Contemporary Art « Arrested Motion

Category Archives: Contemporary Art

Preview: Jose Parla – “Reading Through Seeing” @ Ooi Botos Gallery (Hong Kong)

Posted by stephen, April 25, 2009

JosÃ© ParlÃ¡â€™s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong, â€œReading Through Seeing,â€ (teased) opens on May 14th at Oos Botos Gallery in Hong Kong. In addition to his signature abstract calligraphic paintings and watercolors, the show also includes several of Parla’s beautiful Bizen-yaki pottery (featured) works. This latest series can be summed up in one word: stunning. The most color-rich and vibrant in recent memory, the works are most likely reflective of Parla’s positive expressions of Asia based on his “The New Grand Tour” cultural exchange […]

Viewpoints: Murakami, MOCA & Louis Vuitton Sued by Disgruntled Speculator

Posted by juggernut3, April 24, 2009

Last summer, the MOCA was sued by a disgruntled speculator, Clint Arthur, over the sale of some lithographic prints from Takashi Murakami’s retrospective. Arthur’s initial suit alleged that without proper documentation, the prints were just overpriced posters and the museum was misleading customers. The judge quickly dismissed the charges of fraud in the initial case. Also, the MOCA has offered Arthur a refund with interest (which he refused, of course) and a certificate of authenticity for all their customers who wanted one. Now, Arthur is […]

Preview: Steve Powers – “2 Fists of Iron and a Bottle of Beer” @ White Flag Projects

Posted by AM Editor, April 23, 2009

Early this morning, AM got the following somewhat cryptic email from Steve “ESPO” Powers: I’m here to take you to church. Our service starts on Saturday April 25th at 8. no need to byob, our pour box is stocked with unholy water. The Church of The Open Tab is at 4568 Manchester Avenue (aka White Flag Projects) in the home of the Clydesdales, St. Louis. To open a tab or consume more, just reply. CHEERS.

Jeff Koons/LACMA Train x Crane Project

Posted by sleepboy, April 23, 2009

When news came out about the $25 million sculpture that LACMA commissioned Jeff Koons to do, we were a little underwhelmed by the idea. A life-size replica of a locomotive dangling from a crane sounded impressive enough but what does it all mean? After watching the Koons studio visit video last week, we realized that the train was going to be motorized (check the 1:04 mark) which makes it a little more interesting but we’re not sure if it’s the best use of $25 million.

Preview: Banksy @ Andipa Gallery

Posted by juggernut3, April 22, 2009

Old school London mainstay Andipa Gallery is going to the streets and holding an exhibition of Banksy’s rare works on canvas. Guess it’s time the old money flexed it’s muscles and showcased some choice secondary market pieces from one of United Kingdom’s finest. A veritable gem amongst gems is the ginormous “Are You Using That Chair?” measuring over 7 x 14′. This is by far the largest canvas that we’ve seen from Banksy. This remix of Edward Hopper’s 1942 masterpiece “Nighthawks” is an iconic example […]

Preview: Saturday @ Phillips NYC

Posted by AM Editor, April 22, 2009

Last night, Phillips De Pury in New York City held a special preview of the lots from their Saturday sale coming up this weekend. AM loves Saturday @ Phillips because of its increased accessibility compared with other higher-end contemporary auctions, which are typically held on mid-week afternoons and evenings, making them difficult for most working people to attend. In addition, Phillips Saturday sales are known for a wide range of items, including a great selection of urban, street and other emerging art, as well as […]

Souther Salazar – “Above the Influence” Video – Family Guy Parody

Posted by sleepboy, April 21, 2009

Remember the “Above the Influence” anti-drug ad (seen below) done by artist Souther Salazar a while back. Well, after many amateur parodies done by netizens (some NSFW), popular TV show Family Guy has stepped in with their own version a couple days ago (seen above at the 7:31 mark). An obvious statement, but as the art of our generation gets more mainstream and advertisers realize the power of being in touch with our demographic, we will see more and more references (ie: parody of Shepard […]

Preview: Dalek @ Galerie Magda Danysz

Posted by sleepboy, April 21, 2009

When we last talked to James Marshall aka Dalek (interviewed), he was working on the installations for his show at Redux Contemporary.Â Next up is a two-person show with his friend Mike Giant at Paris gallery Magda Danysz where Dalek continues to further explore geometric abstraction of his work.Â Take a look at some images after the jump…

Openings: Conor Harrington & Chloe Early – â€œChasing Castlesâ€ @ Kinsey/DesForges Gallery

Posted by stephen, April 19, 2009

An enthused crowd was on hand at Kinsey/DesForges for the opening of â€œChasing Castlesâ€ (previewed), the first showing of a full-body of work in the United States by London based artists Conor Harrington and Chloe Early (interviewed). Both made the trip across the pond for the opening and happily chatted with fans about their work and the underlying message behind their rich, multi-layered, vibrantly colored pieces. For the show Harrington continued his exploration of symbols of power, masculinity, and their related societal expectations through his […]

Teaser: Josh Keyes – “Sprout” @ David B. Smith Gallery

Posted by sleepboy, April 18, 2009

One of our favorite artists, Josh Keyes is opening a show next month at David B. Smith Gallery (interviewed)Â entitled “Sprout.”Â Â After selling out his last solo (held at OKOK Gallery – now apparently Ambach & Rice), his rabid fan base is already chomping at the bit to seeÂ hisÂ newest body of work.Â FromÂ the exciting images we haveÂ seen so far,Â they will not beÂ disappointed, asÂ Keyes will be revisiting some old themes as well as exploring some new ideas. Take a look at another piece as well as some […]