~PERROTIN .. RUSSIAN TEA ROOM
BEARS, BEARS, and more BEARS.
SIGNS, SIGNALS & ICONS . . .
CASH.
the PERROTIN after party for their NYC launch .. was in word: ABSOLUTELY FAB.
it took place at the RUSSIAN TEA ROOM, and was set in stages, with a dinner/buffet first, and then carnival reveling with gallery artists .. and late night dance party following. the dinner was lavish. the food was just spectacular. baked salmon in dough, roast beef and some kind of lobster/seafood .. served plentifully at manned stations, roaming servers with trays piled high with small specalities. open bar. 2 of them. all of it was sublime, and normally high-charged New Yorkers just sat back, and relaxed .. in the darkened and ‘stained glass’ ambience.
of course, I was struck ‘speechless’ by almost the first thing I noticed. at the Russian Tea Room .. a couple of curio cabinets adorned with a collection of Russian icons, and .. those ever-famous nesting dolls.
yeah I had my ‘radar’ in place .. moment. that for sure.
PAREIDOLIA: psychological phenomena that seeks to find meaning in RANDOM STIMULI.
APOPHENIA: the spontaneous perception of connections & meaningfulness of UNRELATED phenomena – URBAN DICTIONARY.
SERENDIPITY: a very good coincidence, often leading to something really AWESOME !! – URBAN DICTIONARY
ALEATORIC: meaning “music of chance” !! – URBAN DICTIONARY
even in the huge experience pool – that is NEW YORK CITY, you can find .. signs in patterns, that re-affirm your individual path amongst the teeming millions.
that for sure.
daily life, is just a another TAROT CARD, thrown down at your feet . .
the big trick is to .. catch the ball when it’s thrown in your direction.
… and run with it.
I guess that’s why the Russian culture, mired in bleak winter-dominated culture .. is so icon-dominated ?
the intro to: Converse China – ‘Far East, Up North’ an awesome awesome wonderful travel/short skateboarder documentary video by . . the super talented PATRIK WALLNER.
which we featuredjust last weekend / in a post on the VLADIMIR SKATE FILM FESTIVAL in CROATIA.
see: VISUAL TRAVELING – PATRIK WALLNER
watch, for sure: Converse China – ‘Far East, Up North’
inside the Russian Tea Room .. the decor had the worn-in look of .. opulence, stained glass windows, and Faberge eggs – gone large. but not huge. there was nice warm glow – about the place .. it was fab.
it was fab to be invited to such a luxe scene, Perrotin – check, check and more CHECK.
as in alright, dude !! right on.
it didn’t feel spanking new, which was also a relief, on the senses – it had the worn-in look of comfort … grand ambience that approaches.. background.
but fab background, know what I mean ?
there was even a giant glass Russian dancing bear, a juggling bear .. I guess a riff on centerpiece ice sculpture . .
up close, you could see a water line, it was water filled . . .
and those flitting coppery shadows ?
goldfish !!
so yeah I had a DAMIEN HIRST MOMENT !!
no, not the sharks / sheep in formaldehyde. the fish tanks/aquariums .. in OB GYN offices !!
wow, how do they get in there and keep that unconventional aquarium — so clean.
in-house haz mat team ?
and then I had a flash to the PERROTIN history. EMMANUEL PERROTIN gave DAMIEN HIRST his first
show in 1991.
yep, read: The Secret History of HIRST & PERROTIN – ART MARKET MONITOR
detail, PAOLA PIVI, ‘Mama no more diapers, please’, 2013.
Urethane foam, plastic, feathers. 48 x 62-1/4 x 39 in.
PAOLA PIVI – ‘Ok, you are better than me, so what ?’
SEPT 18 – OCT 26, 2013
GALERIE PERROTIN – 909 MADISON AVE, NYC.
and then I had a flash to the PERROTIN debut exhibit here: PAOLA PIVI, ‘Ok, you are better than me, so what?’
POLAR BEARS, or what !!
feathered, or not ..
plush neon-colored, or not. polar bears !!
APOPHENIA !! in a nutshell … seeing signs in patterns, or what !!
GREAT PAR-TAY !!
see: all the press the night has garnered in just 3 days !!
topping the list: “A Gallery Opens Spewing Cash” by BOB MORRIS, THE NEW YORK TIMES/SEPT 18, 2013
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH. NEW YORK CITY, SEPT 17, 2013