L.A. Expanded: Notes from the West Coast A weekly column by Catherine Wagley Josh Harris welcomed the new millennium from the basement of a New York bunker. He was surrounded by a posse of jumpsuit-clad creatives, and, at one point, all of them watched as a naked man whipped a barely dressed woman around underneath a running shower head. The scene made about as much[…..]
Now showing through April 25th at The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin is the group exhibition Desire. Curated by Annette DiMeo Carlozzi, Blanton curator of American and contemporary art and director of curatorial affairs, Desire features fifty works from an international grouping of contemporary artists working in a variety of media. The concept of the exhibition is to present[…..]
As we witnessed over the past two weeks at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, athletes are under perpetually extreme pressure. During practice and performance—be it game, match, run or race—athletes in all sports carry the weight of victory on their shoulders, which of course is why the best of them are so uniquely admired. Currently on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art San[…..]
Whitechapel Gallery in London is currently showing Melanie Manchot: Celebration (Cyprus Street). This project addresses concepts of individual and community identity by revisiting the tradition of public street parties and festivals popular in 20th century London. Drawing inspiration from these past events captured in newsreels and photographs, Manchot creates and documents her own 21st century street party. Manchot realized Celebration by working closely with Cyprus[…..]
Western Exhibitions in Chicago is currently presenting The Power of Selection (Part I), the first in a series of three exhibitions organized by Chicago-based artist and independent curator Ryan Travis Christian. The exhibition, which features works by Alika Cooper, Mike Rea, Allison Schulnik, Marissa Textor, and Eric Yahnker, loosely explores the idea of contemporary figuration. Works in the exhibition range from a massive anthropomorphic wooden[…..]
Marc Horowitz, a self-described “maximalist,” has permeated American culture with his socially-oriented projects and playful enterprises. His work includes video, drawing, cultural experiments, and the dynamic use of networks like twitter and youtube. In 2004, while working as a photo assistant for Crate & Barrel, Horowitz wrote “Dinner w/ Marc 510-872-7326″ on a dry erase board that was included in their fall catalog. He received[…..]
In it’s final week at Thomas Robertello Gallery is an exhibition of new photographs and video by Chicago-based artist Adam Ekberg. Continuing with the use of lens-based phenomena, humble celebratory gestures, and primitive constructs, Ekberg further develops two distinct bodies of work; images created in the woods or nature, and images using his apartment as stage set. While similar to the performative aspects of Ekberg’s[…..]
