James Kalm wheels into Chelsea to sample the exhibitions of Amy Sillman and Anna Sew Hoy. If anyone was to be put forth as an example of where the current state of the "New York School" is, Amy Sillman qualifies. Her luscious and physical use of paint, strong drawing, strange figurative fragments and an adherence to the legacy of Ab-Ex have given her a local cult-like following as well as international recognition. Anne Sew Hoy mixes masterly craft skills with an appreciation of the suburban abject, rendered in the ubiquitous materials of denim, ceramics and shades.

We Like America and America Likes Us from Bruce High Quality Foundation on Vimeo.

I plan to go back to the Whitney Biennial for another viewing before it closes (May 30), partly to see this piece again. But since I have not yet done so, I decided to access the video online, admittedly minus its particular installation details: the white ambulance, with headlights blazing in a darkened room, mysteriously projecting its brooding interior monologue onto a blue tinted windshield.

April 21, 2010. Purvis Young, the soul of the indigenous Miami art scene, was generally labeled an "outsider" or "folk" artist, but he was making it happen in Overtown and Liberty City decades before "Wynwood" was able to pronounce the words "Art Basel Miami Beach".

He died yesterday at the age of 67 at Jackson Memorial Hospital after a long battle with diabetes.

THE THING presents VIRAL VENTURE: a digital movie by Joseph Nechvatal. Tuesday, April 27, 2010 @ 8:30 pm and 10:00 pm. Free.

White Slab Palace is located at 77 Delancey Street (Southeast corner of Allen and Delancey) Transit: F to Delancey St.; J/M/Z to Essex St.

James Kalm is curious to see how the paintings of Wilhelm Sasnal stack up to the international hype attendant to this painter. In this brief visit, viewers can judge for themselves, as we see examples of Sasnal's wane landscapes, limp faceless figure studies and slight text works that also incorporate references to his use of pigment and other substances to create a material and textural presence. Sasnal was featured in a cover story in ARTFORUM, has received strong support from Charles Saatchi and was also featured in "Cave Painting II" curated by Bob Nickas.

April 18, 2010. This is the fifth consecutive day of eruptions of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull [pronunciation], spewing ash into the atmosphere and shutting down air traffic over much of northern Europe. The image above represents the situation this morning. Below are images from days four, three and one. Obviously the volcano, after being dormant for 200 years under its glacier, is now experiencing a very public moment of midlife crisis.

April 16, 2010. News that the first exhibition planned by Jeffrey Deitch as the new director of MOCA/LA will be a survey of work by Dennis Hopper, curated by Julian Schnabel, must be greeted with mixed feelings.

On the one hand, Hopper is undeniably a prodigious, mythic presence on the American scene, mostly due to his extended Hollywood career as actor and director. He helped define the counterculture in Rebel Without a Cause and Easy Rider, and raised the stakes with fierce performances in Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet. He is also an early and important member of the West Coast art demimonde, friendly with many of LA's more radical practitioners, including Wallace Berman, Ed Ruscha and Billy Al Bengston. He started buying art in the late 1950s and owns one of the Warhol soup can paintings from the historic exhibition at Ferus Gallery, among a varied and extensive collection that includes Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat as well as Schnabel.

James Kalm is back in Soho at the Deitch Project for what might be the last exhibition in this location. As a longtime fan, it's a pleasure to bring viewers a bit of what is, to this point, the most ambitious painting show from this influential young artist. Combining odd scenes depicting a strange tropical vacation resort or ribbon strewn and pixilated versions of near abstract figures, these paintings are a mélange of techniques with a rich and sensitive palette, and intriguing textual headings. De Balincourt has been included in several noteworthy recent exhibitions including shows at PS1 and the Saatchi Gallery.

Viral Venture @ FONDERIE DE L’IMAGE

"Viral Venture" by Joseph Nechvatal, Rhys Chatham and Stephane Sikora at LA FONDERIE DE L’IMAGE: LE FESTIVAL ARTS NUMERIQUES D’ARCADI 3 - 17 avril 2010

LA FONDERIE DE L’IMAGE
81-83, avenue Gallieni
93170 – Bagnolet
http://lafonderiedelimage.org/

ecoartspace presents “What Matters Most?”
at Exit Art Underground Space NYC
475 Tenth Ave at 36th St
April 15 – 28, 2010

ecoartspace benefit exhibition/sale and party
Wednesday, April 28th 6-9 pm

PARTY TICKETS AND ART SALE at Exit Art: $250

To purchase tickets in advance online:
http://whatmattersmost.eventbrite.com/
To purchase tickets at the event please bring a check to avoid lines.

Over 275 artists will exhibit an original artwork related to the NY Times Dot Earth blog "What Matters Most?"