So- who doesn't love emails that start like
this?"This will be an extremely hip scene. Like, extremely. Want to be my date? I was told to bring my hot and fashionable friends. Come! Plus we haven't hung out in eternity.
xx
Julie"
Basically she was a
beautiful siren and I was a lost traveler pulled into her fold of the super schamzcy,
ultra-scene-y art world. And I'm not even gonna front, I loved it all.
This is what I walked into when I turned onto Crosby street. A street whose cup
absolutely over floweth with hip art kids. It was filled with
movers and shakers, art lovers, and just those who want some of that to rub off. And of course a
grody dude or two who were hoping to get a rub off themselves. There was
no way for cars to go through, and there was no way to find the gallery. It was just a black hole in a wall, disappeared by the tangled masses of well dressed people.
And once I found my way to the hole in the wall, and pushed my way into the space (a
total fire hazard, with only one way in or out, and a total
humid gross zone) there was no way to engage with the art. It was just so crowded (with the likes of
Kate Lanphear,
Oliver Zham,
Terry Richardson,
Kaws, and
Waris Ahluwalia, to name a few. It was like
that night at the Met) but
really, isn't that the point of a gallery opening? Obviously to people watch,
judge ensembles, network, and
pick up attractive people. Otherwise you might as well go look at the art another time. Julie and I wandered back into the gallery space near the end of the night, and finally it had cleared out enough to spend some time with the work.
The work was by
Scott Campbell, and made of dollar dollar bills, y'all. The bills were stacked in hundreds and then cut down to create intricate designs. I'm pretty sure much of the work was done with a lazer cutter, the edges has small burns. This one reads "Sweet" "Sour."
OHWOW is hosting the exhibition titled "
If You Don't Belong, Don't Be Long," and did a really excellent job designing the space. The lighting framed only the pieces, and nothing else, creating an moody atmosphere for the whole gallery, forcing your focus to where it should be, with the art.
Some of the work was, well, a bit cheesy/cutesy, like this darling butterfly. Like this should be a
tramp stamp for a stupid girl, but for whatever reason the butterfly didn't bother me. In fact, I kinda like it. I think I was totally
hypnotized by the details. And that is a rarity for me, to let the workmanship sing over the content. I guess this butterfly just seemed to make sense within the context of the show.
"All That Glitters Is Not Gold." A really special piece, the only one in these dimensions. And someone commented on how it also looks like a NYC subway. Very clever, very subtle. I wonder if that was intentional, or a happy outcome?
And this was made out of dollar sheets, before they were cut, straight outta the mint. I liked these ones the best because I like large scaled pieces, they
demand attention!
NoHo, alas, I was only able to make the tail end of your parties. However I did manage to duck into the Future Perfect at their new location on Great Jones for a short moment, and I noticed a particular and peculiar theme going on.
At first it seemed to be very animal/taxidermy heavy. But then, upon reflection I realized it may just be my tendency to lean towards the animal motif. Does that make me particular and peculiar? I can't imagine why I like it, as I'm a vegetarian, but I guess that doesn't extend to compel my interior aesthetic choices.
Plus, HELLO! a Golden Elephant Head!? Thanks, I 'll take it!
These lighting fixtures repulsed everyone but me. There's a small chance that I kinda totally wanted them, both, in my apartment, stat.
Kooky!
