chelsea, april 2007, #3

Three good galleries/shows in the same building - I liked these galleries, the size and vibe, the floors and lighting. Plus I liked the art.


Roy Colmer at Mitchell Algus - Roy Colmer was in High Times, Hard Times... so it was nice to see this this show of a bunch of his optic paintings... and the video, which totally relates to the paintings, with the two women lining up with each other and melting into each other.

These thirty-five-(plus)-year old paintings made the Jim Turrell holo-lines look like ass.

(Betty Tompkins is partially visible on the left... she has the next show at Mitchell Algus)


Jered Sprecher at Jeff Bailey - Whoah! This show looked excellent! I was surprised at some of the scale... the PaintersNYC painting was much bigger than expected, and some of the other ones that I had only seen on-line were smaller than I thought they would be.

Now I've seen Jered's work in Miami, Richmond, and NYC... this newest Jeff Bailey exhibition was definitely the best yet. A much cleaner installation than at ADA... with really good pace/rythm to the whole thing.


Those two in the center have computer references, one with the + cursor, and the other is like digitized or something. Maybe Wendy will get some better installation shots.... she wrote an essay for the show. Was I there the same day Mountain Man visited (?)... it looked like his name in the book, but it was hard to read.


John Dilg at Luise Ross - This space was full of these small calm paintings... they remind of someone from the past, but I can't put my finger on it... maybe Klee or Arp? Someone from that time... the forms, especially the tree forms. They have the subdued palette and stillness of Morandi, but that's not who I'm thinking of. Maybe Baziotes? I guess it isn't anybody specific... just a feel for the time.

Some of them also have a... not cartoony... but more like an animation cell quality - epecially the outlined water - which contributes to the frozen moment feel. Argh.. there is an artist in Richmond I want to reference but can't remember her name.

(just went to the website and saw that Luise Ross also shows TL Solien, whom i like a lot.)