OPENINGS AND GOINGS ON AROUND CHELSEA Thursday Sept. 9

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)

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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

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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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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