Kilimnik in Connecticut!

07 May 2012
by Art Rubynstein

You had to work for art this weekend. There was of course a mandatory outing to Randall’s Island for Frieze, and even more pleasant, a trip to Greenwich, Connecticut for the Karen Kilimnik opening at the Brant Foundation. The weather was perfect, the BBQ was intense, and the art world showed up in major force. Here are the highlights.

Years of works Karen Kilimnik showed at the foundation: 30 (1982 – 2012).

Artists present in Greenwich: KAWS and Julia Chiang, David Salle, Jane Holzer, Hanna Liden, Elizabeth Peyton, Marilyn Minter, Nate Lowman, Dan Colen, Francesco Clemente, and many others.

Accompanied by small kids: Leo Villareal and Yvonne Force, Simon de Pury, Urs Fischer.

Other notables: Leelee Sobieski, Kim Gordon, Olympia Scarry, Michael Avedon, Tara Subkoff, Bob Colacello, Hope Atherton, Jose Mugrabi, Aby Rosen, Jeffrey Deitch, Stefano Tonchi.

Best super sighting: Linda Evangelista playing soccer with her son Augustin on the field.

Best super dress: Stephanie Seymour in her scarlet Alaia.

Biggest topic of conversation: Hong Kong.

Best valet lot attraction: Jeff Koon’s Puppy which now lives on the Brant lands.

Biggest catering hits: Freshly BBQ’d pork and garden tomato infused mozzarella.

Sudden sausage expert: Gavin Brown, who tried some of Brant’s meat at the BBQ.

Most camera shy: Kilimnik, who of course happened to be the host.

Best parting gift: Lamb cookies inspired by Kilimnik’s signature paintings.

Photos: Billy Farrell Agency

Brooklyn Bowl!

19 April 2012
by Art Rubynstein

You never know what to expect from the Brooklyn Museum Gala. Jennifer Rubell dominated one year with her edible masterworks, Takashi Murakami brought out Marc Jacobs and Anna Wintour with his own presence, and Sarah Jessica Parker made a quick cameo last year. This year’s big event honored great female artists with announcement of the establishment of the Sackler Family Endowed Curator in Feminist on premises. And of course guests enjoyed their usual, centerpiece dominant dinner. Here are the highlights:

Artists at the dinner tables: Kiki Smith, Dustin Yellin, Judy Chicago, Aurel Schmidt, and honorees Martha Rosler, Amy Sillman, and Mickalene Thomas.

Other notables: Elizabeth A. Sackler, David Maupin, Gloria Steinem, Annelise Peterson, and yes, Connie Chung.

Most respectful celebrity chair: Brooklyn native Marisa Tomei who brought her own reading glasses for the auction part of the evening and respectfully waited in line to get her dinner assignment. “This whole place looks like a dream,” she told us.

Best centerpieces: Double sided mirror paintings by Natalie Frank, and Saya Woolfalk’s performance art infused table.

Dinner menu: Pan-seared poussin with purple potatoes (!) and black truffle vinaigrette salad.

Number of after party guests: 1,000

Number of Stefano Tonchi sightings at the W sponsored after party: 0

Something New and Something Borrowed: The New Museum Gala Aimed Big

12 April 2012
by Art Rubynstein

New Museum changed up venues for its 35th Anniversary Gala, moving on up to the Cipriani Wall Street address this year. The event’s best ever crowd came out for the bellinis, special performance by spectacularly named The Pimps of Joytime from Brooklyn, and face time with more A-list artists than we could count. 560 patrons occupied tables on Wall Street and $1.6 million was raised. Here are the highlights:

Hosts: Lisa Phillips, Toby Devan Lewis, and Saul Dennison

Big artist alert: honoree Paul McCarthy, George Condo, Elizabeth Peyton, Roni Horn, Marilyn Minter, Dasha Shiskin, Chuck Close, Jeff Koons, Aaron Young, Tom Sachs, Rob Pruitt, Lisa Yuskavage and Matvey Levenstein, Lorna Simpson, Hanna Liden, Dustin Yellin, Cecily Brown, Wangechi Mutu, Tony Oursler, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Will Cotton, Sue Williams, and many more.

SAG members in attendance: Honorary co-chair Chloe Sevigny and Leelee Sobieski

CFDA members in attendance: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Adam Kimmel, and jean loving Francisco Costa.

Most popular designer of the night: Costa’s work for Calvin Klein. Nora Zehetner, Amanda Brooks, Anh Duong, Yvonne Force Villareal, Minter, Olympia Scarry, and Piper Marshall all wore his designs to the dinner.

Most fascinating accessory: Massimiliano Gioni’s Mickey Mouse like gloves.

Runner-up: Sue Hostetler’s Barbara Kruger blessed column.

Best possible parting gift: Carsten Höller’s mini-version of Giant Triple Mushroom sculpture made especially for the gala. $5K was the minimum bid for the piece.

Best auction item: A George Condo portrait commission, a first of its kind for the artist.

Josephine Meckseper’s Times Square Oil Hunt!

06 March 2012
by Art Rubynstein

Josephine Meckseper’s Manhattan Oil Project.

It’s not every day that a marquee art installation comes to Times Square. So we couldn’t be more excited to catch Josephine Meckseper’s “Manhattan Oil Project” which she put on 46th street and 8th Avenue in collaboration with the Art Production Fund. Until May 6, two intimidating red heads will crane up and down 25 feet in search of some good, old midtown oil. Friends like James Frey, Rachel Feinstein and John Currin, Tobias Meyer, Ed Westwick, Danny Fuller and Tori Praver came to toast Meckseper at Playwright Celtic Pub across the street and many more (including millions of tourists) will do the same in next two months.

The Armory and Paddle8 Unite and Save Us Many Cab Fares

01 March 2012
by Art Rubynstein

Admit it, you like the Armory Show but it has gotten way too popular over the years. It’s also located in not the most convenient West Side High Way universe. So how do you hunt for the best art works at the Gotham’s biggest fair and still keep you dignity intact? Paddle 8 and the Armory have paired up for the first time (in first such partnership in fair’s fourteen year history) to help its members bid on and acquire works from over 100 of the participating exhibitors at the fair…while eating your Special K for breakfast.

That gallery list (which represents a good chunk of big participants at the fair) is not too shabby. White Cube, Marianne Boesky, Lisson, Marlborough, Sean Kelly, and Gavin Brown’s Enterprise have all signed on which makes this whole preview thing so darn exciting. After the successful run at NADA in Miami, Paddle8’s founders Aditya Julka and Alexander Gilkes, and managing director Osman Khan worked hard over the past eight weeks to realize their New York fantasies, and creating possibly their biggest initiative in the process.

The Armory Show X Paddle8 Armory online land starts today and runs until March 18. Though with about 2,000 members joining each month, you might want to start making your wish list now.

*Cover image: CHUN KWANG YOUNG – Aggregation 09-MY020BLUE , 2009 (Gallery Hyundai)

ZHENG GUOGU - 2000 AD, Rusty for Another 2000 Years (Tang Contemporary Art)

2012 Brucennial: High Quality & High Capacity

01 March 2012
by Art Rubynstein

This year’s Bruce High Quality Foundation and Vito Schnabel’s Brucennial billed itself as the “The single most important art exhibition in the history of the world. Ever.” And judging from attendance it didn’t disappoint. 376 names (famous, semi-famous, and total unknowns) participated in this year’s salon style extravaganza at 159 Bleecker and thousands more paid tribute at the opening. Here are the highlights:

Capacity crowd: “We’re expecting 15,000 people tonight,” said Vito Schnabel at 6:20 PM. Exactly three minutes later, the joint was filled to capacity.

Artist cameos: Francesco Clemente, Aurel Schmidt, Dustin Yellin, Terence Koh, Danny Fuller, Michael Avedon, and maybe 200 others.

Other notables: Mary-Kate Olsen, Bob Colacello, Yvonne Force Villareal, Casey Fremont, Waris Ahluwalia, Bill Powers and Cynthia Rowley

Most recognizable wall pieces: Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and George Condo

Best curatorial advice: “Julian Schnabel told me to blow up my work to 70 by 70 inches, and so I did,” Danny Fuller on of the show’s big highlight pieces.

Best rain outfit: Terence Koh’s clear raincoat finished off his signature white fur.

Most notable sculpture: Dustin Yellin’s first floor centerpiece. “They told me recent, and I chose this baby,” he said.

Best parting gifts: “Harderer. Betterer. Fasterer. Strongerer.” scarlet BHQF tees..

Best indications that people are having fun: More beer can recycling bins than we could count.

Best homage to the Hirst Spot Challenge: Why…a Hirst spot painting! Though someone named Victoria Campbell claimed it as her own with a pencil signature.