Ai Weiwei
“According to What?”
20 year retrospective of Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei’s work. Features tons of sculpture, video, early NYC photography as well as challenging works from the 2008 sichuan earthquake. Rebar and backpacks highlight an intense set of works that challenge the Chinese bureaucracy for it’s lack of transparency and obligation to shoddy workmanship. Thousands of children died, no one held accountable. Show of the year. Check it out.
aiweiwei.com
brooklynmuseum.org
Ai Weiwei
“According to What?”
Brooklyn Museum
His most recent installation is an excruciatingly detailed depiction of the period he was held in solitary detention. Inside 6 Minimalistic metal cubes that are dioramas. When you peer inside the portals of the cubes you get to see into his condition as a prisoner for 3 months. He was “shadowed” by 2 guards at all times who watched him eat, shower and shit. Intense and complicated document on his life challenging the Chinese regime. Check it out—straight from the 55th Venice Biennale and the Hirshorn Mueseum in DC.
brooklynmuseum.org
aiweiwei.com
Swoon
“Submerged Motherlands”
Brooklyn Museum
A beautiful room-filling installation of Swoon’s work, based on Hurricane Sandy. It features an awe inspiring rag tree that rises 72 feet to the Atrium’s ceiling as well as 2 “boats” that were handcrafted and sailed during the Venice Biennial. I love complete take-overs of rooms in museums. This might be one of the best.
brooklynmuseum.org
swooninprint.com
Wayne White
FOE—Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge
Amazing! site specific installation based on the Civil War and the origins of the building it is sited in. Wayne works with talented local artists to realize his site-specific vision for his installation created from cardboard, cardboard glue and acrylic paint. His interactive characters (you can actually pull and touch the artwork—how refreshing!) depict a specific characteristic of the Confederate War. The industrial town of York, Pennsylvania, was the largest city in the North to be occupied by the Confederate States Army during the war. The characters wanted to be paid $100,000 for food, clothing etc, but were offered $20,000 some cherry pie and raggedy items to make them go away. The characters come to life in all Wayne Whites amazing goodness. Children as well as adults are transfixed. This man can tell a deep story. Some pieces of the exhibit will travel to a NYC Chelsea gallery in September. Stay tuned for more posts.
Gallery Hall on the 3rd Floor of Marketview Arts in Downtown York, PA
#waynewhite #ArtsPA #paartsexperience @richardzuber
Wayne White
Masterworks 2000 - 2013
York, PA College Galleries
Easter weekend confusion. Guard broke the key off in one of the 2 galleries hosting the show. We eventually got into one of the galleries but the lights weren’t on. I call this set of images: Art in the Dark. These works are my favorite paintings by Wayne White. We’re a huge fans of typographic art-works and we were raised on Pee Wee’s playhouse on VHS tape. He has such a wonderful, tactile and visceral, sense of imagination. Check it out before it ends.
@LaJaxx
The Legs are in town.
Cool graphic graffiti on 23rd between 10th and 11th NYC. #graffiti #nycart #nycgraffiti
Jakkai Siributr
“Transient Shelter”
Pictured above is Jakkai Siributr and Monica Welsh. There are 2 sections of his work. One set is earlier work that is more abstract and intricate set off separately from the main show of new work. Current pieces consist of hand stitched uniforms representative of Thailand and photographs of the artist wearing the same uniforms. Culturally these are common style of portraits from Thailand but there is an incongruity between the pacifism of Buddhist teachings and the military outfits that occupy the same space culturally. A beautiful and elegant show. Check it out.
trfineart.com
Julian Schnabel
“View of Dawn in the tropics: Paintings, 1989-1990”
Gagosian Gallery on 24th
Very surprising show. Even though the canvasses are 25 years old, they still seem fresh and of the moment, a little Basquiat with some of the word and type treatments, but the canvasses are huge. All were painted “En plein air” and have an urgent active feeling. Definitely worth checking out.
gagosian.com
East of Dirty
Tapp Francke
“This is you”
Gallery nine5
Pictured above is the artist Tapp Francke and Monica Welsh. Amazingly current and of-the-moment mirrored artworks that serve as a backdrop to the “Selfie” generation. Everyone was snapping photos and loading them up on instagram. Great people, great show and great art. Check it out.
gallerynine5.com
Julian Schnabel has a big show at Gagosian Gallery on 24th as well as Thai Artist Jakkal Siributr has a Cindy Shermanesque show of photos. Check it out.