Ryan McGinness Works

by CH Contributor

by Ariston Anderson

The beauty of a Ryan McGinness show is not only that passing through the gallery doors is entering into the world of McGinness, but that each painting fully consumes your attention once you start looking.

Like their name implies, each multi-layered screenprinted work from the Black Hole series has the remarkable ability to suck viewers in. Similar to a Jackson Pollack or a Jean-Michel Basquiat, you could stare at each painting for hours, discovering each sweet spot and intersection of visual imagery. The more you try to find a beginning or end to each piece, the more you'll be drawn into the work. For this reason it's often better to revisit the work during a gallery's off hours, when you’ll have time to spend with each painting.

Ryan McGinness Works, a show the artist has been working on since his last show at the gallery three years ago, presents a wealth of new material, following in the vein of recent work presenting paintings and fluorescent vinyl in a black light room a black light room. The exhibition continues as the iconic details in the paintings come alive as three-dimensional sculptures and includes a massive piece measuring seven feet tall by 50 feet wide.

The show is presented in conjunction with the release of his new book, "Ryan McGinness Works," which includes a behind-the-scenes look at his recent works, as well as texts by David Byrne, Peter Halley, Tom Greenwood and Greg Lindquist.

Ryan McGinness Works
Opening reception: 7 March 2009, 6-9pm
7 March-18 April 2009
Deitch Projects
18 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10013 map
tel. +1 212 941 9475

additional reporting by Wendy Dembo

More images after the jump.

Antonio Pineda: Silver Seduction Retrospective

by Wendy Dembo

With over 200 pieces of work from the 1930s-70s, "Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda" at UCLA's Fowler Museum is a stunning retrospective and the first for the famed silversmith. It's also first time Pineda, who is 89 and one of the only two living members of the renowned modernist Taxco School, has shown in the U.S. for that matter. For a man who's been making jewelry for 78 years, we say it's high time.

After apprenticing with the American modernist silversmith William Spratling (the man credited with spearheading the modernist Taxco movement) for nine years, in 1939, when he was just 20 years old, Pineda opened his own shop.

His big break came in 1944 when the head of Gump's Department (the premiere San Francisco store for silver and art objects) saw his work and asked him to show there.

Like other Taxco modernists, Pineda's work draws on a variety of sources including pre-Columbian art, religious images and artwork from the Mexican Colonial period. He's known for his ample use of free-floating gemstones, including amethysts, onyx and pearls, as well as for his remarkable skill in crafting each piece.

The true testament to Pineda's ability as a jeweler is his understanding of the human form with each piece of jewelry designed to enhance the body, rather than weigh it down. A necklace that may seem thick or boxy, for example, is in fact perfectly crafted to encircle the neck in a comfortable design.

Silver Seduction is a rare chance to visit such an vast body of work from one of the few masters of metal. The companion catalogue is available from Amazon.

Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda
Through 15 March 2009
Fowler Museum at UCLA
405 Hilgard Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024 map
tel. +1 310 825 4361

Green Science Kits by 4M

by Brian Fichtner

Made by 4M Industrial Development, Green Science Kits are part of the company's Kidz Labs series and are simple and inexpensive means of illustrating sustainable energy and environmental science. The kits, which range from water filtration to the classic potato clock, have a practical DIY feel that's reflected in their cost. Nearly all are available from Amazon for under $18.

The Windmill Generator (right) won the 2009 Teacher's Choice Award for Family. An LED mounted to the windmill generator glows as it's powered by the wind, a tangible example of how fields of turbines can produce electricity for entire communities.

Frankie Morello Boutique

by CH Contributor

by Paolo Ferrarini of Future Concept Lab

Maurizio Modica and Pierfrancesco Gigliotti, the guys behind the fanciful line Frankie Morello, don’t have any problem coming up with new ideas, which isn't surprising given their high level of creativity, as well as their interdisciplinary (and increasingly popular) approach to fashion. Their experience in theater and architecture shows not just in their collections, but also in their new Milan flagship store, which opened just a few days ago in time for Fashion Week. (Click above image for detail.)

While on first take the store looks traditional, it's actually fully transformable. Inspired by artist Jorge de Oteiza, Modica and Gigliotti assembled 2,800 pieces of furniture to create eight big "boxes" within the space. These gigantic mobile trunks can be moved according to the change of seasons and use of the store. What's more, they have an oak infrastructure covered with fabric, which can be replaced every season—the retail space can thus be dressed like a customer. "We find it fun to be able to dress a boutique that sells clothing and from this concept came the idea of changing the lining of the furniture as we see fit," they tell CH.

“We like the idea of having created a place that is not just a container for objects, but also a container for emotions and that can become a location for happenings and exhibitions. We designed the space to be usable by those who live the city and not only those who come to Milan or to the center to shop”.

The project, a joint one with BPM Studio, more than hints at irony—great news in a time when fashion sometimes takes itself too seriously. Mixing it up with elements of Diesel's bravery and Fiorucci's passion for the unexpected, the result is clearly Italian, absolutely original, concretely surreal and totally contemporary.

Snow Hotel, Kemi, Finland

by Lost At E Minor

If you've ever wondered how the Eskimos do it, try sleeping in a one-of-a-kind ice hotel in Kemi, northern Finland. Experience the world's largest snow castle at 30,000 square feet in temperatures around -5 degrees Celsius. Within the icy walls are restaurants, an art gallery, a chapel and hotel.

The snow hotel includes 18 rooms for couples, two big group rooms, and even a honeymoon suite, all equipped with sleeping bags for an optimal nights slumber. When you awake, you may enter the CastleLounge for breakfast, then make your way over to a nearby hotel for a warm shower to complete your winter wonderland dream.