Eugenio Dittborn's "Airmail Paintings" at Alexander and Bonin
Eugenio Dittborn has been producing “airmail paintings” since 1984. Born and based in Santiago, Chile, Dittborn studied art at the University of Chile, then in Paris, Madrid, and West Berlin. Eventually, he began to experience a certain “phobia of painting,” which led to experimentation in rather unconventional materials, ranging from bird feathers to burnt motor oil to the jute sacking material used in Chile to transport potatoes. Despite this marked departure, the ghost of
REVIEW: Gutai at Fergus McCaffrey
In 1954, Japanese artists Shozo Shimamoto and Jiro Yoshihara formed an avant-garde art group called Gutai. The name means “embodiment” and “concreteness,” the separate kanji character ‘gu’ means tool, measures, or a way of doing something. ‘Tai’ means body—both existing in the physical form of a body, and existing under a national body which discouraged individualism. Formed during post-war Japan’s reconstruction period and active until the early 70’s, the artists were young
REVIEW: Tomás Saraceno's "Solar Rhythms" at Tanya Bonakdar
Argentinian born artist Tomás Saraceno is an unconventional renaissance man. First formally trained as an architect, he also holds postgraduate degrees in art and has completed the International Space Studies Program at NASA. He holds the world record for the first and longest certified fully-solar manned flight. He has lectured at MIT and presented at the Venice Biennale—I would guess there is only a small handful of people can say they’ve done both. Saraceno is now based in
REVIEW: Rita McBride's "Particulates" at Dia Art Foundation Chelsea
A site-specific commission, Rita McBride’s Particulates is housed in a dark concrete warehouse, next to the Dia Art Foundation Chelsea offices. The sign on the door warns “DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ANY LASER BEAMS!!” I go during the last week of its eight-month long run, with the impression that an air-conditioned gallery would be a welcome break on a hot summer day. I was mistaken—the first thing any viewer notices upon stepping inside is the oppressive humidity. H
