Contemporary Art « Arrested Motion

Category Archives: Contemporary Art

Streets: David Shrigley – “Really Good” // Fourth Plinth (London)

Posted by sleepboy, October 5, 2016

At the end of last month, David Shrigley revealed his public art commission standing on the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square. Entitled Really Good, the seven-meter-high bronze piece featuring an extra long thumbs up was sand cast in 50 pieces over 9 months. The British artist hopes that this 11th sculpture for the long running arts program will become a “self-fulfilling prophecy – that things considered bad, such as the economy, the weather and society will benefit from a change of consensus towards positivity.” Photos via It’s […]

Upcoming: Aron Wiesenfeld – “Unwind The Winding Path” @ Jonathan LeVine Gallery

Posted by sleepboy, October 5, 2016

Teasing his fans with shots of the stunning new body of work he is working on for his next solo show, Aron Wiesenfeld has already revealed a look at a massive drawing in progress (seen above) as well as a cropped shot of a painting he has completed (seen below). Unwind The Winding Path opens on November 19th at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York and will be the San Diego-based artist’s major exhibition for 2016. Discuss Aron Wiesenfeld here.

Overtime: Sept 26 – Oct 2

Posted by Khoi, October 2, 2016

More stories from the week that ended Oct 2 (click on bolded words for more information): Conceptual Fine Arts discusses Michael Rey’s show at ZERO. RIP: Nils Erik Gjerdevik, who passed away suddenly at the age of 54. RIP: Shirley Jaffe, passes away at the age of 93. Candice Hopkins writes an Elegy for Annie Pootoogook (1969–2016). Render Stetson-Shanahan stabs roommate Carolyn Bush to death. Both artists were recent Bard graduates. Activists in Russia force closure of Jock Sturges’s show over child porn. Police investigating whether Annie Pootoogook’s […]

Openings: Ryan Hewett – ‘Order’ @ Unit London

Posted by butterfly, October 1, 2016

South African artist Ryan Hewett (interviewed) has returned to London for a new solo show at The Unit London entitled Order featuring a new series of expressive and semi-abstract portraits. Depicted figures include himself as well as Egon Schiele, Marcel Duchamp, Lucien Freud, Samuel Beckett, and Audrey Hepburn. Unlike his 2015 solo show Untitled in which he created deliberately chaotic and semi-abstract portraits of famous figures, the new body of work is more planned and focused with abstract strokes and a textured pasto technique. Photos: Butterfly Art News Discuss […]

Previews: Seonna Hong – “In Our Nature” @ Hashimoto Contemporary

Posted by sleepboy, September 30, 2016

In about a week, Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco will be presenting a new solo from Seonna Hong (interviewed). Entitled In Our Nature, the new body of work from the Los Angeles-based artist will continue to expand on her expressionistic landscapes, acrylic works on canvas as well as small vignettes on paint chips. The scenes usually involve her human and animal subjects interacting with environments created from abstract and loose elements. The exhibition will be on view from October 8 to the 29th. Discuss this show here. Discuss Seonna Hong here.

Showing: POSE – “FRANKLY” @ Library Street Collective (Los Angeles)

Posted by sleepboy, September 30, 2016

Currently at the Library Street Collective’s new branch in Los Angeles, Jordan Nickel aka POSE has a solo show on view entitled FRANKLY. For the gallery’s LA inaugural residency and exhibition, the artist prepared a series of 16 paintings on paper and one on panel that were created in a more stripped down style and with a more muted palette. He further elaborates – “For awhile now, I’ve been making these quick digital sketches with appropriated Bat Masterson comic frames from the 1960s, and they became […]

Upcoming: Jamian Juliano-Villani – “The World’s Greatest Planet on Earth” @ Studio Voltaire

Posted by sleepboy, September 29, 2016

Tomorrow night (September 30th) in London, the preview for the Jamian Juliano-Villani solo show will be opening at the non-profit gallery Studio Voltaire. The New York-based artist’s work is an bizarre amalgamation of popular culture and appropriated material, reinterpreted through the lens of her warped vision which can oftentimes make the viewer uncomfortable and yet intrigued at the same time. Entitled The World’s Greatest Planet on Earth, the exhibition will be the American artist’s first solo presentation in a public institution outside of the US and will include never before exhibited sculptural installations […]

Previews: Jeff Soto – “Graffiti” @ Bunsen Goetz Galerie

Posted by sleepboy, September 29, 2016

Tomorrow night (September 30th) in Germany, Jeff Soto (interviewed) will be opening a new solo at Bunsen Goetz Galerie in Nuremberg, a followup to his show there with his friend in 2013 (covered). Entitled Graffiti, the exhibition references the roots of his artistic expression and will include large works on unstretched canvas and smaller stencil based paintings on wood. In the new body of work, the American artist will also presenting some more experimental pieces, a elaboration of the flowers seen in his imagery which take inspiration from […]

Upcoming: Kevin Cyr – “Hommage” @ Matthew Namour Gallery

Posted by sleepboy, September 28, 2016

On September 29th, Matthew Namour Gallery will be presenting Kevin Cyr’s (interviewed) first solo show in Montreal entitled Homage. The new body of work will be a continuation of the American artist’s case studies of everyday work vehicles – the more imperfections, signs of age, and graffiti – the better. As is his usual practice, Cyr spent time documenting and then painting his subject matter while telling their story through his art. Discuss Kevin Cyr here.

Upcoming: Jose Parla – “Instincts” @ The Goss-Michael Foundation

Posted by sleepboy, September 28, 2016

On September 29th, The Goss-Michael Foundation will be presenting the inaugural solo exhibition at their gallery on Wycliff Avenue in Dallas, Texas. Instincts from Jose Parla will feature new series of paintings and sculptures that continue the Cuban-American’s street-inspired calligraphic and textured works that have become his signature. For those who plan to make the trip to catch the Brooklyn-based artist’s work in person, the show will run until November 11th. Discuss Jose Parla here. Discuss this show here.