Bambino’s SEE and Be SEEN: PULSE NY Version
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First of all, thanks so much for all the support and kind words about my first post last week, it’s totally appreciated. As an encore, here is another one about the PULSE art fair. Although, you will have to forgive my English grammar, since English is my 4th language.
I wanted to post some pictures during the Pulse Art Fair, but as many of you know we were very busy and had an amazing successful art fair in NY this year. Even though we had extreme interest and were busy with our artist whose work we brought to Pulse Art Fair, I still had some time to snoop around. I saw tons of interesting work, and was very pleased with quality of work and booths by other galleries.
My best awards his year during Pulse Art Fair is following:
- Best support and organized award would definitely will go all team of Pulse, they were amazingly on top of all issues and made the place in few days from simple garage space to well respected and visited, professional space. Every year it’s getting more and more successful because of their hard work
- Best solo booth in the Pulse section would definitely go to Catherine Clark’s booth with Masami Teraoka ‘s beautiful paintings and prints, with thoughtful curated and obviously very well worked arrangements with placing them. Work from 1974 till present.
- Best Impulse booth award is deserved by Morgan Lehman Gallery from New York. Hard work shoes itself, when you looked at their booth with very smart work by their artist John Salvest . My favorite piece was soap piece, which was sold at first day. I was sure that they would do very well with his work, and I wasn’t wrong at the end of Pulse Art Fair. Almost sold out booth, all works went to very good collections.
- Best performance would go to Mary Coble’s from Conner Contemporary Art Gallery. It was a pleasure meeting her in person, she is extremely brave artist to do live performance. Unfortunally my batteries died, so I couldn’t take any pictures. But I spent enough time to see how many people were amazed and stopped to watch. I am sure you will see pictures from the performance later at other blogs, because it’s totally deserve a great reviews.
- Best installation in a Pulse booth would go to PPOW. Oliver Blanckart’s piece was a totally smart and impressive installation. Also, they had the cutest art handlers in their booth.
And here are some of my favorite pieces I saw during the Fair.
One of the most amazing and memorable pieces was Petroc Dragon Sesti’s sculpture the booth of Carrie Secrist Gallery from Chicago.
Beautiful paintings by Laurie Hogin at Schroder Romero Gallery, which I really love love (hint, hint). All her paintings were sold out. And SchroeRo girls couldn’t more than nicer to us, and do not miss their opening this Friday.
And I totally loved the wooden Gucci shoes by Lee Stoetzel from MixedGreens Gallery, whose work I saw first time in the gallery last year and during Year 07 
Art Fair in London. Monica and Steve were as usual very nice and helpful to tell me about their artist in their booth.
And it was totally fun to see our friend Andrea from Artrepco Gallery Switzerland. The opening night she was elegant in her South African Dress, I am sure a lot of people must have seen it and saw how beautiful she was in it.
The funny and complicated sculpture by Sarah Anne Johnson at Julie Saul’s booth by was also one I really liked. And Vadim Katznelson’s painting at Margaret Thatcher’s booth is beautiful and colorful.
Also, I must say most of the artist, bloggers, and friends whom we saw during the Art Fair were very supportive and nice, with their sweet short Hello’s and congratulations to our booth. And I especially enjoyed those of you who asked me to post more. It was nice to hear it and thank you all.
I really wanted to put more pictures and more information about more works I’ve seen but even though all dealers extremely sweet and generous with all information about artist, I wouldn’t steal their time during art fair, where it is important to help and pay attention to people who are interested in their booth. And I had to be at our booth as well.
I Paint, Therefore I Am
Comments OffI think this is literally true of me. When I’m not painting, I feel myself disappearing a little bit. It has been way too long since I got paint all over me, so this morning, even though there are other things pulling at me, I just started through the motions of lining up possible boxes and canvases and plunged in. It feels good.
Eight more boxes!
needing some kind of resolution
Murray Miller: Portrait Painter and Teacher
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I have always been drawn to the figurative paintings. As a child, I remember being fascinated by the paintings of “Pinky,” (as we called the portrait) by Sir Henry Raeburn, and “Blue Boy,” by Whistler that flanked the stage in the auditorium of my elementary school. I tried to imagine the lives of the children in the portraits and of the creative impulse by which the paintings were executed. This fascination stayed with me and evolved to include numerous artists who did portraiture and their subjects. In high school, I began to realize how difficult capturing and painting a portrait is when I was assigned to do a self-portrait in one of my art classes. Since that time, I have flirted with portraiture, and in some cases, created a successful work.
In my early 30’s I chanced to get an introduction to a portrait painter who, then, was in his 70’s. I called him, and was invited to his home/studio in Queens, NY. As soon as I entered the house, I saw magnificent paintings-mostly portraits—lining the walls. I thought I had stumbled into a museum or, for that matter, paradise. And there was Mr. Miller (as I called him): a short, well-built man, who said nothing as I tried to take it all in. Finally, we talked for a while and I showed him some pencil work I had been doing. My detailed drawings were from photographs: mostly heads. He remarked that I had “something” and told me to do still-life to get a feeling of composition and space. I rushed home to paint two still-lifes in oils. Six months later I called Mr. Miller, who was mildly surprised that I was still around. On the other hand, I had thought of little else while painting away my days and nights.
After critiquing my still-life efforts, Mr. Miller suggested that we go to a life drawing class at the Salmagundi Club on 5th Avenue and 10th Street in Greenwich Village so that he could instruct me in the art of figure drawing. Every Saturday night for five years, I drove Mr. Miller to the Salmagundi that offered a three hour single nude pose. On any given evening eight to ten artists showed up, mostly the same people. The monitor, Bob Robinson was an expert in pencil and conte drawing. Mr. Miller and I usually did studies in oils. Later, a good friend, Dan Slapo a superb pastel artist joined us and I drove both Dan and Mr. Miller into the city from Queens. These were magical nights. The models were usually good; one, Rebecca, with long auburn hair, very white complexion and a graceful body was marvelous. There was little talking, even during the breaks: just drawing/painting the human form. JUST!
Mr. Miller was a harsh teacher. He criticized my work unmercifully, rarely complimenting it. That was fine with me because while he criticized, he taught me: VAST amounts of representational painting information, of which I, a student during the age of abstract art, was unaware. I learned and learned and learned. After driving Mr. Miller back to Queens, Dan and I would have coffee in Mr. Miller’s home were he would continue to instruct me on the finer points of representational art. We looked at slides of primarily portraiture from museums all over the world that Mr. Miller had taken (his daughter worked for the airlines). This education was priceless for me.
During the weekly car rides into the city, I learned about Murray Miller’s journey as an artist. He was born in Russia in the early 1900’s. The family was very poor, but when the Communists came in, the Miller family did not welcome them as many impoverished people did. Murray drew from an early age, using any scraps of paper he found in the streets. When the Communists dispersed propaganda flyers proclaiming the value of the regime, Murray was delighted to have the paper, which he used for drawing and which he hid under his mattress because he would have been killed (he told me) for defacing political materials. Eventually, the family escaped to the US and settled in New York. Murray joined the US Army during WW II. While stationed in Europe, he had an opportunity to see a great deal of art in museums in France and Italy and he decided to spend his life as an artist. This was a tremendous step because he had a wife and parents to look after: art is rarely lucrative. However, while in the army, Murray drew portraits of his fellow soldiers, charging $7 per portrait. In 1943 this was a considerable sum!
After being honorably discharged with medals for bravery, Murray attended the National Academy of Art on 5th Avenue and 89th Street, where he garnered numerous medals for excellence in drawing and painting. He painted portraits for many wealthy and high profile patrons in the New York area, during his career as a portrait artist. His media were pastel and oils. Murray continued to learn about art and study the masters all his life. Throughout the years, he also ran workshops; however, when I met him, he had stopped teaching to devote his energies exclusively to painting. Luckily, we met and he saw in me an apt student and a friend. No teacher could have given me more. He introduced me to painters , such as Raeburn, Ogden Pleisner, Emil Carlson, Frank Duveneck and many others of whom I had never heard. He dissected Sargent’s (his idol) work for me to better understand. He taught me about color, form, light, planes, composition: everything. He taught me to paint backgrounds, heads, figures, and a gold ring (This last is not easy!). We also went to museums together on two occasions and there he taught me a little bit about SEEING. He gave me the education of a lifetime.
One day I got a call from Mr. Miller’s wife: he was in a coma. After a week, he died, taking all his priceless knowledge with him. For his wife and three children, Murray death was a terrible loss. For me, a friend, a teacher and a keeper of a bottomless vault of information had left me. I realized later that Mr. Miller must have wanted to pass along his insights on art that he had carefully gathered all his life. So fortunately, I was there. He is, of course still with me, judging my work mercilessly. I would not have it any other way. He gave me one of the greatest gifts one human can receive from another: himself as a teacher.
Created by Ellen Fisch On 03/31/08 At 07:57 AM
THE ARMORY SHOW 2008
Comments OffIt was 11:53 a.m. on Saturday, March 29, 2008 and there I was grazing outside Pier 94 with the rest of the art cattle. It was yet another round-?em-up moment as we waited in line for the opening of The Armory Show 2008. It would be my very first Armory Show on what was a chilly spring day, but fortunately the sun was shining, reminding me that the tropics would soon get their way in Manhattan.
People in line! Please step aside so that these folks can get through!” yelled the security guard behind me.
“Those are the important people, I guess!” said the guy ahead of me in line. It turns out that guy is New Zealand born artist James Robinson. Robinson now lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn which is the new hot spot for art in New York City. While we waited in line, we chatted briefly about the art world and why events like the Armory Show have become so commercial. Good guy, nice chat. If he?s willing, I may write something about him in the future.
Anyway, the wait wasn?t that long and upon entering Pier 94, I got out my pad and pen, checked my vision and hearing and got right to it.
Before I get to meat of the matter, would you like some “dish” on your art show menu? Hmm, I thought you might. Get off your high horse.
Early on, I spotted artist Chuck Close wandering the fair in his motorized wheelchair. I?d seen him at another fair in the past but left him to his privacy. Not this time. He looked friendly enough and I certainly wasn?t going to pass up this chance to meet him so I went for it.
“Mr. Close, I?m glad to see you here! My name is Mike,” I said, shaking his somewhat feeble hand. “Hello,” he said. I asked him if he had any works in the show to which he replied, “No, I hate to be in art fairs!” “Why?” I asked. “Does it feel like you?re in Wal-Mart or something?” For the record, an art dealer once told me that she thinks art fairs have become like Wal-Marts. Here, I thought, was a chance to test this theory on Close. “I just think they?re disrespectful of art!” he replied. With that, he politely took leave. Chuck Close seems to be a very nice man, but I must say that I disagree with him. More on that later, but first, a little more dish.
I also saw Calvin Klein and Bianca Jagger at the show. I was looking at a big painting then turned around and there they were about twelve feet away peering in my direction. She looks just as lovely in person. Both were wearing dark sunglasses and scarves around their necks (like me … hmm). I don?t know how they actually saw the art with those shades on. Perhaps they were really there to add some glitz. Surely they could?ve gotten a private preview. Anyway, she was wearing a white pantsuit with her long orange scarf. Mr. Klein was wearing grayish-blue jeans and a dark blazer topped off with the scarf. These are fashionable people so surely you knew I?d mention their appearance. After all, this WAS an art fair! Art fairs are visual affairs. Anyway, I must say that Calvin Klein is the thinnest guy I?ve ever seen in my life. I?m talking tall, stick figure. Not that there?s anything wrong with that ? I?m just saying. Funny, because right after I caught a glimpse of them, I turned and the woman next to me was also staring at them. Our eyes met and she had this puzzled look on her face. I said, “Yup, that?s them!” She replied by saying, “Oh my God! He?s so thin! And he looks SO old!” In Mr. Klein?s defense, he looks great for his age ? whatever that may be. In short, Jagger and Klein were definitely turning heads and they knew it.
Now ? let me give you a few quick observations about the Armory Show 2008 and then I?ll mention some of the art that grabbed me. First, the crowd wasn?t as culturally diverse as I thought it would be ? not as diverse as Art Basel Miami Beach, anyway. Perhaps the United Nations arrived after my departure. All I got was a three-hour snapshot. Also, it wasn?t as crowded as I thought it would be either, although the crowd did build during my time there. Another thing ? as I strolled through gallery after gallery, I kept wondering if I had seen some of these works before. Of course I did. That?s fine ? I?m just saying. In addition ? it really seemed like female artists were well represented. I saw so many great works by female artists. Rock on, ladies. Oh and another thing ? what?s the deal with skulls? It seems that SO many artists are using depictions of human skulls in their work these days. Perhaps Damien Hirst?s $100 million diamond-encrusted skull has something to do with it? I don?t know, but enough already.
Now, onto the cool art. In my book, there were two stars of the show ? the first was Thomas Hirschhorn?s “Tool Table 2007.” It was such an inventive sculptural piece ? two, long wooden plank-like tables that had dozens of mannequin arms standing on them with the hands holding tools like screwdrivers, wrenches and mallets. Many of the mannequin hands also held books, some open, some closed written by authors like Henry David Thoreau and Friedrich Nietzsche. Clever. Oh, the dealer told me the piece was priced at $180,000. I kicked myself for not bringing my checkbook. Would a $200.00 down payment suffice?
The other pieces that I loved were done by Jenny Holzer. They included “Bar 2008,” “Stave 2008″ and “Thorax 2008.” These are long, flashing, ticker-tape like LED signs mounted onto the corners of walls. Each installation carries different messages in various colors. I didn?t bother to ask the price. Your power bill alone to keep those things running would have to be fairly hefty.
There were so many great pieces to see. Mickalene Thomas? ghetto-fabulous, rhinestone-encrusted ladies are getting more and more play at these art fairs. Also, Norbert Bisky?s “glamour shot” boy paintings got plenty of exposure. I saw several Julian Opie pieces that I love. His traffic sign installations of chicks with swaying hips are so cool … and hot. By the way, Opie had several of those installations in my home city. A lady actually complained about them. She called them “suggestive.” My guess is her hips are as tight as lockjaw.
Describing the works that I see at art fairs is difficult because there?s just no way to do the art justice in writing. You just have to go and see for yourself. I always just save my pennies and GO.
Which brings me back to Mr. Close and his lukewarm feelings for art fairs. You know, I totally understand the disdain that so many artists have for them. We needn?t rehash all of the reasons, but let me just say that art fairs are really the only way that everyday people can see available art (if you?ve got $180,000 to burn). Needless to say, I don?t go to art fairs thinking that I?m going to buy something. That?s not the point. The point is that by going to art fairs you simply get to see what?s out there. Knowledge is power. Culture is enlightening. Even Mr. Close acknowledged that much to me. He?s not on such a high horse. Commercialization and artistic integrity don?t always co-exist, but they certainly can.
Yes, art fairs (large or small) are about commercialization and one-stop shopping, but isn?t everything these days?
MICHAEL CORBIN IS AN AVID ART COLLECTOR AND AUTHOR OF THE NEW BOOK, “THE ART OF EVERYDAY JOE: A COLLECTOR?S JOURNAL.” CHECK IT OUT ON HIS NEW WEBSITE AT WWW.ARTMAESTROGALLERY.COM
Created by Michael Corbin On 03/31/08 At 07:33 AM
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