Wow, take a trip in the way back machine to when the old New York was the only New York, the subway looked like a rolling art gallery, and  FUTURA (then known as FUTURA 2000) and MADONNA were coupled up big time…

Controversial Algerian artist ADEL ABDESSEMED whose works depicting animals in often violent and fatal situations has brought his incomparable vision to American shores with his first NYC solo gallery show “Rio” at DAVID ZWIRNER. Opening last weekend to a crowd that included the awestruck alongside the aghast, the show’s crowing installation was a massive sculpture of twisted and intertwined plane wreckage that transformed the original vehicles into what closely resembled a trio of wrestling earthworms that inevitably brought to mind the crash landing of a passenger plane in the Hudson River this winter. The most divisive works, of course, could be found in the exhibition’s screening room where short films of animal fighting and abuse were screened in loops as an illustration of cultural violence not intended for the faint of heart. In fact, this is exactly the type of work Republicans usually trot out in front of Congress when lobbying against Federally subsidized arts programs. Explaining the show’s title, the artist said, “The show is called Rio, meaning river. I observe the world with the same fascination that my daughter, Rio, contemplates the big animals in the zoo that are thirsty and hungry.” Having roused the ire of Italian audiences with his “The Wings of God,” exhibition in Turin, Italy and the outright condemnation of pseudo-hippies in the Bay Area with his “Don’t Trust Me” show at the SF Art Institute (which was canceled before the scheduled end date), both of which featured similarly violent animal films, Abdessemed is boldly taking the fight for artistic expression to the front lines of the art world with the help of a gallery unintimidated by the current pervasive climate of fear and loathing. An impressive array of other conceptual works including “Music Box,” with a mechanism made from an oil drum, and “Prostitute,” a set of leather bound copies of the Bible, Torah, and Koran, each meticulously handwritten, page by page, by actual prostitutes rounds out the provocative show which, in these knee-knocking times, should be considered essential viewing for all. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

This weekend in NYC saw the return of one of the city’s most elusive artists to the formal gallery scene when Supertouch’s own PHIL FROST premiered his new solo show “Paperweight” at JONATHAN LEVINE GALLERY. Creating over 65 works on paper—the majority of which clocked in at a comfy and affordable 22″ x 30″—the show was an explosion of color (and white out) from the so-called “street artist”, who, despite gaining notoriety for first plying his trade on city walls, has strived to elude the misnomer in his professional career. A show of this kind has never before been mounted for Phil, whose imagery usually begins on canvases before spilling over onto all matter of physical ephemera, from baseball bats and footballs, to old mattresses, glass bottles, BMX bikes, and even suitcases, and proved to be an amazing spectacle in its well contained uniformity. Of course, Frost’s fanbase was out in numbers to greet their art hero and art collector and onetime funnyman MIKE MEYERS even patiently waited his turn in line for a photo with Philly Phil followed by chants of “I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy,” obviously not in reference to his performance in “The Love Guru.” HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

With the most inspirational name in the art world, AL MORAN’s vanguard O.H.W.O.W. GALLERY is bringing serious heat to the Miami art scene. Celebrating the lengthy interconnectedness of the tropical city with sister metropolis NYC, their current exhibition, “Better History” takes a look at Manhattan’s storied art legacy, presenting the next generation of youngbloods alongside some legendary veterans in a wide array of media. Guest curated by New York’s NICK POE and the SEVEN ELEVEN GALLERY, the show’s exhaustive roster is a knockout, and includes Tim Barber, Sebastian Bear-McClard, Sebastian Black, Max Bode, Scott Campbell, Eneas Capalbo, Sarah Charlesworth, Francesco Clemente, Billy Copley, Patricia Cronin, Lance De Los Reyes, India Donaldson, Lena Dunham, Judith Hudson, Fab 5 Freddy, Francesco Galetto, India Donaldson, Alex Kalman, Maira Kalman, Tibor Kalman, Mel Kendrick, Victor Kerlow, Barney Kulock, Eva Lewitt, Judith Linhares, Troy Lumpkin, Alex Massouras, Michael McClard, Thomas McDonnell, Harry McNally, Casey Neistat, Van Neistat, Deniz Ozuygur, Peter Passuntino, Grear Patterson, Paolo Pelosini, Nick Poe, Nico Ponce De Leon Dios, Paula Poons, Steve Powers, Alex Rickard, Alexis Rockman, Theo Rosenblum, Ed Ruscha, Tom Sachs, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Kenny Scharf, Laurie Simmons, Gordon Stevenson, Billly Sullivan, Jon Waite and Robert Waltzer. On view through April 11, the show should be considered required viewing for sunbathing art lovers in need of a downtown fix. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Ground Control to Major Tom: your face seems to be melting…

In these dark days the kaleidoscopic psychedelia of the ERIK PARKER’s amorphous portraiture provides a much-needed dose of visual overstimulation. Working with an incredible sense of whimsy and dynamism, the German-born painter is truly free as he creates these incredibly bizarre semi-representational renderings of what seem to be melting characters from some bizarre futuristic space opera gone wrong. Bold in both color and composition, the works on display at his “Crisis Creation” show at PAUL KASMIN GALLERY in NYC are truly a reflection of the artist’s reeling imagination and disregard for convention. In the words of the NY TIMES‘ art scribe KEN JOHNSON:

“Working under the influence of acid rock posters, underground comics, Mad magazine, Ed (Big Daddy) Roth, Giuseppe Arcimboldo and Peter Saul, Mr. Parker has created a series of zany, neon-bright, imaginary portraits: goggle-eyed heads that are disintegrating into spaghetti-like strands and countless little blobs. Viewing them is like seeing into a mirror through the eyes of a furiously hallucinating drug fiend.”

Consider it a must-see show. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

TG bros down with the master, Chuck Close at his “Champion Carnival” opening…

Perpetually one of our favorite young artists, Japanese painter TOMOO GOKITA never ceases to amaze with his unique and fluidly executed monotone visions. Moving effortlessly between pure abstract and his more recognizable hybrid figurative style, Gokita has created a beautiful body of solemn new work for his enthusiastically titled “Champion Carnival” show at NYC’s top-notch ATM GALLERY. Notoriously tight-lipped about his aesthetics and their meaning, the artist as always manages to maintain an air of unfettered mystery about his ghostly works by shunning self-reverent manifestos and self-penned dissertations, choosing instead to observe one of the modern world’s most underrated virtues: silence. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Graphic artist turned fine art phenom RYAN McGINNESS unleashed his latest campaign of visual shock and awe at DEITCH PROJECTS last week with the opening of his epic (and refreshingly straightforwardly-titled) “Works” exhibition. Timed to coincide with the release of his retrospective Rizolli book of the same name, the show finds the young artist in peak form working in an array of different media from his trademark heavily layered silk-screened icon paintings to fluid graphic sculptures in a dazzling spectrum of color and fluid form. Of course the opening was a who’s who of NYC’s downtown hipster elite and with pieces moving at a quick pace it seems that good art indeed beats a dead economy every time. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Amid the current wave of doom and gloom that washed over this year’s annual ARMORY art expo in NYC last week, OG Manhattan art star KENNY SCHARF reminded everyone that the art world was once a fun place to be with his one man “Scharfland” show at PAUL KASMIN’s booth. Consisting of a wide array of beautiful new paintings, a bronze cat sculpture, an outdoor installation of live spray paintings, and even a golf kart transformed into one of Sharf’s characters, Kenny brought back the spirit of the days when he and friends like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Andy Warhol were literally writing the rules of the art world as they went along. Scharf is yet another artist participating in the “Stages” charity art show to benefit LANCE ARMSTRONG’s anti-cancer LIVESTRONG foundation during his run in this year’s Tour de France. Keep an eye on ST for more details coming soon. Meanwhile, HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »