ALISON GINGERAS - at the opening of: ‘Pretty Ugly’ - a big survey show - mostly of last ( . . as in … way last !! ) generation ‘blue-chip’ artists - which she curated. GAVIN BROWN’S enterprise/MACCARONE, JULY 10, 2008.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
. . . why does the name JANIS JOPLIN come to mind. maybe because that’s just how tough and happening the art world in New York City really is right now - in terms of the work being made & the work being exhibited. but, as this big, yet basically timid, not to say insipid - group show - shows - if, you ain’t walkin’ the streets - you ain’t catching the beat ??
in other words - the exhibit - is way behind the curve - to be polite - to really be a knock-out presentation - no matter the theme - for New York City. For a show with such a pop-worthy title - there’s actually very little ‘pop’ for the money.
. . . you can sense it right off the bat - in the invite/poster - the image is catchy enuf - or should be !!- but - just falls flat. (first of all - why is it matte. if ever an image needed to be ‘glossy’ - this was it)
Same with the show. Gavin’s half at least proves skankworthy - but the MACCARONE portion is flat and full of too many small paintings, hung horribly - or, at least - to little effect - and, which are actually pretty ugly only because they are mediocre examples of some back-in-the day, old hat - and ultimately boring - wannabes - in terms of the art ‘throw downs’ you can see in New York City, including Brooklyn - on a casual stroll - any old day.
It doesn’t help that the twenty-something crew over at BOBO, out of PHILLY - put on a death match show over at FOXY PRODUCTION - and, seemingly, as easily as if - they were flicking on a light switch.
and, right next door to FOXY, on 27th St - at ATM - you can catch a finely expressed group show of diverse small paintings - more or less the ‘PRETTY UGLY’ format - that shimmers and glows in its !! ugliness - as to bring the words - intensity - and - originality - into play as well. and that’s just the atm summer knock-off show !! no big deal.
Yo. what’s PRETTY UGLY - as in: s-c-a-r-y !! is that such a big name curator comes up so empty-handed. and in New York City no less.
That Ms. Gingeras is the ‘personal’ curator for one of the world’s biggest art collectors - FRANCOIS PINAULT - who owns CHRISTIE’S auction house and therefore overseas a collection of over 3,000 art works - with its own exhibition venue - in Venice - only makes her lack of dynamic forward heat seeking - insight - that more more poignant for the denizens of a truly turbulent churning NYC scene - who wish the hell someone out there - could - wake up !! and be a real, on point - trend setter.
to read about one of Ms. Gingeras’ more successful outings, possibly because:
1. it was - OFF-SHORE - that is presented in a vacuum town where there is absolutely no contemporary art alive, kicking, dancing or biting - in the streets - at all - and that would be VENICE - as opposed to our glorious New York F*cking City - where we don’t import art by the bucketload - dude - we send it out !!
This is New York City - we TIME STAMP our art here. and,
2. URS FISCHER reigned supreme. the one big (NYC) beat - she got right.
see: ‘Pinault & Co’ by BEN DAVIS/artnet/o5/11/07
. . . on the other hand - when you wash up against these artlovers shores - it really is - coming up against - that final barrier reef - its live or, die - and maybe, sometimes we get a little too tough. if you stop, and look around at the rest of the art world offerings, this summer - and esp. the pathetic mainstream media coverage - you have to give her credit - for at least !! - putting on a show - where, in the words of one gallery-goer, overheard at the opening, said: “I have to go back - there’s a lot to see.” - if you don’t take it too seriously, need a wishy washy history lesson, and aren’t looking for cutting edge statements.
so, hey if you just wanna have fun - after all this is the summer - this is kinda like the CYNDI LAUPER vs JANIS JOPLIN show. you know - girls just wanna have fun - well, then its an almost good enough summer beach read - esp. if you aren’t - working - too hard, on cruising through the art scene - yourself . .
well, maybe the best that can be said is: maybe this guest curator sojourn in New York - will expose you to some new stuff. lets hope so. this show definitely veers towards out-of-touch & under-inspired. no rocking the boat here - it’s a pretty lame - PRETTY UGLY - underwhelming production.
that being said. it was worth the whole show’s price of admission - JUST !! - to get to see a f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s - ROB PRUITT - SEQUIN-LIKE WALL PIECE - ‘Prince William Sound’ - an early piece from 1989. the one spark of fast lane fabulosity in the entire show !!
that piece - a - PEACOCK FEATHER WALL PIECE by CAROL BOVE - and a SCOTT REEDER PAINTING - !! - and, ok. the BRUCE LaBRUCE photo of JEFF KOONS giving head - these 4 being - the only truly cutting edge - pieces - in the entire 2 gallery spread. pretty ugly …. or, what. and, o.k maybe that IMMENDORFF, too. just cause its green.
PIX OF THESE WORKS, and A FEW OTHERS & PHOTOS FROM THE OPENING - WHICH WAS PRETTY HOT - I GUESS CAUSE OF HER CONNECTIONS - POST: TUES JULY 28 - 10 am.
ROB PRUITT, ‘ Prince William Sound, 1989′, 2008.
plastic reflecto lights and enamel on board. 64 x 160 ins.
found in the Gavin Brown enterprise part of the show.
CAROL BOVE. wall piece with peacock feathers. enclosed in what seems to be a plexiglas shallow depth ‘frame’ box. in the MACCARONE GALLERY - section of the show.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
further, re: ROB PRUITT and CAROL BOVE - within just this most narrow of subtexts, the show at hand - ‘PRETTY UGLY’ - curated by ALISON GINGERAS - it was interesting to note the differences between these 2 pieces - so similar in essential format - (i.e. over-all use of repeating real, non-art world materials - absolutely abstract, large scale, wall mounted, etc etc). The most telling difference - being the use of a plexiglas box ‘frame’ to enclose the Carol Bove. Not only did it prevent one from getting clean clear photos - but it prevented a true in-depth experience of the piece itself. The CAROL BOVE plexiglas box - cut off a kind of autistic, tactile appreciation of the peacock feathers, completely. what’s the point using them, then?
say, what !! - what I mean is: Although both pieces were made of many repeating rows of small units, one of feathers; one of ‘reflecto lights’ - (they looked more like classic sequins, but anyways) - while you could stand and watch transfixed for hours, the shimmery dance of the many colored sequins of the Rob Pruitt piece - wavering and shifting, and glittering out different light patterns - through their exposure to the gallery’s gentle air currents - esp. at the packed opening !! the plexiglas box around the Bove piece prevented any similar tactile motion - from the rows of almost equally shimmery and luminescent - peacock feathers. which presumably, if set free to the open air - would equally shimmer and dance - endlessly, offering up a (now) missing dimension of magic, wonder, and delight .. to me that qualified Carol’s piece as - truly PRETTY UGLY-IER, than Rob’s - because it was imprisoned. it’s a real time example of what artists, who work with fragile materials, have to do - to make their work - collector friendly, and low maintenance - pop ‘em into a shallow plastic box frame. come on !! - at least for the opening - or - the short life span of a summer - exhibit - set those peacock feathers - free !!
‘PRETTY UGLY’ - CURATED BY ALISON GINGERAS
JULY 10 - AUGUST 29, 2008
GAVIN BROWN’S enterprise and MACCARONE
GREENWICH ST at LEROY in the WEST VILLAGE - NYC
see: the OPENING PIX !! - ‘PRETTY UGLY’ - now posted/2008-07-28