Images from My Mobile: Biennale de Lyon 2009

Brief Introduction: Andro Wekua

The 2008 Carnegie International was my first introduction to Andro Wekua's work. After hours of walking through galleries, taking in as much art as I could, I came upon Get Out of My Room. There was something unbelievably unsettling about the work. I felt like I had stumbled upon something that I was not supposed to see. I stood absolutely engrossed by the piece.

This past year I returned to the Carnegie. When I came across the gallery that had been occupied by Get Out of My Room it seemed that the essence of the installation still hung in the air. Memory allowed me to see it as if it were still there.

There is some art that I do not feel writing or reading about adds to the work, but rather distracts. For me, Wekua's work falls under that category. It is something to be experienced.

Brief Introduction: Stefan Brüggemann

Brüggemann offers one-liners, alluring the audience with conceptual proposals of sumptuous aesthetics. His texts appear eccentric to the naked eye but they convey deep reflections on social and political models of stratified societies. He has also explored multiple modes in which to present text based works—such as graffiti, neon, vinyl lettering, and wallpaper. Brüggemann’s wallpaper works are created through the repetition of countless words in small font, which leads to a dizzying effect. While most of his works occupy tradition locations of art display, his graffiti is found in the street where it can meld into its surroundings and easily be over looked.

Brief Introduction: Aditya Pande

Even though I physically returned from India over a year ago, it is debatable whether I have mentally returned. Despite this, I believe it is time to once again throw some art musings out into this web of information.

In early November 2008 I attended the opening of Aditya Pande's exhibition A to Zoo at the beautiful Chatterjee & Lal gallery in Mumbai. Pande's works are an elegant synthesis of imagery done by hand and on the computer. Images are often manic and at times child-like. InA to Zoo, digital prints where juxtaposed to a wall drawing that unfurled during the run of the exhibition. Pande's cast of playful, haunting, and surreal characters have taken to populating my day dreams.

Adventuring and Art Linking

I am off to India shortly to spend two months doing research on Indian contemporary art. I thought I would take this as an opportunity to provide you with a few my favorite art websites and blogs.

Daily Serving:
http://www.dailyserving.com/

Indian Contemporary Art:
http://www.thisishowitshouldbe.blogspot.com/

Beautiful Decay:
http://www.beautifuldecay.com/

Art Fag City:
http://artfagcity.com/

ArtCal:
http://www.artcal.net/

Art and Architecture Guardian Blog:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/art/

Art Candy:
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/art_candy/

Art Observed:
http://artobserved.com/

C-Monster:
http://c-monster.net/

Eclectic Cow:
http://vacascom.blogspot.com/

Super Touch:
http://www.supertouchart.com/

We Make Money Not Art:
http://www.supertouchart.com/

Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art (I write for them):
http://whitehotmagazine.com/

Art Daily:
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp

ArtReview:
http://www.artreview.com/

The Art Newspaper:
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/

Ubu Web:
http://www.ubu.com/

Masala Chai:
http://masalachaionline.blogspot.com/

Brief Introduction: Shana and Robert Parkeharrison

I fell in love with the work of Shana and Robert Parkeharrison years ago and have kept an eye on them since I was in high school. I still get caught up in the mythology constructed in the works. The Parkeharrisons have created a character who wanders a barren earth attempting to take care of it. The photographs read as stills from a silent film as they are clearly part of a narrative. These pieces are stunning and haunting and the large format in which they are usually printed leads to them completely enveloping the viewer--physically and emotionally--in the world the artists creates.

Brief Introduction: Tara Donovan

I had a drink with Tara Donovan the other day and she was such an amazing and down to earth individual that I had to write about her today.

Donovan takes seemingly unremarkable everyday materials (buttons, pencils, styrofoam cups) and turns then into beautiful organic foams. Her sculptures appear to have grown rather than been built. Each pieces appears to be made out of the most precious of materials--an aesthetic she achieves through extended exploration of the objects she uses. Donovan will be showing at the ICA in Boston starting in October. It is sure to be a show you will not want to miss.