Jan Fabre set for groundbreaking show at Hermitage in St.Petersburg 2016

Belgian artist Jan Fabre has been invited to The Hermitage museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, for a monumental, one-man exhibition in September 2016.

MIAMI BEACH – At the SCOPE International Contemporary Art Show in Miami Beach this week, Jan Fabre had several works being exhibited by MAM Mario Mauroner Contemporary Art gallery based in Vienna, Austria. Positioned near the main entrance, Fabre’s colorful and macabre pieces caught the eye of most visitors to the show.

Skull with magpie 2001 Jan Fabre

His works using animal parts, such as Skull with magpie, include jewel-beetle wing cases and stuffed, dead animals. While they may provide some challenging visual images for inquisitive collectors, their iridescent attraction is undeniable.

MAM’s Judith Radlegger was among the gallery’s representatives at SCOPE, answering a virtually non-stop flow of questions from interested art lovers. But one of the most interesting tidbits she revealed was the recent announcement that Jan Fabre will have a massive exhibition at the Russian State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg in 2016.

Fabre will be the first living artist to have such an exhibition at the historic venue, which is happening at the invitation of Hermitage Director, Mikhail Piotrovsky. It will be curated by Dimitri Ozerkov, who recently was in charge of the renovation and grand opening of their new contemporary art wing. Fabre’s installation will take up to 30 rooms in multiple buildings and is sure to make headlines and draw the attention of the international art world, as did a previous installation at the Belgian Royal Palace in 2002. The palace’s Mirror Room and chandelier were covered with the wings of more than one million beetles.

Heaven of Delight (seen from below) 2002 Jan Fabre

At SCOPE Miami 2014, Fabre’s colorful pieces were also drawing attention, and many visitors stepped up close to the work to get a better look at the intricate beetle wings used to make the pieces. Encased behind glass, King Leopold II in the Air (from the series Hieronymus Bosch in Congo) utilized thousands of the tiny wings mounted on wood in the form of a crown.

Detail from King Leopold II in the Air (from the series Hieronymus Bosch in Congo) 2012 Jan Fabre

Skull with rabbit 2014 Jan Fabre

SCOPE runs through Sunday December 7th, but if you couldn’t make it to Miami this year, and you won’t be heading to Russia in 2016, you can catch one of his many other international exhibitions. Check out his currently running shows via his website here: http://janfabre.be/angelos/en/running/

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ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS BY LANCE ARAM ROTHSTEIN

An Odyssey of Imagery: Joel-Peter Witkin at Keitelman Gallery Brussels

Joel-Peter Witkin “Love and other Reasons”

at Keitelman Gallery Brussels

January 24 – March 29 2014

NOT FOR THE TIMID OR EASILY OFFENDED.

Joel-Peter Witkin – “Paris Triad” 2011

Don’t miss this rare chance to experience an odyssey of imagery in the photographs of infamous American artist Joel-Peter Witkin. His unmistakable style combines caustic and corrosive techniques with traditional darkroom printing to present a unique and often startling tableau. Calling on a wealth of symbolism from mythology, legend, and painters of the past, Witkin composes meticulous scenes in makeshift studios with subjects spanning the entire experience of human life, and death.

Joel-Peter Witkin was born in New York in 1939. After honing his technical skills as a documentary photographer in the US military, he studied visual art and received his MFA from the University of New Mexico. Witkin still lives in Albuquerque where he continues to innovate and build on his well-established career. This exhibition “Love and other Reasons” at the Keitelman Gallery brings together a wealth of different pictures, mostly from the last fifteen years.

Viewing Witkin’s images is not an endeavor to be taken lightly. Many have castigated the artist and his work and even some of his fans find it difficult to look at. Witkin often uses human body parts and corpses in his photographs and the people who pose for him fill the spectrum of humanity, from the traditional beauties to the drastically deformed. Witkin himself once advertised for models exhibiting “…all manner of visual perversions…” and that is what the viewer will encounter in his images.

Joel-Peter Witkin – “Anna Akhmatova” 1998

But perversion is not what Witkin sees, and those who “get” his work also see the beauty that can be found in the compositions he presents. Recalling still-life paintings by the Flemish masters, many of his photographs gather an ensemble of objects with an infinite capacity for symbolic interpretation, and like the “vanitas” of the 17th century Witkin uses these symbols to spark introspection.

Joel-Peter Witkin – “Still Life with Mirror” 1999

Witkin uses his lens and his creativity to shine a light in to the darkest corners of the mind and of human existence and asks us to consider, what is the nature of life, of death, of beauty, of fear? Do we look in the mirror and see the transitory nature of all life and earthly endeavors?

Joel-Peter Witkin – “Poussin in Hell” – 1999

“Hellish” is a word that can often be conjured when viewing Witkin’s work. And like the demon-filled representations on medieval church walls, these photographs offer a story that is more powerful than mere words can express.

Joel-Peter Witkin – Paris Triad: “Death is like lunch… it’s coming.” – 2011

Don’t be alarmed and ask “what’s the world coming to?” He’s not subjecting you to anything that Hieronymous Bosch didn’t envision six hundred years ago. But unlike Bosch, Witkin’s story is not about exposing evil. On the contrary, his pictures embody an innocence of sorts. It’s easy to look away. To dismiss them as merely provocative. But look more deeply into the images (and into yourself,) and you may glimpse what Witkin is searching for.

“There’s two times in life where you’re totally innocent: before birth, and at death.”

– Joel-Peter Witkin

Joel-Peter Witkin – Paris Triad: “The Reader” – 2011

If you can gather the mental constitution to let go of your preconceptions and step through the looking glass provided here, you’ll be rewarded with a wealth of stunning images you’re not likely to forget. Witkin is certainly a master of his craft. He can invoke the spirits of Dante and Dalí and bend them to his will.

With a cadre of dedicated assistants, he often spends days sketching and laying-out his elaborate scenes before any photography occurs. He then spends as much time again working the negatives and prints into his unique mixture of photo, graphic, collage, and chemical reaction.

Joel-Peter Witkin – “Eternity Past, Berlin” – 1998

This exhibition at the Keitelman Gallery offers a fairly wide array of Witkin’s work ranging in time and subject matter. Many of his newer pieces include almost vibrant colors, not a characteristic often associated with his earlier work. And some of the photographs have been hand colored, where previous prints of the same image were only presented in black and white. Painting and collage elements have become more prevalent in Witkin’s arsenal of visual weaponry over the past ten years, proving the artist has not ceased evolving.

Joel-Peter Witkin – “Woman with Small Breasts” – 2007

 Witkin is not an artist resting on his laurels. He continues to investigate the nature and meaning of human experience when many others have resorted to platitudes. With a well-weathered soul he still searches for that common innocence that lies within the essence of all things. And though it might remain just out of reach, Witkin keeps taking up the challenge.

~ LANCE ARAM ROTHSTEIN – FEBRUARY 9, 2014

Joel-Peter Witkin “Love and other Reasons”

at Keitelman Gallery Brussels runs January 24 through March 29 2014

for more details visit: http://www.keitelmangallery.com/

KEITELMAN GALLERY / RUE VAN EYCK 44 / B-1000 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

TEL +32 2 511 35 80  / EMAIL KEITELMAN @ KEITELMANGALLERY.COM

OPENING HOURS: TUESDAY – SATURDAY 12:00 – 18:00
OR BY APPOINTMENT

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PHOTOGRAPHS WITH THE “LABEAURATOIRE” LOGO BY LANCE ARAM ROTHSTEIN

ALL OTHER IMAGES ARE FROM THE KEITELMAN GALLERY WEBSITE

A Quick Trip through Life with Pierre Lefebvre @ Delire Gallery Brussels

A Quick Trip through Life with Pierre Lefebvre

New Paintings at Delire Gallery Brussels – January 31 – March 1, 2014

This large canvas of a carousel in the front window, beckons all who pass by, to enter the Delire Gallery in the Ixelles art district of Brussels. Inside the small, bright space are six more from Pierre Lefebvre’s series of seven new paintings.

Unless you have a French heart, (or perhaps a Russian one,) it might be slightly difficult at first, to find cohesion between the images presented in this exhibition. The vibrant swirling carousel is accompanied by four medium canvasses, each depicting a solitary pigeon on cobblestones, one of a large, gray section from an anonymous cemetery, and a small, lovely and colorfully detailed painting, which appeared to my American eyes to show a fancy fan-pull.

But after a short guide from gallery owner Sébastien Delire, the brilliance of this ensemble becomes blindingly clear.

Transported back to our childhood, we see the carousel spinning round and round with blurring speed. Each vehicle is a path of destiny.

The gallery’s accompanying pamphlet (which I did not read until later,) states it perfectly:

“On which ship did you escape reality? Which animal took you on a travel?

A rocket, an elephant, a tank, a carriage, the police motorcycle, the horse?” 

What did you dream of? Which path did you choose in life?

Next comes the large room. Each of the four walls carries a single canvas, (two shown here) framed alone by the vast whiteness. Four depictions of a pigeon, walking around on cobblestones, seemingly aimless.

Aren’t we all like this pigeon? Slightly confused by our surroundings, just trying to make it through life, get some food, avoid harm, not quite sure what’s coming next.

The viewer must turn in a circle to see each painting in this room.

Do you still feel like you are on the carousel?

In Lefebvre’s previous exhibition. I noted that he had a knack for capturing obscure little snapshots of life, small vignettes depicting scenes that most others wouldn’t think twice about. And these pigeons are like that as well. As we all walk, drive, ride our way through life, how often do you stop to notice the pigeons? They’re always there, going about their business. Trying to make due, same as you. It’s always the children who have a free enough spirit to get excited about pigeons on the street. Well… children and those photographers with the heart of a child. In every square you can see children running toward the pigeons, scattering them like a cloud of magic dust, and also a photographer, crouched inconspicuously, trying to capture them in motion.

Lefebvre, with his child’s heart and snapshot-like paintings, has captured them here and presents them for you to consider, in a manner you’re much more comfortable with. Art on a wall.

Do you feel more grown-up now?

Good, because now we move on to the next room.

The final room is much more cramped and poorly lit. The exact opposite of the previous room. Here there are two paintings on opposing walls. One is a very large, drab canvas that looms from high on the wall. It depicts a section of graves in a cemetery. Yes, death comes for us all. I will not try to represent this imposing painting with measly pixels. Go see it for yourself. Even being there I felt I had to step out of the room, backing up to try and take it all in. But you can’t really accomplish that task. You’re forced to be in the room with it. It invades your personal space. You must confront it, or turn away.

And in turning away, Lefebvre, with a wink, gives you a little chance at a way out.

This small painting I thought was showing a fancy fan-pull, is actually a traditional feature of some European carousels. This small ball and tassel, similar to the Brass Ring on some American carousels, is dangled barely within reach of the riders.

If you are lucky enough to grab the right one. You get to ride again!

Can you reach it? Do you get a Free Life? Re-start? Do-over? Reincarnation?

What will you dream of this time?

New Paintings by Pierre Lefebvre

on show at Delire Gallery Brussels – January 31 – March 1, 2014

http://www.deliregallery.com/

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ALL IMAGES IN THIS POST ©PIERRE LEFEBVRE

Written by Lance Aram Rothstein 2/7/2014

RJFC Hits Brussels with Trashy Street Art

RJFC Hits Brussels! ~ Stickers #38, #39 & #40

    

On two separate trips to Brussels recently, I made these stickers using only trash found on the streets there.

RJFC Sticker #38 was completed using trash found on the streets of Brussels.

I made it while sitting at Le Pain Quotidien in the Galerie de la Reine in Brussels.

I left it the same day on a wooden construction barrier beside the Montana Shop & Gallery Brussels along Rue de la Madeleine. (above)

RJFC Sticker #39 was also completed using trash found on the streets there

and made while sitting at Le Pain Quotidien in the Galerie de la Reine in Brussels.

I left it the same day on a Taxi Parking sign in Brussels near Rue du Marché aux Herbes.(above)

RJFC Sticker #40 was completed a few weeks later, also using trash found on the streets of Brussels.

I made it while sitting at Café de la Presse on Avenue Louise near Ixelles in Brussels.

I left it the same day on a Dior perfume advertisement outside the Ici Paris XL perfume shop

on Chaussée de Waterloo at the intersection of Rue Vanderkindere.

Brussels is a great place to find materials on the ground to work with and also a great place for stickers. I see new and interesting ones every time I visit.

More coming soon!

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Do you LIKE me? www.facebook.com/rayjohnsonfanclub
USING TRASH OFF THE STREETS TO MAKE ART ON THE STREETS.
I use only trash and found items to collage these handmade, signed & numbered stickers. They are made to compliment my larger works which in which I use trashy paperback book covers, record & magazine covers, CDs, posters, postcards and other mass-produced media as a base for my hand-cut & paste collages, which I usually leave out on the streets for anyone to enjoy (or destroy.)

See all my stickers here!

or find out more at: www.rayjohnsonfanclub.com SERIOUSLY TRASHY STREET ART!

Pierre Lefebvre at Delire Gallery in Brussels

If you’re in the neighborhood, (possibly for the Mapplethorpe show at Xavier Hufkens) don’t miss this delightful small exhibit of paintings by Pierre Lefebvre at Delire Gallery in Brussels, running through 3, August 2013.

Lefebvre is showing some very unique paintings which really draw the eye of passers-by. They are like little windows onto a world which he has chosen to present to his audience. Only the window is one of frosted glass, and the scene isn’t a majestic landscape or remarkable event. Instead Lefebvre has chosen to present little vignettes in the every-day life of towns and cities.

The back of a dusty billboard, a bird’s-eye view of a warehouse, a rat’s-eye view of a rubbish skip, these are the kinds of things you can vaguely recognize through the window Lefebvre has given you to look through. And you’re thankful. He makes you stop and smell the roses.

And sometimes those roses are just crumpled Belgian flags, laying in puddles on the ground after a visit from the King.

Or the broken sign and missing poster from a Turkish advertising frame, somehow transformed into a portal of sorts, through which you might wish to pass into a peaceful, more pleasant world.

This isn’t the kind of work you see every day, so don’t miss your chance to catch this unique little exhibit.

 Pierre Lefebvre at Delire Gallery in Brussels, running through 3, August 2013.

ADDRESS
Rue de Praetere 47D
1050 Brussels, Belgium

GALLERY HOURS
Wednesday to Saturday, 1 to 6 pm

CONTACT
office(at)deliregallery.com

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Intimate Mapplethorpe show at Xavier Hufkens in Brussels thru July 27

Don’t miss the unique opportunity to see some of Robert Mapplethorpe’s exquisite early work at the Xavier Hufkens gallery in Brussels, running through July 27, 2013.

Mapplethorpe’s 1975 self portrait (at right) is among many treasures on display at Xavier Hufkens.

Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-89) was an absolute master of black and white photography. He is world-renowned for his classical portraits of the famous and beautiful, and for his stark presentation of the New York gay leather scene.  Many have touted the technical mastery of his large prints made from his medium format Hasselblad camera, but few people know about the small, intimate Polaroid pictures that marked his induction into photography in 1970. Those one-of-a-kind, instant photos, some of which have never before been exhibited, make this show a must see event for any connoisseur. Of course, keep in mind there are graphically sexual and controversial images in this exhibit, so those who are easily (or even not so easily) offended should  take this into consideration.

“Robert Mapplethorpe Au Début (works from 1970-79)”
The front window at Xavier Hufkens Gallery

The show is titled “Robert Mapplethorpe Au Début (works from 1970-79)” and features 95 pieces. In addition to the 29 Polaroids and the numerous, traditional, silver gelatin prints, there are three early multi-media / collage works which offer a rare insight to the graphic process that preceded Mapplethorpe’s photography.

Robert Mapplethorpe – Untitled multimedia collage. Early 1970s
On exhibit at Xavier Hufkens

This untitled collage (above) from the early 70s includes two Polaroid pictures with geometrical collage elements. Interestingly, the blue/gray background element appears to be photographic paper exposed with a grid of dots using the “photogram” or “rayograph” method pioneered by Man Ray and others.

Viewing Mapplethorpe’s Polaroids at Xavier Hufkens
Photo by Lance Aram Rothstein

The relatively small Polaroid pictures necessarily draw the viewer close and this adds to their inherent intimacy. Mapplethorpe used the instant camera to capture friends and lovers, and these images have a certain spontaneous spirit that seems to be lacking a bit in the later, well-known studio pieces.

Untitled (Randy), 1975 B&W Polaroid by Robert Mapplethorpe

Polaroid enthusiasts will notice that some of these “B&W” pictures clearly benefit from the warmer tones offered by some of the early pack-films. And they will also be pleased to see that even legends like Mapplethorpe had to deal with the unpredictability of instant film technology.

Untitled (Nickey Waymouth) B&W Polaroid by Robert Mapplethorpe on display at Xavier Hufkens.

Pardon the poor image (above) shot through reflective glass, but notice the tell-tale Polaroid roller marks which still irk many an instant shooter today.  These anomalies are one of the things that make instant photographs so special and unique. Unlike a heavily lit, heavily worked darkroom print, these little gems were made “in the moment” and were likely shared with the subjects soon after they were shot.

Producing these little, instant, “arranged windows” may have led Mapplethorpe to explore what eventually became his strongest suit: composition. It seems as though he viewed all the elements of this world to be shapes and forms for him to arrange and compose within his own little, four-sided presentation box called the “photograph.”

Untitled, 1974 B&W Polaroid by Robert Mapplethorpe

Many people try to contemplate and judge the content of Mapplethorpe’s photographs, but when one simply studies the composition of the images, he seems to have taken a page out of Mondrian’s book. The world we inhabit is made up of shapes and spaces. Some of those shapes are flower petals, others are faces with expression, and others are dildos and sinks and whips and trees and hands and stove knobs and yes, some of those shapes are erect penises. And some of the spaces are sky, while others are assholes. Shapes and Spaces, all to be thoughtfully arranged, lit and captured with equal importance and reverence, just as were Mondrian’s lines and boxes.

Piet Mondrian Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray, 1921 © Art institute Chicago

Robert Mapplethorpe photographs at Xavier Hufkens

Moving on to the square-format of the Hasselblad camera seemed to strengthen his emphasis on composition. These four, square photographs, (above) hung together at the Xavier Hufkens Exhibition, highlight precisely this idea of arranging shapes in a box. You can imagine hearing Mapplethorpe thinking to himself, “Okay, here are the shapes and spaces I’ll be working with today, how shall I light them and place them in my little square box in a way that will be pleasing?” – And therein lay his brilliance. He always found a way that was pleasing, and this allowed pure emotion to shine through. Like the pure emotion a wild animal might feel when looking at a sunset before settling down to sleep.  No baggage!

Of course most humans can’t escape their baggage.  Many people can’t find a way  to get past the content to appreciate the highlights and shadows  of Mapplethorpe’s mastery.

Lily, 1979 by Robert Mapplethorpe

Phillip, 1979 by Robert Mapplethorpe

Take these two photographs (above) for example, on display in the exhibit. Most people can look at the flower and just think, “Oh, that’s nice, what lovely shapes and shadows.” But some people look at the second image and can’t help but wonder “Why this man is wearing toe-shoes, Why is he naked, Is he gay? Is he a transvestite? Why are you showing me this? Are my tax dollars funding this?”  They never allow themselves to even see the shapes and shadows.

Viewing the Mapplethorpe exhibition at Xavier Hufkens

I guess the real point is, there’s beauty to be found in everything. And Robert Mapplethorpe was one of the rare souls who not only realized that, but was able to capture it and present it to others in hopes of sharing that beauty. Don’t miss this rare chance to appreciate those efforts. Make the trip to the Xavier Hufkens Mapplethorpe Exhibit before it closes on July 27.

Xavier Hufkens Gallery at 107 Rue St-Georges in Brussels.

Photographer Joel-Peter Witkin said: ” As an artist, (Mapplethorpe) went out into the dark and came back with the best of what he saw in humanity and in himself. He was rare. It’s very hard to render emotions through a camera. Robert was a bright light, throwing light on aspects of mortality that society usually denies. He caught emotion.” Quote from the book “Mapplethorpe: Assault with a Deadly Camera” ©1994 by Jack Fritscher, Ph.D.

Viewing the Mapplethorpe exhibition at Xavier Hufkens

IF YOU GO:

Xavier Hufkens Gallery at 107 Rue St-Georges in Brussels Belgium

Tel. +32 (0)2 639 67 30
info@xavierhufkens.com
Open Tuesday to Saturday,
11 am to 6 pm

More Info?  http://www.mapplethorpe.org/

ALSO – If you do make the trip to see this exhibit, you should pop just around the corner to see the nice Pierre Lefebvre exhibition at the Delire Gallery running through the 3rd of August, 2013.

ALL WORDS AND IMAGES © BY LANCE ARAM ROTHSTEIN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

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ON THE STREET in: Sticktacular BRUSSELS.

Melange of stickers in Brussels.

For today’s visit to Brussels I decided to focus on the myriad stickers to be found during my walk around the Central Station, the Royal Palace, & the new Hard Rock Cafe in the Grand Place.  Most people don’t even realize this underground world of stickers exists. After you see this post you’ll never be able to ignore them again. ~ Enjoy…

Nice Blue face & heart. This was my favorite sticker of the day. (By Narcoze)

Blue Captain Deux ?

Another nice custom job. My 2nd favorite of the day. Anyone know who this is by?

This is quite nice. I don’t know if it’s half-torn or if it was designed like this. Either way it’s intriguing.

nice work by Sjero.com

this “CG” is simple yet eye-catching.