The Art of Abandoned Boxes

Nick Cave “Hiding in Plain Sight” at the Austin...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:40:31 -0500

Nick Cave “Hiding in Plain Sight” at the Austin Museum of Art - Arthouse: When entering the downtown Jones Center location of the AMOA-Arthouse, the Austin Museum of Art’s contemporary counterpart, the visitor is bombarded with two large figures. One seems to be a blobby button person, while the other is a twig man, both with intricately embroidered socks poking out from the bottom as if to assert “Yes! This is a figure!” Upon turning the corner, more of these textile monsters appear, one made of rugs from grandma’s house, with another woven out of pipe cleaners and other children’s craft items. These are what artist Nick Cave calls “Soundsuits,” assemblage sculptures made of found objects, referencing Southeast Asian embroidery, queer and drag culture, African ceremonial costumes as well as Mardi Gras. Cave’s Soundsuits are eerily beautiful, creating a whimsical world in which you wish the creatures would come to life. An avant-garde fashion designer of sorts, “Hiding in Plain Sight” addresses our relationship with the materials around us every day, celebrating the dynamic nature that these textiles and objects possess.

Hiding in Plain Sight is on view at AMOA-Arthouse Jones Center in downtown Austin, TX until February 24th.

In her exhibition Crowd Control in Pitzer College’s Lezner...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:40:04 -0500

In her exhibition Crowd Control in Pitzer College’s Lezner Family Gallery, Tannaz Farsi confronts ideas of cultural, national, and personal values in a show of all new sculptural works. Originally from Iran, Farsi’s work uses highly symbolic forms such as flags and security barriers to convey her intended narrative. A show of all new works, the five pieces in Crowd Control divide the space into somewhat awkward sections, creating a confrontation between the forms and the viewer within the gallery space. Working together to complete this narrative, it is interesting to note that no one piece is individually named. The exhibition, rather, carries an overarching title as a whole, leading to Farsi’s intention of creating a “sentence structure” for these compiled works
Taking this disruption into account, the exposed wires in the crowd control barrier piece, which at first seem like a sloppy installation afterthought, influence this feeling of anxiety provoked through the objects around us. The grounded, monochrome flag leaning from the floor to the ceiling remind the viewer of a symbolic object that holds great significance in all cultures, however shifts the power position of this object to a horizontal, and therefore less authoritative plane. And while Farsi seems to have meant for the harsh black line running its way around the gallery at about eye level to divide the stark white walls into two parts, it rather seems to provide the viewer with a clearly defined path from which to guide their eyes around the space.
However, in comparison to the rigid lines of the rest of the works in the space, the rounded You Are Invisible sign piece seems out of place, and almost unnecessary to complete the exhibition’s intended narrative. The appropriated text in much of Farsi’s work seems arbitrary and inevitably non-essential to the overall meaning or message of the work. Rather than guiding the viewer toward the artist’s intended meaning, the text bombards the viewer with unnecessary and often misleading information, and would arguably be stronger without it.

Ann Hamilton “The Event of a Thread” at the Park Avenue...

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:42:00 -0500

Ann Hamilton “The Event of a Thread” at the Park Avenue Armory: You enter an enormous room with ample open floor space and vaulted ceilings akin to a gymnasium. Large wooden swings hang from rafters, with spotlights highlighting the floor beneath them. Each swing is built into a network of pullies, levers and strings, all attached to a massive sheet of dreamy silk-like fabric suspended from the middle of the room. There are tables on either end of the room with caged pigeons and cloaked people reading off of a scroll into a microphone, paper bags with speakers inside of them strewn around the floor, and record players watching from the stadium seating above the ground floor. None of these tables, pigeons, speakers or cloaks matter though, because you are having too much fun swinging. As you swing, you manipulate the fabric, allowing the visitor to be a viewer and artist all at once. Although the “story” and scripted performative aspects of Ann Hamilton’s “The Event of a Thread” are elusive and confusing, the participatory nature of the piece truly brings joy and a lighthearted feeling of weightlessness and control to all those who visit it. A beautiful and simple concept, Hamilton’s constructed environment is nothing short of brilliant.

The Event of a Thread was on view at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City from December 5th to January 6th.

Video taken while lying underneath the fabric wall at Ann...

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:42:00 -0500

Video taken while lying underneath the fabric wall at Ann Hamilton’s “The Event of a Thread” at the Park Avenue Armory.

The Aura of the Art Memento from Hyperallergic

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:51:00 -0500

The Aura of the Art Memento from Hyperallergic

Regarding Warhol at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Featuring...

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 22:29:00 -0500

Regarding Warhol at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Featuring sixty artists influenced by Andy Warhol over the past fifty years, this exhibit at the Met is an amazing display of both the transition from modern into contemporary over the past fifty years as well as of Warhol’s own expansive body of work. With paintings, prints, movies and more by Warhol, side by side with sculptures, photographs, and installations by Ai Weiwei, Felix Gonzales-Torrez, and Cindy Sherman among dozens of others, this is a show you don’t want to miss!

pictured (top to bottom):

Andy Warhol - Flowers, 1964. Acrylic and silkscreen on canvas.

Jeff Koons - Puppies, 1988. Glazed ceramic.

Ai Weiwei - Neolithic Vase with Coca-Cola Logo, 2010. Paint on Neolithic vase (5000-3000 B.C.)

Andy Warhol - Green Coca-Cola Bottles, 1962. Silkscreen, acrylic, and graphite on canvas.

Andy Warhol - Cow Wallpaper (Pink on Yellow), 1966. Silkscreen on wallpaper.

Andy Warhol - Silver Clouds, 1966-2012. Silver balloons and helium.

Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years closes tomorrow (New Years Eve)!

arExit Art - Alternative Histories: In the summer of 2010 I had...

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 14:30:00 -0500

arExit Art - Alternative Histories: In the summer of 2010 I had the opportunity to work as a curatorial intern at Exit Art, a cornerstone of New York City alternative art spaces that unfortunately closed its doors in 2012 after an amazing thirty year run. In the fall of 2010, the exhibition “Alternative Histories” was mounted, chronicling over 120 alternative art spaces in the five boroughs of New York City from the 1960s until now. That summer I conducted interviews alongside the curatorial team with founders of alternative art spaces, scoured the archives at NYU for photos, posters, and other printed memorabilia from these spaces, as well as conducting background research on the spaces for wall and book texts. The show was recently turned into a book (pictured here) which I greatly advise you all buy, worship, and frame the page with my name on it.

A Family Menagerie Lauren Cronk Slip-cast and glazed stoneware,...

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:16:00 -0500

A Family Menagerie

Lauren Cronk

Slip-cast and glazed stoneware, stained oak

2012

How do we measure the passage of time? Are we solely defined by the time we live individually, or are we built from those who came before us? A passage of time, a pang of nostalgia, a passing down of memories. As ones we love pass on, those left behind take on their possessions. We keep them, and even as the details melt away, these objects remain precious and comforting. Delicately arranged, untouchable but familiar, as reminders of those who inform who we are.

Meta-Monumental Bake Sale at the Museum of Contemporary Art: For...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:56:00 -0500

Meta-Monumental Bake Sale at the Museum of Contemporary Art: For her first solo exhibition at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles–based artist Lauren Cronk presents her work Meta-Monumental Bake Sale, a large-scale version of the classic American bake sale, in which Museum visitors can browse and buy baked goods organized, displayed, and sold by the artist. The installation fills MoCA’s front sidewalk with delicious baked goods made by the artist, and Pitzer College faculty and students, creating a lively space for exchange between Cronk and her customers as they haggle over prices. If customers agree, they may be photographed with their purchases.

(text appropriated and edited from Martha Rosler’s exhibition at MoMA)

Martha Rosler’s Meta-Monumental Garage Sale at the Museum...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:53:29 -0500

Martha Rosler’s Meta-Monumental Garage Sale at the Museum of Modern Art: From November 17th-30th, MoMA’s second floor Atrium, a space that has seen dynamic performance and installation works from artists such as Marina Abromavic and Pipplotti Rist, was turned into a garage sale by New York based artist Martha Rosler. Museum visitors were invited to shop, bargain, and buy second hand items donated by the artist, museum employees, and the public in a ritual that Rosler has been carrying on since the 70s. Forming a commentary on the nature of ownership, Rosler’s “Meta-Monumental Garage Sale” functions as a series of portraits, depicting those who gave these objects, and creating a new image of those buying them. I myself bought an apron (originally priced at $5, I bargained and got it for $4) and was in turn inspired to mimic Rosler for a piece of my own… stay tuned for photos of my “Meta-Monumental Bake Sale”!

Levitated Mass at LACMA: Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass,...

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:13:36 -0400

Levitated Mass at LACMA: Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass, a massive boulder moved from the desert of San Bernadino to be permanently installed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, was frankly kind of a disappointment. While lying underneath the sculpture, sandwiched between the rock face and the cool concrete its shade provides, is a soothing escape from the hectic city surroundings, however looking at the piece from any other vantage point is simply unimpressive. The “levitated” mass is clearly supported by aesthetically non-pleasing welded metal trusses, with which the rock was not accurately enough cut to fleshly fit against. The concrete gulley the work sits upon is too reminiscent of a street gutter, not offering the sweet escape from the surrounding urban sprawl that I was expecting. After months of hype and a publicized parade of sorts to bring the rock from its inland home to the museum, I’m sad that all this work made me want is to see Double Negative in real life instead.

Take a Walk- Walk in any one direction for 30 minutes, stopping...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 07:53:32 -0400

10 minutes

20 minutes

30 minutes

final

Take a Walk- Walk in any one direction for 30 minutes, stopping every 10 minutes to construct something with the things you find around you. Document it. As you go, choose some of the things you find and take them with you. Construct a fourth thing with the items you take with you. Document it.

I decided to complete this recent assignment from my senior art seminar by taking a walk on the wilderness trail near my house. Needless to say, I thought I hit the jackpot when I ran across the Pineapple Express container.

Here, Piggy Piggy - A piggy bank is placed in the middle of the...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 02:38:21 -0400

Here, Piggy Piggy - A piggy bank is placed in the middle of the sidewalk. A hammer lies beside it. What do you do? Here’s what happened on September 25, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

These lovely piggies were slip cast and painted by yours truly, with videography and editing by Chris Sibley.

“art” at Malibu Stage Company - A play about...

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:49:00 -0400

“art” at Malibu Stage Company - A play about contemporary painting and the chaos that surrounds appreciating it, “art” explores the worth of both art and of friendships. After a man buys a “not white” painting by the fictional artist Mikhail Antrios for $200,000, his friends begin to question his sanity, as well as their relationships with each other. Comical and thought provoking, “art” provides the audience with a moment to do what you’ve always wanted to do in a gallery but were too afraid to do — laugh.

“art” is running until October 14 at the Malibu Stage Company.

Downtown LA Art Walk: Now that I’m finally back in...

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 14:00:26 -0400

Downtown LA Art Walk: Now that I’m finally back in Southern California fresh from an eventful road trip, I’m ready for the start of both my senior year of college and a new internship! This fall I’ll be working at Downtown Art Walk, a non-profit that organizes an art walk in downtown LA every second Thursday of the month. Drawing gallerists, art collectors, and art students as well as the general public, the Los Angeles Downtown Art Walk is one of the largest in the world. With the first art walk coming up on September 13th I’m eager to start visiting galleries and seeing what the art world of LA has to offer.

Mr Winkle: Object of Projection: Also on show at the Utah MOCA...

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:19:00 -0400

Mr Winkle: Object of Projection: Also on show at the Utah MOCA was perhaps the most adorable contemporary photo exhibition I have ever seen. After rescuing Mr. Winkle from the side of a highway, photographer Lara Jo Regan took the canine on as her muse. The photos in this exhibition critique classical forms of portraiture all via the face of Mr. Winkle. Exploring “the nature of cuteness itself,” Mr Winkle: Object of Projection is on view until October 20th.

Excerpt from Ignacio Uriarte’s The History of the...

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 01:09:00 -0400

Excerpt from Ignacio Uriarte’s The History of the Typewriter Recited by Michael Winslow.

Cantastoria at Utah MOCA: While on a road trip out west to...

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:31:00 -0400

Adam Bateman "Kittens" 2012 - Meant to monument Guttenberg's printing pres and a eulogy to the obsolescence of books within the 21st century, the books in this piece transform into mere bricks.

Ignasi Aballi "Inventory" 2007 - With almost 7,000 languages in the world today, Aballi's "Inventory" renders languages such as English and German visually insignificant within this colossal index.

Beehive Design Collective "The True Cost of Coal" 2008 - Narrates the environmental affects of mountaintop removal coal mining in the Appalacian Mountains and its widespread ecological impact.

Aram Bartholl "Dead Drops" 2010-ongoing - Bartholl brings the dead drop to the twenty-first century by conspicuously embedding USB dives into walls.

Detail of "Kittens"

Rainer Ganahl "News Paintings" 2004-ongoing - These freeze frames draw attention to the formal organization of news pages and the different interpretations that result from other people's perceptions.

Ignacio Uriarte "The History of the Typewriter Recited by Michael Winslow" 2009 - This video documents Michael Winslow mimicking the sound of famous typewriter models.

Cantastoria at Utah MOCA: While on a road trip out west to conclude the summer, I stopped for a day in Salt Lake City and visited the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. A very surprising pocket of artistic creativity and expression in what seemed like a fairly conservative city, the Utah MOCA was an engaging space with interesting stories to share. “Cantastoria,” on view until September 22nd, explores how communication, both written and spoken, sung and typed, plays into the world of contemporary art.

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens: Tucked away in a former...

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:52:00 -0400

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens: Tucked away in a former vacant lot on South Street, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens really are just that, Magic - 3,000 square feet of mosaic space created by artist Isaiah Zagar in the mid 90s that the Philadelphia art community has fought hard to preserve. Wandering through Zagar’s mosaic labyrinth you’ll find homages to his artistic idols, nods to personal experiences, and some downright silly creations. Descriptions and photos don’t do this space justice, you really just need to go experience it for yourself.

Everything you ever thought you maybe should know something...

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 12:41:21 -0400

Everything you ever thought you maybe should know something about regarding the nuttiness at MOCA.

P.S. sorry I’m not sorry the only links I ever post are from Hyperallergic.