Penelope Umbrico 4,786,139 Suns from Flickr (Partial) 1/14/09 2007-2009 4" x 6" machine prints [detail of installation]
The 2009 New York art fairs closed ten days ago, and I wouldn't bring them up now, since there's so much interesting that's been happening since, except that there are still a few images of good work knocking about in my head (and in my laptop), and they insist on getting out. This entry will describe work seen at PULSE New York; I expect to do at least one more post before I'm done.
The image at the top of this post is of Penelope Umbrico's Special Project installation at PULSE. It's exactly what the title implies, a portion of the pictures of sunsets which the artist found while searching the word “sunset” on Flickr on the day she made the piece seen here. She had started the project several years ago on the day she had found (only) 541,795 pictures indicated on the site. She cropped out all but the suns alone from those some half million images and then made 4" x 6" machine prints.
If you have the time and you're interested, it looks like the 541,795 cropped images are all right here. No dark glasses needed.
Brooklyn's Randall Scott Gallery brought the piece to the fair's site on Pier 40 at Houston Street.
From what I've read and heard, the DCKT (New York) one-artist installation of work by Cordy Ryman was a favorite of almost everyone who visited the show - even people who still have money to spend. This is Ryman's "ZigZag" (2009). It's executed in acrylic, staples and velcro on wood.
Brion Nuda Rosch was represented by this simple construction, a negative collage, "Having Felt Placed" (2009), at the booth of Baer Ridgway Exhibitions (San Francisco).
Baer Ridgway also showed Mads Lynnerup's delightful "Clock" (2008), a 24 hour video of the artist operating a very low-tech digital clock. The piece was done in one long take. I want it; I really, really want it.
Go here for a video excerpt.
Erik Benson's large scary/gorgeous "IKEA", an acrylic which somehow manages to look a little like reverse-painting on glass, was hanging inside the booth of Black & White Gallery (New York), where he is part of a three-artist show up through the end of the month.
This print could be found at the ACRIA booth. It's a 2007 silkscreen by Angela Dufresne, reworked with applied pencil, titled "Westchester County Country Club pool with view of Richard Buckminster Fuller Aquatic Dome House of Victor Bloom - seen* in the foreground in the Pool receiving fellatio from an un-named woman". It's 13" x 19" (image size), in an edition of 40. The price is $300. It's hot.
Dufresne shows at New York's Monya Rowe Gallery.
ACRIA [AIDS Community Research Initiative of America] was one of a number of non-profits invited to participate in the fair. This is a terrific institution and I would stand by that adjective even if I weren't personally very interested in both the organization's fundamental mission and one of the most important methods by which it raises funds. ACRIA uses an activist approach in the study of new treatments for HIV and AIDS and in its educational activities. A sophisticated art sales program which enlists volunteers and contributions from the arts community has been a part of their funding activity for years, I think from its very beginnings.
At Pulse they had a booth displaying and selling wonderful prints created by serious established and emerging artists. Some of the work sells for as little as $100. It's a great opportunity to feel very good about acquiring some great work for very little money. The shop is always open, and can be accessed here.
*
In both the ACRIA and Monya Rowe sites this word is spelled, "scene", but I'm assuming that is a misprint. Of course the title might profit from a couple of commas as well, but the sense of it is there in any event.
[Dufresne image, at the bottom, from ACRIA]