Check out: Outsiders NY, corner of Bowery and Houston

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OUTSIDERS-NEW YORK

at 282-284 Bowery is open to the public until October 26 and then it will “disappear, like it was never here,” according to Lazarides, the ‘gallery’ putting the show on. Lazarides has worked outside the mainstream art scene, primarily with street and outsider art (for example, the infamous incognito graffiti artist Banksy whose currently banking tons). However, you can see from the photos that they present a much wider spectrum of art than that. This excellent and varied grouping was one of the most interesting shows I’ve seen, and included works by:

FAILE DAVID CHOE PAUL INSECT SPACE INVADER POLLY MORGAN ANTONY MICALLEF REAS BAST MARK JENKINS MIRANDA DONOVAN



Do I know who all these people are? Nope. Now, I want to.

Two things of special note: that super cool golden donkey in sneakers, which make Gilbert and George look like asses for not having done it themselves–

and David Choe. The pieces in the gallery I consistenly liked, and evn my not-so-arty boyfriend liked, were by Choe. It had a subltey that many of the more pop-influenced works did not, but was truly strong and stunning as well. My pics didn’t come out so well, so I snagged the one below that he took of the mural he did for the show on the building. Check him out at his website and blog.


Lazarides also notes on their website that Banksy has “on an unassuming corner of Manhattan, Banksy’s latest offering sees a fully kitted out Pet Shop and Charcoal Grill open to the public. Fur coats with twitching tails, hot dogs frolicking under heat lamps and chimps touching themselves in front of National Geographic.” Sweet–will be finding that next.

Now, how cool is it to live in NYC and run across this stuff all over town?

A gallery night in the LES and Williamsburg

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“Yo, there’s some kind of photo shoot going on up on Essex” my roommate said.

My boyfriend and I look at each other. Where? Just a couple block up?

“Yeah, there’s tinfoil lights and everything. Some wierd people too.”

Actually, it wasn’t a photo shoot. The light and mirrored walls were fromHeist Gallery Gallery, where Shimon Okshteyn was having an opening this past Friday. My boyfriend and I had popped in earlier to check it out. It make me feel pretty cool to have a place like that, with a draw of such great, “weird” people in my neighborhood. (Apparently the owner is a very cool, very sweet 21 year old(!). 21, really?)
The gallery was even cooler than when Miranda from the Sex and the City movie moves to my block, although that was pretty cool. The tiny mirrored space was so full of young people that I can’t actually review the artwork, which supposedly looks like this:

Shimon Okshteyn: Reflection of Reality

Between not knowing the super-trendy kids and not being able to see the work well, we left quickly. It looks pretty cool though, and I love the idea of painting on mirrors.

Then we were off to Williamsburg, walking up Bedford to check out a group show that my boyfriend’s friend was in. What a difference: low-key hipsters walking between that gallery and the one next door, where a band played piano man. Both these scenes had such a different atmosphere than Chelsea–it was really exciting to get out of that box and see new spaces and tastes.

Then last night as I was walking down Houston, I stumbled upon a really cool advertising board on Bowery and Houston, where a projector shows a changing reel and targeted sound as you walk by supports the advertising. When I was stopping to check it out, I turned around and saw another gallery through a window. Very cool: but that will have to be another blog entry.

ADDENDUM: I walked back by Reflections of Reality, and it looks the composition of pieces of mirror with such precise painted patterns on it looks great, and much more interesting than it does in the image above when you get a better sense of texture and changing light.

Nobel Prize for Literature: Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio. Who?

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STOCKHOLM, Sweden — France’s Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio won the 2008 Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday for works characterized by “poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy” and focused on the environment, especially the desert….The decision was in line with the Swedish Academy’s recent picks of European authors”

I am a failure. The Swedish Academy did not select me for this year’s Nobel. To insult my pride on top of this injury—I did not know who Le Clezio was.
I am now entering crisis mode. Was Enghdal right to critique American literature as too insular? I don’t think my literature is in dialogue with Le Clezio. Maybe I could get his phone number and we could start one…
Here he is now:
“Ello?”
“Hello. Is this Mr. Le Clezio?”
“Oiu. Et vouoo are you?
“I’m an American calling. The Nobel has finally shamed me into dialogue with you. What global themes does your work embrace? Whose dick did you suck in Stockholm?–I mean, what book of yours should I read first?”
“I em not eenterested.”
“But Mr. Le Cle–“

BANG

There was no need to slam the phone with such force. Damn frogs never had any manners. I’m going to call Roth and Updike to commiserate. Seriously though, why does the Academy pick typically obscure, European writers?