The Chelsea Beat and Free Booze Review

Back to Work!

2010-10-05T17:40:00.001-04:00

When you run in the wild circles that I do you never know what’s going to happen next. One minute you can be sitting there talking up a new show you just saw at Bold Hype Gallery during a backyard BBQ party in the BK, sucking down gin like it’s your last night on earth and then you wake up two months later on a prison barge in the Philippines. Who knows how you got there but good times for sure. Good times indeed. Tagalog is an awesome, lyrical language and if you have the chance go for a cross country ride in a Jeepney don’t miss the coastal villages. Everyone should go to Manila at least once in their lives to smell the smells of coup de tat in the air. Or so I’m told. The last couple of weeks have really been kind of a blur and I have a headache behind my eyes. If anyone has any information concerning my whereabouts from Sept 21 to October 1^st shoot me a line. It would really save me allot on legal fee’s and private investigation. Anyhow, where was I? Right. I was going to fill your imagination with the wonders of the art world. So as I periodically go off on a tangents recalling my latest south east Asian bender / abduction lets get started...

When I woke up in a dank puddle of oily sludge behind the engine room door in the hull of the prison ship I thought “wow. That was a great show!” The week before my birthday bender I had gone to see “THINGS TO COME... Visions of the future, dark and bright” which opened at Bold Hype gallery on September 9. I think it was the drawing of the decrepit old woman with chigger bites all over her naked body by Brendan Danielsson that really stuck out in my memory at the time. When I realized I was chained at the ankle to a sump pump and no one would answer back to my screams I really felt like I could relate to that piece. It spoke to me in the moment. And then of course the rest of the show came rushing back and I smiled my first smile since the burlap sack was pulled off my head.

Reveling in the delightful recollections of a gallery evening well spent I adjusted my bikini, gathered my composure and made a special note to mention Nicole Gastonguay and her knit robots if I ever made it out alive. Which I did. So here you go…

If you know me half as well as you tell your friends that you do you know that I am a huge fan of robots. My cousin used to tell me that we were both ¼ robot on my grandfather’s side of the family. I should mention that the robots in this show were not real robots. These robots were colorfully rendered in fluffy clean yarn robots who shared a shelf with a fluffy yarn bible and a real glass jar of fluffy yarn pickles. I couldn’t help but notice that the bad robot had a human brain but the artist was not to be found at the opening so unless you’ve already had this conversation with Nicloe, the mystery as to why will live on forever.

Other artists in the show included, Doug Boehm, Chris Buzelli, Paul Chatem, R.S. Connett, Bob Dob, Greg Hergert, Douglas Hoffman, Charlie Immer, Colin Johnson, Jason Limon, Dan May, Heiko Muller, Nathan Ota, Shaunna Peterson, Leah Palmer Preiss, Chris Ryniak, Scott Scheidly, Joe Scarano, Jim (Ojimbo) Sheely, Allison Sommers, Alix Soubiran, Nathan Spoor, Aron Wiesenfeld who had some amazingly figurative charcoal work. The show is up until Thursday so hurry over before its too late.

Anyhow, by the time I managed to jimmy open the lock on my ankle chains and wrestle an antique Type 100 (Hyaku-shiki kikan-tanju) submachine gun away from the nice man guarding the door I was face to face with a whole new series of questions and complex emotions. How many guards were on the other side of the hatch? How much time would I have to find my bearings once I escaped back to the jungle? Why couldn’t I stop thinking about The Space between Reference and Regret at Friedrich Petzel Gallery?

Okay now I know what your thinking, “Focus Avery, did you take the safety off the Hyaku-shiki?” and your right, I was totally winging it and could have been recaptured at any moment. I needed a plan and I was running out of time. I had to think quick…and so instead I thought about John Cage. He was huge influence on the show at Petzel. I like shows that are about the spaces they are curated in. When shows become site specific they begin to transcend regular exhibitions and starts to become experiences. John Cage used to talk about how reducing something to its bare elements doesn’t bind it to the aesthetics of nothingness and each artist in their own way addresses this idea throughout the space masterfully.

Im not saying it’s a perfect show,. For a show about site specific minimalism there was a lot of work in the program. Also, my fist mentor used to say that if you cant make it good make it big and if you cant make it big make it red. Its hard to let that lesson go. Ultimately I thought the show was perfectly installed and say what you will about big and red- Philippe Parreno’s balloons were pretty cool. I did have an incredible urge to pop one on my way out. But I digress…

As I dove off of the bow of the exploding prison ship I screamed and emptied the submachine gun into the darkness. I never looked back. I swam to shore and scavenged off the countryside for 3 days before I made contact at the rendezvous point… Actually you know what? I think you get the point. Here are some images that can only be described as interesting enough to take a photo of but not so much to write about. Oh, Also I obviously survived my harrowing experience so awesome to that. I just needed to give a shout out to Threejay for filing the missing persons report. I never would have been able to skydive back into American airspace without you.

OPENINGS AND GOINGS ON AROUND CHELSEA Thursday Sept. 9

2010-09-08T22:26:00.000-04:00

Openings in Chelsea Thursday 9/9/10

Santiago Sierra opens at Team, 83 Grand St, btw Greene and Wooster, 6-8pm

Ed Welsh Signs at Ricco/Maresca Gallery, 529 West 20th Street, 3rd fl., 6-8

Nathan Carter Pocket Shrapnel Set-Ups Veronica Vex and Brooklyn Street Treasures at Casey Kaplan, 525 West 21st Street, 6-8

Book signing with William E Jones at Printed Matter, 195 10^th Ave, btw 21^st and 22^nd, 5-7pm

The Space Between Reference & Regret w/ Allan McCollum, Cheyney Thompson, Daniel Buren, Heimo Zobernig, Karin Sander, Matthew Brannon, Philippe Parreno, Stephen Prina, Wade Guyton at Friedrich Petzel Gallery, 537 West 22nd Street, 6-8

Jeff Bark Lucifer Falls at Hasted Hunt Kraeutler, 537 West 24th Street, 6-8

Joseph Russo "The Dark Side Of Nature" at Rogue Space, 26 street: 526 W 26 street, suite 9E, 6-9pm

"Things to Come..." curated by Colin Johnson, Eric Althin at Bold Hype
27 street: 547 W 27 street, floor 5, 6-9pm

Irina Davis Nice Girls at Sputnik Gallery, 547 West 27th Street, 5th fl., 6-8

Paul Strand in Mexico at Aperture, 547 West 27th Street, 4th fl., 6-8

Jean-Pierre Roy opens at Rare, 547 W 27^th St, #514, btw 10^th and 11^th, 6-9pm

Dave Kinsey New Works at Joshua Liner Gallery, 548 West 28th Street 3rd ﬂ., 6-8

Stephen Aldrich "All the World's a Stage" at Foley Gallery
28 street: 548 W 28 street, floor 2, 6-9pm

"New Narrative" curated by John Serdula at Heskin Contemporary
37 street: 443 W 37 street, 6-9pm

Closed for Business! (and Summer show at Winston Wachter Gallery)

2010-08-27T15:40:00.002-04:00

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Yep it’s that time of year again. Chelsea is closed for business. Well most of Chelsea is closed for business. For the next two weeks if your headed to the west side for a cultural smorgasbord of the best and worst NYC has to offer and you expect to delight yourself with free cocktails and beer while you push past the suits and hipster collectives then you will find yourself sorely wanting. These are the percolation days of summer and they’ll be free booze and art schmooze for all of us soon enough. So while the busy bodies and installation teams make their mad push to secretly erect the opening acts of our beloved Fall gallery season, feverishly working away on ladders behind brown papered windows, I set out solo to see if I could find an exception or two to the rule.

Ok so even though the show at Winston Wachter Fine art (with an umlauts over the a) has been up since June, I’ve wanted to post about it for a while. It was also the only descent gallery open this week so I though it would be worth my valuable time to say thanks for being there Wachter (with an umlauts over the a) Gallery. I’m going to give this show enormous props for courageously installing wax works by Jil Weinstock that have been surviving the dread heat of summer completely unaffected. I figured that they would have melted clean off the wall by now but there they are, still hanging in there. Get up close and the wax smells sweet and there is a fragile nostalgia to her work that will strike a chord in anyone who enjoys reveling in the little details of the past. Beau Chamberlain and Scott Platt are also represented here and if you like space and you like funny then Scott Platt is the man for you. I was just writing about how I wished artists would make more work about space in an entry from a few weeks ago and here Mr. Platt doesn’t disappoint. In his series “wormholes” we are confronted with a troubled relationship between space and time. Their struggles are played out in brief messages on each canvas such as, “Dear Space, It’s not you. It’s you. Time.” and “Dear Time, Wish you were here. Space.” The paintings and mounted prints are witty for sure and playfully engaging. They twist simplified scientific theory in order to explore very relatable human problems that must be surmounted in any relationship between people or cosmic forces. When you realize that space and time are cosmically bound to each other like two sides of a universal coin, his dark jokes suddenly become optimistically inspiring and laughably absurd in a Taoist kinda way. Im also a sucker for pictures of stars and galaxies so maybe that alone would have been enough to win an A+ from this critic.

Well worth the trip downtown for a quick visit or if you just happen to be wandering down 25 street and want to see one of the best designed galleries in town. Winston Wachter is located at 530 West 25 Street between 10 and 11 Aves and the show is up for another two weeks. You can see more images of the work in the summer show and find out more information about Winston Wachter by clicking here.

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Film Review: Bonnie & Clyde at the HBO/Bryant Park Summer Film Festival

2010-08-24T16:16:00.001-04:00

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There were only a few words my Mother never let pass out of my big mouth when I was a child. Words like can’t, won't, never, hate and quit were met with bar of soap. I shit you not, I probably consumed 4 or 5 whole bars between the ages of 5 and 7 and we aren’t talking about your American candy fun soap we’re talking about old school European awful. My point is that her message stuck. So I apologize to her and to you for breaking this rule when I tell you that you will never watch a crazier love story devolve into a wild orgy of beautiful violence than the 1967 Depression-era crime drama, Bonnie and Clyde.

Wild at heart and dangerously inspired this movie is a passionate rage through a time when the great depression had this country walking Spanish down the hall. Completely amoral, perhaps psychotic, and sweetly fascinating, Bonnie and Clyde starts off bravely spirited and although Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) describes himself as “not much of a lover boy” there is a palpable sexual energy between the two anti- heroes that slowly and with a great sense of humor cascades into the brutal spirit of the last act of Romeo and Juliet. I hadn’t seen this movie in 10 years and forgot how hypnotizing and beautiful Faye Dunaway (Bonnie Parker) was is her heyday. I mean seriously. So the re-imagined plot line isn’t exactly true to the real life events that inspired the film but we are left with a real American myth that makes you want to swig bathtub gin from a flask and go rob the same bank twice just to see if you can get away with it. The dark side of all of this is that ultimately both Bonnie and Clyde turn out to be self centered all American narcissists with a flawed lack of empathy for other human beings. Well so be it. I guess you kinda have to be if your going on a suicidal crime spree. A word to the wise for those of you who see the film and are motivated to go for the gold with a fuck all attitude and a Tommy gun: Never parallel park your getaway car.

This was the last of the Bryant Park films for 2010 and that’s a damn shame because that means your going to have to wait until next year to pull out the picnic blankets and brown bag your booze to see another great classic film like this one - out doors in the greatest city on earth.

Rating- A

Friends from Albany Bringing the Goodness to NYC - Go see the show!

2010-08-23T14:46:00.000-04:00

Convergence NYC Art Benefit to Help Operation Homefront –Aug. 27-29 NYC Artists Benefit Supports Military Service Members
New York City, NY-Artist from across the world converge in NYC to present an epic exhibition benefitting families who have lost loved ones due to the Afghan and Iraq wars. CONVERGENCE NYC will be presenting art to the public, Aug. 27th –29th , at the Historic 69th Fighting Regiment’s Armory located at 68 Lexington Ave & 25th St. During these three days the public is invited to enjoy art and live music, while getting the unique opportunity to meet and mingle with the over 70 participating artists. Fifty percent of all sales will be donated to the NY/NJ chapter of Operation Homefront.
Operation Homefront provides emergency, financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers across 23 chapters and has met more than 267,000 needs since 2002. With over 70 Artist and Performers, CONVERGENCE NYC is going to be an exhibition of grand artistic proportions.
Venue History: The 1913 Armory Show The downtown 25th St. and Lexington Ave. Armory was the site of the historic 1913 “Armory Show” in which Picasso, Duchamp, Matisse, and many other world renowned visionary artists’ premiered their ground-breaking works, which changed art history forever. CONVERGENCE NYC draws inspiration from the rawness of this historic event and blends it with today’s edgy aesthetic. Urban art lovers, young professionals, contemporary art collectors, and emerging artist are all invited. CONVERGENCE NYC builds on the notion that as we unite as an entity, ideas are created and history will be made.
Artist include: Marta Alexandra Abbott, Scott Micheal Ackerman, Meech Art, The Phantom Street Artist, Of B&AB, Brian Balderston, Sam Bassett, Al Benkin, Jennie Booth, Tracy Von Becker, Annika Connor, Just Seeds Collection, Alex Contompasis, Samson Contompasis, Victor W. Cox, Deacon Czar, Jack Davietshin, Lauren Jean Domsky, DumbWon, Georgia Dormeus, Gregory Dunn II, Jacqueline VanDusen & Gabriel Escobar, Mike Ferrari, Jonathan Fritz, Gabby, GAIA, Austin Gamsjager, Kristin Gambell, Eleanor Gilpatrick, Ben Godward, Chucky Grimm, Lauren Hoffen, John C. Kuchera, Kaliptus, Brian Leo, Chealsea Greene Lewta, Miller Lopez, Christina Mannino, Seth Mathurin, Josh Matson, Liz Medina, Laura Meyers, Greyegg McKenna, Erica Morgan, Luis Monteagudo, PAPERGIRL PROJECT NY, Courtney Novak, Dwell & Oneunit, Nicholas Papadakis, Joseph Puma, Danny Quirk, RAD!CAL, Lance Rautzhan, Chris Reynolds, B. Scribles, Miss Chloe & Mister Sebastien, CAKE & Patrick Seeley, Rob Servo, Jason Shelowitz, Anslem Skogstad, Corrina Snider, The Free Art Society, Mani the Uncanny, Meghan VanAlstine, Mathew VanAlstine, Ron & Valerie Vanone, Hans Wolf… More to be announced at the show.
Preformers Include: FRIDAY: DJ TRUMASTER, DJ DWELL
SATURDAY: Egemen Sanli, Homespun Vector, Mr. Pants and the Adventure Soundtrack, Match Party, Forbidden Fruit, DJ DWELL & DJ LOS,
Individuals, families, groups, and corporations interested in more information about the event may contact Tamara Gabbard @ (704) 787-3888 or go to the web site http://convergencenyc.wordpress.com . For more info about Operation Homefront go to www.operationhomefront.net or contact via email at ny@operationhomefront.net.

NEWBREED II @ Last Rites Gallery - 511 W.33rd St. NYC

2010-08-11T16:05:00.000-04:00

Down a darkened avenue where Chelsea meets Hell’s Kitchen, up three flights and deep within the ominous chambers of a badass needle and ink joint you will find it. Last Rites Gallery is a home for productive deviants and artists alike who prefer to explore the darker side of their imaginations by holding up a mirror to yours. Holy power to the low brow, to the wicked and pierced, to the scarred and inked from throat to ankle who wear their fears and tears on their sleeves. Holy power to the outcast and the non-believer. Glory to the punk and the rockabilly junkie, glory to the girl with a bone through her nose and flames in her eyes. You are the hurricane farmers. You make all the girls wet and all the boys excited by violence. Ok. I’m gushing. I did my time in this world and I’m not gonna lie, although I’ve passed into another state of consciousness, my memories of that life are the wonder stuffs that smiles are made of. I really dig these people.

As for the exhibition, there is no new stylistic departure to wonder and awe at but the magic of lowbrow is the infinite variations on accepted aesthetic themes. That being said, I really enjoyed the diversity within context. Mark Elliot’s small detailed portraits were masterfully rendered and a sweet start to the show as you made your way though the space. The other artists were just as interesting and im not going to play favorites on this one so here’s a list of all the players…

John Cebollero

Patrick Deignan

Leslie Ditto

Mark Elliot

Steve Ellis

Angie Mason

Celeste Rappone

Natalie Shau

Jasmine Worth.

Facing one's fears, negating puritanical taboos, and tapping into often repressed emotions can be truly empowering and this is where the artists in New Breed II find their strength. Highly recommended from yours truly and I would be disappointed in you on a deeply personal level if I ever found out that your didn’t take the time to go see this show or just introduce yourself to the space. For more information you can visit their website here:

http://www.lastritesgallery.com/shows.php

and if your interested in getting marked up for good you ought to get ready to wait. The top artists at the shop have a three year waiting list to ink you. From what I understand about these things, its worth it.

Show Rating: A

Refreshments: They were charging for booze but I’m going to give them a pass. Rather than even see what they were serving up I just avoided the area all together.

Booze Rating F-

Avery Billingsworth III Visits Outer Space So You Dont Have To

2010-07-26T05:14:00.000-04:00

I have great hope for the art world and I think things are really going to pick up by the time I make it back to New York from my recent trip to space. That’s right folks, if you’ve noticed that I’ve been away for the last week its because ive gone extra terrestrial. In a few short days I will be returning to terra firma but tonight I wanted to write to all of my fans and gloat a little about the view of tonight’s full moon I have from 200 miles up. Low earth orbit really gets you high. And im not fucking around. I just did a zero g back flip in between sentences. Ok, I know what your thinking, bullshit right? Not bullshit my friends. It pays to know people and my good friend Vladimir let me tag along on his 20 million dollar space vacation in exchange for a little free publicity for an art project he is working on back home. Just want to say thanks to Vlad and the whole crew for the smooth ride. I raise my glass of Tang to you sirs. Although I know I should be posting notable moments from this unique opportunity, but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t feel the urge to rip into a few things I felt were missing from this adventure. Ray Guns. I mean seriously, sexy single girl floatin around up here, surrounded by drunken Russian cosmonauts - where’s my freaking ray gun. Someone needs to leave a note for the concierge service next time. How am I supposed to play Barbarella without one? And another thing. They make you pee in a vacuum cleaner up here. I mean we can send a man to the moon but we can’t invent a space bidet? Space it turns out is not as civilized as one might have imagined. To be honest with you , beyond the incredible views I feel like ive been living in a Winnebago all week, and not one of those cool Winnebagos you see on cable TV. Im taking about those tin shells that you can see in advertisements from old life magazines in the 60’s. I wonder how you say Winnebago in Russian. Do they have Winnebago’s in Russia? Anyhow, it’s not all bad, they gave me this sick blue onesie with an American flag lapel pin on it and it sleeps great, you know once im velcroed into my adjustable sleep unit. The whole experience has really been quite moving and educational. For example, did you know that the moon is not falling towards the earth and is instead moving about two inches away from our planet every year? I did not know that. Comes as quite a relief actually. Also I found out that there’s lots of really dangerous radiation up here that can cause severe brain damage and there’s lots of really dangerous radiation up here that can cause severe brain damage.

Well friends, Its almost time for my next protein pill and mug of Tang. So before I go I just want to mention that I have never seen a great art exhibition about space. Why is that? Why don’t people make serious art about space? It’s the freaking final frontier for Christ’s sake. If you’ve seen a great show about space let me know… post it on my wall or write me here at the blog. thechelseabeat@gmail.com. Also, while im up here ripping through low earth orbit at 17,000 mph I just want you to know that I can see your house from up here and I know what your doing so stop it right now. Also I would like to thank Vlad and Jesus for this opportunity and throw a shout out to Moms and Threejay for believing I could get here one day. See you earthlings later ;)

Refreshments: Tang A++

This is one of my favorite beverages from my childhood. The stuff is out of this world and other awesome puns. Instead of a proper review I wrote apoem about Tang.

Tang. The instant space drink that astronauts like to drink.

Tang. Puts a smile on your face to drink.

Tang. Its not juice its your fate

The Chelsea Beat and Free Booze Review tears Chelsea a new one... and leads you to a few exceptions

2010-07-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

So obviously if your a person in the know this is the down time for most of Chelsea as collectors, artists and dealers have, for the most part, all split the scene for the beaches of South Hampton or Miami to exercise their bank accounts and generally posture for impressions while catching a few rays and severely damaging their livers. Of course those left behind here in the stink and burn of the city are treated to the summer group shows which are pitched as the opportunity for curators and gallery owners to experiment and throw caution to the wind. That always looks good on paper and in print but as you can see for yourself most spaces end up falling into the trappings of pushing the same concepts year after year or building uneven shows to sell that either leave you wanting more or worse, disappointed. Its that same feeling you get when someone says they are going to meet you with a wonderful surprise and they forget to bring the wonderful surprise. One of my biggest pet peeves is the “survey” which requires no more creative energy than it takes to fry an egg, pour a glass of water or turn on the radio. I like ideas and I want to see some sophistication. This week’s adventures into the goings on around town left me feeling deflated and fearing for the future. With few exceptions there’s not much out there in Chelsea to salivate over this summer. Most of the good stuff I’ve already written about so instead of going off on just one I thought this week I would switch it up and give you a little of my twist on a few of the best and the worst that opened last night. Im gonna do my best to focus only on the good things I've seen…

Exhibition Lab @ Foley Gallery & Sasha Wolf Gallery

the Exhibition Lab exhibition
July 15 - August 13
Opening reception for the artists:
Thursday, July 15, 2010 6 - 8

Artists:

Malu Alverez, Baldomero Fernandez, Peter Hoang, Amy Finkelstein, Matt Licari, Keren Moscovitch, Landon Nordeman, Marcy Robinson, Irina Rozovsky, Matilde Soligno, Jesrey Walz, Kat Westerman, MaryLynne Wrye, Carl Wooley

Refreshments: Keg of PBR

Rating: Best in Town

Gimme Shelter

July 15- August 20 2010

Artists: Zachary Buchner, Kevin Cyr, Matthew de Leon, Jonathan Durham, Jonathan Ehrenberg, Kate Gilmore, Angelina Gualdoni, Eric Heist, Nicholas Johnston, Dimitri Kozyrev, Fawn Krieger, Caitlin Masley, Jaclyn Mednicov, Ryan Sarah Murphy, Lisa Ross, Nicolas Rule, Suzanne Song

Mixed Greens presents the group exhibition Gimme Shelter. While shelter is traditionally defined as a structure that provides protection, these seventeen artists present a more complex, multifaceted understanding of the concept. More specifically, the works in this show investigate the delicate balance of perception: whether a space is inviting or uninhabitable, comforting or crumbling, being constructed or consumed.

Refreshments: Modello in a can

Rating: Like the gallery says, Mixed Greens. A little of the best and worst of everything you love and hate- B+

PAULA BARR CHELSEA

Line Dreaming, a solo show featuring the work of Paul Fernandez-Carol

west chelsea arts building

508/526 west 26th street · 9G

New York NY 10001

Line Dreaming presents exquisite drawings with a surrealistic tone that will enchant the viewer. The finesse of the work reminds us that in the shadow of each great painting, a great drawing is hiding. Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres said, "Drawing is the honesty of art. To draw does not mean simply to reproduce contours: drawing does not consist merely of line. Drawing is also expression, the inner form, the plane and modeling." PaulaBarr chelsea is proud to present the work of an artist who gives a sound meaning to Ingres' words.

Refreshments: Mulderbosh in glass and plastic

Rating: Art- C+

Booze A +

The nose of this wine smells like a bunch of freshly cut strawberries and is a perfect summertime refreshment. The wine itself is very well balanced. I found the bite of acidity refreshing. When the rest of NYC is serving up the cheapest swill they can afford you can always capture my attention and illuminate my imagination with a quality beverage like this one. Seriously I was blown away to see this exceptional Rose. Ten thumbs up!

BIG PICTURE @ PRISKA C. JUSCHKA FINE ART July 8 - Aug 10

2010-07-09T01:07:00.000-04:00

Priska C. Juschka Fine

BIG PICTURE

A group exhibition curated by Tom Sanford and Ryan Schneider

July 8 - August 6, 201

Artists include: Kamrooz Aram, Colleen Asper, Paul Brainard, Holly Coulis, Justin Craun, Van Hanos, Daniel Heidkamp, Aaron Johnson, Emily Noelle Lambert, Wes Lang, Liz Markus, Eddie Martinez, Brian Montuori, Lisa Sanditz, Tom Sanford, Ryan Schneider, Michael Williams and Jeremy Williams.

Well I finally felt satisfied with a painting show in Chelsea. And it isn’t because I have friends in the show, which I do. The only piece that threw me was the drum kit by Van Hanos. Not that it is a bad painting- the technique is curious and action packed but I saw it done better by Tomory Dodge at CRG Gallery a few years ago. All and all these artists are pushing their best work and most are at the top of their game. I recommend a visit when there are not a million sweaty bodies to navigate through. Although I usually recommend the openings this show needs some space to really take in the scale. Two artists with top prize- Aaron Johnson’s horrific candy land garden of Eden with possibly the most awesome title I have ever read on a checklist; I dreamed I painted flowers all over your naked body, and in that dream I awoke from dreaming, my eyes opened to see the flowers rot, turning first putrid, then molten, then burst your flesh into flame. Pretty badass my friends pretty badass and the painting was spectacularly rendered. Another Artist in the show Paul Brainard, I’ve been following for some time now and is constantly producing new work that sometimes makes you laugh and other times sticks you in the side with a switchblade. Always technically amazing, I am more familiar with his drawings but in these new paintings he has really let his sense of abstraction go off on a tangent. A wonderful, colorful tangent.

Curated by Tom Sanford and Ryan Schneider as a survey of large scale paintings by new crop of up and comers, most of these artists have been showing around New york for over a decade and its nice to see them all together for a change. On Monday July 12^th the gallery will be hosting a panel discussion with Kamrooz Aram, Lisa Sanditz, Tom Sanford and Ryan Schneider moderated by art critic and writer David Coggins from 6:30 to 8. Hope to see you all there. You can sit on my lap and feed me gum drops while we learn all about the future of painting in the next decade.

AMERICA DAY!

2010-07-05T13:19:00.000-04:00

My fellow Americans, I’ve gotta tell you - on a night like tonight its hard not to feel like a million bucks. Sunshine, check. Fireworks, check. Stunning sunset, check. Moon rise with the best view of the Milky Way in the BK, check. Ah, but there’s something missing and I cant put my finger on it. Well actually I can but your never gonna find out who it is. So Independence Day has landed upon us again. I’m a huge fan of secular holidays like Thanksgiving and the 4^th of July. They make people think about America and dream about what it means to be American. There are not enough people who do that. I am an American citizen born in Amsterdam. I was conceived miraculously and in a blinding two minute flood of brilliant white light I wholly formed in my mothers womb. I came into this world during her dream of the golden lotus and was delivered by a man with nine fingers. To be honest with you I understand that’s allot to digest but everything that’s happened since then has been firmly grounded in terra firma. I digress. As a former expatriate who returned to America not too long ago, I feel like I have an outsiders perspective and can tell you first hand that this place truly is like no other. I’ve always visualized the maturity of a civilization by conceptualizing it as a single individual at various ages of his life. China, Egypt and Iran are Grandpapas while France, Mexico, Italy and Japan would be just over the hill, lets say late 50’s. America however is a savagely hormonal teenager plowing through his post-pubescent adolescence with pimples and all. There’s obviously room to grow and perhaps we would do best to keep the mistakes we’ve made close to our hearts as we grow old together so that we repeat as few of them as possible. You know throughout the greatness and grandeur of the ancient Egyptian dynasties no person was born a citizen. Citizenship with all of its rewards and responsibilities was something that you had to earn. You needed to learn to respect what it meant to be a citizen and understand the duties of citizenship before you could be initiated into it. If they had woven some of that message into all those Rambo and Rocky movies of the 80’s perhaps our generation would feel more in the spirit of veneration when the 4^th rolls around every year.

So having said all of that – here are a bunch of super American pictures and websites to make ya feel good about it. Also, I’ve included one of my favorite films on youtube so watch the video and be damn happy you live in the country you do. My fellow Americans, I leave the future in your capable hands…Also, if you can keep your hands where I can see them while you read this that would be great,

Thanks!

Avery!

oh! P.S. The ninety-fifth annual Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest was held on July 4, 2010. Three-time defending champion Joey Chestnut successfully defended his title by consuming 54 hot dogs and buns (HDBs) in 10 minutes. Go America.

http://www.palinaspresident.us/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dmPchuXIXQ

Reflexive Self @ Mike Weiss Gallery

2010-06-27T20:19:00.000-04:00

Mike Weiss Gallery

520 West 24^th St, NYC

Reflexive Self

June 24 - August 14, 2010

Artists: Kim Dorland, Stefanie Gutheil, Kris Knight. The Dead Dads Club Corporation, Marc Seguin

So as I round the corner of twenty third and tenth to smoke in front of the Half King I encounter an unfamiliar face. Short sleeve collared shirt with dark slacks coke bottle glasses and a clip board first convinced me that this was either a viral ad campaign gone wrong or another artist desperate enough for attention that he had come out on a blisteringly hot summer in Chelsea to shamelessly whore himself on the busiest corner in the neighborhood.

Fortunately, I was wrong on both accounts. He was a registered Republican out recruiting for the team. Apparently there is a Republican representative primary in Chelsea this month and the trend of Republican/Chelsea integration has bumped from the newspapers to the street. I shouldn’t have been so surprised; after all, other unusually conservative people of influence have been trickling into Chelsea over the last few years. Ken Mehlman is a GOP operative and was a Bush administration higher-up who resigned as chairman of the Republican National Committee during the last administration. He'll probably be on critics' gaydar for his decision to settle in Chelsea but I see it as just another a testament to the ever-changing landscape that is NYC. But I digress…

I take one last puff and flick my butt into the street as I beat my feet up to 24^th street to check in on Mike Weiss gallery and their new spectacular effort Reflexive Self. Billed as a view of self in the context of the people and situations around us, the show fills the walls comfortably with flatworks and paintings by some of the best young artists out there. I was excited to see Kris Knight’s ethereal portraits that seem like they are renderings of dreams within dreams, desperately holding on to the narrative representational world as it dissolves into non-linear fantasy. I first saw his work two years ago at a small gallery called Art Space MCV near the Brooklyn Navy Yard in a show curated by k,Tracey Norman (formerly of Yancey Richardson Gallery). I was amazed to see how his work has evolved in exciting new directions. Kris is one of those artists that turn any show into something that transcends. In a show full of work that transcends he’s not the only artist to shock and awe. The Dead Dads Club presents a crayon collaboration to express what they call “a fuck-you attitude and litany of self referential information”. I just thought they were exceptionally imaginative and a nice juxtaposition hanging across from the centerpiece of the exhibition. If the collection of Hitler paintings defaced by goopy viscous blobs of abstract expressionist makings were any more obvious they wouldn’t work. And if they were rendered with any less than a perfect masterful hand they could easily slip into kitch. But they don’t. Instead they appear to have required a laborious effort to represent and are infused with symbolic mediums like human ash and inferences to the politics of 20th century art. In a world that increasingly feels like nothing is ever shocking anymore I must confess that I was somewhat taken back by the wall of Hitlers.

For an exhibition that served up one of the most sobering beers available the work was intoxicating enough and gets a bonus Double A rating. For every show out there that eats away at your soul like cancer there is a redeeming Chelsea gem like this that keeps you thinking you might be wrong about the future of the art world.

Recommendation Level: HIGH

Refreshments: Coors Light in a Can

Rating: Not Fit For Human Consumption

It has always been a dream of mine to quench my summer thirst with swill from a can that’s been doctored with Thermo chromatic ink so that I can tell if my beer is cold without touching it. Of course the real purpose of this silly marketing ideas is to inform the consumer when the beer is at optimal temperature to consume, but I submit to you good people of New York- There is no optimal temperature for this beer to be consumed at. Good people we’ve been took, we’ve been hoodwinked, and bamboozled, led astray I tell you. You didn’t land in the cold golden flavor of the Rockies- the cold golden flavor of the Rockies landed on you! Wait what was I talking about? …Oh right. I know im going to catch a holy living hell from all you frat boys but Coors Light is a silver bullet to head. Not recommended for human consumption. Do me a favor and call Coors will you. Tell em Avery sent you and your seeking financial compensation for psychological damages.

Coors Brewing Co., Golden, Colo.

(303) 279-6565; www.coors.com

Default State Network @ Morgan Lehman Gallery

2010-06-20T16:24:00.000-04:00

Morgan Lehman

535 West 22^nd St. 6^th floor

Default State Network

June 17 – August 13

curated by Ryan wallace

Artists: Glen Baldridge, Jaq Chartier, N. Dash, Alex Dodge, Chris Duncan, Elise Ferguson, Joseph Hart, Keegan McHargue, Hilary Pecis, Andrew Schoultz, Ryan Wallace & Will Yackulic

I have always been a big fan of Patrick Grimm. He is a professor at Stonybrook who specializes in the philosophy of computer modeling in game theory, epistemology, and philosophy of language; philosophical logic (particularly non-classical logics), ethics, and philosophy of religion. Throughout his broad and distinguished career he has built a reputation as an authority of the brain and consciousness and many of the other concerns that curator / artist Ryan Wallace poses to the group of artists he has included in his new group exhibition Default State Network at Morgan Lehman. While Prof. Grimm has nothing to do with this show I think he would be pleased to see that some of the ideas that have guided his fascination have become mainstream topics of inquiry within the contemporary art market.

Lets let the curator of the show Mr. Wallace tell us a little about what he’s up to here:

"The default state network", is a network of regions in the brain active when an individual is not focused on the outside world but rather in a wakeful-resting state such as daydreaming, speculating, or contemplating the past. It has been hypothesized that these regions play an essential role in creative thought…

…Combinations of craft, theory, humor, history and inventiveness are all used to effective ends. One would think that such criteria would be sufficient but it is not from the result of chemical properties or arrangements of pigment, manipulation of space, or dexterity of intellect alone that truly move us. The tone is more mysterious. Something is more ethereal. This something, as Chalmers describes, is so difficult to reconcile.

Both Chalmers and Mr. Wallace are dancing around transcendence. For artists the idea of creating objects or images that are more than the sum of their parts is the difference between meaningful work and craft. But like consciousness, understanding what makes this happen seems to be just slightly out of our current reach of understanding. Like much of modern science and modern art we can depend on the miraculous results of our repeatable experiments but at a fundamental level don’t fully understand how the experiment really works. The best we can do is to theorize for now and continue to experiment. And this show is full of experiments. Of the twelve artists in the show I thought three of them really stood out-

Glen Baldridge

Alex Dodge

Jaq Chartier

Visit www.morganlehmangallery.com for more information and the whole curatorial essay by Mr. Wallace. The gallery has images of all the work up on the home page of their website if your to damn lazy go go out in the gorgeous NYC summertime and see the show in person.

Refeshments:

Sea Ridge Chardonnay, California 2008 - Unripened Chardonnay with hints of tropical fruit, citrus, soap, disinfectant and butterscotch. The manufacturer of this sub par swill insists that special care is taken to maximize the “varietal” nuances at their vineyards. Whatever that means is beyond me. Its almost as if you can taste the disinfectant they used to sterilize the bottles before they were filled. Crappy label too but I drank two flimsy plastic ups of the stuff and didn’t get sick so it’s a D- for you Sea Ridge. In a proper glass I might be more forgiving and under the right circumstance this wine could really soar out of D territory and hold down a solid C-

DJ Mayonnaise Hands and Kari Ferrell at Bushwick Open Studios

2010-06-20T14:51:00.000-04:00

I love these guys. You should recognize Karri Ferrell as the Hipster Grifter from news reports past. http://www.observer.com/2009/style/hipster-grifter#

I would google her for more if i were you. Possibly the best conceptual performance alive to day. That is if its supposed to be conceptual art. Whatever the case she is quite entertaining to say the least. In this adventure she has teamed up with DJ Mayonaise Hands to go exploring the 2010 Bushwick open studios in Brooklyn. I was there myself to sweep the first reviews but you know sometimes the wisest way to say what you mean is to let someone else do the job for you. Enjoy!

ATM GALLERY - Summer Survey 6/17/10

2010-06-18T16:39:00.000-04:00

ATM Gallery

542 West 24^th St.

SUMMER SURVEY

June 17-July 15

Artists:

Anne Eastman

Virginia Martinsen

Noam Rappaport

Miguel Angelo Rocha

Eric Sall

Peter Sutherland

Vince Rourke

On an empty stomach with flop sweats from a ferocious hangover I stood outside of Hasted Hunt Kraeutler Gallery smoking a fag and waited to deliver myself inside. As I peered out across 24^th street to the crowd of young hipsterlings crouched down along the sidewalk next to half empty bottles of Budweiser I figured what the hell and abandoned the high culture of Hasted Hunt for the Bohemian derelict vibe of ATM gallery never to return. I always confuse this ATM Gallery with The one in Berlin, which appears after much research to be entirely unrelated to its younger American counterpart. Inside Owner and Director Bill Brady has put together what he calls a summer survey. I supposed if I have any real beef with this show it is that a summer survey is all that it is. Although I enjoyed allot of the work, in particular the luscious fat strokes of Guston-esque oil paintings by Eric Sall and the geometric mappings by unknown newbie Vince Rourke there appeared to be a serious lack of thematic cohesion. I couldn’t even find a proper press release in the gallery or online. Without being to critical of a Chelsea gallery that regularly gives emerging artists their first exhibition opportunities, my perception of the gallery as whole would improve vastly if they were to hire a half genius curator who can take the brilliant business sense of Mr. Bradey, the true talent of his artist stable and bring it all together for a greater purpose than “Summer Survey”

Now having said all of that you may be surprised to find that this show is one of the best on the block and comes highly recommended from yours truly. Lets call this review tough love for ATM Gallery.

Recommendation level – HIGH

Refreshments:

Budweiser in a bottle

If I’ve said it once if said it a thousand times - There are so many reasons to hate this beer. Even though it has a cool label, this beer insults my intelligence. It has practically no head and a chemical skunk nose from which I cannot detect the presence of a single necessary ingredient used in the production of beer. Traditional Budweiser appeals to the lowest common palate in every possible way. Perhaps that’s its charm. So when they are giving icy cold bottles away for free from an ice filled old school garbage can and your trapped in a gallery hot box of bodies on a sweltering summer eve, somehow Budweiser seems palatable. When your thirsty enough to drink anything and all they have to offer you is a cold Bud, “The King of Beers" becomes allot more attractive. In fact, after two or three servings you’ll forget why you hated the stuff so much in the first place. Long live the king.

Upgrade! NY & Not An Alternative @ EYEBEAM June 10, 2010

2010-06-11T21:35:00.000-04:00

Last night June 10, Upgrade! NY and Not An Alternative, united forces to present their newest innovative exhibition and panel discussion at Eyebeam ’s behemoth show space at 540 West 21^s. Re:Group: Beyond Models of Consensus, is an exhibition, which examines models of participation and participation as a model in art and activism. So here’s what’s going down- The show is ultimately about work that subverts existing systems or envisions new alternatives to the ways in which individuals can take part, or choose not to take part, in social and cultural life. What you wouldn’t expect is the subtle sense of humor that pervades the entire show. White Glove Tracking is an interactive computer based piece by Evan Roth and Ben Engebreth, which requires audience participation to isolate Michael Jackson’s infamous bejeweled glove, which has been edited to appear ridiculously enlarged on his hand as he twirls and moon walks through a looping clip from a performance of Billy Jean. There are six monitors with various visual interpretations of the data that is being collected but it was undetermined if these were pre recorded or responding directly to audience interaction. Wildly entertaining though, if even if you are left wondering what just happened as you chuckle to yourself and walk away. Just across the room in what looks like a post apocalyptic plywood Winnebago, Christopher Robbins, John Ewing, and Carmen Montoya have created Ghana Think Tank. Here is a unique idea that is simple enough that you could have thought of it yourself but you didn’t. Lets take some big thinkers and regular folks and build think tanks in third world foreign countries like Ghana, Cuba, Serbia and El Salvador to brainstorm potential solutions to first world problems in countries like the United States. That makes sense right? As you enter into the space you cant help but wonder if you should be offended or if this is a joke but sure enough there are monitors haphazardly drilled into the walls inside with videos of the third world think tanks in progress, mostly complaining about the people of the united states but often stumbling upon a few pretty good ideas for us to seriously consider. It’s worth taking the time to watch all the videos and I recommend striking up a debate about the whole purpose of this project with any passer bye. Everyone I spoke with seemed to be eager to throw their two cents in. In addition to the many other projects by some of the most talented tech based artists in the craft, the Bring Back the WPA project by Christopher Robbins, who is believes that if the government wont help us then it is up to us to do for ourselves, is an other idea to take seriously. Although the show is not entirely cohesive and you can tell that perhaps there were too many curators in the kitchen I plan on going back this week to get a little more familiar with the pieces and attend some of the associated events that follow up the show throughout the next month;

Friday, June 11 – 10am to 12pm Breakfast with the Artists.

Wednesday, June 23 through June 25 – Collaborative Futures Book Spirit, organized by Mushon Zer-Aviv and Michael Mandiberg (Eyebeam)

Wednesday, June 30 -3pm Expedition & Interactive Performance with The Institute for Really Small Things

Wednesday, July 7 – 6 to 9pm Action Research Workshop with Christopher Robbins, WPA 2010

Participating Artists:
Giana González - Hacking Couture
John Hawke – Orange Work - Mandatory Minimum–We Have Moved
The Institute for Infinitely Small Things - Corporate Commands
Aaron Koblin and Takashi Kawashima - Ten Thousand Cents
Steve Lambert and Packard Jennings - Wish You Were Here! Postcards from our awesome future
MakerBot Industries - MakerBot
Christopher Robbins - Work Projects Administration 2010
Christopher Robbins, John Ewing, and Carmen Montoya - Ghana Think Tank
Evan Roth and Ben Engebreth - White Glove Tracking
Ushahidi - Crisis Map of Haiti
Ubermorgen - [V]ote-Auction
The Yes Men - GOOD COP 15
YoHa (Harwood, Yokokoji) - Social Telephony Files

Recommendation Level: HIGH

Refreshments:

Crane Lake Cabernet Sauvignon in a plastic cup

Crane Lake Pino Grigio in a plastic cup

Yuengling Traditional Lager 12 oz Bottle

Found on the Ground...

2010-06-09T15:14:00.000-04:00

Mondays in DUMBO

2010-06-08T03:11:00.000-04:00

86 Jay St. Bar-

I shit you not - I had completely forgotten about this place until the moment I stepped through the door. The last time I was here it was the fourth of July 2007 and my best friends girl split from her bar stool to powder her nose in the back with my roommate Coco. Back from the john with lipstick smears and flushed faces the two returned 20 minutes later to an utter explosion of applause just as a vision of fireworks burst out the window and lit the sky up above the east river. We could all hear what was going on in there above the applause and to be honest im surprised there wasn’t more of a mess. Anyhow, the staff wasn’t in the patriotic spirit of things and escorted our party from the premises. Fortunately I’ve matured allot since then and so has the clientele. I sat by the patio door with my gin and tonic gleaming in the summer sunlight.

Lazy sleepy Sunday music piped in softly to sweep my imagination away to a lost afternoon in some far off exotic city from my past like Paris or Vienna. If only there had been a light drizzle just before sunset it could have been Singapore but the 1970’s high school gymnasium linoleum floor gave away its Brooklyn roots. Next to me some tech kids discussing business formation logistics shook me from my daydream and the ice rattled to the bottom of my glass. Four dollars well spent and even though there was no room to sit at the tiny bar, the brunette behind it was a tall drink of water with a twinkle in her eye and pep to her step. On a Monday afternoon when the galleries are all closed this place is a good way to let the day slip away from you.

20 x 24 Color portraits by Paul Sunday in the backroom

As you all know I just love to go on and on about the art bt I think you should see this commercial artist / Fine artist website. The portraits are quite good …

http://home.earthlink.net/~psunday/

Back in Business!

2010-06-08T03:08:00.000-04:00

After three long and adventurous years away I am extremely pleased to introduce to the world our new and improved Chelsea Beat and Free Booze review.Now many of you have been wondering what I have been doing with my time in the interim period between my last gallery review back in December of 07 and now, but frankly its none of your business and you wouldn’t be able to wrap your brains around the amazing action anyhow. So forget about me for the moment. Lean back in your favorite easy chair. Kick off your shoes and raise a plastic cup of domestic wine to your lips as you enjoy a personal tour of the hotness and waste that is the Chelsea art market. Here, you’ll be surprised to find out that some of the shows are actually pretty good and the free booze they serve is just the right price.

Cheers,

Avery