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Changing Subjects By Elmgreen & Dragset at Flag Art Foundation

Untitled
Untitled, 2011 By Elmgreen & Dragset (All Photos By Gail)

The Flag Art Foundation is currently hosting Changing Subjects, a solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed Scandinavian artists Elmgreen & Dragset. Changing Subjects, designed by the artists, presents new and existing works from the duo’s twenty-year-long collaboration that address existential issues linked to identity, sexuality, and mortality, as well as an examination of social value systems and the expectations that surround them.

Changing Subjects investigates the multiple meanings of the word “subject” as a noun. In grammatical terms, the subject can be a noun functioning as one of the main components of a clause, making it the element about which the rest of the clause is predicated. In turn, the predicate is the part of a sentence or clause that expresses what is said of the subject on its own. In the context of Changing Subjects, the subject of each work exists independently of the others, yet when viewed together, they shift positions, creating a complex interconnection between the autonomous works.

Go Go Go
Go, Go, Go!

The works in the exhibition, ranging in date of creation from 1998 to 2016, collectively guide visitors on a non-linear journey through various life stages. However, the sculptures and installations do not mark momentous occasions; on the contrary, they show introspective, unspectacular moments, by way of a figurative representation, by the use of a minimalist symbolic language, or by employing the actual materials to which they refer. Even when a lifelike human form is not shown, presence is implied through absence. The repeated use of an antiseptic material like stainless steel underscores a sense of a clinical study and evokes solitary feelings of abandonment.

More Photos After The Jump!

Continue reading Changing Subjects By Elmgreen & Dragset at Flag Art Foundation

Pink Thing of The Day: Pink Water Tower

Pink Water Tower Close Up
All Photos By Gail

Ah, a pink-hued water tower, what a pleasant object to spot on the skyline. I shot these photos from the 9th floor patio of the Flag Art Foundation, which is located at 545 West 25th Street (Between 10th and 11th Avenues), so this tower is also going to be somewhere on the south side of West 25th Street, in that same block.

Elmgreen & Dragset Watching, 2016

You can see it in the background of this photo, which is of an Elmgreen & Dragset sculpture called Watching (2016).

Pink Water Tower Distance

Perspective!

FLAG Art Foundation Presents Surface Tension

Sterling Ruby SP301
Sterling Ruby, SP301 (All Photos By Gail)

If you dig Abstract and Colorfield paintings, then you are going to love Flag Art Foundation’s current group show, Surface Tension. This dynamic group show focuses on a selection of contemporary artists whose approach to abstraction incorporates a range of materials, processes, and techniques — such as sanding, stitching, dying, and layering — to draw attention to the dynamic potential of a painting’s surface. Artists include:

El Anatsui, Mark Bradford, Kadar Brock, Cecily Brown, Sarah Crowner, Sam Gilliam, Sterling Ruby, Sean Scully, Ryan Sullivan, Lesley Vance, Rebecca Ward, and Garth Weiser.

Inspired by Los Angeles gang culture and the use graffiti as a means of ‘tagging’ territories, Sterling Ruby’s mark-making presents a timely alternative to classic painterly techniques. Ruby’s atmospheric spray painting SP301, 2014 (top photo), organizes the canvas in bands of pink, acid green, and black, varying in shading and intensity as a product of using readily available aerosol paints.

Sarah Crowner, Untitled Leaves, 2015

The materiality of canvas plays a central role in Sarah Crowner’s Untitled (Leaves), 2015, a diptych of sewn, painted panels that plays with repetition of color and form.

Kadar Brock, Deredemirtdxii(mmb)

Kadar Brock’s deredemirtdxii, 2015, was constructed, or more accurately worn down, through a labor-intensive (and often repeated) process of underpainting, priming, and power-sanding, producing a work whose tattered and marbled composition serves as evidence to its making.

View from Flag Patio

In addition to the lovely artworks, Flag also has a spectacular scenic patio from which you can see the sunset over New Jersey, and watch ships come in to port. Nice.

Surface Tension will be on Exhibit Through December 12th, 2015, at FLAG Art Foundation, Located at West 545 25th Street, 9th Floor, in the Chelsea Gallery District.

Pink Thing of The Day: Jim Hodges, Picturing My Heart

Jim Hodges, Picturing My Heart
Photo By Gail

Jim Hodges’ Picturing My Heart (2004) has been described as an “eerily captivating” cast pink crystal skull, divided in two, forming a (broken) heart. The two parts together measure 9 1/5 x 22 x 16 inches, and can be seen displayed as photographed above at Flag Art Foundation as part of its A Secret Affair exhibit, through May 16th, 2015.

A Secret Affair: Selections from the Fuhrman Family Collection at Flag Art Foundation

Yinka Shonbare, Girl Girl Ballerina
Yinka Shonbare MBE, Girl Girl Ballerina (All Photos By Gail)

What an amazing treat it is to have Flag Art Foundation founder Glenn and his wife Amanda Furhman share a selection of sculptures and assorted artworks from their own private collection with fans of their very cool gallery. Geoffrey and I attended the opening reception on Saturday (in the middle of a snow storm!) and were just blown away by an amazing collection that looks like it belongs in a museum. Here are a few of our favorite pieces!

Anish Kapoor, Blood Solid
Anish Kapoor, Blood Solid

This is may be my favorite small scale sculpture by Anish Kapoor The color and quality of the surface is just outstanding.

Felix Gonzales-Torres, Untitled
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Untitled

You might have seen Elaine Sturtevnat’s reproduction of the work of Gonzalez-Torres at her recent retrospective at MOMA.

Jim Hodges, (First light (Beginning of the End)
Jim Hodges, First light (Beginning of the End)

You can see the Gonzalez-Torres piece reflected in this work by Jim Hodges which is composed of small tiles of mirrored black glass. Very beautiful.

Louis Bourgeois, Topiary
Louis Bourgeois, Topiary

The Fuhrmans must be big fans of Louise Bourgeois, as this was one of three pieces by the late artist included in this show.

Louis Bourgeois, Couple
Louis Bourgeois, Couple

Maurizio Cattelan, Frank and Jamie
Maurizio Cattelan, Frank and Jamie

Imagine having this piece by Maurizio Cattelan in your private collection. How cool would that be?

Matthew Barney, Cremaster 1: Goodyear Lounge
Matthew Barney, Cremaster 1: Goodyear Lounge

I can run pretty hot and cold when it comes to the art of Matthew Barney, but this, I love. See a detail shot below.

Matthew Barney, Cremaster 1: Goodyear Lounge

Look at the art direction on this. Just look at it. Amazing.

Katharina Fritsch, Oktopus
Katharina Fritsch, Oktopus

What a fantastic and fun sculpture by German contemporary artist Katharina Fritsch. I love her work.

Thomas Schutte, Grosser Geist (1)
Thomas Schütte, Grosser Geist (1)

German Sculptor Thomas Schütte has done a series of these large statues called Grosser Geist — which means “Great Spirit” in German — though no two of these works are exactly alike.

Subodh Gupta, Spooning
Subodh Gupta, Spooning

I left the guard’s legs in the shot so you can see how large these spoons are. Another very fun sculpture!

Robert Gober, Untitled
Robert Gober, Untitled

This one looks like a over-sized stick of Butter in a Baby Crib surrounded by Yellow Apples. Everything in the crib is fabricated from Beeswax.

Ron Mueck, Two Women
Ron Mueck, Two Women

Sculptor Ron Mueck creates startlingly lifelike miniature sculptures of people. These ladies stand about 33 inches high and you could swear they are about to talk to you.

Marc Quinn, Sphinx (Fortuna)
Marc Quinn, Sphinx (Fortuna)

British artist Marc Quinn has created dozen of sculptures of supermodel Kate Moss in various contorted poses.

As you can see just from these few photos, this is an enormously exciting exhibit presenting a very rare opportunity to experience a private art collection of such high quality and displaying such exceptional taste. Absolutely do not miss this one!

A Secret Affair: Selections from the Fuhrman Family Collection will be on Exhibit Through May 16th, 2015 at Flag Art Foundation, Located at 545 West 25th Street, 9th and 10th Floors, in the Chelsea Gallery District.