~BIG STREET PARTY/KENT DORN/REMAINS & OPENING UP-DATE !!


KENT DORN, ‘Untitled’, 2010. Mixed media on canvas, 45 x 60 in.
IMAGE/COURTESY: FREIGHT+VOLUME

looks to be a big street party happening in Chelsea – when FREIGHT+VOLUME pretty much takes over 24th St. – to open 2 shows. yep, two simultaneous shows of their artist KENT DORN – THURS NOV 4, 2010 from 6-8 PM.
one show will be at FREIGHT+VOLUME’S current space – 542 W. 24th St. – while the other will be just a few doors down at 530 W. 24th St. – aka – the old LFL space !! apparently Nick Lawrence has scored his old stomping grounds back, at least for “the next little while” – he was partners in LFL for about 5 years there, at that gallery’s founding – while Zach moves over to the old DIA space on 22nd St.

the very fun, JENNIFER SULLIVAN will be featured in the Video Room – presenting ‘One-Week Walden’.

KENT DORN – ‘REMAINS’
opening THURS NOV 4, 2010 / 6-8 PM
the show runs thru JAN 4, 2011
FREIGHT+VOLUME – 530+542 W.24th ST. – CHELSEA

UP-DATE: FRI NOV 5, 2010 – 12:10 PM


KENT DORN at his double-fisted FREIGHT+VOLUME opening last nite !!
wow. the kid’s the real deal !!
the show – make that shows !! was awesome. and the after-party which NICK LAWRENCE threw in honor of his young artist – and which also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the gallery – was over-the-top !!
I need a good 24 hrs just to collect my thoughts and process all the pix – check back Saturday. in the mean-time, (ha. more on that mean time – later, too – hint: it’s the title of the new book Nick is putting out for ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST) . . . here’s a little sampling . . .


KENT DORN, ‘Fugitive’, 2008. mixed media on canvas, 16 x 14 in. ($2,400)


KENT DORN, ‘Fugitive’, 2008. mixed media on canvas, 16 x 14 in. ($2,400)


KENT DORN, ‘Fall’, 2010. mixed media on canvas. 54 x 36 in. ($6,000)

the 542 W. 24th St. space – showcased the earlier works, while the bigger space at 542 W. 24th – had the newest . . . thinking – it might be fun for all those blue chip collectors in town for the big auctions this weekend – to stroll by . . . and consider what’s really the meaning of “contemporary” art. ha. and consider what’s a more fun game – for your dollar – the awkward position of wondering if you got “had” big time blue-chip – or – going for the: as-soon-as-you-put-your-dollar-down – you doubled your money – action of the real cutting edge – NYC art game !! the one – that we like to play big time, and super smart – over here !!

it might also be fun to consider and contrast KENT DORN’S work – esp his preoccupation with twisted visions, ‘maleness’ , and the great outdoors – and, decay !! – did we say: thick paint – with JOHN CURRIN’S twisted, ‘female-centric’, urban interiors, and super smooth going – and decay !! – which opened over at GAGOSIAN UP-TOWN last nite, the only other opening to jump the radar – esp among my mainstream colleagues, (ha) this big important weekend. and to make waves. I guess. I didn’t make it up there – I was so down – with the 24th St. action – you know me – my money’s always – on the sharpest and newest of the lot !! I like the art game best – when’s it’s cut right to the bone.

PHOTOS: COPYRIGHT NANCY SMITH

JOHN CURRIN – ‘New Painting’
NOV 4 – DEC 22, 2010
GAGOSIAN GALLERY – MADISON AVE – NYC


JOHN CURRIN, ‘The Women of Franklin St.’, 2009. oil on canvas. 88 x 68 in.
IMAGE/COURTESY: GAGOSIAN GALLERY
. . . no, no prices available, at least to the lowly public. one can only imagine . . . but, YIKES, no wonder Charlie Finch was reported to be running (ha) uptown in a hurry.


JOHN CURRIN, ‘Rippowam’, 2006. oil on canvas. 40 x 47 in.
IMAGE/COURTESY: GAGOSIAN GALLERY

I like this last one on the go-go website – just because, if that guy isn’t a dead ringer for JOHN NEWSOM, I don’t know who is. yeah, I’m thinking bout John, because he also made the FREIGHT+VOLUME – KENT DORN – 10th Anniversary after-party – and he had a funny line: “I’m hoarse because I just spent all day rapping with the Wu-Tang Clan !!” – you just can’t make that sh-t up.

John and me – go way back – to the now pretty much legendary ‘MISANTHROPES’ show, and yes we were !! – the first big group show – that ALFREDO MARTINEZ and the dearly departed too-young and super-talented CHRIS KELLY curated for JOSH HARRIS – back in the late 90s, at Josh’s loft on Spring St. – while it was still a raw space – before it got renovated . . and eventually turned into: ‘WE LIVE IN PUBLIC’ – proper. talk about a war zone. you had to have a weapon in hand – to guard your wall space. even when your work had already gone up.
and yes, Alfredo, did pit me and John Newsom head-on. Alfie – what a fun sense of humor. my work, some thin vellum-based black ink drawing banners – ended up fluttering over the open bar – so guess that was alright by me !! where they did catch Josh’s attention – so: boo-ya !!
more on the KENT DORN shows – and the fab after-party coming up – shortly.