Cool Hunting
Jeff Bark's newest works are the subject of his solo show, Woodpecker, at the Michael Hoppen Contemporary Gallery in London; it's his second show at the gallery.
Bark's newest works are so multilayered it makes my brain hurt—in the best way possible. The photos feel like part diorama, painting and film. His involved process includes constructing a pond-like set that took over a month to build in his Brooklyn studio. He fabricated a pool, brought in a battered truck and created a faux forest.
The upshot is a group heavily symbolic photos in a rural setting rife with loneliness, despondence and introspection. Manufactured moonlit tones only add to this effect. Take a closer look and you'll see that the subjects are actually in an urban setting—tipped off by urban litter such as a fence, crates and even a car. Look even more closely and you'll see that the subjects desolate looks might be the result of whatever they're huffing out of that plastic bag (above right).
If you're in the London area you don't want to miss this show. See more of Bark's work on his website.
Woodpecker
Through 11 January 2008
Michael Hoppen Gallery
3 Jubilee Place
London SW3 3TD map
tel. +44 (0)20 7535 3649
|
previous entry 7th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial |
next entry The Journal of Popular Noise |
The Tate Modern always does an incredible job of reinventing their Great Turbine Hall with large, encompassing installations and with Doris Salcedo's "Shibboleth" they may have outdone themselves. Stretching imagination and the definition of sculpture and installation itself, Salcedo created a subterranean crack in the floor that stretches 584 feet across the entire length of the Hall. The upshot is a jagged abyss that...
Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco started 2007 with a photo exhibit that opened yesterday, featuring the works of Aaron Plant (U.S), Ruud van Empel (The Netherlands), Ellen Kooi (The Netherlands), and Carlos and Jason Sanchez (Canada). All of the artists share an affinity for subverted imagery of childhood, though their approaches vary wildly. The exhibit makes for a somewhat eerie but fascinating compilation...
Saturday night was the opening reception for the Sisters Shock Rock the House! gallery show. It was an all female artists display of urban expression through a multitude of mixed media such as paint, film, and sculpture. The artist shown here is CC McGurr. And yes, those are octopi, which she catches herself while scuba diving, photographs them, and then eats them. Yum. The...
Over the past seven years, Sze Tsung Leong has produced a series of photographs called "Horizons," which provide an expansive view of different environments from across the globe. On view at the Yossi Milo Gallery in New York through 17 May 2008, "Horizons" consists of over sixty works each measuring 14x 24 inches. Born in Mexico City in 1970, Sze Tsung Leong spent his...
Wangechi Mutu’s new show “Little Touched” at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects is so complete and polished that it feels more like walking into a museum than a gallery. Originally from Kenya, Mutu’s work focuses on the constant exploration and discovery of identity as a woman, immigrant and African in New York City. Known for her lyric collages like “A’gave you” (pictured right), this...
Since bursting onto the scene eight years ago as one of the hottest young photographers in town, Ryan McGinley continues to produce enduring images that focus on the energy and enthusiasm of youth. In his latest show entitled "I Know Where the Summer Goes" (a title taken from an early B-side by Belle and Sebastian), McGinley continues to move from his original casual snapshot-style...
