~THE HOLE INAUGURAL SHOW OPENS/TO-NITE & MY BAD !!
yes, that HOLE OPENING – to-nite – is the KATHY GRAYSON & PALS – inaugural opening !!
104 GREENE ST bet PRINCE & SPRING in SOHO . . . SAT JUNE 26, 2010 / 6-9 !!
and yep, a lot of people are calling the title of the gallery – more than – a slight tad unfortunate !!
kind of in that sad AUREL SCHMIDT take – when she’s in that desperately seeking attention mode . . . know what I mean ??
. . . and, if you think the title is a bad omen of things to come – and why are those smart ass girls so defensive – when we know they are bad ass to the core – check out the first image on their press release/website. LOL. well, wow – thank god they changed that (previously posted) sleazy one. the new one is actually way better. well but wait. maybe it does come round – as the images do seem to revolve. you’ll know it – when you see it – beer froth (??) on a butt naked Barbie doll-type butt on the (clean) beach with a Freudian beer bottle – is the best way to put it. art from behind, get it ??
catch: ART FROM BEHIND !!
& catch: the first 2 press releases on the gallery’s minimalist, way cool website !!
actually – the ‘button’ logo reminds us of PATRICK GRIFFIN’S work – and if he’s on the agenda – then – things are looking up. . . it’s also maybe the best way to say HOLE GALLERY, which is, by not !! the fact that this first – ‘NOT QUITE OPEN FOR BUSINESS’ – exhibit, a group show of “unfinished art, unfinished poems and unfinished symphonies” – has been handed over to TAYLOR McKIMENS to pull off !! – and which promises over 20 local artists !! just might make it – a reason to celebrate summer in the hot grimy gritty city – to-nite !! one thing’s for sure – everybody is gonna be watching, to see – if – they can pull it off.
but, more to the point – I wonder if they’re gonna be able to pull off – some booze ?? and I don’t mean beer. I guess frozen Margaritas – in plastic cups – might be asking for too much ??!!
Rob Pruitt – where are ya – when we need ya most ?
UP-DATE: SUNDAY JUNE 27, 2010 – 10:30 AM
MY BAD !! & PIX FROM THE OPENING – WHICH WAS DRY, AND HOT – BUT FUN ANYWAY, IN A DARK KIND OF WAY. . .
my bad !!
AUREL SCHMIDT finally gets – raw – right !! and we all know – that is the true meaning of: hole !!
oh you bad girrrls !! when I got home – there was big doc on COURTNEY LOVE playing out on MTV !!
self portrait by AUREL SCHMIDT, ‘For Lucien’, 2010. pencil and colored pencil on paper. 7 x 10 in.
what helped – was that she went against grain, keeping the image small – in a room full of ego-sized pieces . . as well, the perspective, duh, and color aspects – transcended any easy sleaze write-off. even from moi.
former DEITCH DIRECTOR & now: THE HOLE DEAL – in her own right – super curator of the dark, she hopes (!!) – KATHY GRAYSON and the show’s design heart – TAYLOR McKIMENS !!
my bad, again. Taylor did not organize the show – it’s all Kathy curated thru and thru – and pretty predictable as such, but that’s ok – if it means 20 more talent plus artists – get their work shown . . . the big apple is big enough. Taylor designed and produced the installation !! a big, can we say: BOBO !! inspired – riff on ‘construction’ materials left lying around after the fact !! great break-up of the space !! great off-key hues. pretty funny. well actually, pretty comic !! that pale green plank of wood behind Aurel’s drawing above – completely f-a-u-x !! – and, Taylor McKimens produced !!
and, just what the doc called for – cause otherwise, except for this high ceiling-ed going nowhere alcove in the very front, the exhibition space proper – was pretty much – just a hole in the wall – with low ceilings and narrow at that that. with ugly exposed brick walls. hey, space is space – eat your heart out !!
yep – that’s a STEVE POWERS enamel on aluminum sign – 20 x 8 ft.
it says: ‘If You Were Here I’d Be Home Now’ !!
there was no way to step back and get a full shot. in fact – hooray for sites that can’t be photographed – you couch potato – you’ve got to get off your butt – and get there to see it for yourself. its gorgeous . . .
guess that wall – might function as a kind of a ‘guest’ alcove for large, narrow pieces ?
then the show proper started – with a sweet note, and probably thanks to Taylor – MISAKI KAWAI, ‘White Fluffy’, 2008. acrylic on canvas . 202 x 20 in.
(sorry guys – there were no prices on the public / price list ??)
TAYLOR McKIMENS. ok I bet you finally start to hear a lot about Taylor, aside from forever being beamed up – outta these pages – with this large painting. it’s found pretty much at the end of the somewhat winding exhibit, and shows that a genius piece can be exhibited in what look looks like a former office warren with low ceilings and still soar. white box gallery or not . . . I’m still calling Taylor the Jackson Pollock of his generation. period. drips. get it ?
yep, she’s blowing bubbles – amidst the drips !!
Taylor’s pal – Philly-based MATT LEINES – had a nice wall too – his work looked great splayed out on the faux McKIMENS pegboard !!
CANADA’S MICHAEL WILLIAMS had a show stopping piece – as well.
MICHAEL WILLIAMS, ‘Unfinished Face’, 2010. oil on unprimed canvas. 52 x 68 in.
on the right – ANDREW JEFFREY WRIGHT had a very cool – piece in the show too.
with him MARIA and NOAH LYON. if you are in STOCKHOLM – you can catch the last week of Noah’s show at STENE PROJECTS !! and/or you catch a nice head trip by hitting his website: RETARD RIOT !!
ANDREW JEFFREY WRIGHT , ‘Art Blog’ !!
you gotta love it. or what !!
even SWEENEY had a great piece in the show – loved that it was – star shaped portrait !!
detail, SPENCER SWEENEY. ‘Yet To Be Titled’. 2010. mixed media on canvas.
5 pointed star at 47 x 47 in.
IO. and yes, she had work in the show too.
raw looking photographs.
what would a KATHY GRAYSON show – be – without ROSSON CROW !!
with her on the left: L.A. dealer HONOR FRASER.
up close and beautiful: HONOR FRASER and ROSSON CROW.
there were several large ROSSON CROW paintings in the show – this was my fave.
and in that back room alleyway – alongside the ROSSON CROW and TAYLOR McKIMENS canvases – guess who ??
BARRY McGEE – a mechanized ‘tagger’ !!
albeit a slight bit – rickety – but a true beaut . . . no doubt about it.
maybe you could have him work on it a few more hours – make it slightly more hardy.
my bad !! – it’s gets the last word – on THE HOLE – from us !!
ALL PHOTOS – COPYRIGHT: NANCY SMITH