this week in art

RECONFIGURING THE BODY IN AMERICAN ART, 1820-2009

Alyssa Monks, "Vapor," oil on linen, 2008

National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts
1083 Fifth Ave. between 89th & 90th Sts.
Through November 15
Closed Monday & Tuesday
Admission: $10
212-369-4880
www.nationalacademy.org
The National Academy’s current exhibit traces the depiction of the human body in American painting and sculpture, divided into three chronological sections (which then have their own subcategories). It’s a daunting task, of course; a recent show at the National Gallery in Washington was too small and eclectic to be as effective as it wanted to be. But the National Academy does an admirable job, first examining the 1820-1950 period, with works by Malvina Hoffman, Asher Durand, Reginald Marsh, John Quincy Adams Ward, and others, ranging from William Merritt Chase’s circa-1884 painting of a languid “Young Orphan” to Thomas Waterman Wood’s endearingly hunched “Rag Picker” (1859/72) to Isabel Bishop’s classical 1934 “Nude Study.” There are also exciting self-portraits by Andrew Wyeth and Thomas Eakins.

Thomas Eakins, "Self-Portrait," oil on canvas, 1902

Self-portraiture takes up the hallway gallery, with offerings by Will Barnet, Leonard Baskin, Thomas Hart Benton, Chuck Close, Jacob Lawrence, Louisa Matthiasdottir, Robert De Niro, Wayne Thiebaud, and James Wyeth, several notable because they are rare self-portraits painted primarily because it is a requirement for artists to do so when selected to become a member of the National Academy. Philip Pearlstein’s “Nude Torso,” Larry Rivers’s “Headless Fashion,” Robert Rauschenberg’s “Booster,” Susan Rothenberg’s “Spinning,” and Jim Dine’s “Ape and Cat in Paris” go inside and out of the body, both literally and figuratively.

In the last room, “The Figure Now” looks at twenty-first-century works that suggest the immediate future of the depiction of the body, from Will Ryman’s tall, skinny, gawky untitled wire-mesh sculpture to Alyssa Monks’s dreamy “Vapor,” from Jenny Dubnau’s photographic “Self-Portrait in Striped Shirt” to Wei Dong’s “Interior View,” complete with entrails. As with many National Academy exhibits, you have to sift through the so-so (and the not-so so-so) to find a series of gems that make a visit to the former Huntington mansion worthwhile.

WEEKLY LISTINGS: Oct. 21-28

Artistically redesigned bikes are on view at armory before going to auction (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

ARTS AT THE ARMORY: STAGES
Park Ave. Armory
643 Park Ave. between 66th & 67th Sts.
Admission: free
212-616-3930
http://www.armoryonpark.org
http://www.livestrong.org

Through Thursday, October 22 Exhibit of bicycles used by Lance Armstrong while training to return to competition, designed by Damien Hirst, Yoshitomo Nara, Kenny Scharf, KAWS, Shepard Fairey, and Marc Newson, which will be put up for auction at Sotheby’s November 1, along with a preview of painting and sculpture that will be part of an exhibition at Deitch later this month, including works by Cai Guo-Qiang, Raymond Pettibon, Richard Prince, Dustin Yellin, Os Gemeos, and a fab bike by Tom Sachs; all proceeds benefit the LiveStrong foundation

Vella Lovell (Andromache, seated) and Sol Marina Crespo (Hermione) star in new version of Euripides' ANDROMACHE

EURIPIDES’ ANDROMACHE
Workmen’s Circle
45 East 33rd St.
Tickets: $8-$20
http://www.fullofnoises.org

Through Sunday, October 25 Greek tragedy is staged in New York City is staged for the first time ever in a new version by Jesse Alexander Myerson

ANCIENT PATHS, MODERN VOICES
Carnegie Hall
57th St. at Seventh Ave.
212-247-7800
http://www.carnegiehall.org/chinafestival

Wednesday, October 21
through
Tuesday, November 10 Three weeks of special events and exhibitions celebrating Chinese culture

LOOKING FOR CALVIN AND HOBBES
Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art
594 Broadway, Suite 401
Admission: $5
212-354-3511
http://www.moccany.org

Thursday, October 22 Nevin Martell, author of LOOKING FOR CALVIN AND HOBBES, in conversation with cartoonist Ruben (“Tom the Dancing Bug”) Bolling, discuss the life and career of Bill Waterson, 7:00

SUSIE ESSMAN
Carolines on Broadway
1626 Broadway at 50th St.
Reservations required
212-757-4100
http://www.carolines.com

Thursday, October 22
through
Saturday, October 24 Comedian and actress Susie Essman returns to Carolines hot on the heels of the new season of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and the release of her new book, WHAT WOULD SUSIE SAY?

R. CRUMB IN CONVERSATION WITH FRANÇOIS MOULY
Barnes & Noble Union Square
33 East 17th St.
Admission: free
212-253-0810
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Friday, October 23 R. Crumb and François Mouly team up in a discussion, visual presentation, and signing of THE BOOK OF GENESIS, 7:00

dangergiantess

GIRLS & BOYS PRESENTS THE AM ONLY CMJ SHOWCASE
Webster Hall
125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves.
Tickets: $15-$25 ($1 entry and $1 drinks with below link)
Girls get in free all night long
http://www.websterhall.com/dollardaze/friday
http://www.websterhall.com

Friday, October 23 Yes Giantess, Red Wire Black Wire, Vega, We Are Enfant Terrible, Body Language, Two Fresh, and Beast in the Studio (7:00 pm – 12 midnight), with Danger, Felix Cartal, Filthy Dukes, Bird Peterson, Mickey Factz, Wallpaper, 12th Planet, and Shout Out Out Out Out in the Main Room (11:00 pm – 5:00 am), resident DJs Alex English, Gavin Royce, Kids with Snakes, Gavin Royce, and Rekles, Trash! with DJ Jess & Alex Malfunction, and more, 10:00

John William Coddling adds a whole new level of fear to Christopher Walken

SUNDAYS WITH CHRIS
DVF Gallery
444 West 14th St. between Washington St. & the West Side Highway
Admission: free
http://www.sundayswithchris.com

Friday, October 23
through
Sunday, November 1 Exhibition of John William Codling’s obsessive paintings of Christopher Walken

Maya Lin exhibit will continue through October 24 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

MAYA LIN: THREE WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE EARTH
PaceWildenstein
545 West 22nd St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves.
Through October 24
Admission: free
212-421-3292
http://pacewildenstein.com
http://www.salon94.com
When we saw Maya Lin’s “Systematic Landscapes” at the Corcoran earlier this year, each piece was squeezed into a different room, photographs were not allowed, and interaction with some of the works was not allowed. Things are very different at PaceWildenstein in Chelsea, where visitors can snap pictures, get up close and personal with the art, and even stick their heads through various openings. The three large-scale pieces offer environmentally friendly alternate takes on physical landscapes, from the ocean to mountains to a hill, and they are arranged so that all three can be seen at the same time, a boon for architecture lovers. While “Three Ways of Looking at the Earth” ends October 24, Lin’s “Recycled Landscapes,” consisting of colorful, smaller sculptures made out of plastic toys and other found objects, will continue at Salon 94 (12 East 94th St.) through November 13.

GREENPOINT OKTOBERFEST
Transmitter Park, Brooklyn waterfront
1 Greenpoint Ave. near West St.
Admission: free

Sunday, October 25 Beers and brauts, as well as root “bier” floats, pumpkin decorating, face painting, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, Hallo Berlin, Robicelli’s Cupcaes, live music by Michna and Cowboy Mark, DJ Synapse, and brews as Blue Point Old Howling Bastard, Nut Brown Ale, Hoptical Illusion, Black Chocolate Stout, Benegali Tiger, and more, 12 noon – 8:00 pm

GOODWILL NY/NJ COSTUME DESIGN CLOTHING SWAP
Boxcar Lounge
168 Ave. B between East Tenth & Eleventh Sts.
Admission: $5 Goodwill donation or one bag of lightly used, freshly laundered clothing
http://goodwillnynj.wordpress.com

Sunday, October 25 Crafters from I Love to Create will be on hand to help people make low-cost, environmentally friendly costumes for Halloween, with music, drink specials, 3:00 – 7:00

GRANA PADANO
Multiple locations
Admission: free
http://www.nycmarathon.org/schedule.htm

Tuesday, October 27
through
Sunday, November 1 In preparation for the New York City Marathon, Italian cheesemaker Grana Padano will be offering tastings and in-store promotions at BuonItalia in Chelsea Market, Di Palo’s Fine Foods in Little Italy, and Murray’s Cheese in Grand Central and on Bleecker St.

BETWEEN BEING BORN AND DYING

Barbara Kruger's striking imagery gets right in your face at Lever House (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Lever House Lobby Gallery
390 Park Ave. at 54th St.
Through November 21
Admission: free
www.leverhouse.com
between being born and dying slideshow
Like Lawrence Weiner, Ed Ruscha, and Jenny Holzer, conceptual artist Barbara
Kruger incorporates words and language into her work, which in the past has
ranged from photography to collages. Born in Newark in 1945 and based in Los
Angeles and New York City, Kruger has been a graphic designer and literature
teacher (she is currently a professor at UCLA), combining the two
disciplines in her latest work, “Between Being Born and Dying,” on view at
Lever House through November 21. Kruger subverts Lever House’s unique glass
structure, covering the inside and the outside — including walls,
ceiling, floor, and beams — with black-and-white words in acrylic ink
on adhesive vinyl reaching seventeen feet high, making such declarative
statements as “If it screams, shove it,” “Plenty should be enough,” and “In
violence we forget who we are” as well as the equation “Belief + Doubt =
Sanity.” Using the striking Helvetica ultra-condensed font and an
in-your-face verticality, Kruger throws social ills at viewers, but somehow
they do not come off as trite cliches. The overall effect is both dizzying
and intoxicating, especially if you stand in the middle of the floor inside
and slowly turn around, feeling as if the words are being shouted at you,
overwhelming your consciousness.

EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO

El Museo celebrates 40th anniversary and renovation with all-day free party

OPENING DAY: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Ave. at 104th St.
Saturday, October 17, free, 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
212-831-7272
http://www.elmuseo.org
El Museo del Barrio is having its fortieth anniversary grand reopening celebration on October 17, following a major renovation. The all-day free party will include exhibition tours, live music from Zon del Barrio and Yerbabuena, children’s storytelling, a flag-making workshop, a book reading, a walking tour around the neighborhood, a sneak peek at Soledad O’Brien‘s upcoming LATINO IN AMERICA documentary (the first twenty-five people with the last name Garcia to arrive for the 6:30 screening receive a free one-year membership to the museum), and more. El Museo is a terrific institution in a cool area, which also features the wonderful Conservatory Garden and a fabulous view of Harlem Meer right across the street, so we highly recommend what promises to be a very fun event.

JUERGEN TELLER: PARADIS

Juergen Teller, "Paradis," C-print, 2009

JUERGEN TELLER: PARADIS

Lehmann Maupin
540 West 26th St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves.
Through October 17
Admission: free
212-255-2923
http://www.lehmannmaupin.com

Last month, a woman was caught running through the Metropolitan Museum of Art naked while being photographed for a continuing project by local artist Zach Hyman, as much about the shock value as the nudity itself. German photographer Juergen Teller takes a very different approach in his gorgeous “Paradis” series, on view at Lehmann Maupin through October 17. Returning to two models he’s worked with before — Raquel Zimmerman, who is in her mid-twenties, and Charlotte Rampling, who, remarkably enough, is in her mid-sixties — the London-based Teller has them pose nude after-hours in the empty Louvre, both alone and together. The two women stand stiffly next to classical Greek statues, their naked flesh countering the white marble. They wait uncomfortably on a circular couch. They relax in front of the Mona Lisa but never smile themselves. The photo shoot, commissioned by French magazine Paradis, turns Zimmerman and Rampling into both object and viewer, museum statuary and museum visitor. Teller supplements the show with photographs of a bodiless male statue, a painting of a crowning of a queen, and a tableaux in which a man is reaching deep within an animal’s sliced stomach, calling into question the nature of beauty and the human form and, more specifically, the depiction of women throughout history. “Paradis” is highly recommended, especially for fans of Rampling, the iconic British star of such films as THE NIGHT PORTER, STARDUST MEMORIES, THE DAMNED, and SWIMMING POOL.

NEZAKET EKICI: KOPFSONATE

Eight-channel installation offers audiovisual respite

Claire Oliver
513 West 26th St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves.
Through October 10 (closed Sunday & Monday)
Admission: free
212-929-5949
http://www.claireoliver.com

If you’re like us, things have been pretty hectic ever since the summer ended. But we recently found a wonderful way to relax in Chelsea, watching Nezaket Ekici’s meditative “Kopfsonate.” A Turkish Muslim raised in Germany, Ekici makes living installations in which she is part of the art. For the eight-channel video “Kopfsonate,” she filmed herself dunking her body into the Black Sea and then popping out, later adding a lovely piano soundtrack — even though she had never played the instrument before. Each monitor displays a differently edited four-and-a-half-minute version of the footage, resulting in a visual sonata that echoes the eight octaves of a piano. Ekici’s “Lifting a Secret” is also at the gallery, for which she wrote on a wall using coffee and Vaseline; you have to see it (and smell it) to believe it.

INTERSECTIONS INTERSECTED: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF DAVID GOLDBLATT / EMORY DOUGLAS: BLACK PANTHER / DOROTHY IANNONE: LIONESS

Emory Douglas, “Black Panther, June 27, 1970,” offset lithograph (© 2009 Emory Douglas / Artists Rights Society)

New Museum of Contemporary Art

235 Bowery at Prince St.

Through October 18 (Goldblatt exhibit through October 11)

Closed Monday & Tuesday

Admission: $12 (free Thursday Evenings 7:00 – 9:00)

212-924-3363

http://www.newmuseum.org

The New Museum of Contemporary Art is currently home to three very different but outstanding exhibits. On the second floor, the vast, bold work of graphic designer and Black Panther Emory Douglas is spread out on the walls and in glass vitrines, his striking images capturing the revolutionary aspects of the civil rights movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. For more than a decade, Douglas helped run the weekly Black Panther newspaper, which featured his overtly political drawings on the cover as well as in the interior. The exhibit, curated by Sam Durant, consists of more than 150 pieces in color and black and white, depicting cops as pigs, murdered Panther leaders as martyrs, and men and women heavily armed and ready to fight. Regardless of how you feel about the Black Panther movement — there is also an interesting documentary in which several Panthers, including Douglas, look back at that era and try to portray the group as more of a grass-roots community organization than a violent, radical collective — there is no denying the skill and power of Douglas’s work, which takes on added meaning as racism has been bubbling to the surface under the administration of the country’s first African American president.

On the third and fourth floors, South African photographer David Golblatt’s pictures, mostly hung unframed and with push pins, examine changes in Johannesburg over the last thirty years while focusing on the still critical AIDS crisis there. In the Pairs series, he combines recent shots of specific areas he first photographed primarily in the 1980s, accompanied by his own text that details what has become of monuments for anti-apartheid activists, summer gardens, a Mgwali farming community, and a Capetown squatter camp. Each picture in his AIDS series features a pink ribbon somewhere, silently pointing out how widespread the disease still is. The exhibit also includes smaller, framed black-and-white images of Joburg citizens in the 1970s as well as recent triptychs, all combining to relate fascinating aspects of the history of South Africa in subtle ways, a terrific companion piece with the Emory Douglas show.

Dorothy Iannone, “Your Names Are Love Father God,” acrylic and collage on canvas, 1969-70 (Courtesy Anton Kern Gallery and Air de Paris0

Meanwhile, in the back of the first floor, “Dorothy Iannone: Lioness” collects many of the artist’s primitive, colorful collages, which usually involve some kind of sex act, in addition to wood cutouts of celebrities and circus performers. Her first solo American museum show emphasizes the graphic nature of her work between 1965 and 1978 — both in style and subject matter — in such provocative pieces as “I Love to Beat You,” “I Begin to Feel Free,” and “I Am Whoever You Want Me to Be.” You can also see and hear Iannone having an orgasm in the video installation “I Was Thinking of You III” and read her comic-book-like tale of falling in love with Dieter Roth in the forty-eight-sheet “Icelandic Saga.”

ALSO AT THE NEW MUSEUM

New Museum of Contemporary Art

Tickets: $8 unless otherwise noted

Thursday, October 1

and

Friday, October 2 Trajal Harrell: TWENTY LOOKS OR PARIS IS BURNING AT THE JUDSON CHURCH (S), part of the 2009 Crossing the Line festival, $18, 7:00

Saturday, October 3 New Museum First Saturdays for Families: Sign and Intervene, with Rigo 23, free, 10:00 am

Saturday, October 10 African Film Festival at the New Museum presents South African Cinema Now: A Film Series — MAX AND MONA (Teddy Mattera, 2004), 3:00

Saturday, October 17 Maysles Cinema at the New Museum presents Living with Conviction: A Black Panther PARTY FILM SERIES — BASTARDS OF THE PARTY (Cle “Bone” Sloane, 2006), 3:00