maureen paley – NOTES FROM A FRUITSTORE

note_14 Go> Vincent Fecteau & Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster in Ldn -are these V-M? No!

April 13, 2018April 14, 2018 gmaLeave a comment

Two very nicely concentrated shows opened Thu 13 April at the same postal address; Corvi-Mora and Greengrassi in Kennington. Vincent Fecteau fills the downstairs gallery with plinth-mounted, moulded vehicular/ventricular sculptures in naturally-coloured paper maché paste (atmospherically béton brut) with organic elements secreted within or attached to them which are more affecting than that can possibly sound. Click through his gallery page here, to trace or remind yourself of his trajectory in London at least since 2000 (I didn’t document the show myself, gallery images are linked above though). This is art that addresses the elementary question of why we make objects or things at all. That’s what is going on with and through them; quiet, exacting necessity …

Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, also gave a performance earlier in the week Continue reading “note_14 Go> Vincent Fecteau & Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster in Ldn -are these V-M? No!” →

on thek in london and horn in london too [a bit more]

September 9, 2011September 9, 2011 gmaLeave a comment

When did you last stand before a work of Paul Thek’s? It’s a difficult thing to do in London, unless you’re a smart collector who already owns the work, that is! I’m not sure that collectors, smart or otherwise, find their way to the Fruit Store, but if so then welcome; you come at a good moment! Continue reading “on thek in london and horn in london too [a bit more]” →

on mesmerising allure, dirk stewen at maureen paley until nov 14

November 9, 2010November 9, 2010 gmaLeave a comment

I posted a few words on this show when it opened and The Guardian got excited about it too, see here. There are a few days left to see it here … I drafted a review of it also but have been insanely busy since -not least writing about other visual art- and plain forgot about my text. I’m posting it here as a pdf for ease, mine mostly, but surely yours too [why the aversion to pdfs?], kind of in the humbling spirit of the thing. That is, to encourage you to not miss the show.

My review is a rough, the requisite pressure of imminent publication has not yet been applied, but here follows a little excerpt with a couple of the images it refers to;

Continue reading “on mesmerising allure, dirk stewen at maureen paley until nov 14” →

nb, visual art noticeboard [alternatives to friezing…]

October 10, 2010October 12, 2010 gma3 Comments

Dirk Stewen untitled [bronx monkey II]

Dirk Stewen untitled [Bronx Monkey II] at Maureen Paley

I’ve been enjoying quite a few shows recently which are likely to be blown out of the water by the imminent frieze fair and so with mighty respect to the latter I thought I’d flag them up as alternatives…

Future Movements Jerusalem at Liverpool Biennial [18 Sept-28 Nov 2010] is an essential exhibition of work from and about Palestine. I posted on Raouf Haj Yihya’s Meter Square here, the New Statesman bravely ran a rather muted piece here and my own review will run at Babelmed shortly. Surprise yourself if you can get to it, or wait for it to travel south as I know it is scheduled to do. But be sure to see it.

Otherwise, Liverpool is a far better Biennial than scarce notice of it by lazy old journos suggests; everyone rightly notes the almost painfully compelling acid-Warhol-mashup-vids of Ryan Trecartin’s but there’s much else, including NS Harsha’s very nice installation [right] at 52 Renshaw Street and not least at Tate Liverpool -where a dubiously conceived but actually nicely put together show called The Sculpture of Language by Carol Anne Duffy exhibits some great and rarely aired works.

Dirk Stewen at Maureen Paley [08 October — 14 November 2010] is the most winning new work in town for me. If you do make it to the frieze jamboree then add this show to your bottom-line schedule otherwise you’ll have failed yourself and London. If you’re not friezing it then take advantage and spend some time in a show spread over two floors, beautifully arranged/hung works combining utopian gesture with extraordinary concentration, tentativeness and beauty. The work seems hardly there at all and yet surprises/delights with a precision that makes for indelibility. It’s Stewen’s first show in London, I’d never seen the work before and this exhibition made me happy to be alive; don’t miss it! Continue reading “nb, visual art noticeboard [alternatives to friezing…]” →