Posted inArt

The Opportunity To Be A George Condo and 9 Other Reasons I ♥ Art In NY

Occasionally after going to countless gallery openings or museum previews, I get a little sick of the New York art scene — the pretentiousness, the glut of Yale MFA students showing academic and alienating art and the quirky thick-rimmed glasses. Just in time for the September gallery openings, I’m going to list the things I love about art in New York in no particular order.

Posted inArt

Can’t-Miss NY Art Events For This Weekend

Even with New York City’s constantly-full calendar of art events, this weekend is packed with shows, activities and sights for the whole family to enjoy. Check out the Festival of New Ideas around the New Museum, plus their Condo show ending this weekend, and see a new public sculpture by sculptor Jaume Plensa.

Posted inArt

First Look: George Condo Unveiled at New Museum

At a preview of the New Museum’s George Condo retrospective, I was struck by the painter’s relentless engagement with all sorts of art historical genres, from Baroque portraiture to abstract expressionism and back again. Here’s a photo essay covering the entire Condo exhibition, from the salon style portrait start to the abstract expressionist finish.

Posted inOpinion

Five NYC Museum Shows to Look Forward to in 2011

It’s the New Year all over again, and aside from going out and partying, there’s not much in the New Year to look forward to yet. I’m finding myself starting at empty calendar and wondering what to fill it up with. Why not schedule in some art? It’s never to early to start that exhibition calendar going, so here are five exhibitions that I think will light up this new year in New York City.

Posted inNews

Kanye’s George Condo Album Cover (Probably) Banned

In case you haven’t heard from the star’s overactive Twitter account, Kanye’s latest album is called My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and the just-released album cover art pretty much matches the title.

Following Kanye’s GOOD Friday single series which also featured the artist, the album cover is painted by none other than 1980s art world wunderkind George Condo. The image depicts a bear-like Kanye reclining on a bright blue couch, a naked human/bird hybrid with a polka-dotted (snow leopard?) tail perches on his leg and shrieks into the foreground, a classic Condo grin on her face. I would tell you this is a fine example of Fauvist coloring, but somehow it seems unnecessary.