What IS Art?

It's been a while since I did an art crawl. On this rainy NYC day, my friends and I did the Chelsea art crawl. David Altmejd, one of my favorite sculptors/multimedia artists has a fantastic show at the moment in Chelsea...

and a funny take on Bridal Showers at another gallery...

and some interesting takes on car crashes...

and some props to the man above a la a variety of forms...

and some texture paintings...

David Atlmejd @ Andrea Rosen Gallery in Chelsea

photos by Tricia Chatterton

Creepy. Funny. Surreal. Like stepping into a fantasy land consisting of werewolves with crystal mirrors up their arses, hands groping limbs and mirrored stairways into unknown crevices...

And he's from Montreal (like me!). Go see his show at the Andrea Rosen Gallery (http://www.andrearosengallery.com). David is showing there until June 14th. You have to experience David Atlmejd's work in person. Photos don't do it justice.

Here's a great article about his work...
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/venicealtmejd.html

Go See This Show in Chelsea...

Guilty Angel (5) - Candle in the Wind 2007

Once in a while, I run across an artist that is actually saying something rather than creating your typical "couch art" or something just superficially "pretty" and nonthreatening to the cerebellum. Feng Shuo, a young Chinese painter from Beijing, is one of those artists. As I walked through the Marlborough Gallery in Chelsea, I was captivated by the sculptures that often were the subject matter of his large scale paintings. I was also surprised at just how "European" and illustrative his work was, refreshing in this era of the contrasting "photo real" and what I call splash and dab art. Granted, I suppose his work could be considered dark as some of the people I went to the open with considered it so, but "dark" makes you think. And remember, art is supposed to make you think. Good art, anyway.

"At first glance, one may feel that Feng’s works are too soft or too graphic, too elementary or even too cute, but upon closer examination this first impression quickly gives way to solemn realizations of grave irony, and sometimes even distress and despair. He is not a slave to novelty or gimmick; he rejects the “culture of reaction” as well as the homogenizing effects of mass technology. One can recognize in him the thought expressed by Roland Barthes: “Suddenly, I became indifferent to not being modern.” The strength of Feng Shuo rests in his absolute sincerity as an artist. His calligraphic brush strokes slide and cut freely and fluidly across the canvas. The empty space surrounding his subjects creates a window allowing us to peer deeply into his universe, where eerie flashbacks of his dreams and nightmares reveal recurring themes of sadness, alienation, and anger."-excerpt from Marlborough Gallery press release.

I couldn't find many examples of Feng's work online but for this and a few. There are many more complex pieces in the gallery. I highly suggest you check it out. His show is up until May 17th.

Marlborough Chelsea
545 West 25th Street
New York, New York 10001 USA
Tel: 212-463-8634

www.marlboroughgallery.com

Another Fine Photographer...

Last night was gallery open night and I had the pleasure going to Shai Kremer's photo show at the Julie Saul Gallery in Chelsea. Shai takes what should be very ugly life scenes and creates beauty from them.

"Without going as far as Dostoyevsky claiming that beauty will "redeem the world”, I do believe in the ability of aesthetics to affect change.
I would relate to R. Misrach saying that “beauty can be a very powerful conveyor of difficult ideas”.

This seven year project portrays the ominous imprint of the Military on the Israeli landscape - and reflectively, on the Israeli society.
The aesthetic, orderly compositions parallel the defence mechanism of Israeli citizens striving for normalcy, while the scars concealed in the landscape correspond to the wounds in the collective unconscious of the country.
The landscape, infected with loaded sediments of the ongoing conflict, becomes a platform for discussion.
If the accumulation of ruins and military remnants turns out to be a defining trait of the Israeli landscape, what to think of the society that grows out of it ?"- artist statement from his site http://www.shaikremer.com/

If you have a chance to make it to Chelsea, I highly recommend this show.

Julie Saul Gallery
535 West 22 Street
New York, NY 10011

212.627.2414
www.saulgallery.com

You, Too, Can Be a Fine Artist...

photos by tricia chatterton

A few months ago, I saw this attractive wall installation using clear office pushpins and now I'm seeing this sort of art on 5th ave in stores. It's a simple idea that can create a subtle yet elegant artistic effect to a room. l found this piece quite interesting to look at, even calming...and simple to do. Sketch out the design on your wall (circular designs seem to be hot but you go with what feels right for you as YOU are the artist) and start pushpinning away. If anything, it will satisfy that obsessive compulsive side to you.

All of the designs I've seen seem to be clear pushpins on white walls, but if you get ultra creative and try color, send me a pic and we'll post it.