Joseph Nechvatal - paint, robot, virus
an alternative documenta
...what a 21st century documenta could look like

Joseph Nechvatal
paint, robot, virus
by
Christian de Lutz

web published here June 20th, 2012
http://alternativedocumenta.tumblr.com/post/25516483161/joseph-nechvatal...

ACTION FOR FREEDOM: NEW WORKS BY LEE WELLS
Rooster Gallery Contemporary Art
190 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
Reception: Thursday, February 17, 2011, 6 – 8pm
Exhibition Dates: February 17 to March 13

Rooster Gallery Contemporary Art announces “Action For Freedom, New Works by Lee Wells”, featuring new video action paintings from the “Soul Series".

Lee Wells (born 1971), offers a complex intermix of images which engage issues of war, sexuality, freedom and liberation. Deeply rooted in the history of painting and dialogue of the Avant-garde, “Action For Freedom”, presents portraits of humanity as an attempt to create order within the chaos, confusion and wonder of the early 21st century.

James Kalm is back on his bike for the 2010 season opener, and he starts this frenzy of activity by stopping in to pay tribute to David Cohen and his curatorial prowess at the historic New York Studio School. "Decameron" celebrates a decade of exhibitions by presenting some of the artist who have received recognition at the NYSS, including: Philip Pearlstein, Milton Resnick, Mernet Larsen, Graham Nickson, Sean Scully, Frances Barth, Rosemarie Beck, Thomas Nozkowski and many others. Trekking to Chelsea we visit "Not Even the Saints Can Help" the culmination of two years work by Joe Zito at Lennon, Weinberg Gallery. Inspired by the structure of a ships hull, Zito designed and built the wooden structure in his studio in Red Hook Brooklyn. This form was further extrapolated in a series of drawings, models and works on paper that approach single image abstraction.

James Kalm peddles to Long Island City Queens on a warm summer weekend to view a curatorial project by Cecilia Alemani in the Rotating Gallery at the mega exhibition "Greater New York". Featuring works by Leslie Thornton, Judith Bernestein, Sylvia Sleigh and Jack Whitten "The Comfort of Strangers" presents pieces by mature artists who have worked consistently for decades despite escaping the recognition they deserve. Includes interviews with Leslie Thornton, and Judith Bernestein.

James Kalm is back in Bushwick to visit "On Display" an exhibition selected by Time Out New York as the best painting show of the week. Curated by Hrag Vartanian, Publisher of Hyperallergic, and featuring Sharon Butler, Joy Curtis and Cathy Nan Quinlan. These artists share a sensibility of fractured formalism. Employing received norms of abstraction they cut and reassemble elements into crisp and startling compositions. Includes interviews with Hrag Vartanian, Sharon Butler and Joy Curtis.

James Kalm is cycling down for the summer, but before being immersed in the art world doldrums, he ventures into Chelsea for one more Thursday night gallery crawl. "Reflexive Self" at Mike Weiss Gallery features a collection of images of the macabre. Large drawings by Dead Dads Corporation have the shocking presence of crime scene photos. Kim Dorland and Stefanie Gutheil peruse chunky colorful expressionism, while Marc Seguin leavens his austere canvases with conceptual content and blobs of oil paint and elicits a spontaneous diatribe from Daniel Larkin on his use of Hitler as subject. . Okay Mountain's "Benefit Plate" at Freight+Volume, is the latest offering by this Austin Texas based collective/gallery. These ten artists have received much attention for their whimsical humor combined with critical representations of American culture. Includes interviews with Carlos Rosales-Silva, Corkey Sink and Josh Rios.

James Kalm was given full access to record this walk through of Andy Warhol: The Last Decade, and wishes to thank the Brooklyn Museum of Art for the privilege. It's been nearly a quarter century since Andy's death, but his visage within the art world has never been more prominent. As one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century, he's been credited with everything from the founding of Pop Art to social networking to developing self promotion to the highest of art forms. This massive show is loaded with documentary artifacts and presents many never before seen works from Warhol's late "abstract" series and his collaborative works with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francisco Clemente. The exhibition was organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum.