Sugar, Unsweetened

There are still two weekends left to see Kara Walker’s searing installation, "A SUBTLETY: OR THE MARVELOUS SUGAR BABY, AN HOMAGE TO THE UNPAID AND OVERWORKED ARTISANS WHO HAVE REFINED OUR SWEET TASTES FROM THE CANE FIELDS TO THE KITCHENS OF THE NEW WORLD ON THE OCCASION OF THE DEMOLITION OF THE DOMINO SUGAR REFINING PLANT."

Last weekend the wait was about 40 minutes on a line that stretched for blocks, so plan accordingly. Also check the Creative Time website for exact hours. I see they've just extended Saturday and Sunday viewing to 7 pm.

The space reverberates with the haunted past of the sugar industry and the damage—human, environmental, political, and otherwise—it has inflicted in satisfying our collective sweet tooth. The Domino factory, which during the 19th century refined more than half of the sugar in the U.S. will soon be erased by development, but the history will not.

You can  read more here, here, and here,  but this mother speaks for herself. And she’s gotten the walls to talk too.

The molasses figures are melting.

Calder for Body and Soul

It was a night of dazzling jewels, with nary a precious stone in sight. Salon 94 is exhibiting 40 pieces of Alexander Calder’s crimped, coiled, hammered, and highly coveted creations of body adornment in “Show and Tell: Calder Jewelry and Mobiles.”

While the sculptor’s work is famously kinetic, the opening celebration had these masterpieces of craftsmanship and engineering bouncing around the room. It took quite a few dedicated pairs of watchful eyes to keep track, as pieces made their way around assorted necks, heads, ears, and wrists. When they were not being tried on and photographed, the pieces were displayed on the original faces and heads made by Calder for a 1940 show of the work. Additional “display” sculptures were created for the occasion by a number of contemporary artists invited by the gallery.

The exhibit, which is presented in collaboration with the Calder Foundation, remains on view through December 20th.

Family members, of course, were wearing amazing pieces of their own.

Andre J. looked fabulous next to one of the unwearable mobiles.

Dangling earrings taken to a a new level. You cannot truly understand a Calder mobile until you wear one. What a total thrill!

Gwen Murphy's "Foot Fetish" Faces

The Governess

I recently encountered Gwen Murphy’s “Foot Fetish” sculptures in Brattleboro, Vermont at Gallery in the Woods. Definitely a cut above the usual craft-gallery fare. I wonder if she gets to deduct shoes as a business expense?

Toe Shoes

Indru and Jojo

Red Devils

Big Mouth Twins

She's Not There

Blue Elders

The Many Sides of Le Corbusier

Even if you don’t get to MoMA to see the fantastic Le Corbusier show, you must visit the site of Fondation Le Corbusier. There, you will find the work of a prolific and multi-dimensional talent.

In addition to paintings, you

will find sculpture ...

Drawings ...

Furniture ...

Tapestries ...

Collage ...

Graphic design ...

And photographs, which are stills shot with a

movie camera between films. 

Oh, I almost forgot, he was also an architect.

Goodbye Columbus

Tatzu Nishi’s “Discovering Columbus” is one of those unique New York “art” experiences I tend to avoid because of the crowds, but then end up kicking myself for missing. I actually made it over there recently. Turned out, the crowds weren’t so bad and it’s really nice for a change, to not be walking around with self-inflicted welts.

Six-flights up a scaffolding lands you in a temporary living room constructed around the statue, which stands in the center, on the coffee table.

In addition to the big guy, there's plenty to see. Every detail was carefully considered.

The books ...

The art ...

The wallpaper ...

The huge TV tuned to CNN ...

The killer views ...

And the tourists.

The exhibit ended yesterday.

Three Objects

Unfinished shoe last, turning section still attached, 1930s.

(Collection: London College of Fashion)

Industrial polishing tool, wool and other fibers,1984.

(Collection: University for the Creative Arts at Farnham)

Tapestry beater, 20th C.
(Collection: University for the Creative Arts at Farnham)

These digitally "found" sculptures are from VADS (Visual Arts Data Service) of the UK, which is a phenomenal collection of archives pertaining to the visual arts. It was created for the academic community and is meant for educational and research purposes. They’ve got everything from Charles Rennie Mackintosh´s sketchbook to war posters and Guinness ads.