This weekend, a group of approximately 42 artists are participating in this year’s Clio Art Fair in Chelsea. Known as the “Anti-Fair for Independent Artists” each participant brings creativity and originality with their different backgrounds, the variety of medium of which they work, and the different themes their works convey. Jeffrey Bisallion, for instance examines the psyche of dangerous people in powerful positions like Kim Jong-Un, with paintings of prescription bottles for conditions like “Domprocet” (to maintain feelings of world domination) or “Racisanix” (for treatment of racist zealot ideals).
Robby Davis presents several ethereal oil paintings such as Diana or I’m Coming Out depicting the head of a woman wearing makeup situated on what appears to be a mountain illustrated by smooth, blended strokes of red, yellow, orange, and white paint. On either side of the woman and the mountain are stroke of dark green, light blue, dark blue, and purple strokes of paint illustrating the night sky. Other notable paintings by Davis include Birth of An American Witch depicting a young child lying on her stomach holding a lighter in one hand and a torch in the other, and The New Ark which is Davis’ painting/collage version of Noah’s Ark with occupants such as Jay-Z and Beyonce, Barack and Michelle Obama, in addition to all the animals.
In addition to paintings, there are numerous mixed media installations. One that truly stand out is a group of fantastical life-size wire mesh pieces by Kaya Deckelbaum that depict nature with pieces like Enchanted Forest, Spirited Cloud, and En’Light A which depicts the face of a Goddess. Also of note are pieces by Alexandra Holownia such as Dolly, a playful configuration of colorful fabrics and clothing articles that nearly engulf the body of a baby doll. Holownia also include a photograph entitled Dolly that depict two “dolls” of women sitting in chairs next to each other with somewhat disfigured bodies and dressed in eccentric clothing. One doll has brown skin and is made from porcelain, while the other is made from white yarn.
Sculpture by Shreya Mehta.
Other aesthetically pleasing works include some mixed media paintings by Amanda McCauley such as one somewhat whimsical piece entitled State of Affairs depicting a red wagon rolling down and slightly off a hill carrying a wooden chair. The piece features scattered polka dots and is made from assorted types of pressed flowers on board and sealed with wax. McCauley also presents several large-scale images of ballet leotards, and women’s undergarments also made from pressed flowers on cotton and mounted on board, and various other floral images with subjects like a piñata, a clock, a woman’s boot, and a heart with a lock and key.
Clio Art Fair, 508 W. 26th St., through Oct. 22. The space is open Fri-Sat. from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sun. from 12-6 p.m.
VIP opening night for Clio Art Fair, New York.Artist Carole Jury VIP opening night for Clio Art Fair, New York.Installation by Jamie Martinez (AF publisher).Artist Cojo in front of his painting.Owner and director of Clio Art Fair Alessandro Berni with his wife the artist Borinquen Gallo who is expecting. Artist Lainard Bush in front of his work.VIP opening night for Clio Art Fair, New York.Artist Alexandra Galiardo.VIP opening night for Clio Art Fair, New York.Artist Shreya Mehta talking to collectors about her work.(L-R) Art by Michael Greenwald and Bryanna Millis.VIP opening night for Clio Art Fair, New York.VIP opening night for Clio Art Fair, New York.
ALISON MARTIN IS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF NEW YORK CITY. SHE LOVES TO WRITE AND HAS A GREAT APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTS AND IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PASSIONATE ABOUT NEW YORK CITY’S SITES, ATTRACTIONS, AND NEW ART EXHIBITS.
Fahren Feingold, Clandestine Curses, watercolor on paper, 11″ x 15″, curated by Indira Cesarine, courtesy of The Untitled Space Gallery, New York.
The Untitled Space gallery in Tribeca is currently presenting the debut solo exhibition of works by artist Fahren Feingold, featuring more than 50 of her large-scale watercolor paintings along with other signature works. The show is curated by gallery director Indira Cesarine. Feingold’s subjects are mostly women as she seeks to capture the natural beauty of the female form, with a focus on bold feminine nudes referencing images from the French erotica era of the early 20th century, American vintage magazines from the 1970s and 1980s, and today’s Internet imagery.
Despite their soft-core sensibility, Feingold’s paintings manage to maintain an ethereal quality. By combining bright pastels and softer colors, she invites the viewer to capture how the women are feeling and allows them to step inside the subjects’ dreamy, sensual world. In each piece, different parts of the women’s body are different colors, and are not necessarily the true colors of their skin or clothing articles but rather the varied patches of color represent how they might feel within certain parts of their bodies. “When I paint a woman, I imagine giving back her emotional voice, where she may have felt stifled otherwise. I don’t look to paint people as they look, but rather as I feel them, which is why viewers will often not know the natural skin color – since I paint in watery aura like dreamy colors,” says Feingold.
Feingold is an artist quickly gaining worldwide recognition. Her work has been exhibited in London, Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles and New York, and featured in publications including Vogue, The Huffington Post and V Magazine. Feingold was born in Los Angeles and moved to New York at age 17. She earned a BFA between her studies at the Parsons School of Design and the Glasgow School of Art. Feingold has also worked as a fashion designer for brands like Ralph Lauren and J. Crew among others.
Installation view, Referencing Alexander Calder: A Dialogue in Contemporary Chinese Art, courtesy Klein Sun Gallery. Photo by Drew Dies.
Alexander Calder is having a good run in New York this season. Besides the blockbuster exhibit of his work at the Whitney Museum, the Klein Sun Gallery is featuring works by contemporary Chinese artists influenced by his style and ideas.
The exhibition entitled Referencing Alexander Calder: A Dialogue in Contemporary Chinese Art features work by eleven Chinese artists whose work resembles or has been influenced by Calder’s style.
When the Klein Sun Gallery first opened 10 years ago, its inaugural show also revolved around Calder, though it focused more on his influence on his Western artists.
The thing that Calder is best known for are his mobiles, but throughout his career which spanned nearly five decades, Calder also experimented with stabiles, graphic works, and the concept of flow. The installation that most closely echoes his mobiles is Li Jingxiong’sEGOBY that features several footballs that are half white and half-gray or half-black hung together on a wall by a black string. The piece is meant to convey male dominance in the contemporary world. Vivien Zhang’s painting entitled Cursory Eddy most closely echoes Calder’s fascination with movement as it depicts several groups of bubbles expanding and images of three hands resembling a cursor of a computer mouse trying to pick some of the bubbles up or move some of them around. Similarly, Zhao Yao’s painting entitled A Painting of Thought V-368 depicts movement by several different-colored lines with round ends moving across a grid in different directions much like the game of Pac-Man.
Referencing Calder’s stabiles are several steel sculptures by Huang Rui are connected to Calder’s steel sculptures and include two abstract representations of animals entitled Monkey and Cat.
Installation view, Referencing Alexander Calder: A Dialogue in Contemporary Chinese Art, courtesy Klein Sun Gallery. Photo by Drew Dies.
A couple of pieces that convey the concept of flow are a dynamic wax sculpture by Yangjiang Group entitled Flight of Dragon and Dance of Phoenix, and a painting by Shen Fan entitled Shan Shui C-27 which has a calming effect as it features a mountain and a wave of water depicted with thin black strokes of paint and illustrating the relationship between solidity and movement.
At the Klein Sun Gallery, 525 W. 25th St., through Oct. 7. The gallery is open Mon.-Sat. from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
ALISON MARTIN IS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF NEW YORK CITY. SHE LOVES TO WRITE AND HAS A GREAT APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTS AND IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PASSIONATE ABOUT NEW YORK CITY’S SITES, ATTRACTIONS, AND NEW ART EXHIBITS.
When was the TRANS-CEN-DER Art Group (TAG) founded and how did it get started?For three years, Christopher Stout of ADO Project ran a very similar group called Bushwick Arts Critique Group (BCAG). And in that time, the three of us (TAG co-founders Sharilyn Neidhardt, Meer Musa & Tim Gowan) all attended and/or presented at some point and found it extremely enriching. Then came the time where Christopher decided to stop BCAG and focus on running a gallery. Sharilyn started bugging Christopher about re-starting the group, and eventually he relented and handed over the reins to Sharilyn under the condition that it’s called something different.
At that point, Sharilyn quickly realized that she needed help to get started and Christopher put her in touch with Meer and Tim who both also asked about getting the group going again. We had our first meeting in November 2016 where we shared our common creative vision in serving the artistic community, and in January 2017, we hosted our first monthly slide share.
I think it important to say that TAG would not be possible if we did not have the tremendous support from Burr Dodd and Colin Radcliffe of Brooklyn Firepoof in freely providing us the resources to host these amazing events.
What is the main purpose of the group?
TAG is a networking and creative development community providing artists a supportive place to share work, receive feedback and form creative opinions. The primary vehicle to carry this vision is through our monthly slide share but is now expanding to include exhibits and workshops.
Our goal is to support, strengthen, and enjoy the fellowship of artists. Membership is open to anyone who loves art and there are no fees associated with TAG.
How many artists do you currently show per month? Has that number grown since TAG started?
It’s an open number, but we mainly keep it to about 6 artists per session. But this number does fluctuate depending on who’s hosting the event but it’s never more than 7 people.
Do you feel your monthly lecture series has been beneficial to your members?Do you feel they’ve become better artists or learned anything new from doing their presentations at TAG?
We feel it helps artists become more outspoken about their creative passion. As artists, we are often introverts, when we are working away in our studio space or in the comfort of our home. TAG gives a chance for artists to share their creative vision with a room full of artists and supportive audience. We personally feel that each presenter inspires everyone in the room to stay motivated and to continue creating art.
We feel artists can always learn something new that they were not aware of from their fellow artist friends. The shared insight helps artists try out new ways to make art or experiment on their own. Many artists share their common interests and challenges they face in their everyday life, with art as a language of expression. With this shared expression, we feel more connected than we are alone.
Opening Friday, September 22nd from 6 – 9 pm.
Tell me about your upcoming show Transcendence of Us which will take place during Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) from September 22nd – 24th. What should we expect to see at the show?
Tim Gowan & I am very excited to curate our first exhibition for Trans-cen-der Art Group, Titled: “Transcendence of Us” during Bushwick Open Studios 2017. We had an invitation to apply for a gallery space courtesy of our friends at Brooklyn Fireproof, Thomas Burr Dodd and Colin Radcliffe and Judy. After applying we got selected to host at “Gallery 104” location inside Brooklyn Fire Proof. Soon after that, I registered with Arts in Bushwick website to put us on the map for BOS 2017. The artists selected, are previous presenters with (TAG). The exhibition will include a diverse selection of artists and their artworks. Mainly, paintings and sculptures.
Which artists will be participating in the show for BOS? How did you decide on what artists to show?
The flowing artists are exhibiting: Ethan Boisvert, Susan Carr, Thomas Burr Dodd, Danielle Draik, Gordon Fearey, Abby Goodman, Tim Gowan, Leah Harper, Clinton King, Annesta Le, Jamie Martinez, Nao Matsumoto, Seren Morey, Meer Musa, Sharilyn Neidhardt, Colin Radcliffe, Nicolas Rispoli, Seth Ruggles Hiler, Mike Serafino and Kurt Steger.
Selecting the artists was difficult because we had a long list of amazing artists from our monthly slide share events and ideally, we wanted to have all of them participate. But there’s only so much space available. So, left it to chance and pulled names out of a hat. We know it’s not a glamorous format but we felt it was the fairest way.
“Untitiled” by Nao Matsumoto 30″ each
Are there any special events or talks during BOS that you are looking forward to?
Yes, there are!
First, on Friday, September 22nd 6 PM to 9 PM, we are hosting the opening reception for the “Transcendence of Us” group show in Gallery 104, on the ground floor of Brooklyn Fire Proof 119 Ingraham Street, Brooklyn. There will be refreshments, and light snacks for all to enjoy, generosity of participating artists. We look forward to see many of you then. For more info, here’s the link: http://bit.ly/2hbDhDq.
On Sunday, September 24th from 3 PM to 4 PM, Meer Musa will host and lead an introductory silent meditation session/workshop for artists, where he will guide individuals how to calm their mind and reset from excessive thinking to make headspace for creativity. After the meditation, participants can discuss anything related to the benefits of meditation practice and art. We hope those who are curious or loves meditation will join. You can find the event page on our Trans-cen-der Art Group’s Facebook page: http://bit.ly/2w47A1g.
Then, After the meditation, artist and former paint maker and TAG Co-founder Sharilyn Neidhardt will host “Art Materials – Ask Me Anything” from 4 to 5pm, where she will answer your pressing questions about art materials and talk about how technical innovations in materials have affected art history and how you can make work that will stand the test of time without killing yourself.
Finally, on 6PM that Sunday, we close up shop and are are planning to attend the BOS closing party starting 9PM at House of YES, located 2 Wyckoff Avenue in Brooklyn!
Kay Sirikul Pattachote presenting her work on September 19, 2017.
What is next for TRANS-CEN-DER Art Group (TAG)?
Meer Musa just hosted the September monthly artist talk/slide-share on Tuesday, September 19th from 7 pm to 8:30 PM, which took place inside Gallery 104 at Brooklyn Fireproof with fellow co-hosts Sharilyn Neidhardt and Tim Gowan. The artists that presented included Meg Hitchcock, Nicholas Rispoli, Sophia Chizuco, Kay Sirikul Pattachote, David Meanix and Leah Harper.
Then on October 13th 2017, we are curating an exhibit titled “Transparency” a show on artists’ meditations on seeing through. The show will take place in “The Cases” at Brooklyn Fire Proof. The details to the show are in progress and will include several TAG presenters and friends. Link http://bit.ly/2f5emNE
Finally, on October 24th, Tim Gowan will be hosting the TAG October slide-share at the same location. Link http://bit.ly/2ftXY9R
“Barnacle Chair” by Leah Harper | wood, plaster, architectural moss, paint“Below” by Tim Gowan, 30×30, enamel paint penThe Good Life” by Sharilyn Neidhardt | Oil on canvas“The listening device” by Meer Musa | 30″ x 30″ x 1″ Oil, acrylic on canvas
ALISON MARTIN IS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF NEW YORK CITY. SHE LOVES TO WRITE AND HAS A GREAT APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTS AND IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PASSIONATE ABOUT NEW YORK CITY’S SITES, ATTRACTIONS, AND NEW ART EXHIBITS.
New York and Taiwanese culture come together in an intriguing show currently on view at the former Pfizer Pharmaceutical Plant in Williamsburg. The exhibition entitled Fully Loaded is an international residency collaboration between the Taiwanese American Arts Council; Tainan Cultural Affairs, Taiwan; and COPE NYC.
Curated by Hsu Yuan-Ta, the title of the show references fishing boats returning to their ports with a heavily stocked supply of goods while also alluding to the traditional lifestyles and vibrant culture of island inhabitants and the history of Dutch influence in both New York and Tainan that dates back to the 17th century.
The city of Tainan has major prominence in Taiwan’s history and showcases the Taiwanese culture of diversity. Tainan gracefully combines its rich cultural historical influence with complex global modern influence.
Iron Cock by Chang Yu-Tien
Fully Loaded features work by 12 artists from Taiwan and three from New York, who present drawings, paintings, sculptures and other installations that reflect different aspects of his or her culture.
Meng Lulu, for instance, is inspired by the similarities and differences between people and cultures and conveys that in her installation entitled Being. Scattered across the gallery floor are porcelain shoes that were reshaped into clay shoes and then were polished to be unique to represent a different person.
Chang Yu-Tien focuses on societal and family expectations placed on people as they navigate their way through the world. He does this a series of ceramic sculptures of animal heads placed on human bodies. One of his sculptures, Iron Cock, depicts a rooster’s head on the body of a human figure wearing a suit. The figure is pulling a leash attached to a dog-like creature on all four of his human hands and knees, also wearing a suit. Also of note is I Have Been… depicting an adult male human figure painting a picture of a smiling, purple rabbit. As he’s painting, he holds his canvas which is attached to the face of a young boy, while on the father’s face is a canvas with the very same image of the partially painted rabbit.
Kuo Ming-Jer examines the complexity of urban planning and urban systems with his eclectic installation Suburban Form, which consists of curvy, ornamental figures made from double-sided tape attached to wires hanging from the ceiling. Working with lens-based images such as aerial photographs, he captures and reveals urban patterns and information.
Another notable installation is Wang Wan-Ting’s Combined Mission I suspended from the ceiling and consisting of a large, white piece of cloth representing an unidentifiable figure, perhaps an animal of some kind, with three pairs of jeans attached to the bottom. Through the reconstruction of everyday objects and reactions to different life experiences, Wang uses everyday objects and life experience to symbolize the fact that each species has its own ecosystem and social mechanism and therefore, each species has a different relationship with other species. Wang’s much smaller installation entitled Combined Mission II consists of three square white boxes, each displaying a drawing of different parts of the mysterious creature, while a fourth box that’s separated from the other three displays a smaller, but similar creature.
COPE NYC (Creative Opportunities Promoting Equality) was founded in 2009. In addition to organizing multi-tiered events, COPE NYC provides consultation to artists about how to get their work out there. And, it links the art world with the community by connecting commercial artists, student artists, art educators, gallerists, and museums. Then on a macroscopic level, when COPE NYC connects the art world with academia, as well as, the community, something special transpires: dynamic moving parts come together to create a vibrant collaboration. In the fall, contributing artists of COPE NYC’s traveling exhibit An Inclusive Worldwill be going to Tainan.
Fully Loaded is located on the first-floor gallery of the Pfizer Pharmaceutical Building, 630 Flushing Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The gallery is open Wed.—Fri. from 12-6 p.m., and other days by appointment.
