AMERICAN

MARCH 2011

CONTEMPORARY ART
 Caroline Walker
February 24 - April 2

Ana Cristea Gallery

521 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10001
www.anacristeagallery.com
Mark Kessell specimen box & unmet friends

Shigeru Oyatani Fantastic Lucid Dream

March 17 - April 23, 2011

Kim Foster Gallery 529 West 20th St. NY, NY 10011

212.229.0044 / [email protected] / www.kimfostergallery.com
michelle forsyth kevin finklea
after things we said that were
important but now forgotten
works on paper painted wooden works

feb 26 > apr 9 | 2011

h tues by appt
wed to fri 11 am > 5 pm
sat 12 > 5 pm

pentimenti 145 north second street

philadelphia | pa 19106
p 215 625 9990 w pentimenti.com
e [email protected]
Terry Allen GhosT ship rodez
The MoMo ChroniCles

10 March — 16 April 2011

45 North Venice Boulevard

Venice, California 90291
Tel 310 822 4955
www.lalouver.com
 Lora Schlesinger Gallery

BRUCE HOUSTON
NEFERTETES, TRUCKS &
ASSEMBLAGES

February 5, 2011 - March 12, 2011

Reception: Sat., February 5, 5-7 p.m

East Gallery:

monochromes

No. 10, 2010, oil & alkyd on canvas, 23 x 23 "

w w w . l o r a s c h l e s i n g e r. c o m

2525 Michigan Ave. T3 Santa Monica CA 90404 t (310) 828 -1133 [email protected]
 JANUARY FEBRUARY 19 - APRIL 30

“Some Assembly Required”

Group Exhibition Assemblage & Collage
Modern & Contemporary

Paintings
Drawings
Jordi Alcaraz
Prints Hannelore Baron
Romare Bearden
Sculpture Hans Burkhardt
Joseph Cornell
Jim Dine
Claire Falkenstein
Llyn Foulkes
Mathias Goeritz
Patrick Graham
also George Herms
Freindensreich Hundertwasser
Edward Kienholz
Marca-
Conrad Marca-Relli
Robert Motherwell
Louise Nevelson
Gordon Wagner, “Construction,” 1950 , 45 x 19 x 11 1/2 inches

Visit us Man Ray

Robert Rauschenberg

January 19 - 23 Mark Tobey

Frank Stella
Gordon Wagner
Los Angeles Art Show Jerome Witkin
& Others
L.A. Convention Center
Booth D-120

JACK RUTBERG FINE ARTS

357 North La Brea Avenue Los Angeles, California 90036 Telephone (323) 938-5222 www.jackrutbergfinearts.com
EDWARD CELLA
ART + ARCHITECTURE
 AMERICAN
MARCH 2011

CONTEMPORARY ART

Mike Saijo, Dream Deferred (see page 39)

CONTENTS
EXHIBITIONS FEATURES
New York 34 21 A Guide to Armory Week
Washington DC 37 25 Finding the Noble in Ignoble Times
Boston 37 28 Letter from Washington DC
Los Angeles 38 30 Profile: Gina Genis

ARTISTS
44 Ricky Allman
47 Myungwon Kim

Myungwon Kim (see page 47)

Richard Kalisher PUBLISHER

Donovan Stanley EDITOR

Eric Kalisher DESIGN

New York Editor Tali Wertheimer

Washington DC Editor F. Lennox Campello
Contributing Editor Roberta Carasso
Sam Gilliam, Nite II, 2010, acrylic on birch,
30” x 17.5” x 4.75” (see page 28)

Advertising Inquires
COVER [email protected]

acamagazine.com
561.542.6028 / Richard Kalisher
Sala de Lectura Ovalada - Los Carpinetros
2011 (interior detail) Ultralight MDF,
118.13” x 276.5” x 166.87”, unique with 1AP.
Photo: Jason Wyche. © Los Carpinteros.
Courtesy of Sean Kelly Gallery, New York.
(see page 34) © 2011 R.K. Graphics. All Rights Reserved.
Content courtesy of represented institutions.
RUTH BACHOFNER GALLERY
Bergamot Station Arts Center Unit G2 Santa Monica, CA 310 829 3300 www.ruthbachofnergallery.com

Walker, 2010, Oil on linen, 70” x 60”

DAVID KAPP
New Paintings

January 15 – March 12, 2011

 BLEICHER GALLERIES
BGartDealings.com
[email protected]

(Ann McCoy Feb /2011)

CB Gallery [Caporale/Bleicher] 355 N. La Brea Avenue, LA, CA 90036 (323) 545-6018

BG Gallery [Bleicher/Golightly] 1431 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) 878-2784
 Zone (5), 2011, Ink, ink wash and acrylic on Xuan paper, 60 x 65 inches
Obtrusive / Elusive
Recent Ink Work by Zheng Chongbin
February 17 - April 2, 2011

H A I N E S
GALLERY
49 Geary Street Fifth Floor
San Francisco 415.397.8114
www.hainesgallery.com
 Marine Contemporary
Opens March 2011

Marine Contemporary Ricky Allman Inaugural show

1733 — A Wendy Heldmann
Abbot Kinney Blvd Tom Hunter Christopher Pate
Venice, CA Jow Camp Alpha
90291 Dennis Koch
Littlewhitehead March 19 —
T: +1 310 399 0294 Peter Lograsso April 30, 2011
Christopher Michlig Opening Reception
Robert Minervini March 19, 6—9 pm
Christopher Pate
Stephanie Pryor
Debra Scacco

marinecontemporary.com
 A First Person Guide to Armory Week
by Tali Wertheimer

Tali Wertheimer is a curator for TS+ It will be an action-packed week with benefits, performances, and of
Projects, which she co-founded in 2010. course art fairs! Here are some of the highlights from my calender.
TS+ Projects is an art advisory and cu-
ratorial firm that specializes in contem-
porary art. This year they will be giving
collecting tours of VOLTA and The Ar-
Tuesday, March 1st
mory Show. Talia will also be walking
ArtProjix is the video art and new media pop-up theatre, sponsored by
around with director Ric Klaus to select
the Armory and VOLTA. It will be hosted at the SVA theatre from March
artwork to use as the backdrop for his
1-6. Unlike the fair, ArtProjix is 100% free and open to the public. It will
latest film “Excuse Me For Living.”
include six days of programming, beginning at 10am and going into the
night, from the world’s leading galleries, museums, and curators.

The Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) is kicking off Armory

Week with the Art Show Gala Preview. Artists, collectors, dealers, and so-
cialites will fill up the Park Avenue Armory for a sneak peak at the fair!
All proceeds from the Art Show Gala preview, as well as ticket sales from
the run of the show, directly benefit The Henry Street Settlements social
services and arts programs.
You can follow Tali’s up-to-the-minute
travels around the New York art world Celebrating 30 years of conversations between artists, writers, filmmakers,
on Twitter @tsplusprojects and on musicians, directors, and performers, BOMB Magazine and Marlborough
Foursquare @tplus! Chelsea present a unique lineup of collaborative performances. Ongoing
 Wednesday, March 2nd
The Armory VIP Preview starts at 2 p.m. This will be my first chance to take
a look at the selections from over 100 galleries from all over the world. Af-
ter my first walk through, I will narrow down my selection to 5-10 galleries
to highlight in the collector seminar that I will be leading on Saturday for
members of “The Contemporaries.” The Armory is divided categorically
between Modern and Contemporary Masters and geographically between
Piers 92 and 94. It will take more than one trip to see everything, but the
best works will be sold by opening the next morning.

Next, I head to the MoMA for the Annual Armory opening night party,
(clockwise from above): the Armory Show;
Rashaad Newsome; Dawn of Man, video still from benefiting MoMA and PS1. This year, Dawn of Man was commissioned
a site-specific projection at Armory 2011; Dawn of
Man, Holy Cow (detail); Adam Krueger, #4 Missy
to project site-specific video installations onto the ceiling of the first and
Hernandez 11-04-09; Barnett Suskin, Untitled.
Images courtesy of artists, Armory show.
second floor Atriums. The collective was nice enough to email me the pass-
word to their vimeo site so I could get a sneak-peak of the videos! You can
expect a kaleidoscopic vision of nature linked with an impressive DJ set.
I got close to the crew when I was running programming for photo L.A.
Tuesday, March 1st earlier this year. TS+ Projects invited the collective to project images onto
continued the outside of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles during
that fair, including a three-story tall cow with a halo, laconically chewing
performances will be punctuated by some invisible grass, entitled Holy Cow.
shorter pieces throughout the evening, all
to culminate in a musical finale conducted
by Rashaad Newsome. I am especially ex-
cited to see what Newsome has in store. His Thursday, March 3rd
video work of dancers voguing in empty
undecorated rooms was a showstopper at The VIP Preview for VOLTA is one part cocktail reception and one part
the 2010 Whitney Biennale. His solo show, trip to the museum. Unlike any other art fair, the galleries at VOLTA only
which recently opened at the Wadsowrth bring one artist from their stable and showcase a mini-retrospective. Peo-
Antheneum Musem of Art, consists of col- ple tend to linger longer in the booths at VOLTA, because they value the
lages, both sound collages and works on educational experience and connection to an artist’s work. VOLTA pro-
canvas, that explore the relationship be- vides a much-needed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the other fairs.
tween the values of hip hop culture and the
Versailles of Louis the XIV. One video col- That evening TS+ Projects will be hosting a dinner and private tour of Bar-
lages together snippets from popular hip nett Suskind’s painting studio at the aritst’s home in Tribeca. Barnett paints
hop music videos to recreate the “Carmina ethereal nudes of fat women and darker portraits of hardened old men. The
Burana.” Newsome has completed two sec- women are voluminous and sculptural and the men are gaunt and geomet-
tions of the six part classical composition ric, but all are painted with historical intention and wide brush strokes.
and will likely surprise attendants with the We will be in good company, with Carlos Rivera of Rivera & Rivera Gal-
third section at the BOMB Magazine Party. lery, Los Angles, Simmy Swinder of Carmichael Gallery, Los Angeles, and
Andre Escarameia and Alex Slovensky of Rooster Gallery, New York, at the
table. There will be plenty of sake for this omakase sushi dinner.

22 A|C|A March 2011

 Saturday, March 5th
Today I will shift into curatorial overdrive. Along with ArtStar founder
Chrissy Crawford, I start out giving tours of VOTLA to members of the
Soho House. I am very happy to be working with Chrissy, whose company
is dedicated to making top-tier artist works available at affordable prices.
Her website, ArtStar.com, releases limited edition prints of original works
by leading contemporary artists. Prices range from 25 to 250 dollars. I
was asked to be Guest Expert on the site last month and fell in love with a
Jim Riswold photograph titled Jeff Koons goes to the Bank, which depicts
a shopping cart full of balloon dollar bills. The photograph pokes fun at
sceptics who think that contemporary artists are playing a practical joke by
creating work that doesn’t adhere to traditional ideas of aesthetics. At the
same time the artist is seriously questioning the out of control spending in
the art world.

Mint and Serf are back! Formally the directors of the Canal Chapter in
Friday, March 4th Chinatown, the street art duo are moving to Chelsea after a two year hiatus.
The opening show will be a salon style showcase of their favorite artists and
Today, I will take a break from the art a percentage of sales will go towards the Free Arts Foundation. I am hoping
fairs to check in with the auction world. to snag new work by Adam Krueger, who will be presenting a series of still
The success of the Sotheby’s London Con- lifes. This series consist of drawings in plastic bags that mimic evidence
temporary evening sale on February 15 collected at a crime scene. On closer inspection, the drawings are remnants
brought a restored sense of excitement of a failed relationship, including a hyper realistic rendering of the DVD
back into the depressed art market. Art “Home Alone” hermetically sealed in plastic. Adam compares the myste-
professionals are looking up as high re- rious and ominous objects that remain in the aftermath of an unknown
sults signify an end to the bitter years of violence to the pain and isolation left behind after a break up. Adam crafts
economic downturn. Good results at The a haunting metaphor about the lingering pain caused by absence and im-
Phillips De Pury Contemporary sale will permanence through comedic interpretation of shocking events.
renew collector confidence and could lead
to big sales during the final days of the art From there I will head to Susan Sarandon’s Ping Pong Club SPiN for
fairs. If you can’t make it to Phillps to view the official VOLTA NY party. After a long week of buying, selling, and
the upcoming lots, download the Phillips schmoozing, I’ll be letting my hair down at this artist vs. art dealer ping
de Pury iPhone app and browse the cata- pong tournament. Nothing like some healthy competition — and compli-
logue anywhere, anytime. Applications mentary gin cocktails — to unwind after a long week.
specific to the the art world are on the rise,
with all auctions and fairs investing in on- Around two a.m. I will spill into a cab and head to Le Bain at the Stan-
line counterparts to their on-the-ground dard Hotel for some deep-into-the-night disco. My gallery friends from
sales. James Cohan’s online only VIP Art London, Los Angeles, and Paris will all be leaving soon and the night will
Fair seemed like an original concept a few end with promises to link up soon at Art Basel, Switzerland and in Venice
months ago, but now it seems that every for the biennale. [Even before the show, I received emails from my closest
art fair will be moving towards online in- girlfriends asking whether their cotton summer dresses will wrinkle dur-
tergration. ing the plane ride to Switzerland.]

I will most likely leave the auction a bit

early and head over the to the Chelsea Art
Museum for the Humble Arts Founda- Sunday March 6th
tion party celebrating the launch of The
Collectors Guide to New Art Photography Time to recover from Saturday’s festivities. Following a brunch of the but-
Vol. 2. The book is comprised of 100 pho- termilk pancakes at Joe Doe on First Street, I will head over to the Metro-
tographs selected by Vanessa Kramer, the politan Pavilion and take one last look at the PULSE Art Fair before head-
Director of Photographs at Phillips De ing home and tumbling into bed.
Pury & Company.

Feature 23
 FINDING THE NOBLE
IN IGNOBLE TIMES
by Roberta Carasso

Entering Darkness: Dorothy Wahlstrom, Nurse At Dachau, 1945, 2001, oil On Canvas, 130”x387” inches (six panel).

Jerome Witkin’s art begins with cityscapes, landscapes, individual por- body of work far from mainstream influences.
traits, but soars when he creates monumental depictions of cataclys- The distance from New York City, or from any
mic and heroic events that span multiple canvasses. In each painting, major art center, allows him to work indepen-
he takes us through a powerful visual journey narrated through mean- dently with greater freedom, be master of his
ingful mark-making, colors, shapes, and textures. Even after viewing a convictions, and undeterred by trends and
painting multiple times, there is still much to discover; Witkin’s art is fashions. Yet, whenever Witkin exhibits his
not a depiction nor is it meant to be a likeness. The work demands to art — and he continually does — his paintings
be contemplated, digested, experienced, and felt on a the level of the dominate whatever gallery or museum they are
soul. Witkin, now 71, has developed a masterful body of work. in. As a result, his enormous following includes
The subject that I find most captivating is how Witkin gives us many people who travel great distances to see
an x-ray view into the nature of good and evil and, most importantly, whatever Witkin exhibits.
how he portrays the enormous efforts it takes for good to prevail. In an Witkin’s sensitivity to social issues of jus-
interview, speaking off the cuff, he revealed what makes his art stand tice and injustice was formed early. In Brook-
out above others. He said that he searches “for the noble in ignoble lyn, he was born one of triplets. His sister died
times.” Through his passionate art, Witkin conveys the limitless capac- at birth, but he grew up with his identical twin
ity of the human spirit — its individual holiness even in the midst of brother Joel. Unheard of in 1939, Witkin’s fa-
its tremors, tragedies, and bliss. ther was Jewish and his mother Catholic. The
Ensconced as a professor of art at Syracuse University for 40 schism made the intelligent child question
years, 2011 will initiate a traveling exhibition of 40 years of Witkin’s who he was, where he owed his allegiance, and
art. The retrospective will begin at Syracuse University and be shown how he fit in. The dilemma raised conflicts and
across the US. His primary dealer, Jack Rutberg, of Jack Rutberg Fine questions, particularly because the marriage
Arts in Los Angeles, orchestrates many of his exhibitions. But while
other artists clamor to be in the center of art, Witkin creates his unique
Taken, 2002-03, oil on can-
vas, 108”x348” (4 panels).

Feature 25
 Greenpoint, the Brooklyn boy rubbed
elbows with such greats and so-
cial minded artists as Isabel Bishop,
George Grosz, Jack Levine, Rafael
Soyer, and Ben Shahn. For the first
time, he saw how professional, com-
mitted artists conduct their lives, pur-
sue their art, and were undaunted in
expressing their beliefs.
Excelling in art as an older teen,
Witkin became complacent until, as
an undergraduate, he met at Cooper
Union his instructor, the painter Vic-
tor Candel. Witkin, now a bit smug
and lacking humility, was ignored by
his instructor, who never invited him
for a crit as he did other students.
Realizing that something was wrong,
Witkin asked Candel for a crit. Can-
del, a very small man with a thick ac-
cent left to go to the library, return-
ing with a huge art history book. He
opened it to Michelangelo’s Pieta. The
two stared in silence, until Candel
said: “Vitkin, do you think she is bab-
ysitting?” This perceptive statement
caused an immediate paradigm shift,
as Witkin, realizing the shallowness
of what he had been creating, under-
stood the message. Never again did
he make art that was meaningless.
Today Witkin spends from two
to three years to complete a paint-
ing. They are not only large in size,
but immense in concept, context, and
spirit. He works on a series and ro-
tates the work, spending a great deal
broke up and his youth was spent during the Holocaust era of time in contemplation and down
when news of the war and what was happening to Jews by and dirty paint work. A characteristic of Witkin’s brush
non-Jews was a never ending topic. is how the marks change depending on what he paints. In
Drawn to art to express the unexplainable, at seven scenes of goodness and perfection, his strokes sing, lovingly
Witkin went to a Catholic after-school art program run by applied, glistening with grandeur. But when he deals with
nuns. Although he continued for several years, the child unsettling subjects of human aberrations, the brush begins
questioned their rigid approach to art-making and their of- to growl, strokes become distorted, and colors are duller.
fering a conformist point-of-view for a boundless activity. Witkin’s paintings are never uniform in expression. Seen in
As a teen he attended the prestigious Music and Art High a larger context of paint applications -- brushstrokes, col-
School, composed largely of Jewish students and Jewish ors, textures, and composition -- they each respond to the
teachers, where he was impressed with feeling comfortable narrative as powerful voices that insist on being heard.
in this highly intellectual and freely inquiring atmosphere. Witkin has taken on difficult, even impossible sub-
With a Catholic upbringing, he struggled to choose which jects of a lone individual or a group of individuals who dis-
belief system suited him. He resolved the conflict into a play superhuman courage to right a wrong: the Holocaust,
valuable salvo: “arrive at your own ideals and stick to them.” Black History, Martin Luther King, the Trial of Adolph
Witkin grew into the quintessential promising young Eichmann, Hiroshima, 9/11, and obscure saints and heroes,
art student, winning a scholarship to the then fairly new as well as homage to artists he admires — Käthe Kollwitz
Skowhegan School of Art in Maine. Never being out of and Rembrandt Van Rijn. The apex of Witkin’s talents is

26 A|C|A March 2011

when his heroic protagonist intuits the need to fearlessly Jerome Witkin: (opposite page top) Rocco’s Garage: The Light Be-
fore Rain, 2001, oil on canvas, 36”x56”; (opposite page bottom) The
stands up for principles — even against all odds — and German Girl, 1997, oil on canvas, 80”x124” overall; (directly below)
Vincent Van Gogh and Death, 1987, mixed media drawing, 84”x48”;
in the end, triumphs. With honest yet wry humor, Wit- (bottom of this page) The Insult And Young Martin, 2004-2007, oil on
canvas, 25’ 6” (five panels). Images courtesy of Jack Rutberg Fine Arts.
kin states: “I don’t know how to make polite paintings.”
In 2001, Witkin created six irregularly shaped
panels on the theme of the Holocaust. They were shown
at the 2006 Broken Beauty exhibition at the Laguna Art
Museum in Laguna Beach, CA. The exhibition, a theme
rarely examined, looked at the dark side of suffering.
But there was a lighter side too, as artists selected for
the exhibition showed that the human spirit always
moves towards resolution, even when beauty is broken.
Like the Hebrew language, Witkin’s paintings, entitled
Entering Darkness, is read from right to left. The nar-
rative is based on a diary of a little known Christian
nurse from Minnesota, Dorothy Wahlstrom, who, in
1945, was among the first liberators to enter Dachau,
the infamous concentration camp. Witkin places the
nurse in every panel, except the third. Dressed in her
angelic white uniform, Wahlstrom moves through the
panels. Flashlight in hand, her healthy purity is a sharp
contrast to the filth surrounding her and the hell that
was the camp. For Witkin, creating the series was his
response to atrocities, portraying horrors at their most
glaring. His goal was to shed light on truth. Witkin’s
contribution to the Broken Beauty exhibition is his
conviction that evil can never be eradicated unless it
is recognized and exposed. In the last panel, the evil
now exposed changes Wahlstrom. She sits meditatively
alone on a cot wearing her military jacket, as the freed
survivors leave healthy and renewed.
In his work, Witkin creates for those among
us who realize that art can be a powerful weapon.
Wrenching subjects in the hands of a lesser artist would
be impossible to reduce to a canvas or a series of can-
vasses. But here is where Witkin is master. Through his
forthright paintings, he tackles, head on, the nature of
ignobility, plowing deeply through the muck that is hell
until he arrives at portraying, in epic proportions, the
noble soul of a rare few. For this alone, Jerome Witkin’s
art will stand the test of time, become classic, and will
be appreciated far into the future.

Feature 27
 Letter from Washington, DC
F. Lennox Campello

The new buzz around the DC art scene these days has been art,” said Mera Rubell. “DC is known for its extraordinary
created by the announcement of a new type of art fair com- cultural institutions and as an international political capital,
ing to DC later this year. The fair will be called (e)merge and and we’ve discovered it also has a uniquely plugged-in, vital
the organizers describe it as a “vetted art fair focused on and energetic arts community that’s poised for broader rec-
emerging artists and ognition.”
galleries with emerg- Applications for gal-
ing art.” The fair will leries, nonprofits, and
run September 22- artists will be available
25, 2011, at the Mor- on (e)merge’s Web site
ris Lapidus-designed in the near future. A
Capitol Skyline hotel committee of interna-
in Washington, DC, tional art professionals
which is owned by the will evaluate submis-
well-known and highly sions. Artists, currently
respected art collect- without representa-
ing couple Mera and tion, wishing to exhibit
Don Rubell and adja- will submit proposals
cent to the site of the for experimental proj-
their future museum. ects in noncommercial
According to the or- formats. Vetting and
ganizers (Leigh Con- advisory committee
ner and Jamie Smith, lists will be announced
co-founders of Con- at a later date. Addi-
ner Contemporary in tional info about the
Washington, DC, and art fair is available at
Helen Allen, founder emergeartfair.com.
and former director of
PULSE Contemporary Elsewhere in the DMV
Art Fair), “(e)merge (how locals describe
will feature multiple the area or “District –
platforms: dozens of Maryland – Virginia”):
international galler- although we saw a sig-
ies; artist, curator and nificant decrease in
collector panel discus- the number of DMV
sions and tours; per- galleries attending the
formances; and, exhi- Art Basel art fair week
bition opportunities extravaganza in Miami
for artists currently last December, one of
without representa- the consistent fair par-
tion to present, free of ticipants is Civilian Art
charge, performances, Projects, and their ex-
installations, interven- hibition titled “climate,
tions or other work. control,” a three-per-
“There’s an exciting son exhibition curated
art scene happening Sam Gilliam, "Nite III", 2011, acrylic on birch, 30 x 17.5 x 4.75 inches. by Kristina Bilonick
in DC and I’m thrilled and Karyn Miller fea-
that Capitol Skyline will be the site of (e)merge. This fair is turing J.J. McCracken, Jan Razauskas, and Millicent Young
a fresh, original and provocative approach to experiencing is one not to miss this winter. The exhibition title “climate,

28 A|C|A March 2011

control” refers to the artists' “response
to their immediate surroundings” and
since the three artists in this exhibi-
tion work in drastically different ma-
terials, that response will be an inter-
esting one to observe. I suspect that
the superbly talented J.J. McCracken
will steal this show as she often does
whenever she’s in a group show en-
vironment. McCracken is just one of
those wizards who have the rare gift
of transforming mundane materials
and objects into sublime conceptual
realizations. This is a rare talent in a
postmodernist era where often ideas
are more interesting than their artis-
tic delivery.

Sam Gilliam (see opposite page) is

the DMV’s best known and most ac-
complished artist, and his newest
paintings are on exhibition at Marsha
Mateyka Gallery through March 22.
These new works continue Gilliam’s
abduction of painting from the com-
mon stretched canvas onto all kinds
of new substrates. What Gilliam has
done so intelligently over the many
years of his historical practice, and
continues to do with this exhibition,
is to guide the reinvention of paint- J.J. McCracken, Libation Vessel, with Young Rhizopus Hyphae, 2008, archival pigment print, 28”x23”, edition: 4.

ing through a variety of new places

and things where the paint itself finds anchor to deliver (Director of The Kreeger Museum), Marsha Mateyka (Gil-
beauty and composition. Concurrent with this show, "Sam liam’s dealer and owner of the Marsha Mateyka Gallery)
Gilliam: Flour Mill", a site specific installation at The Phil- and Claudia Rousseau (a well-known DMV art critic and
lips Collection (as part of the museum's "90 Years of New" art historian). As stated by Rousseau, “Creating a group
celebration) opened at the end of January and continues portfolio and exhibiting together express the ideas of unity
through April 24, 2011. and identity that are underlying motives of the project, and
Gilliam’s deep footprint on the DMV art scene is also which are vital to sustaining a thriving artistic communi-
on view at the Kreeger Museum, where their show titled In ty.” This show, like any group show, has its weaknesses and
Unison: 20 Washington, DC Artists was essentially a show strengths. On the latter, the venerable E.J. Montgomery,
derived from a monoprint project initiated by Sam Gilliam. and the multi-talented Martha Jackson-Jarvis and Michael
To put together the Kreeger show, Gilliam invited 19 es- B. Platt delivered superb entries to the show, while acade-
tablished and respected painters, sculptors, printmakers, micians Paula Crawford and Walter Kravitz disappointed
digital media and installation artists working in different somewhat. The show goes through February 26
styles, to join him in creating several print portfolios. Each
artist then made a set of five monoprints, one of which was For more Washington, DC, news from Lenny Campello,
chosen for the show by Sam Gilliam, Judy A. Greenberg read his blog online at dcartnews.blogspot.com.

Feature 29
 PROFILE: GINA GENIS
by Roberta Carasso

Gina Genis uses her camera as her inner eye, panning in- tell much about the individual soul and its desire to keep its
tensely to excavate hidden behaviors of the human condi- secrets.
tion. I first saw Genis’ images at the highly touted OsCene The two series — Window Peeping and The Things
exhibition at the Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA. We Leave Behind — reveal Genis’ dedication to showing
OsCene is in its third incarnation, a type of biannual of how society is getting older and how the elderly are treated.
the best local artists. Genis exhibited some of her Window In this sense, her work is often a social commentary based
Peeping series by peering into windows of senior citizens at on factual research. Even in her 20s she understood that
night and finding out how they live. people can become invisible. Our youth obsessed culture
Like a voyeur, Genis created another series, entitled can even make people feel and be discarded.
Things We Leave Behind. Genis asked to go into a deceased Needless to say, the photographs brought her much
man’s house and discovered his tendencies to hoard. At first attention. They were filled with life and loneliness, pain, de-
going into strangers’ home felt intrusive, but the discoveries privation, and ways of coping in a society where the elderly
were worth the inconveniences. She was introduced to col- and sickly can easily be forgotten. Window Peeping won
lections, compulsions, and things people find important to Genis a dual solo exhibit at Cypress College, along with an-
save, personal effects, letters, utensils, and objects of nostal- other series entitled Kala (a Sanskrit word for time). Genis
gia. Everyone seeks his own details and everyone is obses- was unexpectedly juried into the Minneapolis Photo Center
sive in some way. Genis captured these in rare photos that show with August at Inspiration Point, an image from the

30 A|C|A March 2011

Kala series. It has to do with our
responsibilities with controlling
nature; or, as she questions - is it
possible? As in all her photogra-
phy, Genis is a deep thinker, of-
fering the viewer something to
chew on while never presenting
“just a pretty picture.”
Genis’ latest endeavor is
entitled the Tunnel series. The
best of these were exhibited in
November 2010 at Notion Fine
Art in Laguna Beach. It began
when she was given special-
ized lenses by the lens company
who sponsored her work. Ge-
nis came upon a tunnel at Aliso
Creek Beach and walked into it,
camera in hand. This led unexpectedly to an emotional re- the bright light came out in distortions of colors, creating
sponse to a completely fresh situation. With the idea that a strange luminosity from the irregularity of light waves
some people are afraid of the dark and in a tunnel there is moving in a circumscribed area. The colors look eerie even
that proverbial light at its end, Genis began to shoot, ea- manipulated, although they are not, and always appear
ger to see what would transpire. Because of back lighting, wonderful. In them, Genis captures an enchanting scenario

Feature 31
Genis: (top) image from Things We Leave Behind
series, (bottom) from Window Peeping series.

where the scene seems real, but the

distortion of light and color catch
the viewer off guard.
Intrigued by the new effects of
light, Genis realized that the tunnel
offered her enormous lighting pos-
sibilities. Artists have always been
captivated by the contrast of light
and dark. The idea of chiaroscuro
was first used in the Renaissance
to distinguish the sharp contrast
of light from dark and to delineate
an object. Over centuries, artist
found that light and darkness af-
ford broader meaning that became
essential to the contemporary ar-
tistic vocabulary. In her current
series, Genis shows us the essence
of darkness as it contrast with the
essence of light and how colors be-
come altered because of the combi-
nation back lighting and the archi-
tectural nature of tunnel that forces
light into one area.
Although the Tunnel series
was a particular situation, for Ge-
nis, it is when she is actually shoot-
ing that the work sparks ideas.
Characteristically, her work is a re-
action to a highly emotional situa-
tion that is neither happy nor pret-
ty. As a professional, Genis spends
a lot of time working through pos-
sibilities. She has been a serious
photographer since she was 16, go-
ing on to complete a degree from
Parsons The New School for De-
sign in NYC. Photography was her
first visual form and love. At first,
photography meant designing for the theater. But being ic improvement, she came closer and closer to working as if
such an outdoors person, photography then meant hours she were painting with great clarity. It is important to add,
and hours in the dark room. Who would want to spend that having the intimate experience of working in a dark
beautiful days indoors when the world of nature beckoned room and watching the development of an image from its
outside? Genis could not bring herself to be inside. She inception to completion has added to her visual expertise.
shifted to being a painting major. Still drawn to photogra- Even when using a digital camera, Genis is always aware
phy, she became involved with mixed media of illuminated of the photographic process and the best ways to bring an
manuscripts because she could combine photography and image to fruition. Perhaps that is why I believes that Gina
painting. But a miracle occurred; the digital camera came Genis is a photographer to be watched.
on the scene. In 2004 she bought her first digital camera,
another in 2006, and another 2007. With each photograph- For more information, visit ginagenis.com

32 A|C|A March 2011

 EXHIBITIONS

NEW YORK CITY

Los Carpineteros Los Carpinteros are without question the flood the gallery as a reminder of the pe-
Sean Kelly Chelsea most significant artists to have emerged rennial threat of observation in totalitar-
[through Mar 19] from Cuba in the last decade. The central ian regimes. The second gallery will con-
theme in their work is the idea of transfor- tain Cuarteto (see left), a melted salsa band
mation. According to the artists, that trans- comprised of drums, congas and a standup
formation sometimes occurs “in the mor- bass. The work addresses politics and ide-
phology and physicality of an object and at ologies with the artists’ trademark sense of
other times in its meaning, interpretation humor. The musical instruments appear to
and function.” As such, Los Carpinteros al- be melting into brightly colored pools on
low the titles “to reveal something, a certain the ground, as if they had been exposed
form of meaning or to subvert the official to high temperature or pressure – literally
meaning that people attribute to things.” having a “meltdown” – a metaphor for the
The title of the new exhibition, Rumba psychological meltdown of individuals in
Muerta, is meant to conjure up an imagi- some constrained societies. Sala de Lectura
nary world evocative of the dying notes at Ovalada (see left), a ten-foot high reading
the end of a bittersweet song. The exhibi- room devoid of books, will be installed
tion will be comprised of three distinct in the main gallery, surrounded by three
sculptural installations. Luces del Estadio large-scale drawings. The installation ref-
del Pueblo (People´s Stadium Lights) will be erences ideas about confinement through
installed in the first gallery and alludes to the control of individuals and informa-
an ambivalent symbolism sometimes asso- tion. This reading room, which functions
ciated with urban architectural structures. as both furniture and architecture, takes
Its form is inspired by the PanAmerican its shape from panopticon prisons, a con-
stadium in Havana, which was built for the figuration developed in the 18th century
PanAmerican Games in 1991. The stadium allowing a centrally placed guard to watch
was intended to be a symbol of economic prisoners without them being aware that
strength, but instead became an indicator they are being observed and monitored.
of the acute financial crisis that occurred Rumba Muerta is timed to coincide with
during the Nineties. The harsh glare of the this year’s Armory Show, which focuses on
lights from the imposing sculptures will Latin American art.

Hope Gangloff’s is a life examined and a picture of being in a modern world, an

perceptively recorded with unfailing at- eloquent hard won beauty. [Concurrently a
tention to detail. Paintings of friends and survey of Hope Gangloff ’s work can be seen
colleagues capture a personal American at the Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield, CT.]
Vision, a modern day
Dick and Nicole Div-
er who by some turn
LOS CARPINTEROS: (top) Cuarteto, 2011 (de-
tail), painted wood, metal and chromed bronze, of events have found
unique. (bottom) Sala de Lectura Ovalada, 2011
(interior detail) Ultralight MDF, 118.13”x276.5”x
themselves inhabit-
166.87”, unique with 1AP. Photos: Jason Wyche,
New York. Both works © Los Carpinteros. Cour-
ing a Brooklyn cold-
tesy of Sean Kelly Gallery, New York. water flat. Psycho-
logical portraits, each
picture hints at a back
Hope Gangloff story and inner life
Susan Inglett SoHo as suggested by the
[through Mar 12] artist’s frenzied line
(right) Gangloff, Polish Springs and Things,
and distinctive pal-
2011, Acrylic on canvas, 36”x58” / 38”x61”x2.5”. ette. Gangloff paints

34 A|C|A March 2011

 EXHIBITIONS

In the 1980’s, Mel Kendrick was recognized In a surprising result, the print becomes a Mel Kendrick
for his small-scaled sculptures carved from seismographic read out of the process of David Nolan Chelsea
wood. By cutting, slicing, rearranging, glu- the reconstruction of the trunk with the [Mar 17 - Apr 30]
ing and doweling fragments of wooden dovetails functioning as markers on the
blocks, Kendrick created eccentric vertical time line. “BDF” (“Big Daddy Fun” 1995)
configurations suggesting spiraling move- is the only cast sculpture in the exhibition.
ment and expression while at the same Comprised of a grotesquely gnarled and cut
time evoking the static and anchored as- tree branch standing next to its cast rubber
pects of totems and primitive art. In 1995, double, both objects appear poised in un-
however, Kendrick broke radically with the gainly mid-step. Kendrick was interested in
work of the previous decade to embrace a pairing two objects in which one emerges
more conceptual and analytical approach from the other yet remains unique, much
to material and process. This reappraisal, like Robert Rauschenberg’s fascinating yet
as well as a new acknowledgement of the absurd and ultimately futile attempt at cre-
anthropomorphic nature of the vertical ating identical paintings with “Factum I”
objects, exposed more clearly the informal and “Factum II.” Dialectical relationships
narrative. As his approach became more also came into Kendrick’s visual vocabulary
straightforward and his decision-making of pairings when he began to think in terms
was made more visible, fewer cuts severed of interior versus exterior space--and top
the wood while bases and supports for versus bottom. In “First Coring” (2000), the
the pieces became subject matter within inside pulp of the limb of a tree was cored
the sculptures themselves. This exhibi- out and reassembled in jigsaw fashion right
tion, Works from 1995 to Now, features five next to the bark or “skin” of the same ele-
sculptures and work on paper. In “Black ment. White plastic ties suture the exterior
Trunk,” one of the sculptures in the exhibi- of the branch together while steel rods,
tion from 1995, a formidable, hollowed out bolts, and nuts support the interior. A simi-
tree trunk has been cut apart horizontally lar process is employed in the making of
and reassembled. Dovetail joints originally “Plug and Shell” (2000), “plug” referring to
held the sculpture together but were later the hollowed out part of the sculpture and
removed when Kendrick realized that by “shell” to the exterior skin. In this case, the Mel Kendrick: (top) Big Daddy Fun, 1995;
the pressure of its own weight, the sculp- rough and highly recognizable “treeness” (bottom) Plug And Shell, 2000.

ture would remain intact and standing. of the exterior serves as a stark contrast to
Voids left by the dovetails allow light to per- its denuded twin. Mel Kendrick currently
meate the dark brooding mass of the emp- lives in New York. Most recently, Kendrick’s Kris Scheifele
tied whole that measures close to ten feet sculpture was featured in the Mad. Sq. Art Janet Kurnatowski Brooklyn
tall. Kendrick inked the cylindrical surface Public Program at Madison Square Park in [through Mar 20]
of “Black Trunk” to create a ‘woodblock’ New York 2008-2009. Beginning March 26,
of the surface entitled “Trunk Drawing.” his new work will be shown at Mary Boone.

Cast, a collection of recent works by Kris physical presence, and the manipulation
Scheifele, is comprised of a selection of of human form. The work is raw in both
works from the artist’s Contortion series its process and presentation, as it displays
project, exploring the process and the in- paint solely as paint. These pulled and
vestigation of what paint can do physi- pierced shapes comment on the common
cally. Scheifele’s objects, which she labels tradition of supports by eliminating them
as Contortions, are created by the buildup all together, while creating a fresh display
of acrylic paint applied in layers on top of of art as material. Kris Scheifele’s work has
one another. These coated slabs are pulled been included in numerous shows, includ-
up, then sliced, carved, and/or peeled, and ing exhibitions at CUE Art Foundation,
hung on the wall. When hung, gravity takes PS122 Gallery, 92YTribeca, and LMAK
over, which stretches, sags, and bends the Projects. She was a 2009 Joan Mitchell Scheifele, Sacrificial Contortion, 2010, acrylic
Contortions into shapes that allude to time, Foundation MFA Grant recipient. paint, acetate, 70"x18"x26". Photo: Cary Wittier.

Exhibitions 35
 EXHIBITIONS

Caroline Walker Vantage Point, British artist Caroline Walker follows in a long and grand tradi-
Ana Cristea Chelsea Walker's first solo exhibition in the United tion. But as a younger woman depicting a
[through Mar 16] States, beckons the viewer into a strange slightly older, often sensuous yet vulnerable
world somewhere between the real and woman, Walker is arguably turning that
the virtual; a world the French philosopher tradition on its head as the viewer is con-
Michel Foucault has called 'the utopia of fronted with a kind of implied sisterhood:
the placeless place.' The works Walker has one woman observing another's toilet, em-
made for this show derive from sets she cre- pathising with her anxieties and insecuri-
ated in a house in London. Yet though the ties, and laughing with her as she cavorts in
starting point for Walker's work is an ac- her underwear and explores the unknown
tual place, the strange and unexpected van- terrain of a stranger's house. Walker only
tage points she exploits result in a painted works with one female model at a time, but
world that feels like a surreal version of re- because of the mirror, her subject is end-
ality. The scenes she creates open up, turn lessly repeatable. Is the woman she depicts
around and delve behind the surfaces of engaging with multiple versions of herself,
mirrors. With their vertiginous angles and or is Walker playing with her own vari-
strategically-placed, suggestive props (rub- ous imaginings of her subject? Certainly
ber gloves, hair clips, plastic bags, oranges), the viewer is privy to an intensely focused
Walker's paintings are indebted to both drama: a woman's seemingly private mo-
Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958) and the recent ments made public in a dream-like atmo-
film Chloe (2009), which opens with the sphere. The mirror that recurs in Walker's
female protagonist looking at herself in a work (and that has been historically associ-
mirror. Paintings of the past and present are ated with vanity or esoteric knowledge) is
even more obvious influences on Walker's surely the most obvious manifestation of
work. Hockney's early L.A. interiors come her interest in objects with special symbolic
Caroline Walker: (top) Vantage Point, 2010, oil on canvas,
to mind, as does Manet's lively depiction and art historical resonance. At times dis-
71.5”x 83”; (bottom) Conservation, 2010, oil on canvas,
79”x114”. Courtesy of the artist and Ana Cristea Gallery. of the mirrored Bar at the Folies-Bergère turbing, at others humorous or even won-
(1882), but the domestic scenes and nudes drous, Walker's paintings direct the viewer
are also reminiscent of the Euston Road to a world that is both familiar and strange.
Mark Lombardi School and Lucian Freud. In choosing to Neither wholly real nor fully imagined, it is
Pierogi Brooklyn engage with the female model as subject, indeed a 'placeless place.'
[through Apr 3]
Mark Lombardi: (top) Bill Clinton, the Lippo Group,
and Jackson Stephens of Little Rock, Arkansas (5th
Version), 1999, graphite and colored pencil on paper, Mark Lombardi (1951-2000) is primar- them into his artwork. He continued to be
ily known for his diagrammatic drawings fascinated by power relationships and av-
61.25”x80.5”. (bottom) Inner Sanctum: The Pope and
His Bankers Michele Sindona and Roberto Calvi, ca.
1959-82 (5th Version) , 1998, colored pencil and graph-
ite on paper, 56.5”x126.25”. Photos: John Berens. that he referred to as “narrative structures.” idly followed reporting on the savings and
This exhibition will include a number of loan scandals of the 1980s and early '90s.
those drawings — from simple preparatory He became interested in writing on these
sketches to precisely executed pieces — but topics but, at a certain point, realized that
will also focus on the working process he the diagrams he'd begun making — keep-
employed to develop and complete them; ing the details visually organized in order
featuring a reading area with a selection to keep them organized in his mind — were
from his reference books, the sole video potentially of much more interest than his
interview with the artist, and other materi- writing. The same research materials he'd
als. Lombardi used for his writing became the source
was fasci- material for his drawings; primarily syndi-
nated by the cated news articles and published books, by
subjects of his this time. A selection of these materials will
drawings and be included in the exhibition. On view will
became inter- be the full length version of the sole video
ested in the interview where the artist describes and
topics long demonstrates his working process. Also
before he in- included are rarely-seen, black and white
corporated abstract paintings.

36 A|C|A March 2011

 EXHIBITIONS

WASHINGTON / BOSTON
Image/Fame/Memory features works by the photographic image as it circulates in “Image/Fame/Memory”
four major portrait and documentary pho- all forms of media. As Madonna herself Irvine Washington DC
tographers: Curtis Knapp, Gerard Malanga, famously said in her 1991 movie, Truth or [Mar 11 - Apr 16]
Billy Name, and Kate Simon. They are all Dare, "what’s the point of doing anything
known for the iconic power of their images off camera?" Most of the people repre-
in circulating fame and contributing to the sented in these images are known through
cultural memory of the past four decades. many years of conventional celebrity photo
Many of the photographs are being exhib- genres--magazine spreads, staged promo-
ited for the first time. Two of the photog- tional shots, and media coverage. The pho-
raphers, Billy Name and Kate Simon, have tographs in Image/Fame/Memory were
also recently collaborated with Shepard selected to show photographers working
Fairey in the creation of new images that in more personal, reflective, candid, and
extend the memory and symbolic power interpretive ways with their subjects, cre-
of the original photographs in a new me- ating images that compel us to reconsider
dium and new cultural moment. Fame, ce- the people known only through multiple
lebrity, and memory are inseparable from streams of photographic imagery.

Amend, an exhibition of 6 photographs sues that arise from their own relationship. Shepard Fairey (in collaboration with Billy Name and Kate

from Canadian collaborative team Nicho- The Pyes allude to their own relationship in Simon), Nico, canvas screenprint, 2010, collaborative im-
age with photograph by Billy Name.

las & Sheila Pye. In this exhibition, the Pyes a creative way, yet their work shares univer-
once again perform in front of the camera sal themes about a union that is no longer Nicholas & Sheila Pye
to create a series of tableaux that reflect the tenable between people. One trenchant as- Curator’s Office Wash DC
transition from their union to their separa- pect of this body of work is that the Pyes [through Apr 2]
tion from one another. The artists explore give the impression that they are faking
the powerful ties that unite people on differ- their deaths to take mortality, blame, and
ent levels, even during separation and de- repentance into account. The title, Amend,
parture. In these six works the artists delve refers to the modification of their relation-
into powerful subjects such as the death of ship in search of something better and
a relationship, vulnerability, denial, accep- raises questions about what it means to get
tance and release with an ambiguous un- angry, to refuse, to love and lose, to accept
dercurrent of hopeful transformation and that change and be forever altered. [This
resurrection. The Pyes relentlessly blur the exhibition coincides with the presentation
borders between their lives and their art as of their three-channel video installation,
they tackle the highly charged yet poetic is- The Coronation, at The Phillips Collection.]

Nicholas & Sheila Py, Amend, 2010, archival digital C-print

mounted onto aluminum, ed. 1/5 from an edition of 5 + 2
Jack Schneider is painterly, as long as we graphic linked to retail backgrounds and APs. Courtesy of Curator's Office, Washington, DC.

don’t mean the return to abstraction as art. the subliminal issue of captivation and so-
He, and other painters of today, slur both cial issues like gender that are unavoidable
Jack Schneider
abstractions and representations, ignor- when considering salesmanship. Imperfect Anthony Greaney Boston
ing the idea of a single reality from which and worn, the surface of these works are [through Mar 31]
abstractions can be made. The fervent ren- alive. He distances his work further from
dition of inaccuracy and the anchoring of the European model of easel painting and
this similarity in difference, is the practical American abstraction, in the way he han-
representation of our experiences. Oddly dles surface in his paintings and sculptures:
similar to the bold graphic and geometric he treats them as equals. His optically cor-
themes of Kenneth Noland/Louis and their rupt surfaces are not blunders but instead
muse, Frankenthaler, the hounds tooth emphasize the boundary between optical
pattern is used by Schneider as a scalable trick and subjective insight. -John Pyper Jack Schneider, installation view.

Exhibitions 37
 EXHIBITIONS

LOS ANGELES
Terry Allen and This new multimedia, multi-dimensional environment of the ship hold and the cot
Rebecca Campbell exhibition by Terry Allen that includes to which Artaud was laid captive, and in-
L.A. Louver Venice two video/sculpture installations, a sound- cludes screens with projected excerpts of
[Mar 10 - Apr 16] based environment, and over a dozen films in which Artaud performed. The
multi-paneled works on paper. In GHOST second, MOMO Lo Mismo, 2010, is a video-
SHIP RODEZ: The Momo Chronicles, Al- based multi-screened installation present-
len pursues a fictional investigation of what ed in marionette form, with projections of
may have happened in the mind of French Jo Harvey Allen’s “Daughter of the Heart”
artist, playwright and actor Antonin Ar- performance. Romancing the Apocalypse,
taud during a 17-day journey restrained in an exhibition of new paintings by Rebecca
the dark hold of the freighter Washington Campbell, is a meditation on extremes. Her
in 1937, and later, in various mental insti- subjects are drawn from both nature: the
tutions. Allen developed this visual and ephemeral light of rainbows and the radi-
sound-based exhibition from his ideas and ance of young girls, and the man-made: the
sets for a theatre piece, also titled Ghost spectacular light of fireworks and the power
Ship Rodez. A 40-minute recording of the of the atomic bomb. Campbell captures the
performance features in the installation energy of her subjects using broad, sweep-
that is presented in L.A. Louver’s south gal- ing brushstrokes, and a rich, varied palette,
lery. In this sound-based piece, acclaimed in over a dozen, smaller-scale paintings (no
actress, writer and artist Jo Harvey Al- larger than 20” x 12”). These singular sub-
len performs as the voice of “Daughter of jects, are accompanied by two large paint-
(top) Terry Allen, Ghost Ship, 2010 , mixed me- the Heart,” a clairvoyant chameleon and ings (4’x8’ and 5’x7’), each of which ex-
dia variable dimensions, ship suspended approxi-
mately 4' above floor, overall: 14'x15'x10', floor multi-voiced narrator. The exhibition will plores a complex psychological drama and
space: 15' x 15'. (bottom) Rebecca Campbell,
Bang 1, 2010, oil on canvas, 16 x 12 in.
also feature two large-scale video/sculp- extremes of sensory experience.
Images courtesy of LA Louver. ture works: Ghost Ship, 2010, evokes the

central figures and their surrounding envi-

Katrin Kampmann Katrin Kampmann has arisen as the pio- ronments seem to be given equal value in
Garboushian Beverly Hills neer of Berlin’s burgeoning neue junge an abstracted tableau in which pop and his-
[Mar 19 - Apr 30] wilde (“new young wild”) art scene—a torical references spring up against person-
painterly movement marked by gestural alized narratives, both real and imagined.
strokes of color and a simultaneous layer- The return to painting, and the possibilities
ing and leveling of visual information. Cen- held therein, is a central tenet of the neue
tral to Kampmann’s work is the battery junge wilde scene mushrooming in a nat-
of pictorial dismemberments— of the icon urally spontaneous response to the multi-
from the real thing, of the event from its media art trend that has dominated Ger-
aftermath, of the signal from the noise, of man art and art schools over the past two
the two-dimensional rendering from its decades. Drawing its name from Germany’s
four-dimensional reality, and of the image Junge Wilde (“young wild”) movement—a
where it’s created from the image where it’s neo-expressionist painting style that cen-
displayed—which the artist exacts upon tered in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne
the viewer. Using a range of media and in the 1980s—the neue junge wilde shares
techniques—linocuts, oil, acrylic, watercol- with its predecessor an emphasis on sub-
ors, and Indian ink—painted, printed and jectivity and private coded language, as well
poured onto the canvas, Kampmann re- as gesture and strong coloring. As a former
veals (and conceals) layers of phenomeno- master student of Karl Horst Hödicke (of-
logical possibility. Negative space and posi- ten considered the “Father of the Junge
Kampmann: (top) Beauty Mark, Indian ink, acryl-
tively charged color dominate Kampann’s Wilde”), Kampmann is a natural de facto
ic, print and oil on canvas, 120 x 140 cm. (bot- canvases, while compositional hierarchies spearhead of the painterly revolution cur-
tom) Goodbye Tomorrow. Indian ink, acrylic, lino-
cut and oil on canvas, 250 x 400 cm. themselves appear to be dismembered— rently taking place in Berlin.

38 A|C|A March 2011

 EXHIBITIONS

Mike Saijo’s latest exhibition features a verged are what created both the physical Mike Saijo
mixed-media installation depicting mo- and the social landscape of modern day Caporale/Bleicher Santa Monica
ments in history of unexpected and lesser Los Angeles. Saijo’s Project is an attempt to [Mar 18 - Apr 5]
know cultural convergence. By looking at reconsider this history as cultural material
three different ethnographic subcultures; and to explore the various ways in which
Japanese-Americans, African Ameri- cultural material is produced. These works
cans, and the Jewish communities in and are new development for Saijo, known for
around the Los Angeles area, Saijo dis- his large scale ‘book pieces’ deconstruct-
covered that the cultural histories of each ing books into art surfaces, primarily with
group all shared one vast intersecting his- xerox transfer. For this show, Saijo has not
tory. Though ideologically different, each entirely forgone pages but instead created
culture has a shared struggle and a shared a series whose narrative is best expressed
human experience. Saijo also discovered through through photography, sketching,
that part of this shared experience was real- collage, and most notably, trans-historical
ized directly through shared space, namely paintings done in a contemporary style.
the city of Los Angeles where each culture The works stay true to his explorations in
played an integral role in the daily lives of reorganising spacial, historical and cultural
one another. The various ways in which relationships to find deeper meaning.
these groups historically and spacialy con- - Tracy Lefebvre

Saijo: (top) Sasajima; (bottom) Breed Street Schul.

In Camp Alpha, a solo exhibition by someday fade as well.The artist explores
Christopher Pate, the artist sees the US this effect in paintings on burlap featuring
military base Camp Alpha in Babylon, Iraq found fabrics, collageoriented works on pa- Christopher Pate
as a touch point for how history becomes per and digital prints. The works feature a Marine Venice
fodder for progress. Camp Alpha was con- dynamic hybridization of abstraction and [through April]
troversially constructed upon a sensitive representation. Pate is concerned with the
archaeological site in which areas were lev- physical structure of painting - a concern
eled to accommodate helipads and parking that has always operated in tandem with
lots for heavy vehicles. The exhibition Camp a focus on surface and pictorial qualities
Alpha is not specifically an investigation of within abstraction. His use of vintage ta-
the base and its political and moral implica- blecloth “screens”, are a literal and concep-
tions, but rather a meditation on the type of tual grounding in the idea of actual space,
human activity it represents. Residents of particularly American space. A dialogue is
Los Angeles are keenly aware of how arti- formed not only with the historical con-
facts of the past are built upon, demolished tent of the collaged elements, but with the
or otherwise cleared away for new con- style and sensibility of past graphic design-
struction, often at an alarming rate. This ers and in some cases, imagery of the art
Christopher Pate, United States, 2010, collage
layering, whether violent and destructive, and artifacts of Native Americans. In the and mixed media on paper, 19.5”x19.75”.

or carefully considered and engineered, process of making these works, destruction

enables new forms while leaving behind and obfuscation of imagery takes place on
Peter Tunney
an irreversible void and sense of loss. We surfaces that are abraded and layered upon. Kana Manglapus Venice
hold on to all we can grasp in the process, The resulting works offer both odes to the [Mar 10 - Apr 18]
knowing that what we have before us will past and paeans to future possibilities.

Peter Tunney brings art and life to every- ing them in his book, wallpapering small
thing and everyone he encounters. Diction- rooms, and covering his precious denitions
ary Daze; a solo exhibition of new works by to make paintings. Debuting his newest
the artist, is a presentation of his obsession work and his first experience making silk-
with words and what he describes as “one of screens by his own hand, Peter shows us
the most incredible books of all time.” Pe- the lexicon from his unique perspective.
ter has spent serious time with dictionaries, Peter works painstakingly and meticulous-
looking up words, tearing up pages, glu- ly to bring to life his art. Peter Tunney, Remain Calm.

Exhibitions 39
 EXHIBITIONS

James Benning Two Faces, a single channel video installa- tional integrity. In re-photographing film
and Jenny Herick tion by James Benning, marks the filmmak- onto video, Benning has utilized technical
Steve Turner Los Angeles er’s recent transition to digital as well as to incompatibility to make distortion poetic.
[through Mar 12] his return to installation. The piece is com- Going Nowhere, a solo exhibition featur-
prised of two three second shots of 16mm ing new works by Los Angeles-based artist,
film digitally transferred and extended to Jenny Herrick. Through a series of gouache
twelve and a half minutes each that produc- drawings, intaglio prints, video loops, and
es a disorienting picture of subtle change. a laser-cut wood panel, the exhibition ex-
At first the images appear to be stills but plores the futility of action. The show is
then reveal themselves to be gradually mor- comprised of objects whose forms deny
phing. Over the last forty years, Benning’s their own potential, whose cyclical nature
films have been acknowledged for their prevents progress, whose implied actions
mastery of the static shot, for their math- lead to their own demise and whose very
ematical precision, and for their composi- existence are depictions of nonexistence.

William E. Jones is an artist, filmmaker, images represent men prominent in the

photographer and writer known for using political establishment of the time, but
appropriation, documentary and historical Jones pays particular attention to the studio
research to call attention to the inextricable props with which their subjects are posed;
(top) James Benning, Two Faces, 2010, single relationships between images and power. 60 of the photographs feature a Greek-style
channel video. (bottom) Jennry Herrick, installa-
tion view, 2011. Courtesy of Steve Turner Gallery. In recent years his focus has shifted away patterned fabric, and 40 feature a vase with
from the production of films made to be a floral relief. The movie consists of three
screened in cinemas, and towards gallery- loops projected next to each other. The se-
William E. Jones based works of extreme and concentrated quence on the left zooms in and out of the
David Kordansky Los Angeles visual impact. The exhibition will consist of fabric, the sequence on the right zooms in
[through Mar 26] three new movies, as well as two new print- and out of the vase, and the projection in
based works, that investigate the roles of the center zooms slowly into the subject's
film and photography during moments of face and ends at the eye closer to the cam-
cultural upheaval. To create the movies, era. The work draws parallels between a
Jones applies formal and organizational transitional period in the country's past
strategies to existing photographs and film and the current political climate, in which
footage, seeking to reveal the hidden, and divisions loom larger than shared interests.
even suppressed, historical narratives latent Spatial Disorientation utilizes film footage
in their content. Since Jones works on the shot from the cockpit of a U.S. Air Force
frames individually in Photoshop and then plane performing practice maneuvers in
sequences them as animations, each frame 1969, at the height of the Vietnam War, and
retains an incredibly high level of photo- is perhaps the most visually complex of the
graphic detail, and the finished movies movies Jones has made to date. The looped
occupy an unstable position between film image of a cloudy sky spins vertiginously as
and video. In Mathew Brady's Studio makes the plane spirals through the air. However,
William E. Jones: (above) Spatial Disorienta- use of 100 portraits taken by the seminal Jones worked and altered digital scans of
tion, 2010, sequence of digital files, color, si-
lent, 4:45 minutes, looped; (below) In Mathew American photographer in his Washing- each individual frame according to a rigor-
Brady's Studio (detail), 2010, sequence of digi-
tal files, b&w, silent, 3 hrs 21 min, looped. ton, D.C. studio after the Civil War. These ous mathematical system, creating a series
of variations based on color and motion
blurs applied to the image. During transi-
tional moments, there are intense strobo-
scopic effects that challenge the viewer's
ability to look at the work. By interacting
with the material in this way, Jones brings
out the psychedelic potential of military
footage, forging an unlikely connection be-
tween cultural forces that are at direct odds
with one another.

40 A|C|A March 2011

 EXHIBITIONS

Erica Steiner’s newest series of oil and gold face of all life, imbuing the material world Erica Steiner
leaf paintings, Heaven is Not the Wide Blue with beauty and life force. Incorporating Edgar Varela Los Angeles
Sky, explores a collective longing to touch elements of landscape, ornamentation and [Mar 12 - Apr 9]
and know realms beyond, to transcend abstraction, the paintings employ a highly
both time and existential uncertainty in detailed visual language drawn from a wide
the face of rapid environmental degrada- range of influences, including traditional
tion on a globally unprecedented scale. The Indian, Tibetan Buddhist and Aboriginal
work dwells at the psychic intersection of painting, psychedelic art, contemporary
imagined, archetypal pasts and paradoxi- graphic design, Japanese landscape paint-
cally playful yet apocalyptic futures, at once ing, medieval Catholic illuminated manu-
seeking to confront the gravity of our cur- scripts, mid-century modernism, Mexican
rent human predicament while finding folk art, and Victorian fashion. The work
refuge in the pursuit of deeper patterns is rendered in oil and gold leaf on canvas,
and rhythms that pulse beneath the sur- painted in many layers, over time.

Example of Erica Steiner’s new work.

Recent work by New York based artist Scott in a provocative gesture, a single eye emit-
Campbell opens OHWOW’s Los Angeles ting a penetrating ray — and highlight the
gallery. In Noblesse Oblige, Campbell uses irony that exists within that imagery. No- Scott Campbell
copper, currency, graphite, ink, and neon, blesse Oblige also includes a suite of prints. OHWOW Los Angeles
to transform tattoo subculture iconogra- Using a tattoo gun, Campbell has engraved [Mar 19 - Apr 22]
phy into delicate and tempered work. He a collection of copper plates to make a
expands his use of cut currency, sourcing group of etchings. By using the same plates
uncut sheets of dollars directly from the to compose the separate prints, the artist
United States Mint, to create large, intri- plays with visual semantics — how mean-
cate work with a sunken relief effect. One ing changes through arrangement. A series
piece uses $5,000 worth of currency sheets of drawings, executed onto the interior of
to create an over two-foot cube, into which ostrich eggshells, also flirt with interpreta-
a three dimensional skull is carved-out. tion. Morbid images, rendered in graphite
These works employ the familiar blue-col- onto these fragile surfaces that represent
lar vernacular of tattoo flash-boards — a birth and transformation, point out the Scott Campbell, Studio View, 2011.
skull smoking a cigarette, a skeleton's hand delicacy of opposition. Courtesy of OHWOW, Los Angeles.

The Date Farmers, consisting of Armando hibition, morphing and customizing it into The Date Farmers
Lerma and Carlos Ramirez, coined their their highly idiosyncratic universe. The art- ACE Los Angeles
name early in their careers after joining ists’ primal drive for personalization and [through April]
artistic forces in 1998. Their paintings, col- craft within the playground of soulless ad-
lages, sculptures, effigies, installations, and vertisements makes the work intellectually
videos are infused with both commercial stimulating and visually compelling. Origi-
references and political content. Rooted nally from Indio, California, a desert region
in their Mexican-American heritage and a few hours east of Los Angeles, the duo
Californian pop culture, their work con- have been living and working on their art in
tains elements influenced by graffiti, Mexi- the peaceful seclusion of the desert until re-
can street murals, traditional revolutionary cently when the two artists also took a stu-
posters, prison art, Oaxacan sign painting, dio in Los Angeles to assist them in creating
and tattoo art. The artists often travel across their exhibition for Ace Gallery. The Date
the border into Mexicali and Oaxaca scav- Farmers combine familiar pop iconography
enging for found materials such as discard- (e.g., Mickey Mouse, Darth Vader, Spider-
ed signs, wood, and corrugated metal that man) – to “amended” corporate logos with
they reconfigure, often juxtaposing pirated figures from comics, folklore, and Catholi- Armando Lerma & Carlos Ramirez as “The Date
images and text with their original artwork. cism. The duo uses larger-than-life figures Farmers”, Peligro Los Derechos, 2010, acrylic &
mixed media on canvas, 49.5"x49.75"x3.5".
The Date Farmers have been given free and ideas, like Jesus and brand-names, in Image courtesy of ACE Gallery.

reign in mounting their ever-evolving ex- what they call “Super Loco.”

Exhibitions 41
PASSAGES

HEI MYUNG C. HYUN

recent works
february 26 - april 2, 2011
http://www.tpaulfineart.com

THOMAS PAUL FINE ART

7270 beverly boulevard los angeles, ca 90036 ph: (323) 525-0444
Suzy Barnard:
atmosphere & undercurrents
Now through March 26, 2011
Catalog with essay by art writer and curator DeWitt Chang available

and introducing Luis Gutierrez

togonongallery.com
77 Geary Street
San Francisco, California
EXHIBITIONS
ARTISTS

Ricky Allman

Landscapes That Reflect Colliding Forces

(clockwise from bottom left) fluid redux, acrylic on panel, 36”x48”; safe keeping,
acrylic on canvas, 36”x48"; deconcretize, acrylic on canvas, 48”x36”. All images 2010.

world-view. His paintings are tinged with both an existential

concern and a cautious optimism for the future. Although he
Ricky Allman's paintings are a hybrid of mountainous land- grew up in a tradition concerned about apocalyptic events,
scapes and architectural structures that juxtapose nature he has become more interested in humanity's disregard for
with the environment constructed by man. The artist ma- the future and the hope that such disregard can be overcome.
nipulates light and space to create new experimental worlds Allman's inspiration for his work comes from a myriad
that are both foreign and familiar to the viewer. Allman's of sources: everyday experiences and observations, environ-
paintings capture a sense of movement and space through mental surroundings, current events, sci-fi movie stills, and
the heavy use of varying perspective, layering, and complex reflections about the past and present. This series of works
connections. Tight, fine lines are balanced with loose, paint- represents a new level of experimentation, maturity, tech-
erly strokes. Bold colors are contrasted with subtle, grounded nique and sophistication for the artist.
tones. Geometric shapes commingle with organic masses. Ricky Allman is an American painter born and raised
Allman's fascination is with contrasting forces that work in Provo, Utah. He is currently an assistant professor at the
with and against each other, that intersect and collide, shap- University of Missouri-Kansas City. He received a BFA from
ing natural and man-made structures alike to create a capti- the Massachusetts College of Art, and an MFA from the
vating, challenging landscape for the viewer to experience. Rhode Island School of Design in 2007.
Allman's works often explore his struggle to reconcile
the religious belief system he was raised with and his current For more information, visit rickyallman.com.

44 A|C|A March 2011

F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

“Superman flying naked and low to the ground in order to avoid radar”
Charcoal on paper. 20x24 inches. Circa 2009.

ALIDA ANDERSON ART PROJECTS

WASHINGTON, DC • ALIDAANDERSON.COM
MAYER FINE ART
NORFOLK, VA • MAYERFINEARTGALLERY.COM
PROJECTS GALLERY
PHILADELPHIA, PA • PROJECTSGALLERY.COM
 EXHIBITIONS
ARTISTS

Myungwon Kim
IN HER OWN WORDS
Discovering Freedom in Artistic Expression

Myungwon Kim, Untitled 02, 2010, oil paint and 4 different black pigments mixed with acrylic paint on Mylar, 9.8’ x 16’.

I am interested in the physical act of making marks I decided I wanted to be an artist and attended
and the physicality of the materials that I use in my Maryland Institute College of Art. In my drawing
art work. My body becomes a tool, and I begin to ex- class, the professor challenged us to create a drawing
plore the medium. The series of black paintings are an with unusual tools. I was always drawn to Janine An-
investigation of color and medium as well as a docu- tonil’s photograph of her using her hair. I was inspired
mentation of my intimate relationship with them. and decided to use my hair. With a big piece of paper
I believe my intuition to study my medium could on the floor and a bucket full of sumi ink, I dipped my
be credited to my father. With a doctorate in western hair and began to draw. It was one of the most liberat-
philosophy and as a professor at university in Korea, ing experiences of my life. I gave up a certain amount
my father is also a published poet and calligrapher. of control because I could not see what kinds of marks
Growing up in Korea, I have spent a lot of time I was making and instead I relied entirely on my body
watching my father perfect his calligraphy. He prac- and my movements. After I finished, I looked at my
ticed his brush strokes over and over until he mas- work, it was almost calligraphic, I knew where I start-
tered them. Each stroke and the marks symbolized ed and where I finished and was left with an imprint of
precision and discipline and a clear meaning. It was my experience.
fascinating to watch the controlled movements of his I was also interested in lithography, a printmak-
body and the direct results of the ink on the tip of his ing technique, during this time. I was drawn to li-
brush leaving a purposeful mark on the paper. He ful- thography for its labor-intensive and process-oriented
ly understood his materials; the brush, the sumi ink medium and I wanted learn more about it. I applied
and the rice paper and the relationship between them. and was accepted to Tamarind Institute, a print shop

Artists 47
EXHIBITIONS
ARTISTS

Myungwon Kim

Myungwom Kim, Untitled 01, 2010, oil paint and 4 different black pigments mixed with acrylic paint on Mylar, 9.8’ x 12’.

and school to train future Lithography printmakers texture, and the illusion of dimension to the work. I
and masters. had to eliminate the white and started spending more
After graduating from the most intensive print- time on my primary material - black.
making program, I then realized that I knew how to I had always been using the color black in my
deal with the process of lithography, that I had a feel- work but something about the Xerox toner black on
ing for it, and that I could use the technique in a way top of mylar gave a different kind of sensibility and
that it hadn’t been used before. So I had a certain free- physicality to the work. I researched more about black
dom to move right into it and incorporate the process pigments and realized that black is very complex col-
of lithography into my drawings. I started using my- or. I started to mix different pigments of black with
lar (thin transparent film) instead of paper and Xerox oil and acrylic base ink. I used the process of lithog-
toner instead of sumi ink, which is commonly used in raphy and started to roll up the mylar with a roller.
the process of printmaking. I started to invest a lot of The lithography oil base black gives a physical depth
time not only drawing with my hair and body but also to the work, which absorbs the light and blocks the
slowly started to use different domestic tools around visual sensation. On the other hand, the black pig-
me to create different sizes and style of marks. I be- ments that I mixed with acrylic transparent ink slowly
came more physical with my work. reveals itself when the viewers physically move around
There was still something to work-out in my the work, which provides the visual sensation.
black and white drawings. The drawing created a type What I strive to achieve is to engage the viewer's
of discourse that I did not want in terms involving the body - the viewer's physical movements dictate his/
viewer’s experience. I did not want the viewer to look her personal experience of the work - like my experi-
at the work and automatically assume the piece purely ence as the artist when creating the work.
as abstract expressionist and walk away. I slowly real-
ized that the white brought out drama, emotion, visual For more information, visit myungwonkim.com.

48 A|C|A March 2011

HERBERT BAYER

“SELF-PORTRAIT” 1932
FROM THE BAYER FAMILY COLLECTION

EMIL NELSON GALLERY

2864 COLORADO AVE
SANTA MONICA, CA 90404
310-266-9904
 Contemporary Fine Art
Paintings Sculpture Works on Paper
Tucson, Arizona since 1976

154 East 6th Street, Tucson, Arizona 85705 520.629.9759 www.davisdominguez.com