A Pacific Time To Curate

De Wain Valentine at MoMA (FYI you can follow my MoMA tweets at @MoMAVolunteers) 

In Roberta Smith's recommended book gift list, she suggested that museums, libraries and even galleries across the country set up temporary "Pacific Standard Time" reading rooms.  Roberta didn't include blogs in the list, but I'm sure she would approve of our attempt to create a reading room here at Drawing on the Utopia, and who knows maybe we'll even do one in a real space somewhere.

First, read Roberta's article on the multi-venue exhibition underwritten (keyword) by the Getty to the tune of 10 million bucks.  I love the collaborative efforts of all the involved institutions.  Next go to "the Era," on the Getty website and browse, take notes, sketch.  Review Roberta Smith's slide show too!

I've found it particularly interesting to rediscover Judy Chicago's Womanhouse, not to mention her piece Car hood!  There's a lot to discover here and a lot to rediscover, particularly Gronk and his involvement with ASCO, whom I was at an artist residency with about 15 years ago!  I remember he told me about having dinner parties on traffic islands and that really made an impression on me.  Enjoy the reading and the discoveries, report in, please!  Here's another good slide show from Time.  Watch Suzanne Lucy in conversation with Judy Chicago, and here's some more suggested readings; Art of Engagement: Visual Politics in California and Beyond, Richard Neutra and the Search for Modern Architecture, The Legacy of African American Art, an overview from Arttattler, and the exhibition catalog Pacific Standard Time Los Angeles Art, 1945-1980 is available at the library!

Thanks Paddy, James and Barry!

Ok, that was really sweet (paragraph pasted in below and article linked after that), and I am feeling the love.  What would I do without you all!!  Particularly artfagcity for keeping me informed, Barry and James together for keeping me on schedule with artcat, and for that matter keeping me alive and thinking with James's blog http://jameswagner.com/.

Thank you.

Augustine’s direction largely seems in keeping with the sensibility of those in the building, a point we were reminded of when we ran into James Wagner and Barry Hoggard during our Sunday tour. Known for their longtime commitment to fostering emerging artist communities, the bloggers and collectors immediately noted the debt owed to the now-defunct artist-run space,Pocket Utopia. Later, over email, Wagner reflected almost wistfully, “While [Founder] Austin Thomas wasn’t the first Bushwick art presence (we were doing artist studio visits in the area before Pocket Utopia)…I can’t think of the building – or of the larger Bushwick art scene – separate from her magical space and its mission”.

for the entire article: http://www.artfagcity.com/2011/11/23/56-bogart-where-manufacturing-fails-artist-communities-will-rise/

Time and space Bushwick - a day of enjoyable art looking

First stop - Norte Maar, for an installation by Audra Wolowiec with a collaborative writing component between Audra and Christine Shan Shan Hou.  The sculpture above was cast from acoustical foam.  And the writing component, in a limited book form, fits nicely within the overall typographical arrangement in this front room with Jason in the background.

engaged students...listening to every word.

Students from NY Arts Program looking in the direction of the book project, scanning the landscape between art and words.  Next stop Regina Rex, see below sculpture by Lisa Sigal:

Lisa Sigal.

The students arranged amongst the sculptures at Regina Rex.

Ivin Ballen above and below.

Ivin Ballen above.

Below, a studio visit with Natalie Simon:

Natalie in the middle of her studio describing another landscape of art and word, not dissimilar from Audra's specific references to concrete poetry, but a different territory, new landscapes spreading out over her canvases. 

Natalie describing her spherical paintings.

Natalie's painted worlds.

Smaller parts with drawings, like maps and notations.

 Different views of Natalie's work above on the floor and below on trays:

Natalie's notations.

Natalie holding a notebook of her drawn notations.  Visiting Natalie first, made a perfect segue to Factory Fresh for a Ryan Ford exhibition and a special treat, of Ali Ha, showing us her latest work!  See her below:

Ali Ha aka Pufferella above with recent work.

 

Ryan Ford's piece in the background.

 Ryan's sculptural workings.

more of the Ryan Ford exhibition.

Ryan Ford.

Ali talking about Factory Fresh.

Ryan Ford's "Don't Play me like an Indoor Sport"

Above and below in Factory Fresh's courtyard.

Group shot of the mural outside Factory Fresh of NY Arts Program in front of Jim Avignon's street mural.

And then on to Storefront:

Kate Wadkins being Kate.

Above Kate's head, Aimee Lusty.

Looking around at Storefront above and below:

Allison Gildersleeve above.

Ceramics by Elizabeth Kley.

And we keep going...to English Kills.

paintings by Steve Harding above and below:

Chris Harding above.

Then on to 56 Bogart street and Studio 10:

Larry Greenberg of Studio 10 talks about his space:

And the light of Studio 10:

In the shadows, Studio 10:

Finally...and a thorough visit with Fred Valentine and the work of Andrew Moszynski

First sketches in the hallway of Valentine below.
Valentine is technically in Ridgewood, Queens, not Bushwick, so and we hopped the L for a 6 minute jaunt from the Bogart entrance of the L train.  When we got there, we stayed for awhile, had a couple of beers, and talked art.  We will definitely be going back for the art and chocolates!

Fred above gives us a guided tour of Andrew Moszynski's work and the space.

detailed looking.

and constructed paintings.

Fred.

More Andrew above and below (above sky):

A beautiful Andrew Moszynski gouache dwelling below:

More of Andrew Moszynski's architectural paintings below.

and the tour concludes.