New York Week 4

For a Saturday matinee, New York turned on one of the best plays we have seen here so far. Arthur Miller's "View from the Bridge" was well acted, engaged the audience with a simple and very effective stage set, and culminated in a dramatic finale where red water poured out of the ceiling drenching the actors, simulating the bloody ending. Powerful design always delivers!

Another few visits to the Whitney museum saw us decide to join as founding members - the 'members only' viewings are a wonderful way to view the exhibitions with limited audience. The current Frank Stella exhibition is a wonderful expose of his life work - it is curated in largely a evolutionary format from his first exhibition in 1959 at age 23. The work thoroughly engages through its exuberance, from the original linear largely monochromatic works to the widely energetic more recent works which literally jump off the walls. We have booked to listen to him speak personally about his work next week so are really looking forward to that as there is nothing like getting the story directly from the source.

The Whitney also contains the new "Untitled" restaurant on the ground level - we couldn't resist trying its delicious food on a few occasions. And this week they also opened the 'Thea Westreich Wagner & Ethan Wagner collection' - a donation of 800 pieces of contemporary art which definitely had one discussing the notion of appropriation and 'what defines art' - a question as old as time itself. To me, Robert Gober's "Ascending Sinks" (1985), and Dan Vo's "Late Nineteenth Century Chandelier" (2009) (shown below) are both an evolution from Duchamp's "Fountain". I realise the difference is Gerber's sinks are sculptures made to resemble the actual. Vo's chandeliers, dated when exactly removed from their original hotel placement, divorce function from historical importance, challenging the notion of context versus art. However I think both ideas "borrow" from the signed urinals Duchamp placed in a gallery - labeling them art merely because of context....to me Gober & Vo appropriate rather than invent a new idea. Maybe the intention of both artists is to challenge the notion of appropriation! Whatever the answer, the collection is worth seeing to question and debate.

The NYC Documentary festival showcased a fabulous film called "Janis Joplin - little girl blue" which uncovered new material to present her life story. The insightful interview afterwards with the Director and other pertinent people in her life delivered a sliver of the opportunities that living such a metropolis gives one. A beautiful, sensitively curated film.

On Tuesday we sat in front row seats to see Al Pacino in "China Doll". Although well acted, we were both really dissatisfied with the ending - I likened it to when you eat at "a Michelin starred restaurant and leave feeling like you would have preferred your family run local"! 

The Guggenheim has an amazing Alberto Burri collection on show - his art which largely dates to the post WW2 era looks surprisingly contemporary in the serene Guggenheim space. I also took their architectural tour, (which I have done previously but being a Frank Lloyd Wright fan you can never have too much) - and our guide told us that the space and shape was influenced by the Guggenheim's Kandinsky's paintings which FLW definitely saw in Solomon Guggenheim's living room. The gallery owns one of the largest Kandinsky collections and they are currently on show in one of the intimate side galleries - seeing them en-mass in a small space was awe inspiring.

Another Art Walking Tour of the Bushwick area was fascinating - emerging artists in an emerging area always means you will be challenged and extended - can't ask for more really! An added bonus was the incredible graffiti/mural art on the exterior of buildings as we walked from one gallery to the next in upcoming this area mix of industrial (original), residential (limited but increasing) and commercial area. I have no doubt that a return visit in even 12 months will see great changes.  

We finished week 4 with another late night visit to Birdland to watch the Django Reinhardt Jazz tribute - incredible musicians playing equally beautifully music.

Textile & Photographic (the eyes) self portrait by Korean artist Yoon Ji Seon - it is very captivating and I have returned several times to view her pieces.  She photographs herself, then transfers the photo to canvas, then spends hours at the sewing machine sewing thread over the surface, leaving only the eyes as the original photograph. The loose threads tell a story as much as the ridged material. In the process the rear becomes a reverse picture as important as the one on view - often quiet different in feeling because the opposite thread is the dominant one (the reverse of this is actually largely pink but equally as gorgeous as this one)

This Video art by Meriem Bennani at Signal gallery in Bushwick utilities various sized canvases to create a concave feeling when the video is projected onto it. The convex shape with the same video is projected onto the opposite wall and together the 2 create an interesting immersive feeling 

Graffiti/mural art in Bushwick Brooklyn

Frank Stella's Protractor series

Frank Stella's Moby Dick Series

Robert Gober's "Ascending sinks" (1985), Josphone Pryde's "Relax" (2004) & Dan Vo's "Late nineteenth century chandelier" (2009) in the current Thea Westreich Wagner & Ethan Wagner collection at Whitney museum

This photo has not been digitally altered - some nights, particularly the cold ones, the sunset colour is absolutely incredible! 

New York City - Week 3

By now, week 3 in NYC, we are really beginning to feel like "locals" - it appears a huge number of people living in Manhattan were born elsewhere, so surely after 3 weeks we too are "locals"? Spending extended time here is so exciting - we love it - hard not to with the incredible plethora of shows to see, interesting lectures to attend, places to eat and kaleidoscope of modern art exhibitions to experience.

This week saw us attend the unconventional & very exciting play, "Sleep No More" - this interactive dance production/play had been on my radar for some time, so visiting it was a delight, if somewhat unusuall! Set across 5 dimly lit levels in a Chelsea warehouse which has been purposely redesigned, it is the first play I have ever been to where not one word was spoken, and this actually enhanced the experience. The actors dance up the walls (literally), through beautifully curated rooms that the audience, wearing obligatory Venetian-style masks for anonymity, wandered freely. The plot is supposedly loosely modeled on "Macbeth" but I think loosely puts it mildly, not that this is an issue as it was so much fun that the plot was not the focus! With an enormous number of different rooms to rummage thorough at one's desire, plus dozens of actors performing and moving across all 5 floors, ones senses were on high alert for the whole 3 hours. As a consequence each audience member experienced their own unique version of the play depending upon the actors you followed or the rooms you visited. I love the ingenuity & creativity of the mind that dreams up such wonderfully inventive experiences! So NYC!!

It was a big art week. We had more MoMA art history classes - very good lecturers who expertly link the various concepts that make up the modern art movement. Plus we went on a wonderful walking tour of the "best" contemporary private art exhibitions at private galleries in Chelsea. http://nygallerytours.com/.  Chelsea has 300+ privately owned galleries and our guide Rafael edited this to show us the most interesting 6 current exhibitions. Obviously this is subjective, but the virtual reality art by Rachel Rossin, the enormous 30+mtr piece made from the ash of incense burnings collected from Buddist temples by renowed Chinese artist Zhang Huan, and the beautiful photographic & textiles self portraits by Korean artist Yoon Ji Seon, were all intriguing and a wonderful cross section of artistic styles. 

Later in the week we took a private art tour with the same guide, Rafael, - http://nygallerytours.com/, to view some of the emerging artists around the Lower East Side. I am fascinated by the concept of "What makes the next big thing" in the art world - it appears to be nebulous, but obviously there are significant players who impact the direction. We viewed 9 artist's exhibitions in largely emerging galleries, including Serge Attukwei Clottey from Ghana who makes pieces from discarded plastic water containers, Lucy Dodd whose art and detailed studio installation is a work in progress (she literally works in it and changes things daily), Jeffrey Gibson who works with bells beads & ribbon to make beautiful intricate sculptural works and Cynthis Daignault who took a road trip across USA, stopping every 25miles to chronicle her journey in paint - the resulting 360 pieces titled "Light Atlas" are being sold as one progressive piece. All the galleries and artists imbued an intoxicating mix of energy and excitement which really sums up the New York art scene. Our tour also emphasized the fact that every society has a need for artistic expression and since WW2 New York really sits as a world barometer of the modern movement. What we saw this week were cameos of this and it was thrilling to be a part of it, even if in a small way.   

We saw several more plays this week including Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf in "Misery" - well written & thoroughly entertaining though Laurie definitely won the acting award on that one. Plus we went to another performance of Tommy Igoe and the Birdland Big Brass Band - our third week in a row attending the same Birdland Jazz (never the same score) - they have been performing there 5pm every Friday for 9.5years, so we have a long way to go to get to their record!

And it is hard to get more of a "New York Experience" than ice skating lessons at the Wolman rink and bicycle rides in Grand Central Park, of course followed by a couple of good red wines. NYC - soooooooooooo much fun!   

Serge Attukwei Clottey makes his art from discarded water containers (seen here on left)

Serge Attukwei Clottey makes sculptural pieces that are decidedly human!

Lucy Dodd's artworks include the canvases and the entire studio which is a work in progress

Jeffrey Gibson uses beads, bells & ribbon to make intricate sculptural works  

Cynthis Daignault's Exploration of America in painterly format 

I love a good busker, & this one in Central Park made everyone smile - simple but so effective!

New York City - Week 2

Beginning week 2 with a trip to the borough of Brooklyn was a pretty good way to start. In all the many times I have been in NYC I have never ventured over the bridge to Brooklyn, not because I didn't want to, but more because Manhattan had soooo many things to occupy my time. Now with more time I was determined to see this new 'Hipster' thing that I keep reading about in Brooklyn, so a few hours at Saturday's 'Brooklyn Flea' is the perfect way to do it. With the approaching cold weather, this market has now moved inside and houses an eclectic mix of good vintage clothes, handmade items and delicious food. We followed this with a big injection of US culture - viewing the extensive Halloween dress up. Apparently Bleeker St in Greenwich Village is the place to see it all and they certainly go all out on those costumes! I particularly loved the ones where the entire families - adults, young children and babies in prams were all dressed in some dramatic theme. Clearly more for the adults than the children!

Sunday we wandered the flea market in 25th St - small but worth a rummage & the Flatiron area is such a lovely part of town to meander on the weekend with great restaurants and a really nice vibe set against a backdrop of spectacular 1930's architecture. The unseasonably warm weather was a perfect accompaniment.  

This week we began art history classes at MoMA - booked in to do 2 different classes - "4 ideas that changed how we see Modernism" & "Icons of Modernism" - each class is 2hrs, 1 day/week for 4 weeks and although we have both previously studied many University art history classes, nothing beats an indepth discussion whilst standing in front the actual artwork. This gallery, with its fabulous bookshop, serene sculpture courtyard, lovely restaurants & extensive collection of Modernism has long been a favourite, so spending time here with highly qualified lecturers is a true joy.

Thursday we took a train to New Canaan Connecticut, to view an Architectural icon I had long admired. Philip Johnson's "Glass House" built in 1946 seems to float among the picturesque autumn landscape. Together with a handful of other iconic houses around the world, it redefined the notion of "house" by paring back the unnecessary to focus on structure, geometry and proportion and in the process allow one to engage with the surroundings through transparency. To most it would appear architecturally simple but meticulous detail enables the occupant to feel as if the walls do not exist - Johnson himself called the glass walls "his changing wallpaper" and this aptly describes the feeling of being inside this beautiful building. The 46 hectare property, with a multitude of other interesting structures containing his large art and sculptural collection, a library, a guesthouse and numerous follies, is beautifully preserved and definitely worth the 75min train trip from NYC.

I am continually delighted and still even surprised by the options NYC offers so we have definitely been availing ourselves of as many as possible. This week we saw 2 more plays, some awesome jazz with Tommy Igoe who we saw last year in San Francisco so knew it was essential to go again and the very extensive Picasso sculptural exhibition at MoMA. To sate my love of cleverly designed interiors we have also been to the Ace Hotel designed by Roman & Williams - quirky, rich use of varied materials and a wonderful sense of fun, BG restaurant in Bergdoff Goodman designed by Kelly Wearstler - elegant and glamorous & the gorgeous timber lined 1936 interior of the New York Athletic club with a spectacular view of Central Park - a very easy place to pass a delightful few hours!

MoMA's Picasso exhibition has a huge collection of his sculpture 

Fabulous Chelsea Shop "Olde Good things" sells a myriad of assorted interior essentials such as this Statue of Liberty!

Phillip Johnson's iconic Glass House built in 1946 - no room to house any clutter! 

  

Robert Rauchenberg "Bed" 1955 - Asemblage, one of the 4 ideas that defines Modernism

We were shown the groovy bedroom interiors at the Ace Hotel - just in case you play the guitar!

Bar of the Ace Hotel - an emphasis on faux taxidermy gives it a fun quirky vibe 

Sammlung Boros - Berlin's privately owned Contemporary art gallery

A visit to the private art collection of Christian & Karen Boros, is as much a insight into the future as it is into the past, for this extensive contemporary art collection is set in an historic WW2 air raid bunker in what was East Berlin. 

Standing 6 floors high, the imposing building, was built in 1942 to protect German citizens during the bombing of the city and its exterior still bears extensive scars of the brutal period. Immediately after the war, the concrete bunker was used to house political prisoners in East Berlin, then became a storage house for tropical fruit from Cuba and earned the name 'The Banana Bunker'. After the wall fell in 1989, the building became a venue for techno music and fetish parties until it was finally closed due to safety concerns.

In 2003 the bunker was bought by art collectors Christian & Karen Boros, and unable to be torn down, it underwent an extensive 5 year renovation, deconstructing the small rabbit warren rooms. The end result is a space which stills maintains its original austere feeling, yet is more suitable for displaying the collection. Graffiti and wall signage from its previous incarnations remain, now an appropriate backdrop, seemingly artworks themselves. The owners crowning glory is the addition on the top of the building of what appears to be a very groovy glass walled penthouse apartment. All in all, a very clever re-purposing of the space by a very creative couple.

Gallery Visits are only conducted by guided tours and one must pre-book via the website - current wait is about 5 weeks Sammlung Boros. The art exhibited varies from photography to performance based installations, canvases and sculpture, and include such renowned names names as Ai Wei Wei, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Danh Vo. Often collected early in the artist's careers prior to fame, it shows a clever & well trained eye by the owners. 

Contemporary art can be challenging for some because it does raise the question of what actually constitutes art - some may query whether a stick leaning against a wall or a popcorn machine continuously producing popped corn over a period of years, have artistic merit, but I feel eliciting a reaction is often a portion of its intention - a reaction, positive or negative means engagement and involvement by the viewer. Furthermore, contemporary art exhibited in this harsh space appears entirely appropriate - the rigid structure of the Nazi built bunker completely contrasts the freedom and self expression of the art within, serving to heighten the appreciation of both.    

Australia's new Pavilion at the Venice Biennale & Fiona Hall's Art

Sitting in the midst of Venice’s lush green Giardini grounds, Australia’s new 'black box' pavilion is the perfect container for Australia’s biennially chosen artists to shine. The small canal it sits alongside is the only indication that one is in this water bound city, because summer’s maddening crowds are replaced with an open, cool, green space that absolutely surprises & delights.

When the opportunity to take the final permanent space in the Giardini was offered to Australia, it was one too good to refuse, and with the generosity of mainly private donations, Denton Corker Marshall won the competition to design the building.

The black granite clad cube, a mysterious & contemporary container, opens like a gift box presented on your birthday, eliciting the same delight and excitement. To my mind, good Architecture must always stir the emotions, and be a visual representation of people, place & purpose, so Australians can be very proud of what this well executed building says about us – quiet sophistication abounds. Ultimately though this pavilion is about what lies within, so it is right that this pavilion possess an ability to sit quietly and regally in its own skin, presenting the gift inside.

And indeed the gift this box delivers is definitely one worth devouring. Fiona Hall’s enormous body of work, seemingly, randomly combines disparate elements that become incredibly intricate and thought provoking sculptures. Entitled “Wrong Way Time’ it is presented as a series of vignettes that relate, yet also sit independently, challenging the notions of three interconnecting concerns: global politics, world finances and the environment. Ordinary materials, found objects and images are given new life and in the process elicit powerful meanings as she questions the impact on culture & tradition in our pursuit of money & power.

In this dark, still space each element takes on heightened significance, the silence punctuated only by the occasional call of a lonely bush crow, contrasted with the man-made call of the cuckoo clock – environment versus occupation. 

Of all the intricate vignettes, 2 really stood out for me – the beautiful woven forms of endangered Australian desert animals made in collaboration with women from the Tjanpi Desert Weavers are, at a glance, beautiful sculptures, but on closer inspection reveal a more sinister meaning. Woven with a mix of desert grasses and torn shreds of British & American military camouflage gear, supplied by Hall, they speak volumes of the impact of European occupation on this region of our country. The region also endured the ‘hidden’ post WW2 British nuclear testing, known as the Maralinga tests – the impact never really acknowledged by the British but clearly still felt by the Aboriginal communities to this day.

My other particular favourite, situated in the heart of the installation, were the suspended sculptures depicting traditional people in stripped out military clothing. Hanging in an almost ‘totem pole at the gallows’ format, these figures are traditional and very raw. The heads are intricately woven from military clothing modeled over life like forms, with bones and teeth set into them, depicting a frightening, yet also defiant and very proud demeanor. The military ‘clothes’ they wear, some with decorative military epilates still intact, have been stripped of all except the seams, reinforcing the theme of the effects occupation on traditional people, land and environment. 

One can also not pass the beautifully made bird nests – made with shredded American dollar notes, nor the series of painted cuckoo clocks detailed with sinister images and profound words. ‘Wrong way time’ seems indeed a very apt title for the intersection of her concerns and the materials chosen to depict them.

My only disappointment was, that my targeted visit did not allow me to visit over several days, because I have no doubt that like all good art works, multiple visits would reveal even greater depth.

  

 

The Architectural brilliance of Frank Gehry shines in Paris

I have long been a fan of the architectural brilliance of Frank Gehry, the shapes and forms of his buildings have a playfulness that makes my heart sing, so my recent visit to the new Louis Vuitton Foundation building in Le Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne Paris, was always going to be a homage. Gehry is the ultimate modern day architectural conjurer and this incredible building is proof beyond doubt. Visually it is absolutely stunning.

First opened by Napoléon III and Empress Eugénie in 1860, Jardin d'acclimatation, has delighted generations of children with attractions that include a zoo, water garden and puppet theatre so it is quite fitting that this exuberant building has been built in this exterior space that has entertained for well over a century.

Architecturally there is a similarity to other Gehry buildings, though I feel this is more in the overall mood of the building and manner in which one responds to it rather than the materials used or the architectural form. This time the hero material used is glass (as opposed to titanium in the Guggenheim Bilbao, or Brick in the new UTS building in Sydney) which creates a ‘lightness’ in the 12 sails as they soar towards the sky, yet simultaneously it feels grounded and solid. One can almost feel the sails billowing as if it is about to set sail. 

These sails of curved glass, steel and timber act as an exoskeleton, protecting the 11 white tile-clad galleries beneath and subsequently create a wonderful array of architectural juxtapositions of curves & angles. As an Australian one cannot help but be reminded of our own iconic architectural masterpiece, the Sydney Opera House - in all the reading I have done around this building I have not seen anyone (including Frank Gehry himself) refer to similarities but to me it seems obvious - could it be atavistic?

The interior spaces are large yet intimate, light filled and calm. They house the Louis Vuitton Foundation’s contemporary art collection as well as the delicious ‘Le Frank’ restaurant at which we were lucky enough to secure a table. The food was exceptionally good, made even better by being able to absorb the spectacular surroundings with a glass of wine.

While I admit limited time meant we didn’t view the art collection as my main focus was the architecture, this is not an issue as I will definitely return soon.

Overall the building has a modernity that is entirely appropriate for the contemporary collection it houses plus the precision and attention to detail for which its namesake is renown.