Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Who is that woman and what is she doing?

I got to meet this Puerto Rican woman someday!
Talk about breaking sterotypes!
Her style, looks and drive for causes...bravo!


Please NY Times article by Robin Progrebin

Philanthropist With a Sense of Timing Raises Her Profile


By ROBIN POGREBIN
Published: June 29, 2009

Who is that woman and what is she doing?


Julieta Cervantes for The New York Times















Lisa Maria Falcone at her home on the Upper East Side.
Neil Rasmus/Patrickmcmullan.com

That is what seemed to be going through the minds of many guests at a gala dinner in early June atop the High Line, the elevated downtown railway that has been transformed into a landscaped esplanade.

The long, elegantly decorated tables were packed with luminaries of the New York social circuit, including Oscar de la Renta, Martha Stewart, Harvey Weinstein and Jerry Seinfeld.

Joshua David, a founder of Friends of the High Line, which had saved the structure from demolition and spearheaded its revival, had just announced a $10 million challenge grant to the project from the media mogul Barry Diller and his wife, the fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, prompting a standing ovation. Suddenly, a leggy brunette in a cropped bob, flouncy Roberto Cavalli minidress and slingback, peep-toe heels by Christian Louboutin (who was in attendance) rose from her seat, approached Mr. David in the middle of his remarks, whispered in his ear and took over the microphone.

She was Lisa Maria Falcone, she said, and she and her husband, Philip A. Falcone, were so excited about the High Line and so moved by Mr. Diller and Ms. von Furstenberg’s gift that they decided to match it.

This unscripted, somewhat messy moment may go down in the annals of cultural philanthropy as the debut of a major new donor on the New York scene. Although the Falcones have given money before to the High Line and other organizations, they have usually done it less conspicuously. But little by little Ms. Falcone — along with her husband, No. 296 on the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires — is stepping into the spotlight, beginning the transition from one wealthy patron among many to the kind of highly visible player sought after by the city’s leading arts organizations.

In the last two years she has been a chairwoman of several galas at the American Museum of Natural History. Last year New York City Ballet recruited her for its board, and she was a chairwoman of the dance company’s spring gala last month.

Ms. Falcone said that she and her husband had decided to be more public about their High Line contribution to demonstrate that people don’t have to live near the elevated track — the Falcones live on the Upper East Side — to be invested in its success.

“No matter where you come from, you’re still a New Yorker, and you can give,” she said in a recent interview at her town house.

Ms. Falcone does not fit the usual image of the society arts patron. She said that she was Puerto Rican and that she was raised in Spanish Harlem by a single, alcoholic mother on welfare. Her mother died eight years ago. Growing up, she saw her father — a busboy who paid for her Catholic school — once a week. “I’ve never seen anyone clear tables like him,” Ms. Falcone said of her father, who is now 92. “He never complained about it.”

She studied art history at Pace University, earning an associate’s degree. She was in her early 20s, working as a fashion model, when she met her husband at a restaurant — they have been together for 17 years and married for 12. When they met Mr. Falcone, now 46, was a young businessman who had worked in junk bonds; in 2001 he founded Harbinger Capital, a private investment firm. Just two years ago he became a billionaire, by betting against subprime credit. His firm, which started with $25 million, now manages two funds with roughly $9 billion in assets and owns about 20 percent of The New York Times Company.

She was careful in answering questions about her husband, stopping herself from discussing his business in any detail or allowing Matthew Hiltzik, a publicist who was present throughout the interview, to stop her. She alluded to a time when she and Mr. Falcone didn’t have it so easy, saying, “When they turned the lights off on us, we lit candles.” Mr. Hiltzik advised her against saying anything further. (In a telephone interview later Mr. Falcone acknowledged that the early to mid-1990s was a difficult time for them.)

Ms. Falcone was also reluctant to reveal her age, 40, saying she wanted to be a role model for young people.

Otherwise she seemed surprisingly unguarded. She talks about the causes she cares about with the kind of wide-eyed idealism that makes you wonder how a New Yorker toughened by her share of adversity can seem so cheery. “They say people who have had a hard childhood are optimistic,” she said.

Ms. Falcone seems to have a quirky, independent streak. She collects crosses, large glittering examples of which she usually wears around her neck, and does her own hair and makeup. She pairs her couture clothing with thrift shop finds — at this interview, she wore a second-hand fur-lined sweater over a Lanvin dress.

Monday, June 29, 2009

EYE ON THE STRAND


Check this out!



APERTURE FOUNDATION, PRATT, AND THE STRAND BOOK STORE ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF THE

 STRAND’S FIRST EVER PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST EYE ON THE STRAND

Pratt Institute CCPS Gallery Presents 
Eye On The Strand Group Exhibition Featuring Work Of 
Three Winners and Twenty Finalists July 16-August 26, 2009
 

All Are Invited To Opening Reception: July 15, 6:00–8:00 p.m

Aperture, Pratt, and the Strand Book Store are pleased to announce the winners of the Eye on the Strandphotography contest, which kicked off last fall and concluded March 31, 2009. The winners were chosen by a prestigious panel of judges from over 500 submissions featuring unique and creative photo representations of the Strand Book Store. The Grand Prize Winner will get to have lunch at New York City’s famousBalthazar Restaurant with world-renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark, and receive a collection ofAperture books, among other prizes. 
 
The work of the grand prize, second and third place winners and twenty finalists will be featured in a special exhibition to open at the Pratt Institute CCPS Gallery on July 16, 2009. An opening reception will take place Wednesday, July 15 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. 
To read about contest details, including prizes awarded, and to view the winning images, please visit The Strand’s online photography gallery atwww.eyeonthestrand.com.   

Grand Prize Photo Winner: Josh Robinson/“Strand Shadows”
A native of St. Louis, Mo., Josh is currently a graduate student in NYU’s Graphic Communications Management and Technology program. Previously, he was a two-time Emmy Award winning television news producer, and most recently a features producer for AOL. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Claire.
 
Second Place Photo: Cary Conover/“Upside Down”
A freelance photographer based in New York City, Cary is a regular contributor to The Village Voice and The New York Times, among other publications. Cary’s black and white documentary street photography celebrates New York City. A native of Wichita, Kansas, Cary lives on the Lower East Side with his wife, Yvonne.
 
Third Place Photo and Viewers’ Choice Winner: Manjari Sharma/”Strand, The dreamer’s land”
A native of Mumbai, India, Manjari graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 2004, and is currently a freelance photographer living in New York City. In India, she photographed for The Times Of India and Better Photograph. In the U.S., her clients include AOL, American baby and Penguin Books. Manjari received eight honorable mentions in the IPA Lucie Awards 2008.


WHEN AND WHERE:

Wednesday, July 15
Opening Reception with the Winners and Finalists
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Pratt Institute CCPS Gallery
144 West 14th Street, 2nd floor
New York, NY
212-647-7199

All Are Invited! (First come, first serve)
 
For more information, please contact: Andrea Smith, Director of Communications, Aperture Foundation, 212-946-7111; 
asmith@aperture.org 

ARTmostfierce Affordable Print Pick of the Week



















ARTmostfierce Affordable Print Pick of the Week goes to  Yuval Pudik.

Silverman Gallery of San Francisco is offering a limited edition prints from the wonderful drawings of Yuval.

Each print is 13 x 9 inches and it is produced here in SF by Digital Epson Printer at Electric Works.  Each set takes at least one full day to print. Silverman Gallery are selling the prints as a set of 6 and individually so people can make up their own sets.
Singularly they are $375 and $2,250 for all 6.
Each print comes in a hand made envelope, signed with a certificate.
Edition size is 10.


The original drawings are also available and they are 22 x 30 inches and graphite on paper.

 See review of the work in Art in America here:
For more info please contact Jessica Silverman of Silverman Gallery .
Silverman Gallery 
804 Sutter Street @ Jones
P: 415 255 9508
E: 
info@silverman-gallery.com
Silverman-Gallery.com
and
Look-Boutique.com

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Happy Gay Pride NYC!


40 Year Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
A parade not to be missed!

Friday, June 26, 2009

This World & Nearer Ones @ Governors Island

A good exhibition to check out ...free!

No more excuses: it is time to visit Governors Island.Roberta Smith calls it “one of the truly special places in New York,” especially now that a new installation, sponsored by Creative Time, gives you access to buildings that have been off limits, like the officers’ houses. 

Anthony McCall

Housed inside St. Cornelius Chapel, McCall’s installation for Governors Island will explore the artist’s themes of time and sculptural and cinematic properties of light.






















PLOT is a new public art quadrennial, produced and presented by Creative Time. This World & Nearer Ones is the first edition of PLOT, and will be held this summer on Governors Island. 19 artworks by international contemporary artists will be presented. The exhibition is free and open to the public Friday-Sunday.

Featuring work by Edgar Arceneaux, AA Bronson and Peter Hobbs, The Bruce High Quality Foundation, Adam Chodzko, Tue Greenfort, Jill Magid, Teresa Margolles, Anthony McCall, Nils Norman, Susan Philipsz, Patti Smith and Jesse Smith, Tercerunquinto, Tris Vonna-Michell, Mark Wallinger, Klaus Weber, Lawrence Weiner, Judi Werthein, Guido van der Werve, and Krzysztof Wodiczko. Curated by Mark Beasley.

Yes folks, it is FREE!!

SVA 2009 MFA Thesis Exhibition

I finally got a chance to go and see the MFA Photography , Video and Related Media Department Thesis Exhibition of The School of Visual Arts. The exhibition was curated by Bonnie Yochelson. See below my favorite picks of the show: 

Lissa Rivera
Incantations of a Doll Collector
Video, Mixed Media, Dimensions Variable

This was my favorite work. Great installation, reminded me of Eve Sussman's installation  currently on display at the Winkleman Gallery. I had been looking at Lissa Rivera's work for a while. There is a lot of talent over here and, I intent to eventually be able to collect some of her work.



















































Yiftach Belsky
Ikonostasis
Installation detail
variable dimensions.
I also liked the  voyeuristic effect that Yiftach creates with this very intimate ''windows''  
















Jessica Bruah
No Lake This Summer
Happy Hour, House of Embers

20 x 24 inches


















Sean Hanratty
Photosynthesis
Brooklyn
13 x 20 inches














Craig Stokle
Bearing Darkness
Harmony-Brass Castle Road, Warren County

24 x 29 2/3 inches

















Harlan Erskine
Imaginary Wars
Sabine Cross Roads

20 x 37 inches













Carlos Alvarez Montero
Covers (Adopt & Adapt)
Little Saint Jude

26 x 34.67 inches
Carlos is my winner for portraiture


Farrah Fawcett R.I.P.























When I was little , my older brother had this poster and I learned for a first time,  what a Hollywood star and famous person  looked like. Over the years, I always remembered it.

Farrah Fawcett  you are joining the true angels now. You were a real fighter till the very end.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Summer Salon-6/25/09 @ Daniel Cooney Fine Art Gallery

Untitled (Man on Ledge with Baby), Nebraska, 2009. Photo © Bradley Peters

















Felix R. Cid
Ses Salinas, Ibiza, 2008


















Juliana Beasley
On The Fence (From Eyes of Salamanca), 2007
















Start your Summer tomorrow @ the  Summer Salon group show opening @ Dan Cooney Fine Art Gallery.
Summer Salon

June 25 - July 30                                                         
Opening Reception: Thursday June 25   6 - 8 pm

Photographs by

Juliana Beasley
Felix R. Cid
Bradley Peters
Rebecca Schrock

Daniel Cooney Fine Art
511 West 25th Street, #506
New York, NY 10001
t: 212 255 8158
f: 212 255 8163
www.danielcooneyfineart.com<http://www.danielcooneyfineart.com>
<http://www.danielcooneyfineart.com/>

Red Ruby Photography COMES OUT for Gay Pride NYC

Photos by Juliana Beasley for RED RUBY PHOTOGRAPHY





































Have your photo take by one of the most talented and one of the six recipients for the Aaron Siskind Individual Fellowships of 2009, our dear friend Juliana Beasley. I can't wait for my Ruby Red Ruben snapshot by Juliana!

Gay Pride + Art = Why not?
Be gay or feel gay for one night and come out and celebrate.
See you there!

If you want to see , meet and know more about Juliana Beasley work, she is part of a show titled Summer Salon @ Daniel Cooney Fine art Gallery opening Tomorrow 6/25/09

PRIDE: Red Ruby Photography Will Take Your Photo
Host:
Angels and Kings Starlette Sundays
Type:
Party - Club Party
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 7:00pm
End Time:
Monday, June 29, 2009 at 2:00am
Location:
Angels & Kings
Street:
500 E 11th St
City/Town:
New York, NY
View Map
Phone:
9176982574
Email:
info@redrubyphotography.com
Description
Juliana Beasley and the ladies of Red Ruby Photography will be celebrating PRIDE on Sunday the 28th!

A fabulous lesbian night, our photography team will make you look fab in front of the camera.

Sit on the plastic red couch either alone, with your special someone or someone you meet on that very night!

And for a nominal fee, take home a 4X5" print.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

LQQK BETTER NAKED

Photos  by Kate Maier for the East Hampton Star (we were not allowed to photograph during the event)
















Photo from David E. Rattray for the East Hampton Star ( not mine , we were not allowed)
















Photographer Spencer Tunick  instructing the crowd

































Photo assistants testing the morning light.
















Crowd gathering at Montauk Lighthouse parking

















Well... another adventure for me to remember !

Monday morning I was up at 2:00 AM to be part of photographer Spencer Tunick Montauk , NY photo shoot. I did not sleep , I was sort of excited and nervous at the same time but, so most people doing it with me. The road from East Hampton to Montauk was surreal, desolated at dark , kind of like a David Lynch movie. I am  such a big fan of Spencer Tunick works of art and for the longest time wanted to be part of one of his works.

When we got to the parking,  they were tons of people waiting, some young, some men but, the majority were women over 30. The crowd was composed of all walks of life people , short, tall , slim , fat, dark,white , tattooed and even body piercings (genital too) were on display...ok?

After signing a release form and address info (yes to get the  free print ok!) we marched like little soldiers and obeyed to take our clothes off and get to it...OMG ...Ok I am in shape , my body has good proportions, I got no scars, no tattoos, had being photographed before  and even visited nude beaches  but this...was different... for a few seconds , I was terrified!!! ha ha ha!

Oh... did I mentioned how cold it was...we were all shaking (me more for being nude in front of over 200 PP).

So after getting over that , it was great, got over the fact that were nude in public and enjoyed the whole experience. Spencer was  extremely cool, gregarious and professional and really made things better. Seeing in the crowd were photographer Sarah Small, Art Dealer James Salomon  from Salomon Contemporary and photographer  Casey Kellbaugh  who was working for Spencer Tunick

We did five different poses and it all went pretty  fast. The last shot was all women by the Lighthouse and it looked beautiful! (See photo) . No cameras were allowed so I only took photos at the parking gathering only. 

Will I do it again? ...ABSOLUTELY YES!
Do I recommend people to live it up and do it? ...HELL YEAH!
And just remember...HAVING SUN TAN LINES will NOT get you in front of the photo.

For those who don't know about international photographer Spencer Tunick see his web site:

East Hampton Star article about it here:


Now, I am eagerly waiting for my print to come in the mail and to attend the party celebration in a few months. Thanks Spencer! 

You set me free!!!


Monday, June 22, 2009

ARTmostfierce Affordable Print Pick of the Week

NEW MICHAEL WOLF FINE PRINT AVAILABLE ONLINE!

















Michael Wolf
The Transparent City 87A, 2009
C-print
14 × 18 inches on 16 × 20 inch paper
Edition of 50 + 10 AP
$300.00

This one is a no brainer folks. Aperture  Foundation had the same image just a bit larger in a edition of 25 for an starting price of $1,200.00. This one from MoCP - Museum of Contemporary Photography is on 16 x 20 paper, an edition of 50 for only $300.00. What a bargain and totally worth investing . Get yours PRONTO!



http://www.mocp.org/shop/

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Reality Check















Photo
Marilyn K. Yee/The New York Times
The Charles Cowles Gallery, which is closing this month.

Is really happening folks and as much as I hate to help broadcast it, the truth is in black and white. I am on hold from purchasing anything till the fall. More gallery closings coming soon. Please read great article by Dorothy Spears for the NY Times. It is more than a reality check!

ART
This Summer, Some Galleries Are Sweating


By DOROTHY SPEARS
Published: June 19, 2009
Postscript Appended

IT’S hard to believe that only nine months ago art dealers everywhere were still dreaming up plans for vast multinational expansions. Since September, however, the contemporary art market has careened from boom to bust. Nowhere has that reversal of fortune been more sharply felt than in New York, whose galleries represent the full spectrum of the art world’s pecking order.



Some two dozen galleries here have folded. The most notable among them — Clementine, Guild & Greyshkul, Roebling Hall and Rivington Arms — are midsize galleries, where the reputations of up-and-coming artists first gain traction.

Aside from slashing prices or deepening discounts, art dealers across the city have been coping not just by laying off employees but by dropping artists with poor sales records, creating partnerships with other galleries and reaching out in desperation to tried-and-true customers, many of whom were priced out of the market during its peak. Still, with the exception of several blue-chip galleries who show well-known artists, foot traffic in Chelsea and other gallery precincts has thinned markedly where crowds jostled just a year ago.

Now, on the heels of the annual Art Basel fair in Switzerland, dealers are bracing for the notoriously quiet summer months. “Art galleries typically bring in very little revenue from mid-June to October,” said Josh Baer, founder of the art industry newsletter Baer Faxt, “which is already pretty tough on the cash flow. But when business is off 50 to 80 percent, one wonders how many galleries will reopen in September.”

The most recent casualty, the Charles Cowles Gallery, set to close before the end of the month, will leave a gaping storefront on West 24th Street, the heart of the Chelsea gallery district. After 30 years of selling art, Mr. Cowles said in a recent interview, he was ready to retire. But the economic slide left little room for hesitation. “It’s shocking how bad business has been,” he said. During the big New York auctions last month, he said, “I didn’t see a single major collector in the gallery.”

Also absent in Manhattan these days are the young Wall Street executives who in flusher times routinely dropped the occasional $10,000 on an artwork. Now it’s the wealthiest collectors who are calling the shots. And while they continue to buy, albeit more slowly, they’ve been taking far fewer risks, favoring bigger galleries, like Gagosian and David Zwirner, whose menu of services ranges from discreet backroom sales to name-brand artists with a long history of museum shows and works in prestigious collections.

“What’s going on with the collectors,” said Roland Augustine, co-owner of the Luhring Augustine Gallery in Chelsea and president of the Art Dealers Association of America, “is that there’s far more selectivity in the buying at all levels.”

The tougher times have led many dealers to cancel expensive installations and fat, splashy catalogs, keep exhibits running longer, ask artists to cover their own production costs and drastically limit their participation in art fairs, once considered a boon to business. Although the downturn affects everybody, some younger dealers have responded by promoting low-priced artworks and forging collaborative relationships with fellow dealers.

At Schroeder Romero on West 27th Street, for example, Sara Jo Romero said that Compound Editions, a joint venture founded last fall with the neighboring Winkleman Gallery, offers artworks produced in multiples in the $100 to $300 price range. “That’s been a big success for us,” Ms. Romero said. “Also we don’t have any employees, and our space is off the beaten track,” she added, which helps to minimize her gallery’s costs.

Tracy Williams, whose gallery is in the West Village, is also focusing on lower-priced art. Seeing her bottom line plummet in December, Ms. Williams said, she asked a consultant to take a look at her books. After being told, “This is what you did last year, this is what you’re going to do next year, this where you have to cut back,” she said, she let go one of two full-time employees.

Continue reading here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/arts/design/21spea.html?pagewanted=2&sq=sara%20jo%20romero&st=cse&scp=1

And listen to three art experts here:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/06/21/arts/design/20090621-artists-feature.html

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Sacrosant in East Harlem curated by Sophie Lvoff

''Last Supper''-Installation















Art installation with broken mirrors and candles by Alana Celii and Grant Willing

SACROSANCT
June 14th-June 21st 2009

St. John's Episcopal American Catholic Church
1610 Lexington Avenue, New York City
Opening Reception: June 14th, 4:30-7:30pm
Closing Reception: June 21st, 5-10pm

I meant to post about his show earlier but, here it is .

Sophie Lvoff did a great job selecting the artists, the artwork, installation pieces and incorporation the theme to the space of a former church. Congratulations Sophie, it is a well put together show.

Go and see it!

Sophie T. Lvoff is pleased to present “Sacrosanct”, a group exhibition dealing with issues of religious resonance and spirituality on view from June 14- June 21.

"Sacrosanct" takes place at a church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The building was built in 1920, and acted as a church from 1941. Since the dissolution of the church body in the 1990's, the space has been abandoned and closed to the public. Despite its subsequent deterioration, the space still retains its sense of holiness and importance. The surrounding neighborhood has also been in a state of transition, adding significance to the building.

For the exhibition, ten artists have been invited into the abandoned space to work both independently and collectively to create, install, and perform pieces that respond to the sanctity of the environment. St. John's is an elusive and unorthodox venue for the arts, and will be explored as a unique site for the duration of the exhibition.
Featured artists include: Antoine Catala, Stephen Collier, Patrick Duncan, Michael Clyde Johnson, Heather Jones, Zaq Landsberg, Sophie T. Lvoff, Santiago Mostyn, Eric Payson, Grant Willing and Alana Celii.
Featured musicians for the closing reception include: Young Man About Town, Patrick Cleandenim, the St. John’s Choir, and others to be announced!

For more information, please contact sophie.lvoff@gmail.com


Monday, June 15, 2009

Artmostfierce AFFORDABLE PRINT Pick of the week






















Lori Nix
$275.00

Wasps, 2002
from the series Insecta Magnifica
Chromogenic print, 14 x 11"

ARTmostfierce AFFORDABLE PRINT Pick of the Week goes to one of my favorite photographers, Lori Nix and you can purchase it from one of my favorite organizations, Lightwork. Lori Nix is represented by Clampart Gallery in New York City, where currently some of her work is on display as part of the group show called ARCADIA. See review about the show below.


http://www.lightwork.org/store/