~’TIMELY’ / CURATED BY TESSA KRIEG / 11 NEWEL / OPENING PIX
hitting all the right – ANXIETIES !!
‘TIMELY’ . . . a big, ambitious, somewhat themed, diverse group gathering / debut show for this gallery,
curated by the gallery’s founder / director: TESSA KRIEG
runs thru . . . SEPT 6, 2021.
11 NEWEL, 11 NEWEL ST., GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN, N.Y. 11222.
HRS: SUN-MON / 11-4 PM
WHAT’S A HUMAN BODY – IF NOT, A MEASUREMENT OF TIME ?
SO,
EVERY-BODY !!
ROCK YOUR BODY !! NOW !!
GALLERIST / CURATOR . . TESSA KRIEG.
works by DAN BAINBRIDGE behind her / artist IRENA JUREK, to the right.
TESSA invokes her show, with a poem of her own making / loosely blocking out – a series of ‘timely’ scenarios.
I’m taking these lines – as my guide:
“Read the clock Read the signs” /
“Cosmic simplicity bracketed into good and evil” /
“Running out of time” /
“Quantum extinguishment”.
a word about the space. it’s quite nice, I knew a few people in the room who who would die for a ground floor space like this. it’s deceptively large, and runs more narrow than wide, which actually suits exhibitions of art, while casting an intimate spell.
looking back on the evening, and how to break down what was a bit of a wide open theme, with a lot of players,
about 20 artists – I recalled the sensuous, snake-like / and surprising venue and how it moved, most of all.
it was alike a: BODY !!
a ‘TIMELY’ BODY – OF THOUGHT.
a . . give-me-more-time – to be a living, thriving artist – body, on this earth / kind of cosmic sci-fi – game board.
and, like any ‘body map’: it started with . . . THE TOES !!!!!
1. TOES:
DAN BAINBRIDGE – BIC LIGHTER FIGURINES
tiny clothed / Star Wars like, survivor-like human-leaning furry puppet-like tiny animals, the size of a Bic lighter / approx 3 in. in height / they were amusing, wiggly, balanced in small groups – arrayed on shelves, at the entrance to the show, which at this point remained hidden behind a corner /
they were indeed: the toes.
they were so charmingly imaginative, and yet so real . . esp with the little red gears in their mouths, I had to ask: are they animated ?
no . . .
but, they do set a fire in motion.
hot enough for ya, climate change ?
DAN BAINBRIDGE, with his tiny fire brigade !!
setting the intro – for ‘Timely’ / body.
I might have been more open to them, than your average NYC art reviewer, who cringes at cute – because I’m such a fan of the cutting edge & super endearing work . . of what are called the ‘illustrators’ – in this current culture / still considered by many, part & parcel of the graphic design scene / incl. video/digital games, animation etc.
(why play as a human – when you can be a . . . squirrel ?)
esp when Chinese New Year rolls around, and Grumpy Bert tosses the most delightful imaginary animal / people
horoscopic designs – on lucky red envelopes / up into the creative ether.
see: GRUMPY BERT – THE RED ENVELOPE SHOW
oh no. here come the enemy – start your fires !!
I couldn’t help thinking: lord, how long before we are all reduced to wandering survival tribes – dressed in animal clothing.
seriously.
2. THE LEGS / THE WINGS / THE SPINE / THE EVOLUTION of MOTION
turn the corner into the main room – and here is: THE LEGS, THE SPINE, THE BACK BONE of MOTION !!
DAN BANBRIDGE, ‘Echolocation Pegasus’, mixed media / 72 x 16 x 90 in.
except this large-sized model – really was animated – with moving parts !!
DAN BAINBRIDGE, ‘Pegasus’ detail.
3. MOVING UP THE LEGS into THE real BIO WORKS – THE INTESTINES & DIGESTIVE ORGANS !!
and, then: arms & hands.
ANDY RALPH, a kind of very biological morphing of horse – to man ?!!
ANDY RALPH, ‘FIVE LEGGED SLAB’,
rose gold mirror, stainless steel kidney bowls, lettuce, glazed ceramic tiles, sanded grout, tar,
wood, tin cans, black socks, and uncooked pinto beans / approx 20 x 20 x 42 in.
note: on the right, a painting by JAQUELINE CEDAR /
acrylic on stretched spandex / 72 x 60 in.
JAQUELINE CEDAR, ‘Put me Out’, acrylic on stretched spandex / 72 x 60 in.
image via Instagram @jaquelinecedar
note: she’s got both limbs / the legs & arms !!
ANDY RALPH, the top.
image via the gallery website
4. THE GONADS – THE MIDDLE BODY / GENDER FLUIDITY /SEX ORGANS & if bio appropriate / REPRODUCTION
JUSTIN ORTIZ, ‘Trona’ / 6 x 8 in.
JUSTIN ORTIZ, ‘Wall person’, 6 x 8 in.
RENFIELD PEALE, ‘Gender Fantasies (#2)’, acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 in.
IRENA JUREK . . with her acrylic on sculpy figure, ‘Luck Guy’.
which I’m classifying under: sex. & juicy. fruit.
just because . . isn’t is obvious ?
5. THE HEART / LOVE & HATE / CONFLICT vs HARMONY
NOELLE VELEZ, ‘Bubblegum Stretch’, acrylic on panel
8 x 12 in.
also under: matters of the HEART !!
JOE W. SPEIER, ‘Millennial Painting #1’, 36 x 48 in.
6. and finally – THE HEAD, THE MIND / COMPREHENSION, TIME & MEMORY
CATHERINE MULLIGAN, ‘2014’, oil on board
8 x 10 in.
in the further-back room, TIME . . TICKS ON WITHOUT – PAUSE !!
BLINN & LAMBERT animated / digital wall projection . .
BLINN AND LAMBERT / NICHOLAS STEINDORF & KYLE WILLIAMS
‘At Work’, 6 minute / animated digital video loop
watch: the animated loop – on Instagram c/o @artloversnewyork
NOTE: the BLINN AND LAMBERT / animated ‘At Work’ loop – as originally posted to their @blinn-and-lambert IG story in advance of the opening / & photographed by them.
EMMY THELANDER and ANDREW FRANCIS at the opening / outside on the typical Greenpoint, Brooklyn street- at dusk.
Emmy teaches drawing in the BFA program at Hunter, and Digital Design at Hostos.
Andrew will teach sculpture this semester in the Visual Arts Department at Wagner, on Staten Island.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH / unless otherwise noted
from the opening / FRI AUG 6, 2021.