Tag Archive | Exhibit

Paula Cooper Gallery Presents: Meg Webster’s Solar Grow Room

All Photos By Gail

While Meg Webster’s Solar Grow Room — which is just one section of her current, eponymous exhibit at the Paula Cooper Gallery — could easily stand in for a Pink Thing of the Day, I’m going to let it flourish on its own, because it is just so darn rad.

In this installation, Webster turns the Greenhouse Pink! First created for 2015’s Natura Naturans, a joint show with Roxy Paine held at Villa Panza in Milan, Solar Grow Room is an ecosystem sustained by solar panels on the gallery exterior. Bathed in pink light, raised planters are cultivated with moss, grass, flowers and other vegetation.

Meg Webster’s work finds inspiration in the intrinsic beauty of natural materials. Using metal, glass and organic elements like salt, soil, twigs and moss, the artist creates large-scale installations and precise structures rooted in the traditions of Land Art of the 1970s. Also highly influenced by Minimalist artists like Donald Judd, Carl Andre and Robert Morris, Webster draws on their rigorous formal vocabulary to create simple, geometric forms that directly and perceptually engage the body and its senses.

The walls of the gallery room look like Fun House Mirrors.

A lifelong environmentalist, Meg Webster draws awareness to nature as an ever-evolving force, as well as mankind’s careless destruction of the earth’s resources and energies. We very much enjoyed this exhibit!

Meg Webster’s Solar Grow Room ~~will be on Exhibit Through June 24th~~ Exhibit Has Been Extended Through July 12th, 2016 at Paula Cooper Gallery, Located at 534 West 21st Street in the Chelsea Gallery District.

Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk at the Queens Museum

Apr25

L to R: Dee Dee, Tommy, Joey, and Johnny. Portraits of the Original Ramones by Shepard Fairey (All Photos By Gail)

Hey, do you love The Ramones? I sure do; so much so, that I even made the trek, by subway train and foot, all the way out to Flushing Meadows, Corona Park (a long, long ass way) to visit the Queens Museum, where there is a newly-opened exhibit that is all about Forest Hills, Queens favorite sons, the legendary Ramones. Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk, as you can imagine by the title, is pretty sweet.

This is Just The Crowd Waiting to Get In to the Exhibit

On the exhibit’s opening day (April 10th) I journeyed out to Queens with an aggregate group of enthusiastic Ramones Fans, and when we arrived at the museum there was one line to buy tickets to get into the museum, and then another line just to get into the galleries that are showcasing the Ramones exhibit. Holy Mother of god, do I hate waiting on line(s). Fortunately, I know the right people, and one of those people is my friend Anne, who is good pals with Vera Ramone King (Dee Dee Ramone’s first wife, who is a lovely lady) and so we were able to get some Hot VIP Action and skip at least 90 minutes in “The Line Ride,” as I will call it. Mad props to Anne and Vera!

Here I am with Vera, and musician/songwriter Jana Peri!

Art By Yoshitomo Nara That was Commissioned For This Exhibit

In this expansive exhibit, the four original Ramones — Joey, Johnny, Tommy and Dee Dee — are most widely represented, along with Tommy’s replacement, drummer Marky Ramone (who had the longest tenure with the band outside of the original four founders), and to a lesser extent members who came along later in the band’s career, CJ and Richie, who show up in a few places. Not unexpectedly, the exhibit’s opening day was a complete madhouse and total party scene. You will learn so much about The Ramones as a group, and about each of them as people, when you visit this exhibit, but I’m going to skip all of that, because I know that everyone really only wants to see the photos. Enjoy!

One of the first things you will see when you enter the first of four galleries is this fun, specially commissioned cartoon map by Punk Magazine co-founder John Holmstrom, tracing the band’s path from Forest Hills to the downtown nightclub CBGB.

Covers of All of the Ramones Albums

The first gallery is dedicated to the band’s songs and records, as well as memorabilia, swag, props, photos and magazines documenting the very first articles ever written on the band. The exhibit also celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the release of the first Ramones album!

Installation View of First Gallery

Johnny Ramone’s Red T Shirt from the Cover of End of the Century

Sire Records‘ promotional Ramones swag included T Shirts, actual size and miniature baseball bats, and a letter opener!

Ramones Leave Subway

There are so many fantastic black and white photos to wax nostalgic over: from way Back in The Day, when The Ramones were just starting out, playing at the late great CBGB, and influencing every punk band, including now-legends of the British First Wave! Even Joe Strummer (RIP) was not shy about admitting how much The Clash ripped off The Ramones unique sound, in case you cannot hear it for yourself.

The Ramones with Chrissie Hynde, and Rat Scabies and Brian James from The Damned

Johnny and Tommy

Joey Ramone Outside CBGB. David Johansen is on the Far Left. Danny Fields and Arturo Vega (Who Created The Ramones Famous Logo), are Also Pictured.

Marky with Actress PJ Soles, and Johnny and Dee Dee from the Set of Rock ‘N’ Roll High School

Rock ‘N’ Roll High School Movie Poster

How great is this movie? I saw it in the theater right here in NYC when it was fist released in 1979. Oldness!

World famous pop artist and our good friend, Mark Kostabi poses with his original artwork for the cover of the final Ramones album, Adios Amigos. Mark told me that while the band loved being depicted as Dinosaurs, they did not want them to be wearing Dunce Caps, so Sombreros were substituted in the final album cover, shown below. Trivia!

A Selection of Ramones’ Tour Posters from All Over the Globe

The second gallery is dedicated to The Ramones On Tour. Here you will find posters, laminates, instruments and stage gear, tour riders and other paraphernalia that goes along with being a hard-touring band, which The Ramones were!

Amp, with Jeans, T-Shirts and Leather Jackets Worn by The Ramones, Plus Marky’s Autographed Snare Drum

Because of the size of the crowd, I had to beak up this one wall into three shots, left to right.

Sneakers, Microphones, Drum Sticks, Gloves, Glasses, Belt, etc.

Guitars and Tour Case

Poster from The Ramones, The Damned and Talking Heads Gig in Paris, April 29, 1977.

The Merch Table: Ramones Concert Ts

Ramones Badges

Ramones Tour Rider: Dressing Room Catering

Ramones Tour Laminates and Backstage Access Passes

Johnny’s Japanese Visa Application

Third Gallery Installation View with Video Kiosks

The third exhibit gallery pays homage to The Ramones as individuals, and includes video kiosks and a wonderful collection of fan art/memorabilia that you’ve surely not seen before and will not see anywhere else.

Dee Dee at the Chelsea Hotel, 1993

Dee Dee Ramone was a prolific artist and cartoonist whose work has been shown posthumously in galleries such as La Luz De Jesus in Los Angeles.

Cartoons by Dee Dee depicting Johnny and Joey as Rats.

I really enjoyed discovering some cool, Ramones-tribute artworks and cartoons that I had no idea existed.

Joey seemed to me to be the heart of The Ramones, and he is much-loved and revered, in NYC especially, to this day.

Don’t Worry About Me…

Likeness of Joey Created from a Collage of Magazine Photos

Japanese pop artist Yoshitomo Nara is a huge Ramones fan. To anyone familiar with is work, his style is immediately recognizable.

Ramones at CBGB Diorama

Gabba Gabba Hey!

Ramones Collectible Plate

Ramones By Japanese Artist Naoshi

The Ramones as Animated for The Simpsons

The final gallery is a screening room where you can sit, take a load off, and watch videos of the band in concert. Very nice.

When you consider their staggering legacy of music and enduring contribution to pop culture, it is heartbreaking to know that none of the four original Ramones survived to old age. Mark Kostabi created the above drawing of the Ramones as Angels after Tommy’s death in 2014. RIP.

I know that there are tons of photos here, and it seems that I must have taken a photo everything (which, probably), but trust me that all of these pictured items just scratch the surface of all of the amazing Ramones stuff that curator Marc H. Miller managed to gather all in one place. It is unbelievably great. You really must see it for yourself, even if it means having to leave Manhattan.

Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk will be on Exhibit until July 31st, 2016, at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows, Corona Park. The Exhibit Moves to Los Angeles in September.

Stephen Romano Gallery Presents: Saint Bowie Group Show, Coming March 2nd!

Feb10

Image Courtesy of Stephen Romano

Save the Date: Stephen Romano Gallery is very honored to be presenting the group exhibition Saint Bowie, opening March 2, 2016, with a reception from 5 – 9 PM. Saint Bowie will be comprised of artist-made devotional mementos, Ex Votos, Santos, Spirit Photos and other reliquaries which mourn the loss of the Starman, and also serve as a means by which to commune with Bowie on the other side.

Saint Bowie will feature art by some of our very favorite artists including Sas and Colin Christian, Nyazhul Blanco and Lori Field, among many others, listed below.

See you there!

Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs, at MOMA

Feb2

All Photos By Gail

I’ll admit that I was feeling rather nonchalant about seeing the Henri Matisse exhibit at MOMA and believed it would not be big deal if I missed it. But, man, am I glad that Geoffrey and I happened to see it this past weekend, because it is a phenomenal show that has totally changed my mind about Matisse, an artist whose work I never took that much interest in. Great art can do that to you.

This was one of no those “No Photography Allowed” exhibits, so I will apologize in advance for getting heads in some shots and occasional lack of focus or composition that is indicative of the “Spy Pic.”

Here’s a bit of background on the exhibit from Moma Dot Org:

In the late 1940s, Henri Matisse turned almost exclusively to cut paper as his primary medium, and scissors as his chief implement, introducing a radically new operation that came to be called a cut-out. Matisse would cut painted sheets into forms of varying shapes and sizes—from the vegetal to the abstract—which he then arranged into lively compositions, striking for their play with color and contrast, their exploitation of decorative strategies, and their economy of means.

Initially, these compositions were of modest size but, over time, their scale grew along with Matisse’s ambitions for them, expanding into mural or room-size works. A brilliant final chapter in Matisse’s long career, the cut-outs reflect both a renewed commitment to form and color and an inventiveness directed to the status of the work of art, whether as a unique object, environment, ornament, or a hybrid of all of these.

Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs is a groundbreaking reassessment of this important body of work. The largest and most extensive presentation of the cut-outs ever mounted, the exhibition includes approximately 100 cut-outs — borrowed from public and private collections around the globe — along with a selection of related drawings, prints, illustrated books, stained glass, and textiles. The last time New York audiences were treated to an in-depth look at the cut-outs was in 1961.

This exhibition was sparked by an initiative to conserve The Museum of Modern Art’s monumental cut-out The Swimming Pool (1952), a favorite of visitors since its acquisition by MoMA in 1975. The Swimming Pool is the only cut-out composed for a specific room — the artist’s dining room in his apartment in Nice, France. The goals of the multiyear conservation effort have been to bring this magical environment back to its original color balance, height, and spatial configuration. Newly conserved, The Swimming Pool — off view for more than 20 years — returns to MoMA’s galleries as a centerpiece of the exhibition. Unfortunately, I could not get a photo of The Swimming Pool room but, trust me, it is amazing.

Here are a few more photos I was able to snap of this must-see show!

Henri Matisse The Cut Outs will be on Exhibit only until February 10th, 2015 at The Museum of Modern Art, Located at East 53rd Street, NYC. As part of its Special Extended Hours for this Exhibit, the Museum will be open continuously for the show’s final weekend, from February 6th at 10:30 AM to February 8th at 5:30 PM. Timed tickets are required for Non-members. Members get in free and skip the line. Find out more at This Link.

Spirit Dancer Rock

Jan8

Photo By Gail

This stone, imbued with the naturally occurring image of a “Spirit Dancer” was found in a river in California and became part of the recent Viewing Stones exhibit at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, which I was fortunate to see over the Christmas Holidays. In the Suiseki tradition, ornamental stones shaped by nature are found in many forms which suggest familiar objects such as near of distant mountains, seascapes, figures of animals and other imaginative natural forms. Suiseki, also called Viewing Stones, is similar to the art of Bonsai, the art of growing miniature trees.

Recommended Viewing: David Bowie Is

Oct3

It seems hilarious to think that I was six years old when David Bowie released his self-titled debut album, which would have been on June 1st of 1967. Coincidentally, and in an act of incredibly bad timing on Bowie’s part, that was the shared release date of another album you may have heard of: The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. What a way to ensure that your most heartfelt artistic efforts are completely and totally eclipsed by another act! Bad Timing! In hindsight, also hilarious.

Point being that David Bowie has been part of the soundtrack for me since childhood. Surprisingly, this year (four decades on) I have learned more about the guy than I ever imagined I didn’t know. Just a couple of months ago, Showtime aired David Bowie: Five Years, a fantastic documentary spanning five key years in Bowie’s music career that was just one mind-blowing revelation after another. For example, I had no idea that Legendary keyboardist Rick Wakeman played piano all over Hunky Dory. Who even pays attention to stuff like that? Mind blowing. Five Years definitely deepened my respect and admiration for the man, his music and his insane contribution to global pop culture. David Bowie is a Musical Genius!

If you have ears and eyes and you are a David Bowie fan, then you’ve already also heard about David Bowie Is; the universally critically lauded, career retrospective that became the fastest-selling exhibition in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum’s history. David Bowie Is has already hit Toronto, Sao Paulo and Berlin, and on September 23rd, this exhibition — which features over 300 items including photos, costumes, artwork, hand-written lyrics, stage props, videos and other items from David Bowie’s Personal Archive — opened at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, which will be its only stop in the US.

That same Tuesday, a documentary film about the touring art exhibition, also called David Bowie Is, had a one-night only screening in various theaters across the country. I saw the film in NYC and it was so exciting that it made me want spend a thousand dollars just to go to Chicago and see the exhibit. Directed by Hamish Hamilton, the film is an excellent primer and will greatly enrich your visit should you have exhibit tickets at the ready. But for those who will be unable to view the exhibition in person, this film is the next best thing. It may even inspire you to pull out all the stops in order to make it to the Museum of Contemporary Art before David Bowie Is moves on to its next destination in January of 2015.

In addition to a detailed tour of the exhibition’s key features, the film includes tons of back-story and insights from curators Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh who serve as onscreen hosts and narrators. And let me tell you, they know their shit. One of my favorite parts of the film is a viewing and explanation of extensive, illustrated storyboards that Bowie created for a film to be based on the Diamond Dogs album. It is unreal. You’ll also hear conversations with exhibit-goer-fans, and commentary about Bowie’s far-reaching influence with pop taste-makers such as Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker and fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, who created the iconic costumes seen in the photo below.

Costumes Designed By Kansai Yamamoto: (left to right) Tokyo Pop vinyl bodysuit (1973), for the Aladdin Sane tour; Asymmetric knitted bodysuit (1973), for the Aladdin Sane tour; cloak decorated with kanji characters (1973), for the Aladdin Sane tour.

If you missed the September 23rd screening and want to see what this exhibit is all about, David Bowie Is will have additional screenings around the country on November 20th. Visit This Link for theaters, show times and ticket purchasing information in your area.

The Worley Gig Gives David Bowie Is Five out of Five Stars!

Brooklyn Museum Presents Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe

Sep11

All Photos By Gail

If you are what some people refer to as a “Shoe Freak,” or even a fan of Art, Design and Fashion, you will want to hoof it over to the Brooklyn Museum to see Killer Heels, a fantastic exhibit of High Heeled Shoes that opened just yesterday. Geoffrey and I were lucky enough to attend the opening reception and party this past Saturday and we had all kinds of crazy fun.

Let’s Party

Let’s relive the good times now, by enjoying some of my photos from the party and the exhibit.

To get people in the mood for shoes, Party-goers were able to get a temporary tattoos with one of two designs based on the shoes pictured below (which, obviously are part of the exhibit):

I got this one of a pair of Wedge Heels decorated with Flames! Fast!

Or you could choose a design based on these “Kinky Boots” fetish style Red Thigh High Boots!

They were also giving out the latest issue of W Magazine with Rihanna on the cover. She does nothing for me but people seem to like her for whatever mysterious reason.

Piper-Heidsieck was a sponsor for the party and their delicious Champagne flowed freely.

In addition to an open bar and passed hot Hors d’oeuvre, there were also some sweet treats.

Such as these Vanilla Cake Balls and also Milk Chocolate Miniature Gold Pumps.

Mmm…Little Chocolate Shoes.

Speaking of Sweet Treats, check out this rad cake made in the likeness of Salvatore Ferragamo’s very famous multi-colored suede platform sandal created for Judy Garland back in 1938! As far as I know, nobody even got to eat this cake, and that’s just a shame.

OK, let’s leave the party behind and go look at some Killer Heels. Here we go!

Killer Heels explores fashion’s most provocative accessory. From the high platform chopines of sixteenth-century Italy to the glamorous stilettos on today’s runways and red carpets, the exhibition looks at the high-heeled shoe’s rich and varied history and its enduring place in our popular imagination.

Candlestick Heel Boots

As fashion statement, fetish object, instrument of power, and outlet of artistic expression for both the designer and the wearer, throughout the ages the high-heeled shoe has gone through many shifts in style and symbolism.

Deadly sharp stilettos, architecturally inspired wedges and platforms, and a number of artfully crafted shoes that defy categorization are featured among the more than 160 historical and contemporary heels on loan from designers, from the renowned Brooklyn Museum costume collection housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and from the Bata Shoe Museum.

Close Up of Black Spiked Stiletto Boot from Above Display

Designers and design houses represented in Killer Heels include Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Zaha Hadid X United Nude, Iris van Herpen X United Nude, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, André Perugia, Prada, Elsa Schiaparelli, Noritaka Tatehana, Vivienne Westwood and Pietro Yantorny.

Here’s That Ferragamo Platform Sandal Again. It is so Legendary.

Platform Boot With Spur

Presented alongside the objects in the exhibition are six specially commissioned short films inspired by high heels. The filmmakers are Ghada Amer and Reza Farkhondeh, Zach Gold, Steven Klein, Nick Knight, Marilyn Minter, and Rashaad Newsome.

“Everyone loves to wear shoes inspired by the Guggenheim Museum!” I heard someone say about this pair of silver space age shoes. Coincidentally, there was a lady at the event wearing these exact shoes!

Shoe Hat

Horse Hoof Boots

Red Wedgewood Pumps

Almost Like Going Barefoot?

Chanel Light Bulb Heels

If Ace Frehley had been a woman, surely he would have worn these boots as part of his Space Ace costume in Kiss.

There is just so much great art tied into the design of all of these shoes, it was easy to feel a bit overwhelmed by the flood of genius and beauty.

What a great show! I recommend you go see it as soon as possible!

Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe will be on Exhibit Through February 15, 2015 in the Robert E. Blum Gallery (1st Floor) at the Brooklyn Museum, Located at 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052. Take the 2 or 3 Trains Right to the Eastern Parkway Stop.

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