Art
Dirty Art
Dirt is getting its moment in the sun. A cluster of recent shows in Chelsea and downtown make the most of soil, making it a good time to think about earth art again.
Daniel Larkin
A man once knocked Daniel Larkin off his bar stool and flung mean words. He got up, smiled, and laughed as the bouncer showed him out. He doesn't give anyone the power to rain on his parade. It's more important for Daniel to be happy than famous.
Art
Words and Images Tango Downtown
National Poetry Month reminds us that some words can boogie, and dance they do at two exhibitions on the Lower East Side. A fiery tango between word and image takes place in solo shows by both Natalie Czech and Jeff Gibson. This tango — like when a caption twists an image’s meaning, or an illustrati
Art
Feeling Vulnerable in Uniform
Two shows in Chelsea look at conformity, the uniform and the limits of masculinity. Catherine Opie photographs boys in athletic gear while Ian Davis paints herds of men in suits.
Books
Eating White Fungus
For the past week, White Fungus, a Taiwanese art magazine, was tucked under my arm as I frolicked and gallivanted through New York. I realize that some people love to sit at home, drink peppermint tea and read in bed. But I go out.
Art
What Does it Mean to Win in Video Game Art?
Until this Thursday, an arcade of interactive artistic video games is up at Postmaster’s Gallery in Chelsea. This mix of lo-fi and hi-res graphics, raw exposed circuit boards and games with clever gotcha moments, was a jolt of quirky joy on a cold Saturday afternoon.
Art
Boogieing Back to the 60s at Williamsburg 2nd Friday
Are the 60s still cool? Williamsburg says yes. This month’s 2nd Friday event convinced me that some things will never go out of style. For example, hot chocolate from Ella Cafe on a crisp November evening and the light sweet taste of cotton candy, thanks to the boutique and gallery Cotton Candy Mach
Art
Traveling the Visual Highway
Day trips beyond New York City for visual art can feel decadent, especially with all the spectacular shows we don’t have time to see. And although it might be a small hassle to get there, the Brant Foundation’s current solo show of David Altmejd is really worth every minute of the trip to Greenwich,
Art
Monster Madness on Beat Night
Picture it: a skeleton with a keen eye for color paints a Zombie-pin-up-girl with severe angular outlines against a cartoonish background. What is it? It's Ryan Ford’s "Humanary Stew" (2011) at Factory Fresh, and it proclaims the talent of the undead. This comic scene is the perfect introduction to
Art
How Leonardo Went Viral and Other Classic Hilarity
A humorous show, Infinite Jest: Caricature and Satire from Leonardo to Levine, chronicling the history of caricature just opened at the Metropolitan Museum. It courageously mounts numerous prints and drawings that are unabashedly ribald, biting and comic.
Art
An Initial Reaction to the WTC Waterfalls
Waterfalls now cascade and soothe at Ground Zero. Actually, the word “ground zero” may soon wither into an anachronism because the new memorial is a stunning work of art in its own right.
Art
Making Art from WTC Dust
Xu Bing collected and saved the dust from the obliterated World Trade Center. Ten years later, this preserved dust is the centerpiece of a temporary art installation inside an empty storefront near Madison Square Park.
Art
Is the Color Gray Doomed?
On August 6, The Painting Center closed its summer show devoted to gray, Grey Matter. I guess it shouldn't be any surprise that the show wasn't widely reviewed as a summer blockbuster. It didn't have nearly enough color for that.