Street Art On The Inside! "Urbane Decay" Exhibit At Tria Gallery!

"Urban living takes it's toll on the human spirit."  A quote from Tria Gallery as they presented the exhibit "Urbane Decay" earlier this month.  And, yes, it kind of does.  Living in the greatest (busiest, craziest, most competitive), city in the world can be draining, but then when I walk five feet and see an amazing piece of street art on a door, or a pole, a mailbox,  or...a corner of a building - all complaining abruptly stops.  As the gallery describes, the six artists in the show have all grappled with the grittiness and realities of city living and have found ways through their artistic endeavors  to make the experience more livable and urbane.   Below you'll see a large scale graffiti installation, a painting of a flower trying to break throughout the city concrete and a touch of a large scale portrait ensemble of strangers trying to connect to each other and the world around them.

You'll need to go to the gallery to get the full scope of the mega art installation (if you haven't already), as my main feature is geared toward ChrisRWK & Herb Veng Smith of Robots Will Kill, www.robotswillkill.com - (I'm a big fan!)  They have been in existence since 2001 and I continuously look forward to seeing their work around the city. Each artist here (listed below) are brilliant and lucky for you, the exhibit runs through June 8, 2013.  Details on the gallery are below.

Take a break from the city -- in the gallery!

Tria Gallery is located at  531 W25th Street in Chelsea, visit www.triagallerynyc.com and www.robotswillkill.com

Aussie Artist Johnny Romeo Rocks Porter Contemporary With "Grindhouse!"

What comes to mind when you hear the word "Grindhouse?" A Tarantino movie?  That's the image I immediately conjure up, like most people, right?  Acclaimed Australian artist Johnny Romeo nails it through his tough, colorful, pop-contemporary, acclaimed art works.  He describes his latest exhibition "Grindhouse" as a "napalmed-drenched love letter to the cinema and further describes his works as a celebration of sex, drugs and rock n' roll."  That is what we saw and loved at Porter Contemporary last week as they presented Romeo's killer-debut solo show in the states.

Romeo's rich colors, strong lines and true grit show his vivid aesthetic that's capturing worldwide attention.  He's represented by galleries in Australia and New Zealand and is now making his mark on NYC.

 

Johnny Romeo and Jessica Porter

"Romeo's pop-savvy approach lends the series an air of witty nostalgia in this tongue-in-cheek examination of the grim world of Grindhouse," says Jessica L. Porter, Founder and Director of Porter Contemporary.  

The artist by his signature piece, and my favorite!

It was an honor to meet Romeo and talk with him about his latest pieces and collaborative work with the band Blink-182. (You can see more of that on his website listed below.)  

   GQ magazine describes his art as "punk and pop, rock n' roll graffiti."

Another favorite artist represented by Porter; Jason Bryant

You can't miss this one, trust me - again. The vibrant colors alone will perk up your winter!

 Romeo's exhibition runs through March 30, 2013 and the gallery is located in Chelsea at 548 W28th.  

Also visit http://portercontemporary.com & http://johnnyromeo.net/blog-wp/

CLOSER TO CHUCK CLOSE! Major Art Event At Pace + Phil Noto at Bold Hype / Chelsea Shows Not To Miss!

Chuck Close never fails to amaze us all.  Pace Gallery, who has represented Close since 1977, presents an exhibition of recent paintings, prints and tapestries.

For more than five decades, Close has captured his friends and family in abstract portraits that are realistic executed in a range of media and techniques.   (Paint, airbrush, finger painting, pulp, pencil and photography you name it!) 

Look at the size of this crowd.  Highlights of the exhibition include a never-before-seen portrait of Cindy (Sherman) and Phil (Glass), both above.

This is as close as I could possibly get to Close (get it?)  Each of the mega-large rooms at Pace were filled with thousands, I'm lucky I could get this "close" to even snap these....

Hundreds of fans all waiting for their books to be singed....

Front entrance...

This exhibit also features Close's new watercolor prints, the artist's first in-dept experimentation with digital technology.  He uses approx. 14,500 of his own, hand made, watercolor marks individually scanned into the computer, as the vocabulary for the works.  Close has won countless awards and one of the most respected artists of our generation.

You can learn all about Close by simply googling him or visit www.pacegallery.com for the most recent press release.   The show runs through December, 22, 2012.  

Pace is located at 534 West 25th Street, you can't miss it, let's just say.

Dogs love art too. (Big post on that soon!)

On to Paul Kasim Gallery for Makots Saito's show; "Face to Face / Composition" on view until Nov. 21, 2012.  

I especially love this pic, man in hat, man in hat art, get it? 

Visit wither of Kasim's spaces, and store. Snooty attitude, yes.  Cool art things for sale, yes. So, you'll have to deal with the staff. You know how I love that.

More from the shows....this one is by Maya Onoda called "Kaleidoscope." This you need to actually see in person to believe - the images are huge, floor to ceiling and mesmerising.  Visit Magnan Metz Gallery, 521 W 26th Street running until November 24, 2012.  www.magnanmetz.com.

Another big show that evening was "35 MM" by Phil Noto at Bold Hype Gallery.  The first 50 people in the door received a free print, I was number #13, lucky for me.  Noto has done a wide range of animation work for Disney Feature Animation and works on the Lion King, Lilo and Stitch, Pocahontas and more. He is heavily influenced by 60's and 70's art and fashion and has published two books.  Have a look...

This is was comp print, but in blue...

For more info visit www.boldhype.com, located at 547 W. 27th, 5th Floor.  This exhibit runs thru November 10, 2012.