Tastemaker

November 9, 2006 - January 19, 2007
OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, November 9, 6-9pm

“Special Reconnaissance: Actions conducted by special operations forces to obtain or verify, by visual observation or other collection methods, information concerning capabilities, intentions and activities…to secure data concerning the meteorological, hydrographic or geographic characteristics of a particular area.”  - American Department of Defense Glossary, 2004.

Gigantic ArtSpace presents
SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE_, a group show investigating the construction of place at the intersection of conflict, narrative and memory.  Blending elements of surveillance and performance, expedition and revelation, the exhibition asks: “How do we define place and how do we find ourselves in it?”  Following the root of 'reconnaissance,’ which is ‘to take back the land,' the title of the exhibition takes the word back from the Department of Defense, just as these sixteen artists endeavor to retake place from the forces of ruin, oblivion and decay.


The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) presents a portable slide lecture documenting their study of the uses, purposes, and perception of the American landscape.

The aerial photography of J Henry Fair alternates between abstract/ aesthetic and concrete/political realities to depict the environmental impact of coal mining in West Virginia.


Gigantic ArtSpace [GAS] is located at 59 Franklin Street (btw.
Broadway and Lafayette), NY, NY 10013.
Directions by subway: 1 to Franklin Street, A/C/E/N/Q/R/W/6/J/M/Z to Canal Street.
Gallery hours:   Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 7pm. Media Contact:   Sean Carroll, Gallery Manager, 212 226 6762 • info@giganticartspace.com • www.giganticartspace.com •

From Page Six June 16, 2006 -- "ALL artists are prepared to suffer for their work, but why are so few prepared to learn to draw?" - British graffiti artist Banksy in his book "Wall and Piece" (Century)

Today is the "Museum Mile Festival!" The special day that 9 of NYC's finest art establishments open their doors to the public for free!! Start at the MET and continue 23 blocks up 5th Avenue getting inspired by De La Vega's group-created chalk murals outdoors as well as the world's great masters housed indoors!

Obviously we're all obsessed with knowing things that are hidden. But Laura Barnett and Sandra Spannan give us an unusual opportunity: they allow us to be enthralled by the illicitness of confessing to a stranger, and then they break all boundaries by publicly posting the confessions they are given. No, it's not gossip, and it's not mean-spirited. It's performance art, and you can go be a part of it thru thursday.

Some of the exposed confessions:

"I am dating a married man & getting financial compensation in exchange for the guilt. I'm 25 & he's a millionaire. It pays to be young."

"The hermit crab was still alive when I threw it down the trash shoot."

"I want to see S.U.V.'s explode. Those people are so selfish."

Last year they performed in Berlin. "The Germans were so dark," said Ms. Barnett. "It was like they had been waiting for us to come."

Chashama, a non-profit art group run by Anita Durst, is hosting Inside/Out in a storefront window on 42nd st. Quotes are from a great article about the project in the NYT.

KCJ Fine Art Co., Inc. announces an exhibition of new paintings by KARI MATZ presented by Fine Art Magazine and KCJ Fine Art Co., Inc. The exhibition will take place on Friday, March 3, 2006, at the Michael Lang Organization located at 476 Broome Street, 4th Floor, New York, New York. A special preview of these paintings is open to the general public from 12 -5 p.m.

Kari Matz forges a definite line in her imagery aiding, pushing and accenting the emotional application of the colors to achieve a heart felt dialogue between viewer and painter through her use of color hue. The line crafted is explicit in it’s intent to mold and draw out the subject’s inner relationship within the composition of each painting making clear the emotional dialogue between all components of the works. The balance, play and interaction of paint and subject matter allows the artist to display a sophisticated multi-faceted choice of subject.

Her accent on nature and the spiritual in her work is enhanced through the use of medium and method. The consistency in Matz’s technique enables her to weave seamlessly through any demarcation in stylistic subject matter: Allowing her to alternate between surrealism and impressionism with a fluid ease. Reflecting her intellectual mental message in both milieus, through her employment of impressions, actualized by color selection and stylistic paint application on her canvases, brings a full-bodied appearance to all subjects. Her reliance and apparent confidence in her skill is observed equally, between a unique personal approach and her artistic eye for color.


For more information on the Kari Matz exhibition, call Sharon Mandel at 813-289-5552 or Jamie Forbes at 837-7424.

The Be Nice Art Party is tonite at Orchard Bar on Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton!

As noted on Gothamist: "Be Nice is a free art show and party that takes place at Orchard Bar every so often, with apparently a pretty good sonic backdrop. This week's theme is "On My Bedroom Wall" - a collection of personal items from the bedroom wall including objects and images of inspiration, photographs of favorite memories and past-times hung salon style."

Found Art, Music, Drinking... my goodness, it sounds like the mid-nineties. Love it.

Speak Clearly So We Can Understand
Yumi Janairo Roth's solo art show Opening Reception

"Roth fastidiously transforms mundane objects, destabilizing our perceptions of both the new surfaces and the original forms. The reinventions are as humorous as they are unsettling; Roth’s works examine the language of design and function, and jocularly elicit new assumptions about the symbols and framework of culture and society.

While in residency in the Philippines, Roth designed and surreptitiously installed maps, which had not previously existed, for the local public transportation system in Metro Manila, and documented the process of discovery among commuters; call it a ‘Small Act of Public Service.’ " Ohhh, I like this lady. I like maps. I like humorous social commentary. Go.

at Sarah Bowen Gallery
210 N. 6th St. between Driggs and Roebling
Willamsburg

Tracy Silva Barbosa's solo exhibit Mercurius is WONDERFUL. Her work is, i swear, from the forest of Lothlorien or some other elven paradise. Delicate landscapes, reminiscent of asian Sumi scrolls, combine with cascading random numbers, b&w urban photos, glistening gold and red decoupage... Magic symbols, clarity and clouds, ahhhh joy! Highly recommended.

Mercurius is at MetalStone Gallery on Stanton between Clinton and Attorney. The show is up thru March 12.

Tonite I'm going to the opening reception for the Mercurius exhibit at MetalStone Gallery. This is Tracy Silva Barbosa's solo show, "exploring the correlation between (her) painting and glass sculpture."

MetalStone Gallery's co-owner Nina is Caleb's girlfriend. Caleb is a friend of my husband Tom. I have a feeling Nina is really cool, even though we've yet to meet. Anyhoo, on top of being SO closely related to MetalStone, heh, the artwork is beautiful, the website is beautiful, and how often do you REALLY get to art openings? Come to this one. The show runs thru March 12th, but me, Tom, and baby Xuan will be at the gallery TONITE 7-10pm.

"Using reprographic reproductions of these photos, a unique non-existent landscape is composed by method of chine collè or frottage (progenitors ranging from Gaugin to Rauschenberg). Other applied imagery comes from archived scientific drawings, photos, and earlier alchemical diagrams, which represent a more intuitive approach to art and science and point toward a re-unification of the two.

Twisted stalks of flora and the spare flight of birds animate these stark asymmetrical compositions and conjure a rich psychic realm full of color, balance and harmony." metalstonegallery.com

MetalStone Gallery
175 Stanton St.
212-253-8308

The Condiment Packet Museum boasts of a collection of 924 unique condiment packets. They boast not only ketchup, mustard, and relish designs, but also an EXTENSIVE "misc" category, which includes such gems as the A&W Vinegar packet (i don't know what this was for, perhaps they had a fish & chips plate, or southern malt vinegar fries, although i only remember A&W in California in the '70's) and a bite-sized Kraft Vegemite. My personal favorite: the beautiful Heinz Mint Sauce, which, presumably, was used for... drive-thru rack of lamb?!?