Photos By Gail
Throughout his career, Robert Arneson (1930 – 1992) was outspoken about his disapproval of war. Concerned about nuclear threads, he created a series of works, depicting, military generals as monsters, inspired by aboriginal masks from New Guinea. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Robert Arneson, Ronny Portable
Corner Pocket By Masakatsu Sashie (All Photos By Gail)
Jonathan LeVine Gallery is currently hosting External Effect, a series of new works by Japanese artist Masakatsu Sashie. This is Sashie’s second solo exhibition at the gallery, and I somehow neglected to write about his first show, so I didn’t want to fail twice at sharing a series of artworks that is really special.
In a body if work that will surely appeal to fans of dystopian sci-fi. Sashie’s hyperreal 0il paintings and sketches depict a post-apocalyptic world, or series of worlds. The bleak visions of a future that is also trapped in the past analyze the influence of technology on the circle of life. The level of detail in these paintings is extraordinary.
Invisible Rule
Modeled after Kanazawa, the town he was born and continues to reside in, Sashie’s landscapes resemble landfills – capsized by burning vehicles, antiquated technology and an overwhelming amount of man-made debris. Massive orb-shaped amalgams of industrially manufactured products are the focal point of every piece, hovering over desolate cityscapes, drawing attention to the paradox of the vastness of the universe yet the finite amount of space mankind has to exist.
Smoggy Memory
Kanazawa is a small city in Japan that the artist describes as a miniature garden in which the obsolete and contemporary are fused due to its distance from an urban center.
Zero Sum (1 of 2)
Zero Sum (Detail)
Growing up within this isolation nurtured Sashie’s fascination with the notion of “the balanced aquarium,” a concept described by Nobel Prize winner Konrad Lorenz in his book King Solomon’s Ring: New Light on Animal Ways (1949).
Corner Pocket (Detail)
Lorenz describes an aquarium as a self-sustaining environment depending solely on the natural interactions between plants and other living organisms for survival. Once outside involvement occurs, balance is lost and disintegration immediately begins.
Oasis
The artist considers Lorenz’s biological phenomenon as the epitome of the world we live in; struggling to maintain stability among the complexities and demands of modern living. Revolving around themes of consumerism, globalism and environmentalism, Masakatsu Sashie’s self-contained environments are an archive of the past and a prediction of our future.
Masakatsu Sashie’s External Effect will be on Exhibit Through November 12th, 2016 at Jonathan LeVine Gallery, Located at 529 East 20th Street, 9th Floor, in the Chelsea Gallery District.
Left: Melt Into The Air Cool, Tight: Melt Into The Air Hot
All Photos Courtesy of Frankie Velez
Bronx-based artist and poet Wonder Lee celebrated with friends and fans at the opening reception for her solo show, Mixed Messages, on Friday, September 9th at Phantom Audio. An up and comer on the New York City scene, Lee is perhaps best known for her poetry, including her upbeat and inspirational Haiku of the Day, which is available on her Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/#!/wonderlee123. As a Green artist, Mixed Messages collects 18 of Lee’s mixed-media artworks that incorporate found objects and recycled/re-purposed items (music media seems to be a favorite) with spray paint and printed word, in a collage or assemblage technique.
The messages of these works include thoughts on personal freedoms, communication and social consciousness, among other ideals dear to Lee’s personal philosophy. Not only are Lee’s sculptures and paintings vibrant and visually captivating, but they evoke a great deal of humor and thought while also being beautiful to look at. Her work is also quite affordable, being priced as reasonably as $60 up to a still affordable $800, and a Wonder Lee original would certainly set off the décor in any modern apartment, being a mix of urban meets pop art. We recommend you make the trip to see this show before it closes early next month.
Mixed Messages is on exhibit now through October 8, 2011 at Phantom Audio, Located at 48 West 25th Street (East of 6th Ave), 10th Floor in NYC. Viewings are by appointment only, so please call (212)727-0452 if you plan to stop by.
