DC crushes on….Sam Irons
July 29, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Sam Irons has good pedigree…that’s a given. His father is none other than Jeremy Irons (Scar in the Lion King for those of the Disney generation). His roguish James Dean coiffe and unkempt public school boy attire are purely accidental, but completely irresistible. However, Sam was melting hearts as young as 9 when he played the lead in Danny the Champion of the World. Finding he did not share in his father’s passion for acting, he chose to pursue photography. His atmospheric images depict empty landscapes, devoid of life and cultural signifiers, in attempt to create a different readership by the viewer. Sam is quite the lone ranger, traveling across the world with just his trusty Hasselblad, tent and rucksack.
If you ever need a bunk buddy Sam, we’d be happy to share your sleeping bag!
Art Lovers Unite
July 28, 2011 § 1 Comment
A Selection of Dear Chelsea’s Favorite Art Couples
Tobias Meyer & Mark Fletcher
Jessica Rankin & Julie Mehretu 
Jonathan Horowitz & Rob Pruitt
Whitfield Lovell & Fred Wilson
Newlyweds, Cheryle Rudd & Kitty Lambert (Congratulations!!!)
Sergio Zambon & Lorcan O’Neill
Stefano Tonchi & David Maupin
Just Married!!
Deb Kass & Patricia Cronin
Angus Wilkie & Len Morgan
And just for fun, a longtime favorite…
Gilbert & George
SPOTLIGHT: Eminently Engman
July 28, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Every now and then, the evermore tangled web of fashion and contemporary art serves as more than a gimmick. Stacy Engman, the young Curator at the National Arts Club, has been stirring up the contemporary arts program for awhile now, and suddenly the ancient stalwart of American Regionalism is seeming more Jane Ballroom and less 21 Club.
There are the clothes, of course, and the Phillip Treacy millinery, and one can hardly escape the vagina dentata iconography that usually features prominently on her ring finger or decolletage, serving as her ‘personal mark’. Coexisting with this “It” girl image- part front row at threeASFOUR, part nouveau Daphne Guinness- is an energetic mind pushing the old bastions of New York City culture and society into the 21st century with zeal and foresight- and the occasional Terence Koh arm candy. Her 2010 exhibition, “Contemporary Magic: A Tarot Deck Art Project”, featured original works by the likes of Tracy Emin and Nan Goldin (serious girl power), as well as James Turrell and Raymond Pettibon. Thoroughly Engmanmatic, if you will. Want more? So do we! « Read the rest of this entry »
World’s Worst Gallery Names
July 27, 2011 § Leave a Comment
The Netherlands Edition
1. Hug
2. ABC Treehouse Galerie
3. Gallery Spirit
4. Galerie Donkersloot
5. Illusion Galerie
6. Galerie Jaja
Survival Skills
July 26, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Just as the Huffington Post ponders whether an MFA is any longer required for a successful career as an artist, the De Appel Arts Centre has announced a new program to educate our future Gallerists. DC is curious to know if core subjects will include “The economics of survival on a Gallerists salary”, “Dealing with disappointment” and “Psychoanalytical studies of Gallery Director neuroses”. We jest, although perhaps the former would be an appropriate study for any wannabe gallerist.
The course actually has some good backing in the form of The Fair Gallery and Liste Art Fair. As stated in the description, the program ” is designed to offer aspiring gallerists a year of reflection to develop ideas, gain skills and experience”, which roughly translates to “when employed, you will reflect fondly on the year you spent imagining what working in the Art world would be like before the cold reality hit you like a steam train”. Sorry, bitter is just our go-to. If you would like to read the full description of the course, please click here.
Hopefully they also offer a Post Grad degree in “What to do when you realize your $7000 degree means jack sh*t”.
Week In Review
July 26, 2011 § Leave a Comment
A Dear Chelsea MUST SEE: La Carte D’Apres Nature, curated by Thomas Demand at Matthew Marks
Rene Magritte, Martin Boyce, Luigi Ghirri, August Kotzsch, Saadane Afif, Becky Beasley, Kudjoe Affutu, William Kissiloff, Jan and Joel Martel, Tacita Dean, Ger van Elk, Rodney Graham, Henrik Hakansson
2011 MFA group exhibition juried by Susanna Coffey at First Street Gallery
Gina Adams, Carrie Adams, Martin Arnold, Jamie Bates, Isabelle Day, Andrea Degener, Rebecca George, Clarissa Gerber, Amber Hany, Andrew Hendrixson, Jesse Howell, Erica Kempler, Junsoo Kim, Anne LaFond, Virginia McKinney, Erica Nickol, Virginia Pierrepont, Todd Pospichal, Mackenzie Reynolds, Benjamin Rogers, Samiel Scharf, Sarah Stweart, Jason Thompson and David Titterington
The Buildings of New York group exhibition at George Billis Gallery
Steven Albert, Berek Buckner, Jummy Chen, John Karl Claes, Michael Dejong, Todd Gordon, Andrew Haines, Jefferson Hayman, Robert Hendrickson, Christopher Martin Hoff, Stephen Kicks, Andrew Jones, David Leonard, Stephen Masig, Ron Milewicz, Adam Normandin, James Oliver, Lucy Reitzfeld, Christopher St. Leger
The Inner Necessity of Both Methodical and Unrestrained Drawing group exhibition at Cheryl McGinnis
Marlene Vine, Gwyneth Leech, Rebecca Riley, Wei Jia, Annysa Ng and Lin Yan
The Nature group exhibition at The ArtBridge Drawing Room
Jon Feinstein, Max Glaser, Cheryl Molnar, Matthew William Robinson and Cecilia Schmidt
Another Dear Chelsea MUST SEE: Laura Levine: Musicians & Rude and Reckless: Punk/Post Punk Graphics at Steven Kasher Gallery
Kelsey Bennett’s Black Velvet: The Godfather of Soul at Christopher Henry Gallery
Solitaire Freeze group exhibition at ArtJail
Christoph Aigner, Marko Zink, Ruth Schnell and Alfred Graf
Putting the “i” in island
July 25, 2011 § Leave a Comment
It seems collectors are no longer content with having an entire building dedicated to their spectacular taste and art market prowess. No, no….so passé. Now to prove your worth, you must own an entire land mass. Back in February Roman Abramovich announced he would be investing $400 million in an arts complex on New Holland island. Not to be outshone, Anita Zabludowicz has now revealed her acquisition of Sarvisalo, a small island off the coast of Finland. This is just the latest step in Anita’s tireless self-promotion. For those who wish to read more on her “oh so fabulous life and friends” why not visit her blog http://anitasartdiary.blogspot.com/. It’s worth it for the anecdotes and picture commentary alone. She may have a good eye but her literary efforts leave much to be desired.
Art collectors take note….Go forth and conquer!
DC crushes on…Eloise Fornieles
July 22, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Let’s face it…no one makes sleeping sexier than Ms Fornieles (a key element in her latest spate of performance work). The lithe English lady is not only an incredible performance artist, but is gorgeous to boot. There aren’t many who can get away with wearing antlers at their wedding after all. Eloise’s practice is particularly focused on the interaction between artist and viewer, creating for them a participatory role that celebrates intimacy and the subconscious.
We know, we know….she’s taken! But don’t you always want what you can’t have?
Her incredible wedding dress
Grin and bare it
July 22, 2011 § Leave a Comment
At an opening in Soho on Tuesday night, a patron became incensed when told he could not enter a private room. In protest, he turned his back and mooned the occupants.
