James Kalm pays a heartfelt tribute to one of the legendary artists of the East Village. From 1978 to 1987, a sleazy rundown neighborhood on the butt of Downtown Manhattan became the most exciting and controversial battleground in the art world struggles. A cadre of whacked-out disenfranchised artists, using their own wits and energy, grabbed the international spotlight and for a brief skuzzy moment, changed the course of history.

Martin Wong was an essential character within that milieu and it is fitting that on the tenth anniversary of his death this retrospective of his work is presented.

James Kalm is slumming on the Lower East Side when he comes across this opening. Tracey Emin is a founding member of the YBAs (Young British Artists) and represented Great Britain in the 2007 Venice Biennial. Featuring over 53 works in neon, film, sculpture, embroideries and monoprints, this extensive show continues the artist’s exploration and objectification of her own sexuality, lust, longing and desire.

Andrew Castrucci is laying out artworks and artifacts at the Bullet Space. Bullet Space is an art gallery in a squat. The place recently exhibited decades' worth of work by the tin can cutting recycling artist Rolando Polliti. His constructions ornament the fence of the Plaza Cultural garden on 9th Street and Avenue C, original site of the CHARAS agitations of the 1970s.

This assemblage of artworks collected by Andrew over the years reveals something about this period of Lower East Side history, and the people who squatted these buildings. The context of the early works of the ‘80s and ‘90s is the squatter struggle.

James Kalm returns for the 2009 season opener on the LES (Lower East Side). This sampler features run-throughs of five openings that give viewers an idea of the tastes and trends we likely to see more of as the year unwinds. Beginning with the zippy tape stripes of Franklin Evans at Sue Scott, we dash up Freeman Alley to take a peek at the work of one name wonder Carter at Salon 94. From there we visit Khalif Kelly’s “Metamorphosis” at Thierry Goldberg Projects, and take a glance at the video installation of Adam Shecter at Eleven Rivington. Finally it’s up to East 2nd Street to check out the most recent offering at Museum 52.

Sperone Westwater has announced that the gallery will move to a new building at 257 Bowery in December 2009. British based Foster + Partners, headed by Norman Foster with Architects of Record Adamson Associates, have been commissioned to build the new nine-story gallery located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, one block north of the New Museum. Prompted by Sperone Westwater’s increasing need for larger and more flexible space, the Foster + Partners design will double the exhibition area and provide a variety of rooms for the gallery’s ambitious and diverse program.

Tribes Gallery
285 E. 3rd Street #2
(between ave C and D)
NY NY 10009
212-674-3778
info@tribes.org
http://www.tribes.org

Tribes Gallery is proud to present

-Back to the Beginning and Begin Again…

new works by Dianne Bowen
and
Next to Me - Works on Paper
by Stephanie Colonna

Opening reception:

Thursday, September 20th, 2007.

6 – 9pm