Excerpts and excuses

24 February 2007

I lingered on the East Side a bit too long (a Matta-Clark show at the Whitney I had to see); and now I’m paying for it. I have no idea why cross town traffic is so bad. But once I’ve turned into Columbus Circle, it’s a breeze – a beeline through Lincoln Center to Walter Damrosch Park – the backside of the State Theater and the Met we almost never see. (I have a love-hate relationship with Lincoln Center – something slightly De Chirico fascist about the whole concept; and then, too, it reminds me of the even more corporate crypto style of the L.A. Music Center – but it’s mostly love. So unlike my relationship with that other neo-Century City blight on Columbus Circle, the Time Warner Center, which is more or less hate-hate.) After an extremely fast run through the Scope Art Fair, I head down to Chelsea for a group show opening at Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts (I’ll return tomorrow – though I’m pushing it a bit. There’s a Red Dot panel to attend, the Pulse fair, and a return trip to the Armory Show at Pier 94.). More on that later – back uptown I’m feeling the impact of the margaritas from the after-party at Plume over on 14th Street and wonder if I’m coming down with something. But I promised not to make this into a version of my symptom journal.

25 February 2007

I feel like I’m chasing my tail – sorry to be playing this game of catch-up. I know, I know – you’re missing my notes on the Park Ave./67th Street Armory ADAA show (let me just preview – amazing work by Anish Kapoor, Gladstone of course; a beautiful themed show by Cheim & Reed – “femme” – all by Louise Bourgeois, an amazing Frankenthaler screen from David Tunick – one of only 12 extant that must be seen, felt, experienced in all its richness, beautiful Jennifer Bartlettt steel enamel paintings from Philadelphia’s Locks Gallery; fine to amazing Mexican/Latin American art from Mary-Anne Martin, Chinese work, including Wang Guangyi at Lillian Heidenberg; so much more) LA in NY fair (with a few exceptions – let’s just say for the moment -- & THIS IS NOT A PUT-DOWN IN ANY SENSE – whatever didn’t sell in L.A. – from Rosamund Felsen to Acuna-Hansen to Kim Light to Richard Heller – it’s all fantastic stuff. Only thing is I’ve already seen most of it. Carlee Fernandez was at Acuna-Hansen – looking fabulous; ditto Blair – hello GORGEOUS!). Much to say about SCOPE – but not right now. The Jean-Christian Bourcart work at Andrea Meislin must be seen – some of these photographic works look like something out of a particle accelerator; others abstracted multiple perspectives – all coloristically rich and vibratile. Amazing. Ditto the wood sculptures by Oliver van den Berg at Kuckei & Kuckei out of Berlin. Many charming -- & not so – encounters. Let me share with you later. I have to run down to TriBeCa to look at the Hort collection. They’re hosting a brunch with a tour of their amazing contemporary collection.

Oh yeah – I’ve come down with a cold. I just took an Allegra; hope it helps. My congestion is now perfectly in synch with the crosstown traffic. Does that mean my movement about town will be charmed from this point forward? Hope so.