Likely of interest to myself only, but in an effort to track the days as they fly past, some notable bits from the last several weeks.
Whitney Biennial. The show everybody loves to hate. I didn't have to pay admission or I probably wouldn't have gone. That said, it was interesting to compare it to the 2012 show. I went in 2012 to see the work of some college classmates, and because I was in NYC, and because I didn't have to pay admission that time, either. In recalling it, what comes to mind is a general feeling of fatigue. It felt so thin, and grey, and undernourished, all the artwork. What I remember most vividly is a picture I snapped on my way in of a woman in sneakers and a wonderfully vibrant coat.
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| yep. that's the one. |
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So 2014. I'd read a few reviews and again, "knew" people who had work in the exhibition. In this case a couple artists I was at Skowhegan with back in the day. I also figured it would be worth checking out as it would be the last time the Biennial would be held in Marcel Breuer building before the whole museum decamped to the Meatpacking District. This year felt more than a bit like an MFA exhibition. Too crowded, too disjointed, too...just trying too damn hard. Though the building didn't help matters. Disengaging from the art and looking critically at the galleries revealed some pretty worn-out parquet floors, inadequate lighting, and an oppressive cement acoustic-style ceiling. I've grown to dislike galleries without any natural light sources.
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| painting by Laura Owens. |
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| can't remember the artist, but kind of like this twinkie painting. |
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| security guy checking me out. |
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| Rebecca Morris. |
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| liked this thing - not surprising, I suppose, since it looks a bit like a quilt? |
