ONLY UP FOR 10 DAYS !!
BREVITY’S RAINBOW – A GALAXY OF TINY ARTWORKS
CURATED BY MAXWELL WILLIAMS
THE SHOW RUNS FEB 8 – thru – FEB 17, 2008
CINDERS – 103 HAVEMEYER ST – BTWN HOPE & GRAND – WILLIAMSBURG – BKLYN – NY
HOURS: WED-FRI 2-8PM / SAT+SUN 12-7PM
A GREAT LITTLE SHOW OF OVER 200 VERY SMALL ARTWORKS BY A DIVERSE RANGE OF ARTISTS – INCLUDING – PFFR, ERIKA SOMOYGI, NOAH LYON, KEEGAN McHARGUE, ANDREW JEFFREY WRIGHT, ANDREW GUENTHER, MIKE PARE, WES LANG, ASSUME VIVID ASTRO FOCUS, MISAKO INAOKA, ELIZABETH HUEY, MAYA HAYUK, ROYAL ART LODGE, KELIE BOWMAN & STO.
MOST OF THE WORK FALLS WITHIN THE $50 – $150 range. for example the ANDREW JEFFREY WRIGHT PIECES – ARE A STEAL – at $50/a piece. KELIE BOWMAN’S PIECE is $125. YOU CAN PICK UP A SMALL ANDREW GUENTHER PAINTING FOR $250 – INCLUDING A VERY FUNNY (WORKING) CLOCK – also $250 !
the top-tier prices are:
KEEGAN McHARGUE’s untitled piece is $3,000; the WES LANG piece, ‘Since I laid my burden down’ goes for $4,000; and small line drawings by ASSUME VIVID ASTRO FOCUS are priced at $5,000/a piece.
our favorite pieces were the tiny figurines by MISAKO INAOKA – just because we’ve never seen anything like that before – imaginary animal/beasts crafted like mass produced STAR WARS figurines – they were beyond perfectly detailed – and emitted strange bleating – motion sensitive sounds !! Her ‘3 EGG EVOLUTION’ is priced at $1,500. – and her ‘TREE OF EVOLUTION’ – taps out at $5,000.
at the opening, of ‘BREVITY’S RAINBOW’, NOAH LYON, (with work in the show), and his wife, of about a year, MARIA LYON.
NOAH LYON, ‘Many moods of dudes’, ($200 ea.)
top, NOAH LYON, ‘Many moods of dudes’, below, STO, ‘asspirin’
STO, ‘asspirin’, ($80)
JESSICA VITKUS, ‘I hate you 752’, ($100)
ERIKA SOMOGYI, untitled, ($50-$150 ea.)
ERIKA SOMOGYI, ‘untitled’, ($50), in ‘Brevity’s Rainbow’
ERIKA SOMOGYI, ‘untitled’, in ‘Brevity’s Rainbow’
left: BOYD SHROPSHIRE, ‘4 small paintings’ ($150), and, right: JESSE BROWN ‘5 Inch Cube Drawing’ ($125)
ANDREW JEFFREY WRIGHT, ‘GRIMMACE BONG’ & ‘Who Blurbered’, ($50 ea.)
ANDREW JEFFREY WRIGHT is a member of Philadelphia’s SPACE 1026
ANDREW GUENTHER, ‘untitled (clock)’, ($250)
MIKE PARE, ‘DID YOU MISS ME’, (sold)
ANN REGAN, ‘El PASO, TEXAS (HIGHWAY 61)’, ($50)
ANN REGAN, ‘EL PASO, TEXAS (BOB DYLAN)’, ($50)
KATLYN HERSHMAN, ‘I give up’, ($125)
the tiny flag turned on electric power, KATLYN HERSHMAN, ‘I give up’
MATT HANSEL, ‘Cloud connected’, ($480)
detail, MISAKO INAOKA, ‘Tree of Evolution’, ($5,000) (5 individual ‘toy’ animal/beasts on a tiny shelf – the figurines are motion sensitive and produce sounds)
detail, MISAKO INAOKA, ‘Tree of Evolution’
detail, MISAKO INAOKA, ‘Tree of Evolution’
DYLAN MARTORELL, ‘untitled’, pencil on paper, 4.5 x 4.5 ins. ($150 ea.)
another great deal !!!
MOLLY McINTYRE, ‘Sean’, ($50)
MOLLY McINTYRE is a member of Philadelphia’s SPACE 1026
MAXWELL WILLIAMS, the curator of ‘Brevity’s Rainbow’, at the opening, outside on the street in front of CINDERS, FEB 8, 2008
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH, FEB 8, 2008
see: more pix from the show/CINDERS website
~BREVITY’S RAINBOW/CINDERS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 7th, 2008, 4:40am
PETER STALEY – AT THE ARM – OPENING RECEPTION – FRI FEB 8 – STARTS AT 7PM
THE SHOW RUNS FOR 10 DAYS ONLY : FEB 8 – FEB 18, 2008
LIVE PERFORMANCE BY WINTER SUN (MATT REILLY – aka 1/2 JAPANTHER)
WITH DJ BOB DYLAN THE ROBOT VERSION 1.1
THE ARM – 281 NORTH 7TH ST – BTWN HAVEMEYER & MEEKER – WILLIAMSBURG – BROOKLYN – NY
GALLERY HOURS: FRI, SAT, SUN, MON: NOON – 6PM
THE ARM
~PETER STALEY/THE ARM/OPENS FRI |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 7th, 2008, 4:22am
PHOTO CREDIT: LORI BAKER & DAVID E. BROWN
76 KISSES – OPENING RECEPTION – FRI – FEB 8 – 7-9PM
SELECTED PHOTOS FROM LORI BAKER & DAVID E. BROWN’S COLLECTION OF
VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHS.
THE SHOW RUNS: FEB 1 thru MARCH 30, 2008
THE CITY RELIQUARY STOREFRONT MUSEUM & CIVIC ORGANIZATION
370 METROPOLITAN AVENUE – AT HAVEMEYER – WILLIAMSBURG – BROOKLYN – NY
HOURS: SAT + SUN; 12-6PM & BY APPOINTMENT
The photos span a full century, from a risque and intimate smooch in a Victorian parlor to a 1990s Polaroid of a New York couple at a dance . . .
The core of the collection are snapshots from the 1930s through the 1960s, widely considered the Golden Age of the American snapshot.
The photographs in 76 KISSES come from Lori Baker and David E. Brown’s collection of more than 200 vintage snapshots of kisses. They have been culled from flea markets, junk shops, photo albums, yard sales, eBay, and chance finds. Baker and Brown estimate that they have looked at approximately 800,000 photographs in search of these pictures.
– PRESS RELEASE
THE CITY RELIQUARY
~76 KISSES/CITY RELIQUARY/RECEPTION/FRI |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 7th, 2008, 4:00am
RUTH ROOT – OPENS THURS – FEB 7 – 6-8PM
THE SHOW RUNS: FEBRUARY 7 – MARCH 16, 2008
ANDREW KREPS GALLERY – 525 WEST 22ND STREET – CHELSEA – NY
ANDREW KREPS GALLERY
~RUTH ROOT/OPENS THURS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 7th, 2008, 3:46am
from left: MASSIMO VIGNELLI, his wife LELLA, and BOB GILL – at the STEFAN SAGMEISTER – ‘THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR’ – OPENING, DEITCH PROJECTS, NYC, JAN 31, 2008
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
BOB GILL MADE HIS NAME IN LONDON DURING THE SIXTIES – WHEN LONDON – WAS THE HOTTEST PLACE ON The PLANET. IMAGINE THAT – FOR A MOMENT. APPARENTLY – HE IS ONE OF THE, (IF NOT THE), FATHERS OF THE CONCEPT OF ‘THE BIG IDEA’ – OR HOW HE TERMED IT – “PROBLEM SOLVING”. THAT EVERY DESIGN PROJECT CALLS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL and UNIQUE DEFINING IDEA – BEFORE THE START OF THE GRAPHIC DESIGN ELEMENT – “EACH NEW PROBLEM SUGGESTS A NEW SOLUTION.”
one of his most famous images – would be the movie poster for “The Go-Between” with Julie Christie and Allan Bates, on the right:
image courtesy: THE ART DIRECTOR’S CLUB/1991 HALL OF FAME ARCHIVE
in fact – this essay, from which the images were taken – in the ART DIRECTOR’S CLUB – 1991 HALL OF FAME ARCHIVE – is a really interesting read –
check it out: BOB GILL/ART DIRECTOR’S CLUB !!
if you can get into it – the GRAPHIC DESIGN AD WORLD – follow the essay’s hotlinks to ALEXY BRODOVITCH and PAUL RAND, the real old guard, the generation before Bob Gill.
the essay: on PAUL RAND !! – in particular – is most interesting.
PAUL RAND was responsible for these design icons – need we say more.
IMAGES COURTESY/PAUL RAND 1972 HALL OF FAME ARCHIVE/ART DIRECTOR’S CLUB
ABOUT MR. VIGNELLI – HOW’S THIS FOR A BEGINNING INTRODUCTION – HE DESIGNED THE FAMOUS 1972 NYC SUBWAY MAP !!
watch a really interesting clip on: MASSIMO VIGNELLI & THE 1972 NYC SUBWAY MAP, here !!
where there is also a link to: MICHAEL BIERUT’S essay: MR. ViGNELLI’S MAP !!
MASSIMO VIGNELLI’S 1972 NYC SUBWAY MAP/COURTESY: DESIGN OBSERVER
the VIGNELLI 1972 NYC SUBWAY CLIP above, is actually from ‘HELVETICA’ (2007) – the full length documentary by GARY HUSTWIT, which examines the “proliferation of one typeface, Helvetica – which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007”.
for more, see: ‘HELVETICA’ !!
(STEFAN SAGMEISTER is also interviewed in the film.)
There is a comprehensive essay on MASSIMO VIGNELLI on WIKIPEDIA.
it begins:
“MASSIMO VIGNELLI (born 1931) is a designer who has done work in a number of areas ranging from package design to furniture design to public signage to showroom design through Vignelli Associates, which he co-founded with his wife Lella. He has said, ‘If you can design one thing, you can design everything.’ and this is reflected in the broad range of his work.”
for more see: WIKIPEDIA/MASSIMO VIGNELLI !!
DEITCH PROJECTS
~BOB GILL, MASSIMO VIGNELLI/DESIGN GIANTS/SAGMEISTER OPENING |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 7th, 2008, 12:51am
STEFAN SAGMEISTER/1999 AIGA POSTER/COURTESY: COMPOGRAFO
STEFAN SAGMEISTER . . designer ? artist ? what about . . DEMON CHILD !!
here’s a guy who says in interviews he was never interested in being a Fine Artist. talk about major denial. his “inner artist” had to literally – cut himself out. that AIGA poster is the real thing – it’s not photo shopped – nor sharpie penned – he actually had his assistant carve into his body with an X-acto blade.
That entire controversy over: graphic designer vs. fine artist – is so over, so boring, and so played out. get with the program already. tangible production+skills = art. do we really have to look to the kids in the streets of New York to get to the bottom of this – they get it: “it all comes down to skills – it’s all, about the skills, man.” and this does not in any way exclude creative expressions or objects that are informed by thought. skills does not mean – without thought. You can’t have even the most basic down-to-earth skills – without a focused mind-set, and a certain amount of study and experimentation. when you get whatever you are doing – be it design, object fabrication or conceptual project, folk art, street art – whatever – going in such a way that it attracts other people’s attention – believe it, its art.
STEFAN SAGMEISTER has an interesting narrative – obliquely addressing the (indistinct) line between artisan and creative/conceptualist artist, with regards to his personal experience growing up in a household where one set of skills – did not preclude the other; though the label society deployed – to his grandfather, a professional sign painter – probably did.
. . . it’s in a section of his website – that is dedicated to:
STUDENTS/CHAPTER #6 Type and Typography
it goes:
“My grandfather was educated in sign painting and i grew up with many of his pieces of wisdom around the house, traditional calligraphy carefully applied in gold leaf on painstakingly carved wooden panels. One of his panels, still hanging in our hallway in Austria, reads:
This house is mine, and it isn’t mine
the second guy won’t own it either
They will carry out the third one too,
So tell me, my friend, whose house is it.”
yep, a smart sensitive kid growing up in a house like that might just evolve into the kind of artisan/designer/thinker/artist whose “most enjoyable” project might be trying to figure out life’s lessons – who does ‘own’ the house ? – and, title the whole project, in the most straightforward way – ‘THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR’.
yes, of course !! – SAGMEISTER has an interesting website, as much as for it’s ‘tone’ as its mechanical ‘animation’.
check it out here: SAGMEISTER INC., NEW YORK
one of his projects that might be most familiar to artworld denizens – though they might not know he was behind its design – would be the MARIKO MORI ‘WAVE UFO BOOK’.
STEFAN SAGMEISTER DESIGN PROJECT/MARIKO MORI ‘WAVE UFO ‘ BOOK /PHOTO COURTESY: SAGMEISTER INC., NEW YORK
a good place to start a research of his game plans and accomplishments would be, and definitely
check it out: DESIGN MUSEUM ESSAY/STEFAN SAGMEISTER – GRAPHIC DESIGNER b. 1962
BACK TO THE AIGA POSTER: . . guess the BIG IDEA – really is everything . . . in the design world. the artworld hasn’t historically been behind these kinds of self-expression. you’ll note – it isn’t mentioned in the DEITCH press release. though according to the DESIGN MUSEUM essay – it’s considered “a graphic icon of the 1990s”.
STEFAN SAGMEISTER signs copies of his new book, at the opening of ‘THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR’, (also the name of the book), DEITCH PROJECTS, Jan 31, 2008
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
DEITCH PROJECTS
STEFAN SAGMEISTER/artist/designer/what about demon child ? |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 6th, 2008, 2:33pm
STEFAN SAGMEISTER, ‘Self-Confidence Produces Fine Results’, Banana Wall, 10,000 bananas and glue, dimensions variable, ‘THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR’, DEITCH PROJECTS, 76 GRAND ST., January 31-February 23, 2008/PHOTO COURTESY: DEITCH PROJECTS
. . . and no, you don’t want this particular piece, no matter how gorgeous, initially – in your home – because, yes! those are real bananas, and yes, they will rot.
in fact, you better go see this piece right away – before it completely turns black and turns to ooze. The optimum time to have seen it – was at the opening. It was beautiful, no doubt about it – the contrast between the already yellow bananas, and the not-ripe-yet, green ones, spelled out – this (to-be fleeting) message: ‘SELF-CONFIDENCE PRODUCES FINE RESULTS’. it looked like a huge patchwork quilt – with the 3-D curved forms of the bananas – (in short spanned vertical rows of oppositely waving/undulating rhythms!) adding to the sense of a 3-D quilt-like object – and the simple border pattern of repeating ‘stars’ – embellishing the illusion – on the perfectly proportioned wall. Even then, because of the sheer scale of the ‘design‘ – one could only really decipher the words – from a distance – further away on the other side of the room, or even better, from the vantage point – in one’s digital camera screen.
Only 5 days later, when we returned to see if those were really bananas, or hi-end fakes .. indeed the message was gone, all the bananas having already turned a uniform yellow, and some ominously gaining in black.
did we say, here was an aggressive artist – as well as an ambitiously profound one ?
it was the 4th element – shock – back in play. seemingly like the ‘black truffles’ got to be in a hi-end restaurant menu – the shock element – gotta be in the high end art !!
ok. the formaldehyde DAMIEN HIRSTS were exciting (the first time around), (we’re not about to go all the way back thru art history to DuCHAMP!). URS FISCHER’s excavated pit was really and truly thrilling, and dangerous – no matter what anybody says. and if you managed to avoid being thrown into social ostracism as a pervert – for giving your niece a PATRICK McCARTHY CHOCOLATE SANTA – it was one big joke.
but personally I’m drawing the line at a hot room full of rotting bananas. no matter how much I want to see the rest of the work in the room. well, since I’ve seen it twice now, no big deal for me. I can’t stand the smell of one barely over-ripe banana in my kitchen for more than 24 hrs. better go see the show – QUICK !! and then one last time, the last day of the show – just out of sheer morbid curiosity. who cares what it really means – symbolically – the world’s decline isn’t going to be stopped by a few recycling posters – oops! – I guess that means I do really care what it means !! better enjoy the luxury of man made beauty – while you can. all organic things die in their time – one of the lessons SAGMEISTER has learned in his lifetime so far, that he is passing on ?
STEFAN SAGMEISTER, THE BANANA WALL – AT THE OPENING – JAN 31, 2008
STEFAN SAGMEISTER, THE BANANA WALL – AT THE OPENING – JAN 31, 2008
(loved this shot – cause it almost spelled out – QUILTS !!)
STEFAN SAGMEISTER, THE BANANA WALL – AT THE OPENING – JAN 31, 2008
STEFAN SAGMEISTER, THE BANANA WALL – AT THE OPENING – JAN 31, 2008
5 DAYS LATER, STEFAN SAGMEISTER, THE BANANA WALL, FEB 7, 2008
5 DAYS LATER, STEFAN SAGMEISTER, THE BANANA WALL, FEB 7, 2008
ABOVE 6 PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
DEITCH PROJECTS
~STEFAN SAGMEISTER/BANANA WALL |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 6th, 2008, 1:27pm
STEFAN SAGMEISTER AT THE OPENING, JAN 31, 2008
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH/artloversnewyork
STEFAN SAGMEISTER – ‘THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR’
JANUARY 31 – FEBRUARY 23, 2008
DEITCH PROJECTS – 76 GRAND ST – SOHO – NYC
HOTTEST SHOW IN THE CITY – !! this week, anyways !!
DEFINITELY THE BIGGEST, BEST & MOST AMBITIOUS SHOW HAPPENING IN THE CITY – & – PROBABLY, ON IN – THRU SPRING. OUR YOUNG GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENT FRIENDS AT SVA – TURNED US ONTO THIS – SAGMEISTER – ? – WHO IS SAGMEISTER – BUT IF YOU THINK THIS IS JUST A SHOW BY A GRAPHIC DESIGNER FOR OTHER GRAPHIC DESIGNERS – BETTER WAKE UP – BEFORE THE WORLD PASSES YOU BY.
MORE TO POST: MONDAY FEB 4TH
1. THE BANANA WALL
2. STEFAN SAGMEISTER – INTRO + LINKS
3. BOB GILL & MASSIMO VIGNELLI – DESIGN LEGENDS – at the opening.
EARLY WORD:
MAKE SURE TO GET A POSTER – WHILE DEITCH STILL HAS SOME TO GIVE OUT.
it’s hard to tell from the jpeg, above – but the typeface is – slightly raised – and is a divinely – reflective – liquid silver – a production value – best explained as: kind of MARIKO MORI meets JEFF KOONS – but then completely takes off into a spin and reach, (intelligence, depth, sheer beauty, and … sense of fun) – all its own – SAGMEISTER !! – if this isn’t art, then look out – graphic design is about to rule. from the recent renaissance of handmade silkscreen band posters shown in Brooklyn, to the high production big stakes game – in Soho – the walls are coming down.
did I say the show casts a spell. you’re always caught wondering too. its not so obvious, as it might seem, from those huge inflatables – deciphering the messages in the text pieces – is akin to catching glimpses of stones skipping patterns across the water surface of a pond. This is graphics with a 4th dimension. And, although there are some actual physically interactive pieces – a wall where the gallery goer can scribble into small notebook pages – the plastic characteristics of all the work is – visually, and mentally interactive.
. . . and since I’ve invoked MARIKO MORI – the big difference is that while both are masters of surface design – this work is definitely more about engaging the viewer; and in real time, real world scenarios, not the cosmic or ritual. Whereas – KOONS better watch his back – his last shows seem way played-out – compared to this.
what can I say – just being honest – the show’s got juice – and is probably going to be collectively acknowledged as the most important show of the season. If not, all those other writers – they’re just asleep at the wheel.
STEFAN SAGMEISTER AT THE OPENING OF: ‘THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR’,
DEITCH PROJECTS, JAN 31, 2008
STEFAN SAGMEISTER – the interactive wall
STEFAN SAGMEISTER – the interactive wall
STEFAN SAGMEISTER – the interactive wall
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
SEE: MORE PHOTOS FROM THE OPENING !!
DEITCH PROJECTS
~STEFAN SAGMEISTER/DEITCH |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 2nd, 2008, 11:06pm
KELIE BOWMAN, a co-founder of CINDERS GALLERY, has work in a ‘sweet’ little group
show down in L.A. – at the:
‘TIME FLIES’ – FIRST ANNIVERSARY GROUP SHOW
JANUARY 19 – FEBRUARY 23, 2008
TINLARK GALLERY – 6671 SUNSET BOULEVARD – L.A. – CALIFORNIA
the website doesn’t have too much info on the show – but the graphics are light hearted.
TINLARK GALLERY
~KELIE BOWMAN/TINLARK/L.A. |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 2nd, 2008, 4:32pm
VERY LAST CHANCE !! TO CATCH – A WONDERFUL LITTLE SHOW !! – UP THRU SUNDAY – FEB 3, 2008 !!
‘HUMAN HAIR’ – A COLLABORATIVE ART SHOW – BY NEIL BURKE & SAM McPHEETERS
CINDERS GALLERY – 103 HAVEMEYER – BETWN HOPE + GRAND – WILLIAMSBURG – NY
GALLERY HOURS: SAT + SUN 12-7PM (M-F 2-8PM)
CHECK OUT: PREVIOUS POST: ‘HUMAN HAIR’ – NEIL BURKE & SAM McPHEETERS
A SMALL SELECTION OF: PHOTOS FROM THE OPENING: SAT JAN 5TH, 2008
NEIL BURKE, with his work behind him.
(SAM McPHEETERS was back on the WEST COAST and couldn’t make it.)
NEIL BURKE. ‘Arm’, silkscreen, edition of 19, ($125)
detail, NEIL BURKE, ‘Arm’, silkscreen
guests at the opening, enjoy: SAM McPHEETERS, ‘Life is totally about losing everything’, Giclee print, edition of 10, ($200)
detail, SAM McPHEETERS, ‘Life is totally about losing everything’
SAM McPHEETERS, ‘SNACKS’, oversize Xerox, edition of 2, ($40)
NEIL BURKE & SAM McPHEETERS, ‘MEN’S RECOVERY PROJECT / PORTUGAL TOUR’ POSTER, Giclee, edition of 10 ($200)
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
see more photos of the work: CINDERS website !!
~LAST WEEKEND TO CATCH ‘HUMAN HAIR’ at CINDERS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 2nd, 2008, 12:48pm
