Les Clichés Sont Conservés

Yesterday I visited the Affordable Art Fair, and fell in love with the work of British artist and writer Charlotte Cory. For some reason I have a thing for these kinds of dark pieces, perhaps because they still emote a sense of humor. Cory takes Victorian calling cards which are often discarded and found in junk shops throughout Europe, and digitally combines them with images of stuffed museum animals. Both elements have been long forgotten, and were initially produced for humanity's vapid enjoyment. In the artist's own words, her inspiration came to her suddenly and without warning: "Why not recycle the dispossessed pictures and long dead creatures. Grant them all a new lease of life. Better, more colorful, more deserving than before." I just ordered a book of her work entitled "The Visitors," and I can't wait for it to arrive on my doorstep. There are so many melancholic hybrids I have yet to meet.

Mad About Edie

Andy Warhol's first book of photos, Andy Warhol's Exposures, was published in 1979, and of course many of the images that he initially wanted to include in it didn't make the cut. Thankfully the rejects have made it into a second book, Andy Warhol Unexposed Exposures. The images are currently on view at New York City's Steven Kasher Gallery until April 10th. The show looks like a real gem, and as Edie would say: "I'm pulverized by this latest thing!"

Andy Warhol, Edie Beale, ca. 1976-79. © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New York

Via Flavorwire

The Golden Era

So much focus is placed on Germany's dark history, but what is often ignored are the astonishing cultural and intellectual feats that were made just years before Hitler's rise to power. This time period, called the Weimar Republic, lasted from the end of World War I to around 1933 when Hitler gained power. Weimar culture was vibrant, daring, and unnervingly modern. Artists who were scarred by what they had seen during the Great War, used their medium as a way of dealing with their pain, and in doing so they unleashed a type of realism that is rarely seen even to this day. My favorite works emerged during this short but productive time, and artists like Otto Dix and Christian Schad (works pictured above) were part of the Neue Sachlichkeit movement, whose work was gritty, dark, and purposefully ugly. Thankfully I don't have to travel all the way to Germany or Austria to see these pieces in person, as my favorite New York City museum, the Neue Galerie, exclusively caters to my obsession. From now through August 30th, the Galerie is exhibiting a collection of Otto Dix's work, the first such collection ever held in North America. Now put down your bratwurst, and get yourself over to the Neue for a taste of some real German culture.

Making Lemonade Outta Lemons

Even though my mother has had an obsession with Hummers since I was a kid, I always thought they were repulsive. I'm not sure if it was because of their ridiculous size, or because every person behind one of their wheels seemed like a total douchebag. Either way I always thought they were wasteful, and way too Schwarzenegger for my taste. Artist Jeremy Dean and I obviously see eye to eye. His piece entitled "Back to the Futurama" is exactly what you think you see pictured above: a hummer that's been turned into a horse-drawn carriage. The New York Times ran a short article about Dean last week, and "Back to the Futurama" will be on display at the Pulse Art Fair in NYC from March 4-7. Dean's blog sums it up best: "Unless we come up with alternative fuel sources and rethink our reliance on a hyper inflated consumption based economy; we may be left with no other options than to hook our cars up to a horse."

Think With Your Head

Gabriel Orozco's "Black Kites"
Check out the rest of his work at the Museum of Modern Art before March 1, 2010.