It's time for another
Whitney Biennial this year-- its 75th installment. Let the games begin! It's practically a sport in art history circles to predict the content of each show-- with guest curators picking a who's who of contemporary artists, it sets the tone for the art industry-- well at least for the next two years. I remember going through the 1987 biennial with art critic
Donald Kuspit, who said it was the year of the 'neo'-- neo-classical, neo-conceptual, neo-ugly. Then there were the politically correct years, where everyone was busy being disenfranchised, followed by the conceptual years-- the chewed bubble gum sculptures, broken glass, barking dogs, naked folks, etc... I always walk away remembering one piece above all.
Matthew Barney's photos,
Tony Orsler's media sculptures, the light room installation, and this find from a few biennials ago,
Fred Tomaselli. With a current show in Chelsea of embroideries, Tomaselli's work defies labels. His large scale collages of body parts, birds, flowers, and insects set in resin had a profound effect on me-- like a modern day
Hieronymous Bosch. Keep your eyes open for news about this year's exhibition, which opens this February. Who knows whose work you'll discover?
It's time for another Whitney Biennial this year-- its 75th installment. Let the games begin! It's practically a sport in art history circles to predict the content of each show-- with guest curators picking a who's who of contemporary artists, it sets the tone for the art industry-- well at least for the next two years. I remember going through the 1987 biennial with art critic Donald Kuspit, who said it was the year of the 'neo'-- neo-classical, neo-conceptual, neo-ugly. Then there were the politically correct years, where everyone was busy being disenfranchised, followed by the conceptual years-- the chewed bubble gum sculptures, broken glass, barking dogs, naked folks, etc... I always walk away remembering one piece above all. Matthew Barney's photos, Tony Orsler's media sculptures, the light room installation, and this find from a few biennials ago, Fred Tomaselli. With a current show in Chelsea of embroideries, Tomaselli's work defies labels. His large scale collages of body parts, birds, flowers, and insects set in resin had a profound effect on me-- like a modern day Hieronymous Bosch. Keep your eyes open for news about this year's exhibition, which opens this February. Who knows whose work you'll discover?
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