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Michael Genovese opened his 3rd solo show at Moran Bondaroff on La Cienega on Saturday night. I have to admit I was very impressed with these intricately painted works and the perfection that Genovese achieved.
Large, very gessoed canvas' painted in grids in Polyurethane (basic car paint). The surface was magnificent with few if any imperfections. His concept is that these came from his word searchs on his mobile phone where the colored grids would appear while the phone did its thing. Not entirely sure that I get this connection to the art but they are very nice! Historically they bring up Mondrian and his use of grid and color This show is a far cry from his "cracks in the wall" show Lines and Cracks and Zebras and Horses" at Ow Wow Gallery in 2013. In the small back gallery were small paintings, really small! Lucian Smith had a series of "small" oil on linen paintings, 5 to be exact. About the size of a sheet of paper and about that interesting. From a distance they could be read as waves on the beach but up close this effect was lost. Forbes featured Smith twice in its 2013 and 2014 list of 30 under 30 in their "Art & Style" list and the New York Times and Vogue Magazine both named him the art world Wunderkind. I didnt get either of those in this small show but hey I did enjoy the proximity to the bar! "The art world is much, much larger today; indeed, I’d say that there are multiple art worlds. It's more complicated for artists to make it today because it's harder for them to identify where they fit in, to find an authentic voice, and to find a community of support. But, there are also a lot more opportunities out there. I think it’s important for young artists find a network and be part of it, really participate, attend, and engage in what’s around you." I saw this quote today from Elizabeth Ferrer, the vice president of contemporary art at BRIC Arts Media in Brooklyn. The funny thing about the quote is that she points it towards "younger" artists. Those of us that have been in the art world for a while are right there with that mind set! I feel frustrated about not fitting in and not understanding what is important anymore. Im not entirely sure those that do fit in feel like they fit in! It seems like every 6 or 8 years there is a new, weirder than the last time, art movement that just peters away and changes the art world once again and everyone that was beginning to understand where we were going, gets lost again! At a recent art fair, I was struck by how much "art" was really arts and craft and thought to myself that Martha Stewart could have another big career if she ever gets tired of glueing beads on bottles. Why is it that as artists age, movers and shakers start looking for younger and younger artists? Is it kinda like having a mistress? The art world is all about experience and what is on your resume or at least that was what I have always be told. I always thought that the resume dictated prices and the long term value of any artists work, Im beginning to think this is wrong and that I should just start partying with Leonardo DiCaprio. How many times do you go to openings and see artists with relatively nothing on their resume's? No shows, no awards, nothing outside the US and yet the biggest names in the artworld are buying their works as fast as they can and then, ZOOM!, they are represented at Gagosian or Paula Cooper! |
AuthorTodd Williamson artist. Categories |
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