G A S S E R G R U N E R T

RODNEY DICKSON-PAINTINGS

June 4th – July 2nd 2010

Opening Reception: Friday, June 4th, 6 pm to 8 pm

524 West 19th Street, New York, New York 10011 (646) 944-6197

James Kalm makes a early summer trek to West Chelsea to imbibe in the latest selection of works by Kelli Williams. If the Marquee De Sade was living in New York, surfing the internet, indulging in high colonics and hanging out with Brooklyn hipsters while writing "The 120 days of Sodom" Williams would be a shoe-in for creating the illustrations. Her obsessively detailed and patterned works challenge nearly every hierarchical notion of propriety and decorum, while simultaneously extending a formerly unfashionable legacy of fantastical Feminist Surrealist painting.

James Kalm bikes the fifteen miles from South Brooklyn to Long Island City Queens to bring viewers these glimpses of "Greater New York". This exhibition, in conjunction with the Museum of Modern Art, is perhaps one of the most prestigious shows in America, and has launched the careers of dozens of today's most recognized artists. Organized by Klaus Biesenbach, Director of P.S.1, Connie Butler, and Neville Wakefield, Greater New York features young and emerging artists and highlights contemporary trends and tendencies according to the curators. Included in Part II are views of works by: Sam Moyer, Dave Miko, Ishmael Randall Weeks, Caleb Considine, Ryan McNamara, The Bruce High Quality Foundation, Hank Willis Thomas, Zipora Fried, William Cordova, Tauba Auerbach, Leigh Ledare and others.

For the "Stuart Davis Group" James Hyde has selected one of American art's most cherished icons for this collaborative investigation. Taking his camera to the Metropolitan Museum, Hyde took high quality close-ups of Davis paintings which he had blown up and digitally printed onto vinyl supports. He then added his own painterly "riffs" using sign painters enamel, and rollers. The resulting compositions re-contextualize both classic modernism and conceptual abstract painting.

James Kalm bikes the fifteen miles from South Brooklyn to Long Island City Queens to bring viewers these glimpses of "Greater New York". This exhibition, in conjunction with the Museum of Modern Art, is perhaps one of the most prestigious shows in America, and has launched the careers of dozens of today's most recognized artists. Organized by Klaus Biesenbach, Director of P.S.1, Connie Butler, and Neville Wakefield, Greater New York features young and emerging artists and highlights contemporary trends and tendencies according to the curators. Included in Part I are views of works by: David Brooks, Lucy Raven, Kalup Linzy, Amy Yao, David Benjamin Sherry, Alex Hubbard, Emily Roysdon, Deville Cohen, Leidy Churchman, Franklin Evans et. al.

"Greater New York" is one of the most influential exhibitions for young and emerging artists presented in the city. In this, its third edition, the number of participating artists is reduced to 68 from nearly 200 in the 2005 version. Artists were given more room to construct environments and installations that represent the creative processes and its juncture with life. Glimpses of works by David Brooks, Franklin Evans, Lucy Raven, Hank Willis Thomas, Sharon Hays, Ishmael Randall Weeks and others are visible. Guest crucifixion by Jerry Saltz.

From the press release: "During the winter of 2002, Carlson noticed that many of the flags on display after 9-11 had started to fade...Looking to the faded flags of 9-11 she dyed fabric to match these faded colors. She then made the flag using a combination of hand and machine sewing." Since Jasper Johns reconceived this icon of America, there have been endless revisions of the flag. Mary Carlson's "Flag" however achieves a pathetic and fragile quality implying an obligation to continuity despite world weariness.

James Kalm believes in the serendipity of fate, and sometimes, despite the best laid plans, ends up turning on the camera and capturing intriguing happenings. Such was the case when he popped into view a debut exhibition by Trudy Benson. The artist uses thick slabs of oil paint in coloristically rich pictures that verge on relief. Trudy discusses her "fetishization" of paint, and her painterly influences in a brief chat.

Heading east we visit NURTUREART to partake in the opening of "Who's Afraid of Ornament?" curated by Natasha Kurchanova. This show investigates decoration and ornament and bares testament to the reemergence of the Pattern & Decorative movement from the late seventies.