thenextartmovement

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“But WAIT! What is Tango?”

This past weekend, Sombras Tango Cabaret opened at The Edge Theater in Chicago.  This is actually the 2nd time I’ve seen this production and definitely not my first exposure to the productions of Tango 21 Dance Theater, an organization started by Liz Sung and Jorge Niedas using “the language of Argentine tango to tell original, contemporary stories through live theater.”  Sombras Tango Cabaret is their fourth production following El Tango Café, Cambalache: A Holiday Story and Feathers: A Tango Journey.

Liz Sung (Madame Yvonne) and Jorge Niedas (Don Juan): Photo by Linda Kwon

The story follows Fantastic Frank (Trent Oldham) as both narrator and lead character dressed in red sequins, fishnets and fabulous boots (psst Trent, where did you get those boots? 😉). His story unfolds as he leads us onstage and behind the scenes though a theater production with the Tango Brigade. Though his point of view, the audience gets a survey of the history of tango and all its iterations though live performances whether it’s original music, dance or song.  On top of the skilled dancers and a well-rehearsed performance, there is never a dull moment. Fantastic Frank tells of his journey though tango as a way to cope with being outcasted from his family to finding a new tango family and then eventually confronting and reuniting with his past in a full-cast showstopper of “Che tango che”. My only wish was that they had a bigger stage.  The Edge Theater is a serious performance space and has been such a supporter of local theater production, but this is TANGO! It needs a theater with flare and pizzaz and SPACE!

L to R_ Hillary Leben as Helga, Valentina Muñoz as The Nymph, Trent Oldham as Fantastik Frank, Dawn Krajcik as Coco, Winita Lau as Miss Minnie: Photo by Linda Kwon

Now, that’s just my humble opinion.  I think it’s a fantastic show and everybody should run out a buy a ticket (Nov 15-17).  I’m seeing it again on Sunday.  BUT, I am not a theater critic nor am I a tango aficionado, but I am no stranger to Liz Sung, the writer and co-creator of the T21DT  productions.  Liz and I go way back to art school in the cornfields of central Illinois.  

Liz and I at graduation...a long time ago.

We lost touch for a bit when I moved to New York, but when we reconnected back in Chicago, we picked up right where we left off.  Liz was a photo major in college so it was natural that she now has her own video production company. Throughout the years, Liz has been a supportive friend and colleague.  So when she first told me she was doing tango, my overactive imagination took me to her performing in dance competitions like in the 1996 Japanese movie, “Shall We Dance”.  Boy, was I wrong! A couple years ago, I finally attended one of her productions of El Tango Café, I was completely floored that she actually created and wrote not just one, but four whole freakin musicals.  This is MY friend!!!!  Suddenly I was overwhelmed with joy and pride.  GO LIZ!  You rock! 😍 Let tango transform you!  🖖🏽

Liz Sung was born in Richmond, Virginia and grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. She attended Taipei American School, then Glenbrook North in Northbrook, IL and obtained her BFA in Photography from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 2000. She has her own video production business based in Chicago producing thought provoking videos for non profit organizations such as the Center on Halsted, Equality Illinois and the University of Michigan. Liz has been dancing tango since 2007, and performing and teaching Argentine tango with Tango 21 since 2010. She is co-founder at Tango 21 Dance Theater. As writer and co-creator, she has brought to life four original productions since the company’s founding in 2014. She is currently based in Chicago and the owner of Liz Sung Productions

[thenextartmovement]

Samsung Young - Smart Museum

Silver Moon or Golden Star, Which Will You Buy of me? is Samson Young’s first solo Museum exhibition in the United States.

Samson is a leading HK based multidisciplinary multimedia artist. He spent one year in residency studying the archives of the 1933 Chicago World‘s Fair, examining the idealism and optimism used to promote the World’s Fair at the peak of The Great Depression in the United States.

Here is Orianna Cacchione, curator of the Smart Museum and Samson‘s exhibition enthusiastically announcing the opening of the exhibition.

Guests must put on pink protective booties over their shoes walk past a giant lions ass to enter the exhibition.

Inside is a glowing video projection with 🍋 everywhere, including ones that run on painted black tracks on the carpeting.

Samson’s background was in music and many of his works either include sound or are interpretations of sound and music.

The exhibition contained 3 major video works as well as accompanying “sound drawings” and artifacts from the 1933 World’s Fair.

Two the days after the opening. We went to see Samson and Orianna again at Symphony Hall, where the Chicago Symphony normally performs.

I’ve been to Symphony Hall many times, but never got to sit on stage!

The performance consisted of a video piece of a “silent” choir whispering “We Are the World” and a selection of compositions from the World Fair archives performances by talented local musicians.

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MCA Chicago: Virgil Abloh

Virgil Abloh: "Figures of Speech," the first museum exhibition devoted to the work of the genre-bending artist and designer Virgil Abloh (American, b. 1980). Abloh pioneers a practice that cuts across media and connects visual artists, musicians, graphic designers, fashion designers, and architects.

Abloh cultivated an interest in design and music at an early age, finding inspiration in the urban culture of Chicago. 

While pursuing a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, he connected with Kanye West and joined West’s creative team to work on album covers, concert designs, and merchandising. 

In 2013, Abloh founded his stand-alone fashion brand Off-White™ in Milan, Italy, and in 2018 assumed the position of Men’s Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton.

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EXPO CHICAGO Highlights

“International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, concluded its eighth edition on Sunday, September 22, with record attendance of international collectors and curators alongside 38,000 visitors, exceptional presentations from exhibiting galleries and strong sales, in what was its most global edition to date.” - EXPO CHICAGO

At the VIP Preview day, visitors waited outside for the fair to open.

Here’s a view of the art fair from the vip lounges upstairs. The fair itself was quite large with 135 leading galleries from all over the world.

Below are some artworks that caught our eye:

Gordon Cheung, Edel Assanti

Daniel Arsham, Perrotin

Antonio Santin, Marc Straus

Danny Ferrell, MARINARO

Michelangelo Lovelace, Fort Gansevoort

Nick Cave, Jack Shainman

Gab Bois, Galerie Division

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Yinka Shonibare CBE at Dreihaus Museum

I love what the Dreihaus Museum is doing in Chicago. This is something near and dear to my heart. They are putting contemporary art inside period homes in a way that makes sense contextually. Of course the Dreihaus Museum is not the first historic house that shows contemporary art, but this is the first time I’ve seen it done it in a way that complimented the artist’s work!

Text from their website: The inaugural exhibition in the Driehaus Museum’s new contemporary art series, A Tale of Today, focuses on Yinka Shonibare CBE, an artist who draws on history, politics, and fashion influences to explore and critique our understanding of the past with equal doses of humor, irony and theatrics playfully woven in. All of the British-Nigerian artist’s work reflects the intersection of his English and African heritage and, in his own words, is “about raising questions rather than answering them.”

This exhibition features the artist’s earlier work, from photography series to sculpture installations. It is presented within the context of one of America’s great Gilded Age mansions - the Driehaus Museum’s home - creating compelling juxtapositions that will reveal new perspectives on both the art and its setting.

A Tale of Today provides opportunities for audiences to see the history of the Gilded Age through different lenses, and explore the social, class, racial and economic issues that make that history relevant to society now.

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Gordon Cheung does Chicago

London based @gordoncheung exhibited at the Edel Assanti booth at EXPO CHICAGO this September. 

Here he is in front of one of his paintings that was exhibited at the booth. Though usually not required for the artist to attend the art fairs, it was nice to have Gordon visit us in Chicago.

The week started with a visit to NADA’s Chicago Invitational at the Chicago Athletic Association.  After touring the fair/hotel, we found ourselves in the Cherry Circle Room for a lovely midday meal with friends, Dee and Giana Kerrinson.

It was so cool watching people get excited about his works and seeing them mesmerized by the paintings. Gordon is also very good at explaining his artwork to his fans.

Above is one of his smaller works that magically appeared in the booth and disappeared just as quickly.

On Saturday Sept 21, we hosted an artist talk for Gordon at the Chinatown Public Library in Chicago. Video coming soon...

After the talk, Edel Assanti and IS Creative Agency hosted a Chinese banquet for our collectors, collaborators and friends. 😋

Michael Zhou of Zhou B Art Center couldn’t let Gordon leave Chicago without some real Mexican food from Martinez Market. While scarfing down some tacos, we ran into Teresa Mah, our Illinois State Representative.

Overall, it was a fantastic and productive time having Gordon visit us in Chicago. We hope he comes back soon!

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Money: get into the small business mindset

As a person that works in academia and the arts as both a business owner and artist, I have first hand information about what business practices work and which are consistently underutilized by creative professionals. If I had to pick one topic every creative professional should start with, it is this. Your art is a business.

 It spiderwebs into everything you do and you have to start seeing it that way. You create your art home? Your home is your office. Your office is potentially a business expense. Your business expenses are deductible on your taxes. Don’t stop there. Did you take your clients out for dinner? That dinner is potentially a business expense. Do you use your cell phone for work related calls? Portions of your bill are potentially a business expense. Do you drive to purchase supplies? Portions of your gas and car payments may be a business expense. Expand on this train of thought and you can imagine how many of your day to day expenditures may actually be business overhead costs.

If you don’t already categorize your life in this way, ISCA can do it for you. Our tax professionals will sort through your collection of expenses and help you identify money you may have overlooked on your tax returns or in your bookkeeping. We have experience with artists and art centric businesses. Shoot us an email to talk a bit more.

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Inez’s Chicago Art Week Picks

We are excited about the art world descending on Chicago this September. There are so many great events and activities all around town.  Here are some of our favorites!!  <3

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16  

THE SHIP OF TOLERANCE OPENING RECEPTION 

6:00–8:00pm | Polk Bros. Park 

The Ilya & Emilia Kabakov Foundation presents The Ship of Tolerance, a dual public art installation and program in Polk Bros. Park at Navy Pier’s entrance. The mission of The Ship of Tolerance is to educate and connect youth from different continents, cultures, and identities through the language of art.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Samson Young: Silver Moon or Golden Star, Which Will You Buy Of Me? | Opening Reception

7:00–9:00pm | Smart Museum of Art

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 

CHICAGO INVITATIONAL VIP PREVIEW 

10:00 - 2:00 | Chicago Athletic Association

NADA is pleased to announce the first edition of the Chicago Invitational. The new contemporary art fair will take place throughout three floors of the iconic Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, with a curated selection of galleries in the hotel’s historic Stagg Court and Tank spaces, and a takeover of 13 hotel rooms on the fourth floor.

TOUR OF SUZANNE LOVELL INC. 

3:00-4:00pm | Suzanne Lovell Inc. 

Join us for a tour of Suzanne Lovell's private collection featuring a range of contemporary artworks in all media, with an emphasis on contemporary ceramics. Artists and designers represented include Marina Abramovic, Studio Job, Haas Brothers, Kiki Smith, Sam Moyer, Shannon Bool and Simone Leigh. Tour will depart from Lovell's studio loft space located in River North, entrance on the 2nd Floor. 

SAMSON YOUNG: WORLD FAIR MUSIC PERFORMANCE & CONVERSATION 

5:30–7:00pm Performance 

7:00–8:00pm Reception | Chicago Symphony Center 

In conjunction with his first U.S. museum exhibition, artist Samson Young and curator Orianna Cacchione will host an evening of conversation punctuated by musical performances at Chicago’s Symphony Center. Featuring a program of works drawn from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, this performance explores varying concepts of social progress and utopia. Presented in partnership with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, EXPO CHICAGO, and the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago. 

MARIANE IBRAHIM GALLERY 

INAUGURATION & GRAND OPENING 

8:00–11:00pm Grand Opening | Mariane Ibrahim Gallery 

Mariane Ibrahim Gallery is pleased to invite you to the grand opening of the gallery’s Chicago space. Join them for a celebration of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres alongside the private preview of Take Me to the Water, a solo exhibition of new works by Ayana V. Jackson. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 

AXA ART BREAKFAST AT THE ARTS CLUB OF CHICAGO 

9:00–11:30am | The Arts Club of Chicago 

Join The Arts Club of Chicago Executive Director Janine Mileaf for a private tour of the exhibition Abraham Cruzvillegas: The Ballad of Etc. Sponsored by AXA Art Americas Corporation. 

VIP PREVIEW 

Review the back of your VIP card for timed entry information. 

VERNISSAGE 

6:00–9:00pm | EXPO CHICAGO 

The Women’s Board of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago invites you to Vernissage, the opening night benefit for EXPO CHICAGO. While enjoying one of the most highly anticipated events of the fall art season, get an exclusive first look at artworks from leading international galleries. 

PATRON RECEPTION 

5:00–7:00pm | VIP Collectors Lounge 

An exclusive part of Vernissage, this ticketed event brings Chicago’s favorite restaurants together for a chance to sample the finest cuisine from top chefs while celebrating the opening of EXPO CHICAGO. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 

A TALE OF TODAY: YINKA SHONIBARE CBE CURATOR-LED TOUR 

10:00am | Richard H. Driehaus Museum 

Installed within the restored Gilded Age mansion, the inaugural exhibition in the Driehaus Museum’s new contemporary art series, A Tale of Today, focuses on the work of Yinka Shonibare CBE, an artist who draws on history, politics, and fashion influences to explore and critique our understanding of the past with equal doses of humor, irony, and theatrics throughout the museum’s renowned period rooms and decorative arts collection. 

TOUR OF IN/SITU WITH PROGRAM CURATOR JACOB FABRICIUS 

1:00pm | East Information Desk, EXPO CHICAGO 

2019 guest curator and Kunsthal Aarhus Artistic Director Jacob Fabricius will lead a private tour of this year’s IN/SITU program, featuring large-scale sculptures, new media, and site-specific works installed throughout Navy Pier’s Festival Hall. 

CHARTWELL INSURANCE EMERGING COLLECTORS TOUR 

2:00pm | East Information Desk, EXPO CHICAGO 

Led by a leading art advisor, this private tour welcomes EXPO CHICAGO guests looking to start a collection with works in the $15,000 range. 

TOUR OF EXPOSURE WITH PROGRAM CURATOR NAIMA J. KEITH 

3:00pm | East Information Desk, EXPO CHICAGO 

Join Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Vice President of Education and Public Programs and Artistic Director of Prospect.5 Naima J. Keith for a private tour of EXPOSURE, a curated component of the exposition dedicated to emerging galleries eight years and younger. 

TRUE NORTH: CANADA RECEPTION & TOUR 

3:00–5:00pm | VIP Event Space 

Cocktail reception followed by private tours of the exposition led by Curatorial Exchange participants and hosted by the Consulate General of Canada in Chicago. Special presentation and book signing of The Art of Diplomacy with former US ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, and co-author Vicki Heyman. 

THE PENINSULA CHICAGO ✕ KASMIN | REVERB: JAMES NARES, IVÁN NAVARRO, AND NAAMA TSABAR OPENING RECEPTION 

6:30–9:00pm | The Peninsula Chicago 

Special exhibition entitled, REVERB. The exhibition features work by James Nares, Iván Navarro, and Naama Tsabar, whose practices explore movement, sound, and electricity, engaging with the rhythm and structure of the urban environment. 

JEFFERY GIBSON: CAN YOU FEEL IT & 

KENNEDY YANKO: HANNAH AT KAVI GUPTA OPENING RECEPTION 

7:00–9:00pm | Kavi Gupta, 219 N Elizabeth St. 

Solo exhibitions, Jeffrey Gibson: CAN YOU FEEL IT and Kennedy Yanko: HANNAH. After-party to follow opening reception. RSVP required.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 

LEON POLK SMITH: ENDLESS SPACE COLLECTOR BRUNCH 

9:00–11:00am | Gray Warehouse 

Private brunch and viewing of the solo exhibition of Hard-Edge Abstraction painter Leon Polk Smith, which focuses on the artist’s 1960s Constellations series of shaped canvases. 

ARTIST TALK | GORDON CHEUNG

3:30-4:30 | The Chicago Public Library - Chinatown Branch

6:30 | Private Collectors dinner for Artist, Gordon Cheung

Join Inez Suen of IS Creative Agency at The Chicago Public Library, Chinatown branch to welcome London based artist, @gordoncheung and take an in depth look at the inspirations and motivations behind his artworks in his solo exhibition at the EXPO Chicago.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 

BREAKFAST AT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CHICAGO 

9:00–11:00am | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 

Breakfast in the Commons followed by a special viewing of Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech”, the first museum exhibition devoted to the work of the genre-bending artist and designer.

TOUR OF STONY ISLAND ARTS BANK 

11:00am | Stony Island Arts Bank 

Founded and led by artist Theaster Gates, the Stony Island Arts Bank is a hybrid gallery, library, and cultural center that serves as a platform to preserve, access, and reimagine archival collections of black history and culture. Tour the collection, featuring Frankie Knuckles’ personal vinyl collection, Ed Williams’ collection of 4,000 objects of “negrobilia,” and more than 60,000 glass lantern slides acquired from the University of Chicago.

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In L.A. w/ Tofer Chin

Earlier this month, we hosted a gathering at Los Angeles based artist, Tofer Chin’s studio for some of our friends.  I landed in LAX while Tofer was finishing up a mural at Maywood Academy and got to see the mural in progress...

The day before the open studio event, we met to discuss and organize the studio.  Contrary to the stereotypical chaotic messy artist work space, Tofer’s studio is an extension of his artwork with perfect proportions and clean lines. 

He actually designed and oversaw the construction of the space himself taking careful consideration of the dynamic natural light abundant in Southern California.  His studio is tidy and functional and we actually had to remind ourselves to stop cleaning or else people won’t believe he actually works there.

View from behind the artist’s work table.  (Special Thank you to Cookie Chang, our dear intern, for helping us set up!!)

Morning of the event, Tofer is still busy working on new works on paper.

This new open series of works on paper that Tofer had started when he was traveling in Spain with his family.  They are acrylic on paper, 9x12 and people are snatching them up like hotcakes.

Here’s Tofer showing Bryan Barcena Assistant Curator and Manager of Publications at MOCA LA his new paintings.

Gianna Drake-Kerrison, Hoojung Lee of Art All Ways, Dee Kerrison and Sara Hantman of VSF chopping it up about back-in-the-day in New York.

My absolute favorite are these new series, Ledge No. 1- 3.  Acrylic on Canvas 72 x 54 in 

No ISCA event can go without amazing food.  Thank you The Mood Board for creating this amazing spread for us!  IG @themoodboardla

No better way to end this week with Tofer Chin mural, Intentions at LAX Airport Terminal 7, Ticketing Lobby.

Interested in learning more about Tofer Chin or inquiries about pricing, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

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Collector Conversation with Demetrio (Dee) Kerrison

Danielle Obolevitch, ISCA intern, had the pleasure of interviewing Demetrio (Dee) Kerrison, a friend of ISCA. Dee and his wife, Gianna, are executives in the world of finance. Apart from their roles in finance, they have been collecting African American art for a while and have been actively supporting under-recognized artists. Through their collecting and support of artists of color, Dee and Gianna hope to support diversity and foster a community.

Dee Kerrison, Jerry Saltz and Inez Suen at the Independent Art Fair March 2019 in New York

Danielle asked Dee several questions about him, his time as an art collector, and his friendship with Inez Suen:

Danielle: With your backgrounds in finance, how did you and Gianna enter the world of art collecting?

Dee: I have always collected; comics as a kid; then record albums especially those with interesting covers; vintage movie posters and sneakers/shoes. I began to collect fine art when I moved to Southern California. I began attending photography art fairs and began collecting photographic images and books. I began collecting modern masters such as Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Gordon Parks, Howard Bingham, Roy DeCarava etc.  I transitioned from photography to Contemporary art focused on the African Diaspora after joining William H. Johnson Foundation (a non-profit organization which awarded a $25,000 juried prize annually to emerging African American artists.

Danielle: What was the first work you purchased?

Dee: The first art work I acquired were images by a photographer named Tony Gleaton who documented the African story across the Americas; specifically the African heritage in Mexico.

Danielle: As a collector of African American art, what do you hope to achieve with your art collection? 

Dee: a. Live with Art (Aesthetics). b. Reflect back to me images of myself, heritage, culture etc. c. Support artists of the African Diaspora who were undervalued, under-recognized and were making extraordinary work.

Danielle: What advice would you give to new collectors on getting started? 

Dee: See as much art as possible in museums, galleries etc. and attend art fairs. Also, read art publications to develop a point of view and gain some understanding of the artists and their practice.

Danielle: How did you meet Inez and get involved with ISCA? 

Dee: Me and Inez were introduced a few years back by a mutual friend (an art gallerist) during Art Basel Miami at a Jack Shainman beach party.

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Tofer Chin Studio Visit

Walking into Tofer Chin’s studio, I immediately noticed the huge white walls and sprawling windows that extended all the way up to the ceiling. Those walls did not disappoint. The right side displayed all of his new pieces, a conglomeration of black and white hung purposefully against the pale backdrop. As we spent the entire afternoon setting up for the joint Tofer/ISCA studio event for the next day, I had the privilege of spending time with Tofer and learning about his creative process. He told me that he really paid attention to the clean lines and the way they interacted with one another. I kept that in mind as we continued to hang his pieces. 

Tofer hanging up a piece for the Event

Earlier that day, Inez and I went to Maywood Academy High School to watch him and his crew finish up a community mural on the side of a building. They had been working since 6 AM that day. By the time we got there, the noonday sun was already ablaze. The simple yet impressively intricate design was displayed beautifully on the side of this school building. The interwoven blue and white pattern was finely tuned into precise, even strokes.

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Art around L.A. part II

We didn’t have an expert art guide for our 2nd day of art exploration in LA, but Cookie (ISCA intern) and I covered quite a lot of ground in the little Hyundai Elantra rental car. 

First and foremost, we went to Venice Beach and stopped at Iris Projects...wait...Iris what??  Yup, it’s the gallery formally known as the Samuel Freeman Gallery.  They closed its doors on La Cienega Blvd in Culver City  a couple years ago and have been working on a secret project.

Well, I don’t know how much of a secret is it, but I’m not posting any photos until they open cuz you have to go check it out for yourself.  Sam Freeman is responding to a changing art market and in rethinking “the gallery,” has given us a new space and a different way to appreciate art in a more relaxed environment.  On September 21, he is debuting his new space with a show by Martin Mull, “HARVEST”

Over at Various Small Fires, they continue their commitment to sustainability with their second solo exhibition by The Harrisons.  The artworks collected in this exhibition, dating from 1970 to the present are the The Harrisons idea to “mediate the extinction of our natural world, and provide a rough and ready blueprint for countering the extinction now upon us.”

After a quick refill of Matcha roti and coffee at Cafe Dulce 🤤 in Japanese Village, we headed over to Hauser & Wirth.

David Hammons invites the visitor to imagine themselves homeless in his site specific installation in the courtyard of Hauser and Wirth filled with tents with the words “This could be you” stenciled on the them.  

Inside the vast galleries, are a breadth of David Hammons’s works of all shapes and sizes, medium and materials, cardboard boxes, framed photographs, tarps with deliberately poked holes to expose color, fur coats, a big red ball....  The more I saw, the more I began to appreciate the wit, humor and depth of the works.  Wishing I had more time...

Next, off to MOCA LA to visit Bryan Barcena, Assistant Curator and Manager of Publications.  

The last time I was in L.A. during Frieze Art Fair in February, I visited Elliott Hundley’s studio and saw a mock up of this exhibition Open House: Elliott Hundley that he and Bryan work on jointly.  It’s pretty much exactly as they planned it, CONGRATS!!!  🙌🏼

In this group exhibition, Hundley explores “the architecture and origins of collage, exploring how the visual and material logic of this technique has informed artists in MOCA’s collection, as well as his own practice.”  This sculpture is the piece of his own that they included in the exhibition.

MOCA LA also has an extensive permanent collection.  This is Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Six Crimee from 1982, 72 x144 in 

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Art around L.A. part I

While in L.A., I met up with dear friend and art collector, Dee Kerrison for an amazing day around town.  Started at Petit Trois, it was indeed the closest thing to eating in France in Southern California. mmm...that bread... 🥖

With full stomaches, we drove to the Marciano Foundation.  Donna Huanca’s OBSIDIAN LADDER huge installation was suppose to “triggers the senses through painting, sculpture, sound, scent, and performance” but we went on a day where there wasn’t any performance (I hear they are nude 🙊).

Off to DTLA!  We rode the Angel’s Flight, L.A.’s historical 118-year-old funicular up the hill....

...it was like traveling through time...the juxtaposition of industrial age locomotive to contemporary architecture of the Broad Museum and Disney Concert Hall is extreme.  

We first went to see Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963-1983.  It’s a comprehensive survey of contemporary Black artists and movements spanning two decades, with a special section dedicated to L.A. based creators.  Quincy Jones curated a soundtrack to see the exhibition free to download on apple music.  

Icon for My Man Superman (Superman Never Saved any Black People - Bobby Seale), 1969, by Barkley Hendricks

Faith Ringgold, The Flag Is Bleeding (1967)

Then we went upstairs of the Broad to see their permanent collection.  

Here’s Dee taking a closer look at Mark Bradford’s Helter Skelter I, 2007

Eyes and Eggs by Jean-Michel Basquiat 1983

Norm’s, La Cienega, On Fire, Ed Rucha 1964

What is a trip to the Broad without stopping in Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors?  

Thanks Dee for showing me the best of L.A.! 🙏🏽

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Cherry Creek Art Festival

The Cherry Creek Art Festival is an annual festival in Denver, Colorado. This year was the 28th! It was a three-day event, from Friday to Sunday during the week of Fourth of July. This was my first time attending this Cherry Creek Art Festival, and I spent a whole morning exploring it.  

I went to the event on Friday morning, so I wasn’t expecting there were many people there. But when I arrived around 10AM, many people were already there! That’s amazing!!

Around three hundred exhibiting artists were at the festival. Their works were all amazing! Anne Cubbage is one of the impressive artists. She uses every image in the book and hand-carved it. Each image is exactly where it was located in the book, but the layer makes them compose a complete scene. 

Anne Cubbage’s booth Photo from: Anne Cubbage’s facebook

In addition to these amazing artists and artworks, the Cherry Creek Art Festival offered other various events, such as music concerts and art experience. People could sign up an art class, and then drawing their paintings with others under the guild of instructor. I was trying to sign up the class, but unfortunately, it’s already full. 

Drawing together with these many people must be very interesting!

Of course, they had food trucks to feed people who were hungry after walking through all the booths. 

- Regina Huang

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Moscow: Shchukin Biography of a Collection

During my recent trip to visit family in Moscow, I was able to visit the Shchukin Biography of a Collection exhibition at The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. Sergei Shchukin (1854-1936) was a Russian businessman and art collector that was fascinated by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Throughout his life, he became both a patron and longstanding associate of artists such as Henri Matisse. As an assemblage of works collected by not only Sergei Shchukin, but also his three brothers, the exhibition is huge in scale and occupies a large portion of the museum. I found myself wandering through almost the entire museum for several hours as I listened intently to the audio guide in my native language. As one of the most prominent and widely renowned collections of European Modernist art, I was excited to step foot into a museum I had never visited before in order to explore this temporary exhibition. As I walked through the collection, I found myself enamored by the works and trends of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Lilac in the Sun by Claude Monet, 1872-73 oil on canvas. 

I was amazed by how many people I saw contemplating the works of artists such as Paul Signac, Camille Pissarro, Gustave Courbe, Claude Monet, Frits Thaulow, and others in this gallery!

A collection of Paul Gauguin’s works, such as the work in the bottom center: Gathering Fruit. Tahiti Is A Wonderful Land (Ruperupe) by Paul Gauguin, 1899 oil on canvas.  I was a bit confused by the placement of Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of Doctor Rey, 1889 oil on canvas at the top right! 

Here’s a picture of me listening to the audioguide in front of Paul Cézanne’s Pierrot and Harlequin, 1888 oil on canvas. 

Henri Matisse’s The Pink Studio, 1911 oil on canvas.

Listening to a description of Pablo Picasso’s Old Blind Man with Boy, 1901 oil on canvas. The gallery guide referred to it as one of his early works from his “blue period”. 

Friendship by Pablo Picasso, 1908 oil on canvas.

Jaguar Attacking a Horse by Henri Rousseau, 1910 oil on canvas. 

Prior to exiting the museum, I spent some time sitting and observing Henri Matisse’s massive and renowned work, The Dance (La Danse), 1910 oil on canvas. This work was commissioned by Sergei Shchukin as part of three large scale canvases he used to decorate the staircase of his home in Moscow.

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Artist: Choi Sangchul

This past Art Basel Hong Kong, while having dimsum with friends, Joanne Lim, Founder and Director of J&S International Art Project, shows me this youtube video clip of a guy making art by rolling around a stone.  This immediately caught my attention, and lucky me! I happen to be flying to Seoul the following week.   

So Joanne picked me up at the hotel and we drove about an hour outside of the city to the Korean countryside where we pulled off onto a gravel road and up to this brown nondescript building.  Here, we were greeted by a 5ft tall, older Korean gentleman with wispy white hair and speaks at just slightly above a whisper.  

Choi Sangchul was a professor to university students of western oil paintings for many years.  Even while he taught full time, he was very studious about creating art and through regimented practice, developed his own artist voice.  And since retirement from teaching, he is now dedicated to his paintings.  He has set hours where he works and keeps tedious records of his progress.  

We enter into his spotless studio where there were several stacks of paintings.  Mr Choi with the help of Joanne’s translations starts telling me about his practice.  I think we started with his more traditional Korean abstract paintings from the 80′s.  At a mighty 5 ft, this man lifts paintings two times his size as if they were paper...actually, i thought it was paper.  Boy was I wrong!  It’s acrylic ink on linen!!  He stretches the canvases himself AND he doesn’t use a paint brush!! 🤔

In Choi’s older works, he uses deliberately planned strokes and more colors.

As Mr. Choi pulls away layers, the paintings become more contemporary and it’s clear that he has become very established in his style.  Mr. Choi has created for himself a very disciplined process to create art in order to eliminate the human ego from the paining process as much as possible.  He creates a type of stroke with an object (stone, stick, wire) in sketch form on paper, and then executes them on canvas.  Creating the marks, he leaves somewhat up to chance, sometimes as simply as flipping a coin, but always in repetitions of 1000.

Sketches of possible future paintings

Choi making marks on a painting with metal wire

It was an honor to meet Mr. Choi and visit his studio.  What’s next?  We hope to bring Mr. Choi’s work to the United States and work with US based galleries and insitutions, so more people can see more of his works.  :)  Want to know more? Please contact us for more information!

Choi and I in his studio in Seoul, Korea

Choi primarily works on the ground in his studio.

Sticks and branches Choi uses for his tools.

Using round stone dipped in acrylic paint to make marks on this painting.

Choi amongst his works in his studio.

Platter of river stones, hand picked by Choi for use in the studio.

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Detroit: Shinola Hotel Art Program

The art program at the Shinola Hotel - curated by Detroit-based gallery Library Street Collective - emphasizes the brand’s roots in Detroit and growth globally. The collection features works by a significant number of Detroit artists, as well as those nationally and internationally who have presented their work through exhibitions, murals and installations in the city. Aesthetically, attention to graphic composition mixed with classic styles and text-based work reflect the convictions of the brand and compliment the well-considered design of the hotel. The art offering is full of surprises, bringing elements of bright color and 3-dimensionality to public space. The works included in the collection have unique stories but collectively touch on themes of personal experience, perseverance and triumph.

Artists include: Nick Cave, Charles McGee, Beverly Fishman, Robert William Moreland, Tyree Guyton, Cassi Namoda, Willie Wayne Smith, Scott Hocking, Hank Willis Thomas, Paul Kremer, Jason Revok, Wendy White, Scott Reeder, Sam Friedman, Greg Fadell, Tiff Massey, McArthur Binion, Mark Flood, Mario Moore, and Cody Hudson

Really good BLT too while I take it all in.