The Armory Show, in NYC through March 8th.
Written by Joseph DiGiuseppe
I walked around the armory today with a gimp knee, high on painkillers and still the armory was short of exceptional. But the place is set up so everyone will be able to find something they like. And I did find something I liked. Astrid Svangren lives and works in Copenhagen and makes paintings on different materials ranging from rice paper to MDF. Her paintings are very much about her mark making. She has an incredible aptitude for how to make a mark and when; this also goes to say with how she uses materials. Her creations seem fearless. I image her to be the type of artist who will also exhibit her mistakes.
I ask myself a question: am I afraid to exhibit my growths as an artist as a thinker? Please excuse me; this is where I decided the wrong decision.
The Armory is important right? These are the galleries that sell. These are the artists that they choose as their artillery. Nothing I saw today, by any means, was revolutionary, experimental, provocative nor was it the epitome of quality.
If you are unable to dazzle me with the postmodern mystery discovery I'd like to see some truly breathtaking execution. But alas everyone is pushing trademarks, kitsch, and clichés. The market is weak and people like what has already been decided as good.
At this armory show you’ll find at least one thing you like, but you wont be surprised that you like it.
[Joseph DiGiuseppe is a founding member of Art Making Machine Studios and Fluxspace, who recently tore his meniscus in his knee.]
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Armory and it's Artillery
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2 comments:
I love you.
The Armory show is famous for having an overwhelming all-star cast of artists and galleries. It’s where you go to find out who's new and hot this year. The overall experience of any art fair is like going to the mall on Black Friday, with long lines, huge crowds, and vendors fighting for attention. Usually I wait in an hour plus line to get in, but this year, there was no line running outside and down the river’s walkways.
The work at the Armory this year was decent, I have no qualms concerning quality. I found a few things interesting, althought I won't go into detail. Throughout the exhibit I had the feeling something was missing. There were no over-the-top, excessive installations of years before (ie a single gallery devoted to a single artist/project). Most galleries displayed a survey of their top 5 artists.
I read an article on the NY Times website about the lack of glamour at NY Fashion week this year, and the same applies to the Armory. It was not a dazzling, surprising experience. It was sobering and full of restraint.
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