Yoko Ono and her exhibit "Uncursed." Photo Credit: Kishin Shinoyama.
The bombing of Hiroshima was tragic for its land and all its creatures, casting a great shadow for generations to come. Yoko Ono’s Uncursed at the Galerie Lelong transports the viewer to the painful past of Hiroshima. The entrance is a glass door, enabling Yoko’s main medium – freestanding doors – to be immediately seen. However, upon entrance is a wall, perpendicular to the door, with three peepholes. The peepholes were a limitation and the wall a barricade. The quarantined room was dimly lit and covered with rubble and ash. Transparent spoon-head bodies inhabited the space, and like the viewers, we’re distant and separate. [click to continue…]
The Museum of Arts and Design. Photo credit: Hélène Binet.
The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) is itself work of art. The somewhat recently redesigned MAD building is modern and does a better job of representing the intensely awesome art that is on display within it than the building it replaced. The architect, Brad Cloepfil, called his work “editing” because the building was worked on while it was still standing (Robin Pogrebin, “Renovation Slowly Adds Some Light to Lollipops”, New York Times, 5 June 2007).One of the most radical changes was the opening up of many rooms by cutting away part of the building. Cloepfil then filled these openings with glass as to create views of Central Park and more importantly shed some of the much needed light on all of the artwork. The old building was ill equipped to be used as an art museum because the inside held little space for large exhibits. Now, thanks to Cloepfil’s work, the building can easily and efficiently function as a museum, with its own restaurant too. [click to continue…]
Lee Krasner's "Mosaic Table" in "Crafting Modernism" at MAD Museum. Photo Credit: Pollock-Krasner Foundation/Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Have you ever thought whether design and art was the same concept? Well, they are not. There are actually many differences between them. Having spent ten weeks at the Museum of Arts and Design (the MAD Museum), I’ve come to some conclusions.
According to dictionary.com, the literal definition of design is to “prepare the preliminary sketch or the plans for (a work to be executed), especially to the form and structure of:” In other words, it can also be defined as to plan skillfully. Designs are in a commercial sense and are calculated. They are more of a problem solving through communication. Communication is a way to figure out what the designer conveys. Some questions you should ask yourself when you come across a design are: what does this mean? or What is the message that the designer is trying to tell us? These questions are made to make you think and analyze the piece. [click to continue…]
John Mason's “Sculptural Form”; Peter Voulkos's “Vee”; Claes Oldenburg's “Giant BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich)”; and Trude Guermonprez's “Banner" in "Crafting Modernism." Photo Credit: Kirsten Luce.
I’ll bet the curator of Crafting Modernism at the Museum of Art and Design didn’t intend for her exhibit to look like hipster version of IKEA, but unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened.
It seemed to me that many of the peices there were functional enough for everyday use, but there was always at least one element that made them completely impractical. Take J.B. Blunk‘s “Scrap Chair” for instance. One half of the chair looks rather inviting, but the other half is composed entirely out of multicolored string, making the work interesting to look at, but not much else. Or, take the wooden baby cradle that doubled as a small wardrobe. Surely, you COULD leave your baby in it, but the woodwork was so dark and menacing I don’t imagine any child would ever enjoy rocking in it. [click to continue…]
A photograph of Maurizio Cattelan hanging in the exhibit. Photo Credit: Jill Krementz.
Coming into the Guggenheim and seeing their latest art exhibit dangling from the ceiling is a bit unusual and overwhelming. Usually when viewing art, people look at every work individually which leaves time to think about it, but with Cattelan’s exhibition you have no choice but to take it all in at once. Maurizio Cattelan’s exhibit, Maurizio Cattelan: All, is on display until January 22nd. This of course is meant for the more cynical art lovers or the more open minded ones (and not the people in the middle) since Cattelan’s work is set on critiquing other artists. After this exhibition he said that he would be retiring, and who knows; maybe that’s for the best. [click to continue…]
Jennifer Trask's "Intrinsecus" in the exhibit "The Flora and The Fauna." Photo Credit: Ed Watkins.
As is often the case with human beings, we cannot help but fingerprint all that we touch. In the MAD Museum‘s exhibition of Flora and Fauna, the unique imprint of humanity is almost tangible, even amid the foliage. A sea of surreal sculptures and sketches, the array of artwork contains the esoteric air of natural beauty compiled with a distinctly human element. From a twisted vine entwined necklace resembling a crown of thorns to the butterfly guided wings of a plane, each piece evokes a sentiment of pseudo-serenity. However upon closer examination, the gallery at it’s basest level is marred by the cherubs and chains of human creation. [click to continue…]
"Maurizio Cattelan: All" at the Guggenheim. Photo Credit: David Heald.
On a chilly Sunday afternoon in December, I decided to indulge my curiosity regarding advertisements that had appeared on the subway featuring a man hanging by his clothes on a coat rack of sorts.
The advertisements were for Maurizio Cattelan‘s exhibition: “Maurizio Cattelan: All.” I found the title to be a bit vague out of context, and I did not understand why such a title would be chosen until I arrived at the exhibit itself. There to greet me was a giant installation of sculpted art that hung from the oculus of the museum. According to the mobile platform application that accompanies the exhibit, the massive hanging installation “is comprised of every piece of art that Maurizio Cattelan has ever made.” That, along with the fact that Cattelan has announced his retirement from the art world alongside the unveiling of this exhibition, makes “All” a more than fitting title.
The unique architecture of the Guggenheim makes it the perfect place for Cattelan’s work to be displayed. The giant web of sculpted art fills the entire space, and stretches all the way from the bottom floor to the top, with a dead horse a mere few feet above patrons on the ground floor. From an absurdly elongated pool table placed in the middle of the colossal hanging pillar-web of art, to a tree placed in a cube of dirt near the ground floor, “All” comprises a broad spectrum of Cattelan’s installation work, and is bound together by horse-themed art installations as well as Tourists, the original form of which is comprised of pigeons sitting in the rafters of the gallery it was displayed in. These pigeons now reside on the art itself, and can be found everywhere within the sculpture, cleverly placed on the gigantic metal framework.
After taking the time to browse the iPhone application at one of the “App Stations” throughout the museum, I took another look at the installation and thought, “there’s no way this could possibly be EVERY piece of art this man has ever made!” What really convinced me was one of the books that was written on the exhibit, which is also placed in sets of two around the museum’s walking spiral. There are actual over one hundred installations included in the sculpture, and when you take into account that his installations often included more than one piece of art, the number of total pieces skyrockets.
However, the most mind-blowing part is simply the presentation. Many of the pieces seemed incredibly heavy, and yet looked so delicate while hanging by white cords from the metal framework above. I believe that the white chord that was chosen to hang the pieces of art was a deliberate choice, as it forces one to walk along the spiral in order to view all of the pieces. It also adds an extra level to the work, and makes it feel much more intricate and otherworldly. It also establishes a firm base for the works as one single installation, and not hundreds of art pieces cobbled together. Everything feels as if it came together, cosmically, instead of being cobbled together. It is a feast for the eyes in several ways.
The side galleries at the Guggenheim were quite interesting as well. There were two sets of galleries devoted to pop-art, a gallery devoted to a private collection of classical art (which even presented two works by Picasso, as well as a Van Gogh work), a gallery comprised of flat color works, and a gallery focused on a single work called Painting with White Border, which was in many ways the 2-Dimensional version of “All”. The entire painting is a compilation of abstract motifs of various paintings done by the artist who created White Border, with a milky-white wave surrounding half of the painting, much as the spiral of the Guggenheim surrounds “All”.
All in all (pun intended), the Guggenheim has presented yet another compelling set of works. Although there are works in the side-galleries that I would love to describe, I can only say that with all great works of art, from massive installations to fifteen-inch paintings, seeing is believing.
Brooklyn Babylon, performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music by Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society in collaboration with graphic novelist Danijel Zezelj featured live music, animation, and live painting. The show open with music played by musicians dressed like street urchins from Elizabethan England. They performed a number, which was followed by Danijel Zezelj appearing [...]
How much do we trust amusements parks and museums with our lives? If you think that only the former creates some risk, then visit the Guggenheim Museum and stand under — that’s right, under — the behemoth of “Maurizio Cattelan: All,” up through January 22, 2012. The Italian artist has taken his work, mainly sculpture, [...]
The Last Newspaper featured at the New Museum was a running metaphor. Just about everywhere you turn there was yet another piece waiting to be deciphered. One I found particularly interesting was one by Adam McEwen, where he wrote an obituary for Caster Semenya a South African middle-distance runner and champion. During the article [...]
“Everything that shines aint always gonna be gold”. –Kid Cudi It could be diamonds, rubies, emeralds, or sapphires. Van Cleef and Arples is one of the world’s most renown jewelry empires. As you walk into the grand hall of the Cooper Hewitt museum, you are stunned by the majestic beauty surrounding you. The exhibit is [...]
Nestled in the heart of Long Island City lies a place where contemporary art thrives without bounds. PS 1, a museum affiliated to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), is truly a wonderful contribution to modern art. Founded in 1971, the museum has brought to light the work of many little known and emerging artists. [...]
The Flora and Fauna exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design displays an imaginative concept in layout, juxtaposed with the seemingly clear overview of nature versus wildlife. Many of its pieces require the viewer to hypothesize the artists’ intent, and although the show is divided into its respective topics, the visitors can find themselves [...]
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The MAD Building
by Oliver Diaz on January 25, 2012
in Editorials and Commentary,Feature Articles,Teen Reviews,TRaC,Visual Arts
The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) is itself work of art. The somewhat recently redesigned MAD building is modern and does a better job of representing the intensely awesome art that is on display within it than the building it replaced. The architect, Brad Cloepfil, called his work “editing” because the building was worked on while it was still standing (Robin Pogrebin, “Renovation Slowly Adds Some Light to Lollipops”, New York Times, 5 June 2007).One of the most radical changes was the opening up of many rooms by cutting away part of the building. Cloepfil then filled these openings with glass as to create views of Central Park and more importantly shed some of the much needed light on all of the artwork. The old building was ill equipped to be used as an art museum because the inside held little space for large exhibits. Now, thanks to Cloepfil’s work, the building can easily and efficiently function as a museum, with its own restaurant too. [click to continue…]
Tagged as: Brad Cloepfil, Museum of Arts and Design, The MAD Museum
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