The Queen of Art, Marilyn Goldberg, and Her Court

 

BANSKY MUSEUM IN NEW YORK CITY

(NEW YORK) – The presence of The Banksy Museum in New York City has been confirmed. SoHo is now the home to the world's largest collection of Banksy’s life-sized murals and artwork. Located at 277 Canal Street (at Broadway), NYC The Banksy Museum is now open, in preview, to the public. The official press opening is Wednesday, May 15. Tickets are now available online at MuseumBanksy.com and on site at the museum. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged. Displaying over 160 works by the world's most famous-yet-anonymous street artist, The Banksy Museum recreates the revolutionary and often ephemeral art that Banksy has painted on surfaces in London, Bristol, Paris, Venice, Bethlehem, New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. Visitors to the museum will immerse themselves in an environmental experience, giving viewers access to Banksy creations, much of which has long since been whitewashed or dismantled. Beyond the iconic street art, the exhibition also features some of the artist's studio work, as well as animated visual and video elements. The New York Banksy Museum experience, an American premiere, follows successful exhibitions in Paris, Barcelona, Kraków and Brussels. The new exhibition, a New York premiere, is expanded to over 160 recreations, making it the largest display of Banksy work ever seen in a single setting.

Is it even possible to create a museum that celebrates the work of an artist who once said “the only thing worth looking at in most museums of art is all the schoolgirls on day trips with the art departments”?    Banksy Museum founder Hazis Vardar initially had his doubts. “Street art belongs in the raw setting of the streets,” said Vardar. “But if people can't see it, is it even art? Little of Banksy's works are visible to the public at large. Most have been stolen for resale, inadvertently destroyed, or erased by overzealous city cleaning teams. Most of this transient art could only be viewed on tiny smartphone screens, which is no way to experience the scale or emotion of Banksy’s work. So we knew that we needed to create an exhibition that would bring Banksy’s art back before the public.” Creators of The Banksy Museum faced the challenge of mounting an exhibition that was as unconventional and transgressive as the art within. “If we only trapped Banksy’s work in gilt frames on a wall, this would antithesize all that Banksy's art represents," says Vardar. "So we set out to recreate the artworks in a life-size, re-imagined space that reflects the street experience. We employed a team of anonymous street artists, like Banksy, to recreate the work. The outcome was, truly, a magnificent reflection of Banksy’s energy, defiance, and raw talent.”      Banksy is undoubtedly, the world’s most celebrated and elusive guerrilla street artist. Armed with little more than spray paint and stencils, the man behind the pseudonym Banksy has fostered an alluring identity that doesn't embrace tradition, but shreds it. There's still much we don't know about the mysterious artist since he first made his mark in the '90s, but what we do know is that Banksy's striking, satirical work always delves into political and socio-critical discourse. Banksy’s artwork is characterized by striking images, often combined with slogans.    His work often engages political themes, satirically critiquing war, capitalism, hypocrisy, and greed. Common subjects include rats, apes, policemen, members of the royal family, and children. In addition to his two-dimensional work, Banksy is known for his installation artwork. A hero to some, a vandal to others, Banksy’s artwork has been known to sell for record-breaking sums, with landowners rushing to profit from - or whitewash - buildings chosen as his latest canvas.    Banksy maintains an oxymoronic relationship with the art world, demonstrating hostility to capitalism while being one of the most sought-after and collected contemporary artists. Celebrities who've collected Banksy art include Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Christina Aguilera, and Lance Armstrong to name a few.  Banksy was nominated for an Academy Award for his 2010 documentary feature Exit Through the Gift Shop, an examination of the relationship between commercial and street art.

Frank Stella reflects on his life in art

 

In conversation with art historian Megan Kincaid, Frank Stella reflects on his life in art. The two speak about friendship, formalism, and physicality.

Frank Stella, New York, 2023. Photo: © Brigitte Lacombe

Megan Kincaid is an art historian and curator. Kincaid has taught on modern art and critical theory at New York University and her scholarship has been published by the Museum of Modern Art, Duke University Press, and others. In May 2024 she will receive her PhD in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. She holds a BA from Columbia University.https://gagosian.com/quarterly/2024/05/06/interview-frank-stella-megan-kincaid/?utm_source=Gagosian&utm_campaign=09e1d950b4-weekly-may-13-19-2024&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-eab6a9b582-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D 

Dai Ying, a luminary in the realm of contemporary painting

Chinese-born multidiscipline world-renowned artist Dai Ying, a luminary in the realm of contemporary painting, instillations, and performance art, weaves intricate narratives of tradition and feminist-inspired innovation through her captivating creations. Presently residing in New York, Los Angeles, and Beijing, Dai Ying recently showed at New York’s Future Fair at Chelsea Industrial in tandem with the Frieze New York earlier this month and additionally partnered with the Pashmina Art Gallery in Hamburg, Germany where she will be donating some works of art for their Louis Vuitton and Dior sponsored art auction which will benefit the rescue of Asian street dogs. She next has a solo show later this month in Beijing, China.

Born in the rural village of Emei Mountain, Sichuan, China, Dai Ying developed a profound connection with the rich cultural heritage of her homeland from an early age. Surrounded by the poetic beauty of Chinese landscapes and the profound philosophy of ink painting, she began creating her own work at the age of 5, drawing inspiration from the classical ink masters while infusing her work with a fresh perspective. Dai pursued her academic interests at the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China, participating in Associate Fellows programs. Her artistic journey took her across continents, where she immersed herself in the vibrant tapestry of global art scenes, gaining insights and inspiration from encounters with different cultures and perspectives. She began working on her ongoing and evolving painting series M Theory, which is a philosophical interpretation of the origin of the universe – with bright color and round shapes symbolizing a woman’s womb and the creation of life, creating the perfect balance of theoretical beliefs and innate feelings.  She moved to New York in 2011 to fully pursue her passion for art, but was pulled back to China in 2017 when her father became terminally ill. He was a lifelong construction worker and Dai unexpectedly found solace in exploring a local construction site which reminded her of the happiest times of her childhood, visiting her father at his work. It was here where she found her inspiration for her acclaimed exhibition In Memory of Forgotten at the Today Art Museum in Beijing (2020), as well as her installation pieces Look At Me and Temple which included scraps of trash and forgotten construction site materials left over from residential buildings that were destroyed by the Chinese government to make way for industry. Dai wanted a focus on the unseen lives that were inevitably left forever disrupted and changed by the new development, and connected to this feeling as an outsider herself growing up in a rural community away from the big city. In 2023, she delved into performance art, circling back on her roots of Origin and tapping into the Chinese philosophy that life is born from earth and as we die, we regenerate back to earth. With her show Suddenly Moon White, Dai sat in a mound of dirt and continuously dug through it with her hands – symbolizing both the death and search for her father, and also the futile use of her actions. In No Dust to be Wiped, she asked a diaspora of 108 (a symbolic number in Buddhism) audience members that had been displaced, to bring a jar of soil from their homeland. The concept was again connected back to mother earth and our birth origins, while also connecting with others to create a sense of belonging and community.  Dai Ying has exhibited her works globally, including Huguo Guanyin Temple in Beijing (2023), Guo Yunlou Cultural and Art Center in Suzhou (2023), Beijing (2021), the Today Art Museum in Beijing (2020), Asian Fusion Gallery in New York. She has also been featured in group exhibitions at venues such as Cui Zhenkuan Art Museum (Xi’an, China), Ruotong Gallery (Shenzhen, China), YOUNG Art Museum (Shanghai, China), Taoxichuan Art Museum (Jingdezhen, China), Kommunale Galerie (Berlin, Germany), Pasadena Convention Center (Los Angeles, CA), and World Trade Center (Baltimore, MD), among others. Dai Ying's art has been recognized in publications such as “Chinese Morphological Expressionism” (Xi’an, China, 2024), “Chinese Female Art” (Beijing, China, 2020), “Asia Art” (New York, NY, 2015) and “DAILY NEWS” (New York, NY, 2015). She has received numerous honors and awards, including Outstanding Artist Awards from the World Art Center and Asia Art Funds, and Great Achievements Award from the United Nations Artists Association. Dai has served on the board of directors at the Asia Art Funds and has been a researcher with the World Art Center since 2015. Central to Dai Ying's artistic vision is her deep reverence for nature and humanity, and its immutable rhythms. Drawing inspiration from the ever-changing seasons and the transient beauty of the natural world, she imbues her works with a sense of serenity and contemplation, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the interconnectedness of all things. Beyond her achievements as a visual artist, Dai Ying is also a passionate advocate for cultural exchange and an advocate for women’s rights and empowerment, seeing herself as a juxtapose of feminine energy and emotions alongside masculine power and revolutionary ideas. Through workshops, lectures, and community outreach programs, she seeks to inspire the next generation of artists and foster a deeper appreciation for the beauty and diversity of global artistic traditions. As she continues to push the boundaries of her craft, Dai Ying remains steadfast in her commitment to exploring new horizons and pushing the limits of artistic expression.

Upcoming Italian Cultural Of Chicago Institute's music concerts schedule this month

View this email in your browser Music Italian Surf Accademy Live Concert Saturday, May 11 at 9:00pm CT Hungry Brain, Chicago Tickets   ITALIAN SURF ACADEMY is a trio leaded by New York based guitarist Marco Cappelli, featuring bassist Damon Banks and drummer Dave Miller. The band plays a blend of Spaghetti Western, Exotica and Tex Mex, marinated in vintage Italian sauce. One third of the night will be dedicated to their album Barbarella Reloaded – a surf reinterpretation of the iconic 1968 Barbarella soundtrack’s- followed by the suite Morricone is Dissolving, written and performed by poet Denver Butson, who will be joining the band as special guest. Echoes of Mario Bava horror B-movies mixed with Martin Danny’s Hawaiian sound will be heard in the last part of the concert, taken by their last album Fake Worlds. Puccini, My Love Live Concert Thursday, May 30 at 8:00pm CT Fulton Street Collective, Chicago Register   REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the death of Giacomo Puccini, the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago in collaboration with Fulton Street Collective, presents the live concert Puccini, My love performed by Danielle di Majo (sax) and Manuela Pasqui (piano).  The evergreen melodies of one of the most important and influential opera composers of all time tie to the sensitivity of two modern improvisers. The concert is a tribute to Puccini, an avant-garde composer who, at the turn of two centuries, represented the Italian Opera. Become a Member Learn Italian with Us! https://iicchicago.esteri.it/IIC_Chicago/en/ iicchicago@esteri.it #italianculturalinstuite#fineartmagazine#fineartfun

STEVEN ZEVITAS GALLERY: TRAVIS MCEWEN: A Crepuscular Garden Ends Sat May 11, 2024

STEVEN ZEVITAS GALLERY

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Final Days: TRAVIS MCEWEN: A Crepuscular Garden March 22 - May 11, 2024 

Steven Zevitas Gallery is pleased to present Travis McEwen’s solo exhibition, A Crepuscular Garden. The exhibition will be on view from March 22 to May 11, 2024. A Crepuscular Garden consists of twenty-three paintings made by McEwen over the past five years. This body of work speaks to Queer experiences of isolation and explores the ways in which escapism and worldbuilding can not only offer solace, but ultimately lead to new ways of understanding. In A Crepuscular Garden, McEwen thoughtfully constructs “futuristic” environments inhabited by humans and flora; they are nurturing spaces that beg to be explored.  McEwen has a deep interest in the visual aesthetics and motifs of science-fiction, which has long been a fertile site and a space to imagine other ways of being (the works of Octavia Butler, Samuel R. Delany, and Ursula K Le Guin are of particular importance to him). We see this impulse, perhaps most dramatically, in the familiar, yet otherworldly light that permeates the expanses of desert, and other barren ecosystems, that McEwen depicts. McEwen’s previous work consisted of desolate vistas without any sign of life; they were bleak landscapes restrained by desertification and ecological collapse. In A Crepuscular Garden we find both life and hope. Semi-arid, arid, and otherwise inhospitable spaces teem with flora, biodiversity and the promise that adaptation is both possible and inevitable. McEwen has turned away from bleak dystopias and toward something more optimistic. For him, Queer resilience can blossom like flora, and these paintings longingly embrace the nascent hope of what may not yet exist. Even in an environment of apparent collapse or abandonment, there is still space to care and things to be tended to.

Travis McEwen (b. 1985, Edmonton, Canada) lives and works in Santa Cruz, CA. He earned an MFA from Concordia University (Montreal, QC) and a BFA from the University of Alberta (Edmonton, AB). Recent solo exhibitions have been hosted by dc3 Art Projects (Edmonton, AB) and Katherine E. Nash Gallery (Minneapolis, MN). He was included in Future Station: 2015 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of Alberta (Edmonton, AB). He has participated in many group exhibitions with Latitude 53 (Edmonton, AB), Galerie La Centrale Powerhouse (Montreal, QC), and Owens Art Gallery (Sackville, NB), among others. He has a forthcoming solo exhibition in 2024 with Neon Heater (Findlay, OH). Additionally, he has work in the Senvest Collection of Contemporary Canadian Art. He was a lecturer at the University of Minnesota from 2014-2023 and currently is a lecturer at the University of California Santa Cruz. This is the artist’s first exhibition with Steven Zevitas Gallery.

Please email liz@stevensevitasgallery.com with questions or inquiries.

STEVEN ZEVITAS GALLERY 450 Harrison Ave., Suite #47 Boston, MA 02118 617 778 5265 x22 @stevenzevitasgallery #stevenzavitasgallery#fineartmagazibe#fineartfun

The Lehman College Art Department: THESIS EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION Wednesday, May 15 5 pm - 8 pm

2024 THESIS EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION Wednesday, May 15 5 pm - 8 pm The Lehman College Art Department is proud to present this year’s MFA, MA and BFA Thesis exhibition in collaboration with the Lehman College Art Gallery.  This year’s exhibition showcases thesis work by graduates and undergraduates. Each student’s presentation represents a year-long, creative investigation in collaboration with a faculty mentor. A spectrum of disciplines reflective of our undergraduate and graduate areas of study will be represented, including painting, animation, printmaking, bookmaking, installation, performance, sculpture, ceramics, drawing, design, and original comics. This year, the thesis work of our graduating students explores a broad array of individual experiences alongside political and social issues of urgency today facing their communities. RSVP Tickets The gallery's exhibitions are supported by the Charina Foundation, Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, Medora Bross Geary and John Geary Family Foundation, Edith and Herbert Lehman Foundation, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Art as a Third Dimension, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York State Council on the Arts

Lehman College Art Gallery | 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West, Bronx, NY 10468 #lehmancollegeart#fineart,agazine#fineartfun

Drawings at the OMNI Gallery.Cathleen Ficht and Dawn Lee, Lorena Salcedo Watson May 19, 3-5 Opening

 

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MC2GALLERY THANKS YOU FOR VISITING CASPER FAASSEN'S SOLO SHOW AT “THE FAIR”

MC2GALLERY THANKS YOU FOR VISITING CASPER FAASSEN'S SOLO SHOW AT “THE FAIR”

A look at Casper Faassen's work as a whole reveals that themes such as transience, beauty and feminine splendor form the basis of his work. For Faassen, working with dancers and exploring movement in space is a constant theme in his artistic work. Over the last two years, in close collaboration with dancer Madoka Kariya, he has developed his new series "Void". Through this collaboration he seeks to translate Kariya's understanding of space through dance into his photography. He approaches the viewer and moves away. What is revealed to him is as important as what is hidden from him. Fascinated by Japanese philosophy, he explores the theme of "Ma" through landscapes and movement studies. “But” is understood as the space between, which does not separate but connects. “The juxtaposition between the eternal and the temporal, beauty and decay, appearance and disappearance is my main theme.” All painters and photographers have the ability to stop time and capture a single moment. Faassen highlights that moment by adding a temporal element – not necessarily using literal references to vanitas but through the manipulation of materials. The use of craquelure is its symbol of time and introduces a visual element as it is oil paint and therefore sharp, contrasting with the rest of the blurry image. Most of the distance is created by the way the photo is taken, through an opaque medium. He prints the image on the same opaque support giving a further sense of distance. “What I also like about craquelure is the texture it gives to the surface or leather. The work becomes more material, more substantial, aiming for painting instead of photography and thus encouraging a different way of perceiving the work." Characteristic of Faassen's works is his continuous innovative approach to materials, techniques and disciplines. In addition to painting and graphic art, Faassen dedicates much of his time to the photographic medium. It is in his photographic work that we recognize the Leiden painters who inspired him. His signature works depict classic 17th- century themes such as cityscapes, vanitas paintings, and flower arrangements.

Casper's unique style, which mixes photography and painted layers in his work and juxtaposes subject (beauty) with form (decay), has won praise from critics and the public. His work has been exhibited at numerous international art fairs such as AIPAD New York, Photo London, Unseen, PAN Amsterdam and Photo Basel, where he won the ALPA award in 2019. His work is featured in private and public collections such as Frans Hals Museum (Haarlem), Museum de Lakenhal (Leiden), Haagsch Historisch Museum and Royal Netherlands Library (The Hague). Recently, the Fotografiska Museum in Stockholm and the Japanmuseum Sieboldhuis in Leiden have hosted solo exhibitions of Faassen's work. His "View of the Hague" and "View of Dordrecht" were displayed alongside Jan van Goyen's original masterpieces in the Historical Museum of the Hague and the Dordrecht Museum respectively.

MONTENEGRO / ITALY #mc2gallery#fineartmagazine#fineartfun