this week in art

THALIA FILM SUNDAYS: GERHARD RICHTER PAINTING

Gerhard Richter reveals his creative process in fascinating new documentary (photo courtesy of Kino Lorber)

GERHARD RICHTER PAINTING (Corinna Belz, 2011)
Symphony Space, Leonard Nimoy Thalia
2537 Broadway at 95th St.
Sunday, July 8, 15, 22, $14, 8:00
212-864-5400
www.symphonyspace.org
www.gerhard-richter-painting.de

There’s nothing abstract about the title of Corinna Belz’s documentary on German artist Gerhard Richter, no missing words or punctuation marks. Gerhard Richter Painting is primarily just that: Ninety-seven minutes of Gerhard Richter painting as he prepares for several exhibitions, including a 2009 show at the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York City. In 2007, Belz got a rare chance to capture Richter on camera, making a short film focusing on the stained-glass window he designed for the Cologne Cathedral. Two years later, the shy, reserved German artist, who prefers to have his art speak for itself, invited Belz into his studio, giving her remarkable access inside his creative process, which revealingly relies so much on chance and accident. Belz films Richter as he works on two large-scale canvases on which he first slathers yellow paint, adds other colors, then takes a large squeegee and drags it across the surface, changing everything. It’s fascinating to watch Richter study the pieces, never quite knowing when they are done, unsure of whether they are any good. It’s also painful to see him take what looks like an extraordinary painting and then run the squeegee over it yet again, destroying what he had in order to see if he can make it still better. “They do what they want,” he says of the paintings. “I planned something totally different.” About halfway through the film, a deeply concerned Richter starts regretting his decision to allow the camera into his studio. “It won’t work,” he says. “At the moment it seems hopeless. I don’t think I can do this, painting under observation. That’s the worst thing there is.” But continue he does, for Belz’s and our benefit. Belz (Life After Microsoft) even gets Richter to talk a little about his family while looking at some old photos, offering intriguing tidbits about his early life and his escape to Düsseldorf just before the Berlin Wall went up. Belz also includes clips from 1966 and 1976 interviews with Richter, and she attends a meeting he has with Goodman about his upcoming show, lending yet more insight into the rather eclectic artist. “To talk about painting is not only difficult but perhaps pointless, too,” Richter, who turned eighty last month, says in the 1966 clip. However, watching Gerhard Richter Painting is far from pointless; Belz has made a compelling documentary about one of the great, most elusive artists of our time. “Man, this is fun,” Richter says at one point, and indeed it is; watching the masterful artist at work is, well, a whole lot more fun than watching paint dry. Gerhard Richter Painting is screening at Symphony Space on July 8, 15, and 22 at 8:00 as part of the ongoing series Thalia Film Sundays.

WARM UP 2012

HWKN’s “Wendy” will provide necessary cooling for MoMA PS1’s summer Warm Up series (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

MoMA PS1
22-25 Jackson Ave. at 46th Ave.
Saturdays from 3:00 to 9:00, July 7 – September 8, $15
718-784-2084
www.ps1.org
wendy slideshow

MoMA PS1’s exhilarating hot and sweaty weekly summer Warm Up dance party turns fifteen this year, with another wide-ranging lineup of live performances and DJ sets that are sure to get your booty shaking. And this year you can move and groove a rotating series of site-specific stage installations by such artists and collectives as CONFETTISYSTEM, Fort Makers, the Principals, and others. Warm Up begins July 7 with Todd Terry, Light Asylum, Nguzunguzu, Trust, and Arca ft. HBA. The July 14 show consists of Terrence Parker, D3, Ron Morelli, Jeremie Delon, Steve Summers, and Professor Genius, while July 21 brings together DJing Matthew Dear, Sepalcure, Le1f, MikeQ, and JDH and Dave P. On July 28, MJ Cole, Sinkane, DJ Spoko, Slava, and Van Rivers will lead the way, followed August 4 by Jamie xx, Pearson Sound, Lemonade, Sinjin Hawke, Zora Hones, and Miguel. On August 11, Photek, Evian Christ, Shlohmo, Autre Ne Veut, and Howse will man the boards and mics, while Floating Points, Jacques Greene, Secret Circuit, and Hieroglyphic Being will take care of things on August 18. August 25’s lineup features Just Blaze, Nick Catchdubs, Danny Brown, the Stallions, and BAIO, while September 1 boasts James Holden, Kassem Mosse, Om Unit, and Silent Diane. The season comes to an awesome close on September 8 with a DJ set by Atoms for Peace, Rustie, Holy Other, Maria Minerva, and Justin Strauss. Food will be provided by Long Island City favorites M. Wells, while much necessary cooling will come courtesy of “Wendy,” HWKN’s giant courtyard installation that won this year’s Young Architects Program. A giant ecologically friendly multifaceted blue star made of titania-nanoparticle-treated nylon that neutralizes air pollution, “Wendy” also has water cannons, big fans, pools of fresh water, and metal steps that lead into its epicenter. As always, the museum will be open as well, so be sure to check out “Jack Smith: Normal Love,” “Zackary Drucker: At Least You Know You Exist,” “Esther Kläs – Better Energy,” “Lara Favaretto: Just Knocked Out,” “Max Brand: no solid footing – (trained) duck fighting a crow,” Janet Cardiff’s “The Forty Part Motet,” and solo projects by Rey Akdogan, Edgardo Aragón, Ilja Karilampi, and Caitlin Keogh.

FIRST SATURDAYS: KEITH HARING’S NEW YORK

Keith Haring, still from PAINTING MYSELF INTO A CORNER, video, 1979 (© Keith Haring Foundation)

Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway at Washington St.
Saturday, July 7, free, 5:00 – 11:00 (some events require free tickets distributed in advance at the Visitor Center)
212-864-5400
www.brooklynmuseum.org

The Brooklyn Museum sends off its “Keith Haring: 1978-1982” exhibit with a late-night celebration this weekend as part of its monthly First Saturdays program. (The show officially closes on Sunday.) The free evening will feature live performances by Mon Khmer, Mickey Factz, the Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory, City Kids, and Plastiq Passion, an art battle, a hands-on workshop inspired by Haring’s “Art is for everyone” motto, clips from Jim Hubbard’s documentary United in Anger: A History of ACT UP, a signing and talk with Maripol about her book Little Red Riding Hood, a participatory sidewalk chalk mural, gallery talks, Q&As, and a dance party hosted by DJ Justin Strauss. The galleries will remain open until eleven, so be sure to check out such exhibits as “Raw Cooked: Ulrike Müller,” “Aesthetic Ambitions: Edward Lycett and Brooklyn’s Faience Manufacturing Company,” “Playing House,” “Rachel Kneebone: Regarding Rodin,” “Newspaper Fiction: The New York Journalism of Djuna Barnes, 1913–1919,” and “Question Bridge: Black Males.”

MoMA NIGHTS

Ulrich Ziegler will make their live debut at MoMA on August 16

Museum of Modern Art
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden
11 West 53rd St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Thursday nights, July 5 – August 30, free with museum admission, 5:30 – 8:00
212-708-9400
www.moma.org

Every summer, the Museum of Modern Art’s lovely Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden becomes one of the city’s most beautiful spots to enjoy outdoor music, as various genres from around the world are featured prominently among works by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Aristide Maillol, and other great artists. Free with regular admission, MoMA Nights, curated with Olivier Conan of Barbès, begins on July 5 at 6:30 (doors open at 5:30, with limited seating) with a performance by the Brooklyn-based ten-piece fusion band People’s Champs. The series continues July 12 with Rio de Janeiro singer-songwriter Mauricio Pessoa, held in conjunction with MoMA’s Premiere Brazil! film program. On July 19, Diblo Dibala and the Soukous Show from the Republic of Congo takes center stage, followed July 26 by Brazilian multi-instrumentalist and internet phenom Mallu Magalhães. In August, the eight-piece Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto will bring their percussion-based Colombian sound to the garden on August 2, with Chicago-based Third Coast Percussion presenting Revolution: The Cage Century on August 9. On August 16, Ulrich Ziegler, the new collaboration between downtowners Stephen Ulrich and Itamar Ziegler, will make its live debut, while Shara Worden will lead My Brightest Diamond on August 23. The eclectic summer festival concludes August 30 with a performance by Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang, joining the Sierra Leone vocalist with the Brooklyn-based band.

HARLEM ARTS FESTIVAL 2012

Queen Esther will close the 2012 Harlem Arts Festival with dancer-choreographer Francesca Harper tonight

Richard Rodgers Amphitheater
Marcus Garvey Park
Madison Ave. between 120th & 124th Sts.
Saturday, June 30, free, 1:00 – 8:00
www.harlemartsfestival.com

The second day of the free Harlem Art Festival, held in Marcus Garvey Park, features another fine lineup of live music, dance, and theater, emceed by DJ Stormin’ Norman. The party gets started at 1:00 with Gary Samuels & the Prayz’N Hymn Ensemble on the main stage and Isaac Katalay on the second stage at 1:30. Other performers include the Mighty Third Rail, Gwen Laster, Illstyle & Peace Productions, James Browning Kepple, Benjamin Barson, Guerilla Dance Collective, Shelah Marie, and Vernard J. Gilmore / La Verdad, with Queen Esther & the Francesca Harper Project closing the show at 7:00. There is also a kids’ corner with children’s activities in addition to local food vendors, a market, special programs in the Harlem Library, and a gallery walk with work by such artists as Leon Barber, Laura Gadson, Judy Levy, Bryce R. Zackery, and Maxine DeSeta.

CREST FEST

Crest Hardware
558 Metropolitan Ave. between Lorimer & Union
Saturday, June 30, free, 1:00 – 7:00
www.cresthardwareartshow.com

One of the grooviest events of the summer, Crest Fest is a celebration of art, music, food, crafts, and hardware. More than a hundred artists fill the Crest Hardware Store on Metropolitan Ave. with works of art that incorporate items readily available in the store and place them on the walls, racks, floor, and ceiling as if they are part of the regular merchandise — although they will cost you a little more than standard tools. Make your way through aisles and aisles of fun stuff before heading out the back to walk through the garden, grab a bite to eat, and check out some live bands. This year’s musical lineup includes PitchBlak Brass Band, Aabaraki, Workout, Hard Nips, and Grey Sky Appeal, along with DJ sets by Petey Complex, King Cut, Lucas Walters, Peter Hale, Dom Leon, and Krunk Pony. Among the vendors are Mighty Balls, Jessy’s Pastries, Tirana Jewelry, Grand Wazoo Clothing and Other Wondrous Things, Vicolo Mio, Seam, WRKN Class, Daly Pie, North Brooklyn Vineyard, Erika Day Designs, Old Hollywood, and Fantasy Clocks. The opening party and exhibit is a fundraiser for the City Reliquary, the museum and civic organization down the street on Metropolitan.

AN EVENING WITH CINEMA 16

Standish Lawder’s COLOR FILM is one of several experimental works being presented with a special new score at latest Cinema 16 event

The Kitchen
512 West 19th St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves.
Tuesday, June 26, $12, 7:00
212-255-5793 ext11
www.thekitchen.org

In her first Cinema 16 presentation since her June 2011 show at the Met and the April 2012 passing of original Cinema 16 founder Amos Vogel, photographer and curator Molly Surno continues to keep the experimental aesthetic alive and well with another unique program at the Kitchen. On June 26, the Los Angeles-born, Brooklyn-based Surno will pair a specially commissioned score by New York City musician and visual artist Matteah Baim with a quartet of shorts: Standish Lawder’s 1971 Color Film, in which different colored strips make their way through a projector to music by the Mothers of Invention; Sabrina Ratte’s 2010 Mirages, a kaleidoscopic collaboration with Le Révélateur; Viking Eggeling’s 1924 Symphonie Diagonale, an early abstract silent examination of time and space; and Len Lye’s 1953 Color Cry, a series of photograms initially set to Sonny Terry’s “Fox Chase.” Following the presentation, everyone is invited to the after-party across the street at Gasser & Grunert gallery, which is currently displaying Rodney Dickson’s “Painting” exhibition.