foreign for those episodes I've been responsible for producing, so it's a little cringe inducing to hear so much of me...and to hear so much of me stuttering through my thoughts.  If you listeners might feel the same, by way of an apology, I added a bonus treat to you dear listener, to make up for the lapse of neutral objectivity, we have embedded a special drinking game in this Episode.  Here is the one and only rule:  Each and every time you hear me utter the word 'Context'  take a swig of your favorite cold syrup.  You'll be wasted in no time.

I expect to conduct a second-half walk through of the exhibit next week....if you're interested in joining us, drop me a line.
If I have get the time in the next couple of weeks, I'll post some of my thoughts on this year's installment.
Some images (some of them bad) of some of the things we saw on our walk.

Teresa Marra at Bank Sq Coffee House.

Cristin Hughes at Mountain Tops Outfitters

Cayla Lockwood at Paper Presence.

Nicole Ganas

a bad photo of the sculpture at Global Home.

Myra Kooy at RiverWinds Gallery.

Myra Kooy at RiverWinds Gallery.

Allison Braun at Play.

Amy C. Wilson at Dream in Plastic.

Lynn Isaacson & Shannon Kahan at the Cup & Saucer Tea Room.

Lily Zand at School of Jellyfish.

James Westwater at School of Jellyfish.

Christopher Albert at Artisan Wine Shop

Beth Haber at Beacon Institute.

Chris Sanders at Zora Dora.

Erica Hauser's 2008 WOMS installation still up at Zora Dora.

Eye Candy Friday: Over a billion served

In the event you, like me, were not one of those willing or able to stand in line for hours to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit Savage Beauty at the Met before it closed last week, you can at least get a wee peek via this video tour of the exhibit with curator Andrew Bolton.




I haven't been to the Met in months, and it the McQueen show was not on my priority list (although the Serra drawings exhibit was and is, as is the Franz Hals show) but I have it on good authority, by several folks whose opinion I trust, that it was a phenomenal exhibit.   What criticism there has been of the exhibit revolves around the lack of context behind McQueen's body of work and that the show itself amounts to exhibition payola, or showroom rental as McQueen's fashion house sponsorship of the exhibition apparently covered a good deal of the expenses.

Speaking of payola, The Met and MoMA both announced that their admission price is rising to $25.  Of course, the Met's admission is suggested, although they obviously hope that a vast majority of its visitors remain ignorant of this.  The Met's increase took effect on July 1 and MoMA's will be coming on Sept. 1.  

The current Dead Hare Hotline relates to these admission fee increases.  We'd like to know your thoughts on these developments.  Will it affect your museum going  habits?  Call the Dead Hare Hotline and leave a message: 480-442-7311

NADA Hudson revisited: Dead Hare Radio Hour Episode 20

 NADA Hudson on the outside.

This week, the Dead Hare Radio Hour visits NADA Hudson, billed as a non art fair/sculpture installation held in Hudson on July 30 and 31, 2011 at the Basilica Hudson.

Listen to the show here:

NADA Hudson on the inside.

Sarah Anderson Lock, artist and Executive Director of Rural Projects has joined Dead Hare Radio as a contributor.  She has already been a part of the show's 18th episode (a round table discussion of recent NYFA Mark Program alums) and the 19th episode in which she journeys to Manchester, England to speak with members of the Owl Project.

Matthew, Sarah and I start off the show with our impressions of what we saw.  Then we proceed to hear the sounds of NADA Hudson.  I conducted short interviews with the following folks:

Nadia from the private dealer Bipolart which featured the "carton marquetry" of Andy Barrett.

 Works by Andy Barrett at Bipolart.

The backside of this Andy Barrett work is equally pleasing to look at.

Marisa Newman from Newman Popiaschvili Gallery which was presenting intricately beaded AK-47's by Artemio.

 Works by Artemio at Newman Popiaschvili.

Artist Andy Meerow who, with Rose Marcus, curated Evil Freaks II, a selection of artist created "chairs".

A view of the Evil Freaks II presentation.  

Andy Meerow's piece is the white panel with black text on the left.

Reid Ramirez

Georgia G Gray

left: Simone Frazier, right: Rose Marcus

Benjamin Tischer of Invisible Exports and Invisible Exports' featured artist Philip Von Zweck who was creating on demand editioned photocopies of artwork by other artists through the run of the weekend.

Philip von Zweck's printing station.

We also fold the recent NY Times article "Williamsburg on the Hudson" by Peter Applebom into the conversation, which is particularly timely given NADA's foray into Hudson.
Blogger and former Beacon resident Phyllis Bobb reacts to the article on her blog reclaimedhome.com
Also, Leonard Nevarez (see DHRH Episode 6) responds to the article too.

 

Dana Gentile, Induced Seismicity.  Presented by Humble Arts Foundation.

 Above: the Carson Fisk-Vittori photocopy Philip von Zweck made for Chris, and below, a photocopy of a drawing by Deb Sokolow.

That creepy Three Men and a Rosie O'Donnell baby painting. Not sure of the identity of the artist.

Best bouncy house ever.

A selection of ceramic bat heads harboring surprises by Kahn & Selesnik.

A final view of the space...with Three Men and a Baby looking on.