Feb 17, 2010

Art show reviews: The Revered German, The Gothic Hipster, and the happy Danish Rainbow Guy

THE REVERED GERMAN: Thomas Ruff at David Zwirner
I have always had an interest in Ruff's work, specifically his blurry shot of the Mies Van der Rohe Pavilion in Spain. Immaculately printed geometric abstractions based on photographic captures taken in space, there is an intrinsic mystery to the source of these images. Some of them evoke ghostly moons, while others more varied geometric forms. The crowd at Ruff's opening included a lot of well-heeled, glamourous Europeans, who were having a much better hair day than me.



Image "cassini 10" courtesy David Zwirner Gallery

















THE GOTHIC HIPSTER: Banks Violette at Gladstone Gallery
Violette's work once again references hipster rock n' roll while referencing Minimalist and Conceptual Sculptors such as Donald Judd and Dan Flavin. At Violette's opening, scores of pencil thin hipsters dressed in black clustered around his large scale black sculptures. I was much too colorful in my purple socks so I left quickly.
























THE HAPPY RAINBOW DANISH GUY: Olafur Eliasson at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
My favorite of these three shows was Eliasson's 'Multiple Shadow House' in Tanya Bonakdar's gorgeous space on 21st street. Eliasson created multiple white rooms and hallways with old looking wood plank floors, and illuminated with multi-color light projections. The result? When lots of people were at the opening, psychadelic rainbow silhouettes followed everyone around the show. IT WAS FUN! Openings should be more fun, and this was definitely it. Upstairs in a darkened projection room, different colored bright shapes spilled out in the center of a wall, like a never ending kaleidoscope. It was both soothing and very '80's at the same time. At this opening, the crowd was more relaxed, a variety of folks drinking beer and enjoying the rainbow hues around them.


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