~RYAN McGINLEY/Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
RYAN McGINLEY – ‘Mari’, 2010. Gelatin Silver print, 18 x 12 in.
edition of 3. ($5,000 ea.)
Photo Image/courtesy:TEAM GALLERY
RYAN McGINLEY – EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE
OPENING – THURSDAY, MARCH 18 at 6 PM
MARCH 18 – APRIL 17, 2010
TEAM GALLERY – 83 GRAND ST – SOHO
a pensive RYAN McGINLEY at the opening.
32 years old, he was always pretty serious, and he seems to be handling his swiftly escalating success supremely well.
RYAN McGINLEY flashes a peace sign at the opening.
with him, SEAN RISLEY, who is featured in one of the show’s new black and white portraits.
SEAN RISLEY, photo by RYAN McGINLEY.
another McGinley photo ‘subject’ – outside on the steps of the gallery – MATT K.
on the right: RYAN McGINLEY, ‘Matt K’. 2010 silver gelatin print, 18 x 12 in.
edition of 3.
the portraits were arrayed, grid-like – on the huge east wall of the gallery.
Mr. McGinley started his career off with – off-the-cuff club-kid & skater polaroids !! so in some ways this was a conservative departure, technique or format-wise. but essentially, and most importantly, portrait-wise: NOT !!
his photos are always just absolutely downright compelling, and there is no 2 ways about it.
after trashing the current MOMA show for its cheesy, gratuitous and see-me-nakedness jerkiness – talk about irrelevant wannabes – the next show up for us – is nakedness by McGinley !! and it soars. it takes off. it has mystery & depth. insight. edge.
the art world ain’t it a bitch.
when it comes down to it – its all about the talent.
in the quickly growing crowd – we spot – SCOTT HUG.
and young street/subway graff culture photographer – SEAN VEGEZZI with his friend, CLARA.
each, and every photograph was unique and striking.
it was fun to watch the opening crowd observe the wall of black and white photos – even though the crowd got threateningly large – and there was no organized security or crowd control whatsoever – it was always like a parting wave – in the shallow space in front of the wall of black and white photos.
there was also a smaller grouping of portraits in the back room – where we spied – IO !!
and then who waltzes in, but IO herself – in the flesh !!
among the crowd another McGinley – subject – also named – MATT.
Matt’s portrait, a full length nude – was also to be found in that small back room.
back in the main exhibit room – the crowd was cheek to cheek.
it was impossible to view the several large scale photos.
(you can see them on the gallery website).
outside – the crowd was taking over the entire Soho block !!
no lines, no list, no security – it was bottle-necked at the one entry/exit doorway – but very polite and orderly, I think mostly in deference to the crowd’s great respect for the artist.
(Jose Friere, the gallery’s owner – was nowhere in sight).
the opening night crowd – out on the street.
in the crowd – A-ron and Rachel.
LEIF RITCHEY and TOOYA !!
Lief has a show up now at THE JOURNAL GALLERY in Brooklyn.
so half-way through the opening, with a crowd like that – no surprise – an NYFD FIRETRUCK showed up !!
but even with some kind of captain or supervisor – in a white visor – they couldn’t get though to the doorway.
they were actually way too polite. and were seen – asking all the pretty young girls – what was going on ?
so then they called in the cops.
even they couldn’t shut this block party down !! compared to other situations, with way smaller crowds in front of way smaller galleries in Brooklyn, and even the Lower East Side – these cops wore kid gloves. what is it – about Soho and its super rich tenanted streets ?
so finally they had to call in a specialized cop car that was equipped with a battlefield ‘warfare’ sound system – that emitted such a huge and nausea-generating aggressive sound – the crowd was forced to slowly give ground to the ‘armed’ enforcers – and the show finally got shut down.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH