this week in art

TERRENCE MALICK: THE NEW WORLD

Colin Farrell and Q’orianka Kilcher nearly ignite the screen in THE NEW WORLD

THE NEW WORLD (Terrence Malick, 2005)
Museum of the Moving Image
35th Ave. at 36th St., Astoria
Sunday, May 15, free with museum admission of $10, 5:00
Series runs May 13-15
718-777-6800
www.movingimage.us

Iconoclastic American auteur Terrence Malick has directed a mere four films in his forty-year career, each a gem in its own way — 1973’s Badlands, 1978’s Days of Heaven, 1998’s The Thin Red Line, and 2005’s The New World. With the imminent release of his latest, The Tree of Life, expected later this year — as with The New World, it’s gone through a number of casting, editing, and distribution dilemmas — the Museum of the Moving Image is showing all four of Malick’s feature-length works May 13-15, with many of the screenings introduced by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz. The necessarily brief series, simply titled “Terrence Malick,” is anchored by The New World, scheduled for Sunday at five o’clock. Spectacularly photographed by cinematographer Emanuel Luzbeki, The New World reimagines the story of Captain John Smith (Colin Farrell) and Pocahontas (Q’orianka Kilcher) as an epic tale of unrequited desire, a fiercely passionate, if not completely accurate, love story for the ages. In 1607 , a crew led by Captain Christopher Newport (Christopher Plummer) has landed in what will come to be known as Jamestown. The disgraced Smith, who was nearly hanged for mutiny, is ordered to meet with “the naturals” in order to develop a favorable relationship. But Smith falls deeply for Chief Powhatan’s (August Schellenberg) beautiful young daughter (Q’orianka Kilcher), who shares his feelings, leading to a dangerous love that threatens to leave death and destruction in its wake. Large stretches of the film feature no dialogue, instead consisting of gorgeously framed shots with gentle, poetic narration from Smith, Pocahontas, and, later, John Rolfe (Christian Bale). The scenes between Farrell and Kilcher nearly ignite the screen, their eyes burning into each other. Malick and Luzbeki focus on lush, rolling fields and rushing rivers that are more than just beautiful scenery; the gorgeous landscape of this new world is filled with promise, with hope, even though we know what eventually, tragically happens. The film bogs down considerably when Smith’s place in the newly named Rebecca’s life is taken over by Rolfe, but it all builds to a heart-wrenching conclusion.

LUIS CAMNITZER

Luis Camnitzer, “Landscape as an attitude,” laminated black-and-white photograph, 1979 (Daros Latinamerica Collection, Zurich)

El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Ave. at 104th St.
Tuesday – Sunday through May 29, $9
212-831-7272
www.elmuseo.org

Born in Germany, raised in Uruguay, and living and working in New York City since 1964, Luis Camnitzer has been pushing the boundaries of Conceptual art for five decades. Through drawing, sculpture, painting, installation, photography, and other disciplines, he comments on socioeconomic culture by examining the very text, objects, and images he creates, calling into question art as commodity and the very nature of value and what constitutes reality. El Museo del Barrio is currently presenting an engaging retrospective of Camnitzer’s career, displaying nearly seventy works that, as Deborah Cullen, the museum’s director of curatorial programs, writes in the exhibition catalog, “implicate the viewer in the construction and deconstruction of meaning. His art demands that we question our perceptions, our assumptions, and at times our consciences.” To Camnitzer, etching his name on paper is a self-portrait. In “Self-Service,” he invites visitors to rubber-stamp his signature on sheets of paper that feature such quotes as “Adquisición es cultura” (“Acquisition is culture”) and “Una firma es acción, dos firmas son transacción” (“One signature is action, two signatures are transaction”), which can be taken home. The titles of his works often indicate exactly what they are, leaving it up to the viewer to decide their meanings while enjoying their inherent humor; for example, “Project for the miraculous appearance of a dot,” “This is a mirror. You are a written sentence,” “Span of the hand as a unit of lineal measure converted to one inch,” and “Image constructed with words arranged in a sequence to form a sentence. (Sentence forming an image that looks like a sentence).” Other titles play off images in other ways; “Windows” turns out to be a hole in the gallery wall filled with books and concrete, and “The Journey” reduces the ultimate commercialism, Christmas, to a trio of phallic-shaped objects each made with an engraved knife and two ornaments slyly labeled “Nina,” “Pinta,” and “Santa Maria.” Instead of being constructed of actual things, “Living Room” consists of text labels in their place. Much of Camnitzer’s oeuvre can be seen as an expansion of Henri Magritte’s “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (“This is not a pipe”), some pieces more obvious than others but most demanding, and deserving of, lengthy investigation. This is an exhibit that should not be rushed through but instead savored, allowing plenty of time for it to percolate in one’s mind.

Luis Camnitzer, “This is a mirror. You are a written sentence,” vacuum formed polystyrene mounted on synthetic board, 1966-68 (photo by Peter Schälchli, Zürich)

El Museo del Barrio will be hosting a number of special events this month, some in conjunction with “Luis Camnitzer,” which continues through May 29. Tonight the free WEPA Wednesdays includes “INSIDE/OUTSIDE: Street Level with El Museo” for students, artist Adam Pendleton leading a tour of the Camnitzer show, “Action Actual” with performance artists (Arthur Aviles, Migdalia Barens, Nao Bustamante, Susana Cook, and others) moving through the museum’s usually restricted areas, music from DJ Pampa, and extended hours to see “Luis Camnitzer” and “Voces y Visiones: Signs, Systems, and the City in El Museo del Barrio’s Permanent Collection.” (Some events require advance RSVP.) On May 14, American escape artist Thomas Solomon will perform magic in El Teatro ($50, 8:00). On May 18, chef Daisy Martinez will share recipes and stories as part of the “In Our Lingo” series. And on May 21, the free all-day Super Sabado program goes “Mad About Libros” with a book fair, a life-size pop-up book, an African journal workshop, spoken-word performances, musical storytelling and dance, Caridad de la Luz “La Bruja” leading a spoken-word workshop for children eleven to eighteen, and more. (In addition, Camnitzer will be delivering a lecture on May 15 at 5:00 as part of the International Studio & Curatorial Program’s Spring Open Studios four-day group exhibition at 1040 Metropolitan Ave. in Brooklyn.)

CONTEMPORARY ART AUCTION PARTS I & II

Tom Sachs, “Lil’ T’s Toilet Town,” sink, toilet, medicine cabinet with fake shit, piss, and tampons, tanks, vac, electricals, pumps, and service ladder (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Phillips de Pury & Co.
450 Park Ave. / 450 West 15th St.
On view through May 11, free
Thursday, May 12, 7:00, and Friday, May 13, 10:00 am & 2:00 pm
212-940-1260
www.phillipsdepury.com
tom sachs “lil’ t’s toilet town” slideshow

On May 12 and 13, Phillips de Pury & Company will be holding a two-part Contemporary Art auction at 450 Park Ave. of works that are currently on view to the public at that location as well as at 450 West 15th St. next to the High Line. Although the auction house is anticipating a sale that could reach more than $130 million, there are many pieces that surprisingly start in the four figures. Among the artists represented are George Condo (“The Housekeeper’s Diary”), Keith Haring (“Untitled [Boxers]”), Takashi Murakami (“Magic Ball 2 [Nega]”), Georgia O’Keeffe (“Yellow Jonquils IV”), Richard Prince (“Untitled Joke Painting”), Damien Hirst (“Tranquility”), John Chamberlain (“Popsicletoes”), Ellsworth Kelly (“Green White”), Joan Mitchell (“Gouise”), David Hockney (“30 Sunflowers”), and Gerhard Richter (“Abstraketes Bild”) in addition to Claes Oldenburg, Ed Ruscha, Yoshitomo Nara, Marlene Dumas, Urs Fischer, Rudolf Stingel, Roy Lichtenstein, Mark Rothko, Cindy Sherman, Donald Judd, Christopher Wool, and several Andy Warhols (“Witch,” “Liz #5,” “Mao [Mao 10]”, “Flowers”).

FOUNTAIN SILENT AUCTION: A BENEFIT FOR ART CONNECTS NEW YORK

Russell Young’s “Pig Portrait” is among the Fountain works at benefit auction for Art Connects New York

Gallery Bar
120 Orchard St.
Saturday, May 7, suggested donation $10, 7:00-11:00
www.fountainexhibit.com

The Fountain Art Fair, held the last six years during Armory Week aboard the Frying Pan, will be holding a benefit on Saturday night at the Gallery Bar on Orchard St., featuring a silent auction, live performances, giveaway, a raffle, and more, teaming up with Art Connects New York, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to enrich the lives of all New Yorkers by making original visual artwork more readily available in nontraditional settings” and Lomography, “a global community whose strong passion is creative and experimental analogue film photography.” The evening will include live music by Tecla and NSR, while DJ Friendly Greg will spin tunes. Among the Fountain favorites whose work will be available are Russell Young, Chris Stain, Victor Cox, Allison Berkoy, Jason Douglas Griffin, Evo Love, Jesse McCloskey, Brian Leo, Sarcasmo, and GILF! Fountain always offers a unique experience, so this should be a fun night, and don’t be surprised if some of the art is a lot more affordable than you might expect.

NEW YORK GALLERY WEEK 2011

William Kentride will be signing books at Marian Goodman on Saturday as part of New York Gallery Week (William Kentridge, “Drawing for ‘Other Faces,’” charcoal and coloured pencil on paper, 2011; courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York / Paris)

Multiple locations
May 6-8, free
www.newyorkgalleryweek.com

More than sixty galleries and organizations will be participating in this weekend’s New York Gallery Week festivities, featuring a host of opening receptions, walking tours, and other special events, including being open late Friday night (till 8:00) and all day Sunday, when most galleries are closed. Among the many Saturday highlights are William Kentridge signing books at Marian Goodman from 11:00 to 1:00, Barnaby Furnas and Ivan Witenstein in conversation at Derek Eller at 12 noon, Amy Granat/Cinema Zero and a dance performance by Felicia Ballos at Nicole Klagsbrun at 1:00, an artist talk with Sara VanDerBeek at Leo Koenig at 2:30, the panel discussion “New Directions in Curatorial Models” at Sean Kelly at 3:00, and a live performance by Black Lake at David Nolan at 5:00. On Sunday, Louise Lawler’s Birdcalls will be screening at Metro Pictures from 11:00 to 6:00, Marianne Boesky will host a panel discussion on Salvatore Scarpitta’s “Trajectory” at 12 noon (with Germano Celant, Nicholas Cullinan, James Harithas, Jeff Koons, Nancy Rubins, and Paul Schmmel, moderated by Anne-Marie Russell), Hilton Als and Kara Walker will lead an artist walk-through of Walker’s “Dust Jackets for the Niggerati — and Supporting Dissertation” at Sikkema Jenkins at 2:00, Liam Gillick and Sean Landers will lead a walk-through of Landers’s “Around the World Alone” at Friedrich Petzel at 3:00, and Stephen Vincent will give a talk and poetry reading at Jack Hanley at 6:00.

ARTIST TALK: KIM BECK

Kim Beck, “Space Available,” painted plywood and steel, 2011 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Bumble & Bumble
415 West 13th Street, third Floor
Friday, May 6, free, 6:30
Installation remains on view through January 2012
RSVP: 212-206-9922
www.thehighline.org
www.idealcities.com
space available slideshow

In addition to being a work of art itself, the renovated High Line has featured a number of site-specific installations since the initial section opened to the public in June 2009, including Spencer Finch’s “The River That Flows Both Ways,” Stephen Vitiello’s “A Bell for Every Minute,” Valerie Hegarty’s “Autumn on the Hudson Valley with Branches,” Demetrius Oliver’s “Jupiter,” and Richard Galpin’s “Viewing Station.” The latest work of art to grace the former elevated railway tracks is Kim Beck’s “Space Available,” which consists of three naked billboards on rooftops along Washington St. (between 13th & Gansevoort) that can be seen from the High Line. The sculptural structures have no advertisements on them, evoking both transition as well as the state of today’s American economy, a stark contrast to the several billboards that do indeed pitch products around the area. You might have actually already seen Beck’s painted plywood and steel pieces but not realized it, since they blend in so well with the neighborhood. But be sure to check them out from different angles, because their supposed three-dimensionality is merely an illusion. On May 6, the Colorado-born, Pittsburgh-based Beck will give an artist talk about the project, taking place at 6:30 at the Bumble and Bumble on West 13th St. and is free with advance RSVP to 212-206-9922.

GEORGE CONDO / LYNDA BENGLIS / FESTIVAL OF IDEAS FOR THE NEW CITY

George Condo, “Red Antipodular Portrait,” oil on canvas, 1996

New Museum of Contemporary Art
235 Bowery at Prince St.
Festival of Ideas for the New City: May 4-8
“George Condo: Mental States” through May 8
“Lynda Benglis”: through June 19
Wednesday – Sunday, $12 (Thursdays free 7:00 – 9:00)
212-219-1222
www.newmuseum.org
www.festivalofideasnyc.com

If you’ve been experiencing difficulty with your mental state these days — and who hasn’t — you can find relief at the New Museum, where “George Condo: Mental States” continues through Sunday. The engaging work of the influential East Village painter is spread across two floors, from the “fake old masters” of his 1980s heyday to lush, large-scale acrylic, charcoal, and pastel on linen pieces that dazzle the mind. Condo displays his expert skill in mimicking, mocking, melding, and honoring myriad styles, whether it’s creating creepy, comic-book-like characters in his Pathos (“The Janitor’s Wife”) and Mania (“Nude Homeless Drinker”) series or a collection of stirring Abstractions (“Nothing Is Important,” “Dancing to Miles”). But the really head-spinning part of the show is on the fourth floor, where dozens of portraits are arranged on one wall in a dizzying array of colors and styles, one after another, serving as a kind of art history course all its own, part Name That Influence, part, well, whatever is going on inside Condo’s brain at the time. If you stare at it long enough, it is sure to blow your mind.

Lynda Benglis, “Phantom,” detail, polyurethane foam with phosphorescent pigments, five elements, 1971 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Lynda Benglis takes visitors on a different kind of head trip with an exciting retrospective — surprisingly, her first in New York — on the New Museum’s second floor and in the lobby gallery, comprising some fifty works, including photography, video, sculpture, and various ephemera. Be careful where you walk, because many of Benglis’s abstract creations, composed of such materials as wax, wood, glitter, latex, paper, cotton bunting, wire, plaster, polyurethane foam, aluminum, lead, and bronze, jut out from the walls and lie across the floor, forming a delicate maze closely watched by guards who will definitely let you know when you get too close. Be on the lookout for “Untitled (VW),” a pigmented polyurethane foam piece that is cut away, giving an inside look at Benglis’s creative process. There are a number of her delightful “fallen paintings,” but the highlight of the show, which runs through June 19, is 1971’s “Phantom,” which consists of five large polyurethane foam abstract works with phosphorescent pigments that glow in the dark when the lights go down.

“After Hours: Murals on the Bowery” is part of Festival of Ideas for the New City

The New Museum is also one of the hosts of this week’s Festival of Ideas for the New City, which begins today with a series of lectures and panel discussions at NYU and the Cooper Union, with such participants as Rem Koolhaas, Vito Acconci, Elizabeth Diller, David Byrne, Kurt Andersen, Jonathan Bowles, Suketu Mehta, Jonathan F. P. Rose, Sergio Fajardo, Antanas Mockus, and Pedro Reyes examining such topics as “The Heterogeneous City,” “The Networked City,” “The Sustainable City,” “Built Environment,” and “Downtown NYC Policy Issues.” On Saturday and Sunday, there will be special projects at locations all over the Lower East Side and the East Village, featuring live performances, film screenings, workshops and demonstrations, site-specific installations, and more. At the New Museum, OMA/Rem Koolhaas’s “Cronocaos” opens May 7, examining the past, present, and future of preservation, construction, and urbanism, while Maya Lin reimagines the Hudson River system in “Pin River-Hudson.” The New Museum is a central part of Saturday’s StreetFest: The institution has collaborated with the Rockwell Group to create “Imagination Playground,” a special area for family activities; teenagers from City-as-School will serve as roving reporters covering the festival; “Let Us Make Cake” will feature video interactions with scale models of the New Museum by such artists as Acconci Studio, Mia Pearlman, Dustin Yellin, Jon Kessler, and Marilyn Minter, projected onto the building’s facade; and, in conjunction with the Art Production Fund, “After Hours: Murals on the Bowery” will be unveiled, in which artists such as Matthew Brannon, Ellen Gallagher, Amy Granat, Mary Heilmann, Barry McGee, Sterling Ruby, Glenn Ligon, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Lawrence Weiner have created murals on roll-down security shutters along Bowery.