February 16, 2013
On view just until the end of this week at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is the exhibition of photographs by Ray K. Metzker. The 82-year-old native of Milwaukee, is known for his documentary style black and white photographs that focus on the daily nuances of urban life. In “Ray K. Metzker’s Photographic Journey” there are the hurried men in Valencia, the lone folded paper on a Chicago pavement with a long view of the street beyond it, the surrealist double-exposed juxtaposition of the stop light and the telephone wires in Philadelphia. Also on view are Metzker’s collage-like photographs called “Composites” or “Multiples”.
From the Museum: “Metzker is best known for his Composites, images stemming from his insight that a single work could be created from an entire roll of film. From a distance, they read as abstract, graphic tapestries. Close viewing reveals them to be composed of a series of individual “documentary” vignettes, which can be read both simultaneously and sequentially.”
On view at the Getty Museum through February 24, 2013
The Philadelphia Museum is winding down its exhibit of Ronaldus Shamask‘s fashions. “Form, Fashion, Reflection” is a collection of the fashion designer’s minimal and lyrical creations from the late 70’s through the present time.
From the Museum: “This exhibition includes iconic Shamask clothing, as well as works made specifically for this presentation, including translucent paper renditions shown as mirror images of the garments to reveal form of construction. The installation also includes a “mood wall” that re-imagines the artist’s design process using fashion and dance costume sketches, fabrics, color swatches, and visual references that serve as his inspiration.”
If you haven’t seen MoMA‘s “Inventing Abstraction” special exhibition, now is the time to venture into midtown Manhattan and discover the music, ideas and philosophies that dominated throughout the bohemian circles of the early 20th century. While many art historians, this one included, disagree with the blatant omissions of such bright stars of early abstraction as Georges Braque and the French philosopher, painter, and founder of Cubism Albert Gleizes, the curators make understanding the connections between music, poetry and abstraction easy and interesting. Don’t miss the beautiful Alfred Stieglitz photograph, “Interpretation“, 1919 of a Georgia O’Keefe painting (the original is hanging right next to photograph) and a fluid vertical sculpture (also on display) mischievously placed in front of the painting to create a highly erotic picture.
Read our review of the exhibition.
Leon Tovar Gallery on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is a gem of a gallery currently showing kinetic installations by Ernesto Neto, Jesús Rafael Soto and three-dimensional abstractions by Luis Tomasello. Kinetic art implies audience interaction – where the artwork changes depending on the viewer’s position, interaction, motion and perspective.
Tip for your gallery visit: grab your phone camera and take a video of Neto’s work as you move from side to side. Watch how it changes.
Read more Sunday Exhibition Recommendations here.