Hyperallergic writers and siblings Brendan and Marisa Carroll recently went to see The Dark Knight Rises, the final film of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The gist of the last installment: After eight years of self-imposed seclusion, Bruce Wayne/Batman returns to the fray to save Gotham City from the “reckoning” imposed by a fearsome terrorist named Bane, who has the entire city under siege as a bomb ticks away. Wayne must also contend with a slinky cat burglar named Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman), who is on the hunt for a device that will virtually erase her criminal past — and who will do anything to get it.
Brendan S. Carroll
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Not Feeling The Originals
The Originals, according to the PR statement, “features the first group of visionary artists to ditch the NYC scene to set roots at Mana Contemporary.” News flash: Mana Contemporary discovers Jersey City, which has been sitting across from Manhattan for 382 years.
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Male Strippers and the Female Gaze
At first glance, Steven Soderbergh’s new film, Magic Mike, is about a charismatic male stripper looking to cash in his gold lamé G-string to pursue his dream of designing (and selling) custom-made furniture. Like many emerging artists that work as art handlers, he’s at a crossroads. He’s in his thirties, his body is beginning to break down, and the job that pays the bills is eating into his creativity, his passion. On closer inspection, Magic Mike is about the male body, and pleasure and gratification in looking at it in the movie theater, i.e., a darkened room.
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Renewing Your Faith in Painting
What can contemporary abstract painting tell us about the medium today, and why does it continue to stir the soul? To answer these questions, artist Kara Rooney, the curator of Material Tak at Panepinto Galleries, selected five painters who range in age, professional experience and formal approach. Artists include Mark Dagely, Kati Vilim, Jsun Laliberte, Peter Fox and Anne Sherwood Pundyk.
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WTF Is Up With Marina Abramović: The Movie? A Review
Hyperallergic writers and siblings Brendan and Marisa Carroll recently went to see Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present, a documentary about the performance artist’s Museum of Modern Art retrospective. The museum retrospective included photos, videos and re-creations of Abramović’s performances from her 40-year career, but the documentary, directed by Matthew Akers, focuses almost solely on Abramović’s new piece for the exhibition, “Sitting With Marina.” In that work, the artist sat motionless in the same chair for seven hours a day, every day that the show was on, and museumgoers were invited to sit across from her, silently, one at a time. Brendan visited the exhibition back in 2010; Marisa did not. Below are their impressions of the film.
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An Arty Underground Supper Club in Jersey City
At the Underground Supper Club, you may not get to break bread with Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn or share a glass of wine with Jerry Saltz, but you’re still guaranteed fascinating conversation and beautifully plated food: chicken-basil croquette with peanut sauce.
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Museum of Chinese in America goes Lin-sane
This Wednesday, March 28, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) will present a live NBA screening between the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic, titled BAL-LIN: Beer and Basketball.
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Ackermann and Guston Go Toe-to-Toe, One Loses
Franklin Parrasch Gallery’s exhibition Rita Ackermann + Philip Guston is the third in a series of two-artist, cross-generational shows. Included in this show are two works on paper by Guston (dating from 1966 and 1971), and a new painting by Ackermann (2012).
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A Finnish “Yes” at a New Gallery in Jersey City
Studio 371 is a new gallery in downtown Jersey City. With more than 3,500 square feet, lots of natural light and raw aesthetics, the space is ideal for a range of work, including large installations and performances. The current show, Kyllä Kyllä, features the work of artists Trevor Amery and Kathryn Zazenski. It’s very un-Jersey City: no dollar-store aesthetic here.
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A Wondrously Naïve Universe
It was a good day because I saw two solid solo exhibitions by Amy Wilson and Lucy Fradkin. Both artists find inspiration in naïve art and the miniature painting of Persia, India and Northern Europe, but they use their inspirations to different ends.
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The People in the Paintings
The Michael Rosenfeld Gallery’s mission is partly to highlight the achievements of artists who have been historically marginalized in the mainstream art world on the basis of race or gender. Benny Andrews, Alice Neel and Bob Thompson, the gallery’s current exhibition, executes the institution’s objective with quiet diligence.
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Her Storybook Universe
To view Sarah McEneaney’s new show at Tibor de Nagy Gallery is to behold a storybook universe. Her colorful paintings sparkle on the wall like a diamond ring.
