Join Sebastian Mlynarski for COLD BORSCHT

An interesting interview with Sebastian Mlynarski's talking about the scene in Poland, his art work, and of course red borscht. See you all at the reception.

Sebastian Mlynarski
COLD BORSCHT
June 5 - July 5
Reception June 5 at 6 pm
with performances by
Silk Flowers + Led er Est

Juanita and Juan's
125 N. 11th Street
Philadelphia, PA

Above, photograph by Sebastian Mlynarski.

A Rauschenberg I didn't know

This is metal work from Robert Rauschenberg, something I never knew he did. This looks like a great show with work dating back to the 80's and 90's. On view through September 20, 2009.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection
701 Dorsoduro
30123 Venice, Italy
phone +39 041 2405411
info@guggenheim-venice.it
http://www.guggenheim-venice.it

Above, Robert Rauschenberg, Greek Toy Glut (Neapolitan), 1987, Assembled metal, 207x254x39.4 cm

Manteau "Back On My Feet"

The "Back On My Feet" benefit will feature 100 - 10x10 inch panels by Philadelphia artists and "Back on My Feet" artist. Proceeds from the event will go directly to the non-profit.

"Back On My Feet" Benefit
Bridgette Mayer Gallery
June 5, 6 - 8:30 pm
Exhibition will run through July, 2009

Above image, GB–VS-GR, house paint on panel, 10x10 inches, 2009 by Jon Manteau.

Sex, sex, sex, sex, art

"For all his prior attention to the nude, the scale and anatomical frankness of the late pictures, in which a Jacqueline-like odalisque is subjected to every manner of scrutiny, is unprecedented. Their increasing sexual explicitness, whether a symptom of sublimated impotence or simply one of modern candor, is just one instance of Picasso's awareness of the radical changes in contemporary art and culture in the late sixties and early seventies."

The excerpt above is from the press materials at Gagosian and touches on the sexual content in the master's paintings, prints and drawings. I read this before I visited the show and although it is pretty strong and very clear, I think it is still understated. When you think that this work was made by a man that died at the age of 91, and that the work is from those final years, you just have to ask, why so much sex, and, how can a person that age be so forceful in their execution? Almost every piece was about sex and if it wasn't about sex it was about art. The surfaces of the larger works, some as big as 76 inches, are attacked violently, as if by the sword of a mosquetero instead of the artist's brush. Thick globs of cream colored paint are ejaculated straight from his tube across wide expanses of canvas. There are breasts, vaginas, cocks and assholes everywhere. But, the deepest orifices are the eye holes. This of course is nothing new for Sr. Picasso as is evident from the following.

Rosenberg had been out of favor with Picasso for having declared that he did not want any more culs (assholes) in the paintings... A Life of Picasso, The Triumphant Years, 1917-1932 by John Richardson

I don't know if it's just a coincidence or timed perfectly by the other galleries in Chelsea, but after seeing the Picasso exhibition it seemed like sex was everywhere, in the galleries and on the streets where posters and billboards plastered to every surface around New York use sex to sell, sell, sell.

Although there are quite a few nice examples of the works in MOSQUETEROS on the website, many are either small, because they are from an installation shot, and many others are not shown on the site at all. So you have until June 6 to get to New York and see the show for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

Reviews here.

Other shows that featured nudity and sex that I noticed during the few hours of my visit.
Alice Neel at Zwirner
Chantal Joffe at Cheim Read
Albert Oehlen at Luhring Augustine
Lars Elling at Nicholas Robinson Gallery
Nam June Paik at James Cohan
James Rieck at Lyons Wier Gallery
Weeds poster here
Billboard of Victoria Beckham in Armani Knickers

David di Milo

I was at Sage Projects today taking a few pictures and I warned David Foss not to move. But he didn't listen and this is what happened. Disclaimer: this photo is totally unretouched. The other subject is my wife Lisa and the painting is by Ben Will. Below is another piece by Ben Will which is part of Tenuous Magic Parts.

Blog Links Update

I added New York Art Review to my links and took off a few blogs that haven't posted in a month or two.

We were just talking about Francesco Clemente the other day and I saw on New York Art Review that he is showing until May 30, 2009, at Deitch Project 18 Wooster Street, NYC.

From the Archives - video flyover

The piece above was a precursor to the Furrows series. The work was inspired by flights over the landscape, especially those of New Mexico and Arizona. In this short video you really get the effect of what I saw and felt that led to making this highly textured work. More work from this series can be seen here.

Play Quicktime Flyover

Play Youtube Flyover

Untitled 664, 30x40 inches, mixed mediums on canvas, 2006

Andy Warhol: The Artist and His Critics

A lecture by Dr. Debra Miller,
Pennsylvania Humanities Council Commonwealth Speaker

Debra Miller, a member of the Warhol circle and a very active member of the Philadelphia art scene, will be giving a lecture and Powerpoint presentation on Andy's life and work.

"...many of his themes and techniques represent modernized versions of well-established artistic traditions, and many of the criticisms of Warhol and his work by contemporary writers are nearly verbatim to those leveled against such revered Old Masters as Rembrandt and Caravaggio in earlier times."

Fleisher Art Memorial
719 Catharine Street, Philadelphia, PA
1:00 pm, Sunday, May 17, 2009
Download Press Release

Billy Name photo courtesy of OvoWorks

Tenuous Magic Parts video

The opening at Sage Projects for Tenuous Magic Parts was a huge success. Lots of people, good food and great artwork. I am a member of the original group and have watched as our daily attendance and receptions have grown. Future plans are in progress for including many other artists in a number of unique shows.

I was busy talking to folks so I didn't cover the entire event but did catch a few good moments. Images of the artists work are sprinkled throughout and represented at the end of the movie.

Above left, Jon Manteau with photographer, Heather Phillips in the center, and Jon's wife Brittney on the right.

Play Quicktime Movie

Play Youtube Version

Under-Recognized Artist #3

"Liberty, a Dream of Birds" by artist, Katie Baldwin. Recommended by a Center City gallery director. Information on this series.

Reception for "Tenuous Magic Parts"

This Sunday from 5-7 pm is the opening reception for Tenuous Magic Parts at Sage Projects. It will be an especially good event so come on down. Great food, parking is $3 with a validation, and of course a really strong group of works by area artists. Go to the Sage website for more details.

Above, from Karen Stone, an installation of family trees fashioned from human hair, along with portraits also "drawn" with hair. Photo by Jon Manteau.

Under-Recognized Artist #2

Artist Gerard Cerini, recommended by a gallery director from Old City. Information on this series.

On Leasing Art and NeoCon Chicago

I belong to an organization called Art Rental and Lease that does just what their name suggests. Since the economic downturn the idea of renting or leasing art has been in the news more, but it is a concept that has worked for many companies and individuals around the country for a variety of reasons. And for the artists as well.

John Vitale wrote a nice, comprehensive piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer last month that you can read here. He talks about it on a national and local scale including something about my work.

ARL will be at the NeoCon show in Chicago that starts on June 14th, and they will be featuring some of my work there. More on this later.

Under-Recognized Artist #1

I sent out an email to a wide cross section of people involved in the arts in Philadelphia. I asked them who they though was the most under-recognized artists in their opinion. I told them I would not use their name in case they felt uneasy about it, although none said so. I wrote to gallery directors, magazine editors, writers, art consultants, museum people (they didn't write back), artists and others.

Under-recognized can mean a lot of things, from someone you never heard of to someone you know but you feel could be better known locally or internationally. I didn't get into those details and don't think it matters. Some people chose artists that I would expect based on the aesthetic that I would would match to them, but there were plenty of surprises too.

I got quite a nice list and will post one of their choices every so often. If you, the artist, don't like the idea of being featured here just write me and I will take the post down. This list is ongoing, so if you want to add to it just email me.

I will pick at random, no special agenda here.

First up, Clint Takeda, a recommendation from a well known Philadelphia artist. Clint was a Fleisher Challenge winner in 2002-03. He is also a musician and performs locally so you can keep an eye out for his art, and his band.

A Nevelson I didn't know

Artinfo.com has a regular department called "Art Parties" and a recent piece features a reception for a show in London of Louise Nevelson's work. I love to see the work that an artist is generally not known for doing like the example above. You will have to open the "Photo Gallery" window on the left sidebar to view other artwork and some of the party guests.

Spring Flowers

The work of Elizabeth Knowles on Re-title, a site well worth looking over.

2009 Local NEA Grants

Here is the Statewide Listing.

Congratulations to the winners! The performing arts win big this year and I am sure they can use the money. I know of other groups locally that I am sure will do great things with the funds they receive.

I question the WHYY grant for Terry Gross. Almost all of her shows are interviews with writers. That's great but there are other fields of art out there. I also question how hard it is to ask questions based on answers you already have from a book that was written by the guest.

There are also many of the usual PC grants, we all know who gets them. It is hard to blame groups for tilting their programming and applications to these things, but I guess I was hoping that the trend would wear down. No signs of that this year.

I see a trend in funding for groups that promise to document their programs through audio, video, etc. Could be great if the quality is good.

Schools are big winners when it comes to grants from the government. Galleries and individual artists of course can't compete.