Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Sweet - part deux



After an art fair, there are always the questions - what did you like best; what stuck with you? And of course it's usually things that are different than what you see every day, so it's not surprising that for me it's often paintings. But this time it was also little gems that stood out. I read Roberta Smith, The New York Times chief art critic's piece, and apparently what stood out for her was a multi-story installation that was a re-creation of a meth (as in the drug) lab - a messy, sprawling, journey to the dark side. Well, take away my press credentials. One of the standouts for me was this little Wayne Thiebaud at John Berggruen of a group of doughnuts! A beautifully executed, mouth-watering, life affirming piece of color pop.



My favorite photograph was a repeat from last year - this couple dancing by Malick Sidibe. Again, the gesture and the moment are just so sweet - her bare feet, the way their heads are almost touching, the formality of their clothes - to me it's a picture of young people in the act of falling in love.



And for my last pick, this drawing titled "Ice-cream Girl" by Will Cotton seen at the Glenn Horowitz room at AQUA. For those who don't know his work, Cotton is a highly skilled figurative painter whose works combine fantasy images of women and desserts! He shows at Mary Boone, so a contemporary aura surrounds his work, but I love the old master quality of this drawing, the red pastel it's done in, and in particular the confectionary swirl of the subject's hair. Sweet!

9 comments:

gmg said...

I've always found that in times of external turbulence, it's the little gems that mean the most to me. You do a superb job of "gem hunting." Please leave the meth labs to the NY Times and stick to geology.

stacy said...

i LOVE the malick sidibe too - it could be titled 'Maybe Life's Just Not That Complicated After All'

Russell Kaye said...

Funny but I thought the top pic was going to be an older Sharon Core photo. Love your blog- especially the trips to art fairs...

Barry said...

The sensuality of these images is so compelling.

The Wayne Thiebaud makes me want to lick the monitor.

The Malick Sidibe makes me sway in the chair.

The Will Cotton, well, I ain't gonna say.

Paul Pincus said...

i love will cotton's work. that drawing is beautiful!

wayne thiebaud's work is so wonderful. my friend, a. guild, says that theibaud's work makes her feel sad the way edward hopper makes her feel sad. i understand what she means.

Jordana said...

i'm crazy about this will cotton piece. You're right, very "old masters" but with a twist (literally-!).

Anonymous said...

theibaud's work is always amazing. i never really thought of it as sad before, but it does have a certain melancholic, nostalgic charm. the only thing i really feel sad about looking at those donuts, tho, is that they aren't real and in front of me or hanging on my wall.

Unknown said...

I adore Thiebaud's works. We have a few etchings right now but his paintings are just gorgeous. Actually, we just recently sold an oil on canvas called Two Hot Dogs but his desserts are far more fetching :)

The Concrete Commentator said...

I love that Sidibe photograph as well.. It's so charming. Great blog by the way!