Art for the Pop of It: May 2013

James Rosenquist, Marilyn Monroe 1, 1962

Jasper Johns, Target

The Pop Object ‘The Still Life Tradition in Pop Art’

100 11th Avenue, at 19th Street,

Chelsea

Through May 18

Benny Andrews was born into a sharecropping family in Plainview, Ga., in 1930; went to a local college on a scholarship, dropped out, joined the Air Force and ended up at the Art Institute of Chicago, where, as one of the few black students, he felt ill at ease. By the end of the 1950s he was in New York, making figurative paintings that were also collages and sculptural reliefs built up from scraps of recycled clothing. The work, social and political in content, had little to do with mainstream styles of the day.

The 36 pictures at Michael Rosenfeld span Andrews’s career. One of the earliest pieces, “Dinner Time” from 1965, is a straightforward oil-on-canvas domestic scene; “Liberty #6 (Study for Trash) (Bicentennial Series),” made six years later, is a symbolic depiction of a parade float carrying headless nude soldiers and a woozy blond, flag-swathed Lady Liberty. In the time between those pictures, Andrews (who died in 2006) was active in the civil rights movement, taught art in a New York jail, and helped found the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition, which campaigned to have major museums recognize African-American art.

Allegory and genre, sometimes combined, remained his dominant modes; experiments with high-relief fabric collage continued. In subject Andrews’s art continued to be of its time; in form it never was, which limited its circulation. Rosenfeld, working with Andrews’s widow, the artist Nene Humphrey, is working to give the career the visibility it deserves. An institutional survey, accompanied by an edition of Andrews’s invaluable and voluminous journals, is in order, letting us see an important body of work and an important American life in full.

Acquavella Galleries

18 East 79th Street,

Manhattan

Through May 24

Pop Art’s continuation and subversion of the still life tradition is not exactly a new idea, given that the first museum show devoted to Pop — at the Pasadena Art Museum in California in 1962 — was titled “New Painting of Common Objects.” This show, organized by the art historian John Wilmerding, is accompanied by an ostentatious catalog at least partly designed to encourage sales, and is installed almost as gracelessly as an auction-house display. Still, it has clarity on its side, thanks to Mr. Wilmerding’s thematic divisions: flowers and plants, household objects, body parts and clothes, and food and drink. It also expands beyond the usual Pop suspects to include the slyly three-dimensional paintings (depicting roses and lima beans) of Marjorie Strider and a soft sewn-and-stuffed-fabric coffee-table still life by Jann Haworth, as well as works by John Wesley, Stephen Antonakos, Robert Arneson and H. C. Westermann. The vacuum-cleaner piece by Jeff Koons is perhaps an expansion too far.

But mainly this is a great cherry-picking exhibition, most notable for a handful of unfamiliar, rarely exhibited or outstanding works. Among these are Jim Dine’s “Five Feet of Colorful Tools” (1962), with its playful confusion of objects, shadows and silhouettes; Vija Celmins’s giant hyper-real sculptures of a pencil and a rubber eraser, as spellbinding as ever; and Marisol Escobar’s carved wood (with drawing and painting) portrait of Andy Warhol. Edward Kienholz’s “Cement TV,” a portable television neatly coated with cement, seems sardonically anti-Pop. The show’s oddest surprise may be “Steel Plant II Rubber,” a welded-steel representation of a rubber (not a steel) plant by Larry Rivers, from 1959. The single most thrilling sight by far is Roy Lichtenstein’s “Black Flowers” from 1961, a somewhat crudely rendered masterpiece that merges painting, drawing and commercial printing. At once exuberant and desiccated, and on loan from the Los Angeles collector Eli Broad, it justifies the whole show. ROBERTA SMITH

Still Life #30

Reverie

POP! goes the Figge

A piece from Andy Warhol's "Ladies and Gentlemen," foreground, is on display in the exhibit "American POP!" at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport.
IF YOU GO
What: "American POP!"
When: Today through Sept. 8; hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; there is free admission for nonmembers from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays
Where: Figge Art Museum, 225 W. 2nd St., Davenport
How much: $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens (60 years and older) and students with an ID, $4 for those 3-12 years old
Information: 563-326-7804 or FiggeArtMuseum.org
Among the various colorful pieces in the gallery at the Figge Art Museum's new pop art exhibit are three large blueprints.
Most of us see blueprints as more practical than artistic, but these bear a second look when you see the locations depicted:
• Wayne Manor, the home of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, the alter egos, respectively, of Batman and Robin.
• The home of Mike and Carol Brady of Los Angeles, which housed their bunch of kids and a maid. (For the record, it has three bathrooms.)
• A plat of the "city" of Mayberry, N.C., where Sheriff Andy Taylor kept the peace.
Is it art? It's seen as that in "American POP!" opening this weekend at the Figge in downtown Davenport.
Curated by the CU Art Museum at the University of Colorado in Boulder, "American POP!" has its Andy Warhol representation (a pair of 1974 silkscreens from his "Ladies and Gentlemen" series), a pair of Roy Lichtensteins (including one of a pointing finger titled "Untitled (Finger Pointing)" and some works by Robert Rauschenberg, with three rather one in various styles.
But there's also a re-creation of a Brillo pad label; works by artist John Baeder, who has three portraits of classic old diners, and linocut artist Wayne Theibaud's delicious "Boston Cremes," which shows 10 desserts ready for the taking.
"Some of the art exhibited here is not traditionally seen as pop art," Figge associate curator Rima Girnius said.
The works, she added, are reactions to both the modern expressionist era and the consumer-driven culture that drove America after World War II.
"Pop artists really abandoned expressionist and embraced a more external environment," she said. "They tried to reverse the elitism of abstract expressionism."
The end of the war brought a continuous set of changes, she said.
"Life was completely transformed by the presence of ovens and washing machines and supermarkets that provided massive amounts of cheaply packaged foods," she said.
"Pop art was kind of a response to this consumer-driven society because they appropriated sort of simple, everyday materials and imagery that was taken from the mass media world," she added.
That includes seeing the homes of the Bradys, Batman and Barney Fife.
"The homes that we see on television seem nearer and dearer to us than the homes of our neighbors," Girnius said. "We know more about these fictional families than our neighbors."
"American POP!" she added, "sort of reflects a media-obsessed culture."

Lyman Allyn Art Museum opens Pop Art exhibition

Lyman Allyn Art Museum announces the exhibition, "Pop Goes the Easel: Pop Art and its Progeny", opening March 3 and on view through Aug. 10. The exhibition is guest curated by Barbara Zabel, Ph.D. professor emeritus at Connecticut College.

By exploring traditional modes of easel painting, Pop artists of the 1960s radically expanded the possibilities of how art is made and how it is viewed; thus they opened up multiple pathways for artists coming to maturity in later decades of the twentieth century.

Pop Goes the Easel includes works by male pop stars like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, as well as works by women artists like Idelle Weber and Marjorie Strider, who were marginalized in the male-dominated decade of the 60s. The exhibition also explores the myriad avenues opened up by Pop in the more politically engaged decades that followed.

Exhibition programs and events:

Gallery Talk

March 6: Pop Goes the Easel! with Barbara Zabel and Devon Elovitz, at 4 p.m. Admission for members is $5, for non-members it is$10. To make reservations, call (860) 443-2545, Ext. 129.

Artist Talk

March 28: Let ‘er Buck, artist Nancy Davidson; Reception at 5 p.m., presentation at 6 p.m. Admission for members is $5, for non-members it is $10. Call (860) 443-2545, Ext. 129 to make reservations.

Lecture

April 4: "Pop on the Dark Side: Performance Art and Pop Art" by Karen Gonzalez Rice, Connecticut College Art History Professor; Reception at 5 p.m., lecture at 6 p.m. Admission for members is $5, for non-members it is $10. For reservations, call (860) 443-2545, Ext. 129.

Film Screening

April 11: "The Films of Andy Warhol," with Ross Morin, Connecticut College Film Studies Professor, at 4:30 p.m. Admission for members is $5, for non-members it is $10. Call (860) 443-2545, Ext. 129 to make reservations.

Lecture

May 16: "Lichtenstein Revisited" with Janis Hendrickson Mink, Reception at 5 p.m., lecture at 6 p.m. Admission is $5 for members, $10 for non-members. To make reservations, call (860) 443-2545, Ext. 129.

Free First Saturdays

Join us each month for a fun family day with free admission from 10 a.m. to noon.

Art activities and snacks for ages 5 – 12 are available on First Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m., free with Museum admission.

Check www.lymanallyn.org for updates and additional programming. Tours of the exhibition will be available for groups. Lyman Allyn Art Museum is located at 625 Williams Street in New London.

Pop goes the art classes at the Campbell River gallery

Are you ready to get Poptastic? Join instructor Shannon McKirgan for a fun and educational kids’ class all about Pop Art at the Campbell River Art Gallery in May.
The class, for children aged seven to 12, takes place over three sessions, Wednesdays, May 8, 15 and 22, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Kids will be inspired by Pop Art geniuses like Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud, David Hockney and Claes Oldenburg, as they create a range of pop art pieces, including photo collage, portraits and soft sculpture. Pop art saw imagery from popular culture infilltrate fine art and it was pop-a-rific!
Instructor Shannon McKirgan is a painter and recent Emily Carr University graduate. Her work has been exhibited locally - most recently at the CR Art Gallery’s 31st Annual Members’ Exhibition, where she won an Award of Excellence, and the Muir Gallery in Courtenay. She has an upcoming solo show at the George Sawchuk Gallery.
The cost for Pop Art Pandemonium is $43 for CR Art Gallery members and $53 for non-members. All supplies are included. Winter/Spring Children’s Classes are sponsored by the Friends of CR Art Gallery.
Stop by the Campbell River Art Gallery Tuesday to Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., call 250-287-2261, or email programs@crartgallery.ca to find out more about this great kids’ class.

Fantagraphics Books, Inc.

Fantagraphics Books, Inc.
7563 Lake City Way NE Seattle, WA 98115
Media Contact: Jacquelene Cohen
cohen@fantagraphics.com | 206.524.1967
www.fantagraphics.com

May 2, 2013 – Seattle, WA. The late French artist Guy Peellaert was among the most influential figures in European pop culture throughout his career. His collaborations with personalities like Serge Gainsbourg, Yves Saint Laurent, Mick Jagger, Wim Wenders, David Bowie, Martin Scorsese, and others left an indelible mark on contemporary culture. The legacy of this important artist is celebrated in a new book and exhibition, Guy Peellaert: The Adventures of Jodelle and Fragments of the French Pop Years at Fantagraphics Bookstore opening May 11, 2013.
The book begins with Peellaert’s stunning 1965 comic album The Adventures of Jodelle, newly translated by Fantagraphics co-publisher Kim Thompson. The deluxe volume then examines the breadth of the artist’s work in comics, illustration, graphic design, dance, film, and fashion, including his infamous 1967 “Happening” at the Passage Saint André des Arts that culminated with models fully disrobing – resulting in sensational headlines worldwide while raising the bar for avant garde fashion.
The opening at Fantagraphics Bookstore on Saturday, May 11 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM includes musical entertainment by K recording artists Angelo Spencer performing lyrical French language songs. Pop Art aficionados, Francophiles, and music fans alike will appreciate this event, which coincides with the festive Georgetown Art Attack.

Listing Information

Guy Peellaert: The Adventures of Jodelle and Fragments of the French Pop Years
Opening Saturday, May 11, 6:00 to 9:00 PM
Musical entertainment by Angelo Spencer
Exhibition continues through July 9, 2013
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale Street. Seattle, WA 98108
206.658.0110 | www.fantagraphics.com
Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM
________________________________________
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© Fantagraphics Books, Inc | 7563 Lake City Way NE Seattle, WA 98115 | Toll Free: 1-800-657-1100 | Outside USA: 206-524-1967 | Fax: 206-524-2104

Barneys New York Launches Roy Lichtenstein Limited Edition Collection In Collaboration With Art Production Fund

NEW YORK, May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Barneys New York, the luxury specialty retailer, has partnered with the estate of Roy Lichtenstein and Art Production Fund to launch a limited-edition collection of home goods, available exclusively this summer at Barneys New York.
The summer-themed collection includes trays, placemats, china dishes, glasses, paper plates, paper cups, pillows, flying discs, pool floats, water bottles, and beach accessories, including bags, towels, and beach balls covered in Lichtenstein's iconic Pop Art images of the '60s, '70s, and beyond. Lichtenstein original artwork utilized for this special collaboration includes Ice Cream Soda (1962), Drawing for Kiss IV (1963), Baked Potato (1962), Bananas and Grapefruit I (1972), and much more.
"Barneys New York is thrilled to partner with the estate of Roy Lichtenstein and Art Production Fund," said Mark Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Barneys New York. "This collaboration has been in the works for some time. It's very exciting for us to mesh Barneys' appreciation of art with our desire to bring exclusive and limited-edition product to our customers, including our Chelsea Passage customers."
25% of all sales from the collection will benefit Art Production Fund, a non-profit founded by Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen and directed by Casey Fremont Crowe which supports public art projects. The collection will retail between $28 and $295 and will be available at the Barneys New York Madison Avenue flagship, as well as Beverly Hills, Chicago, Miami and Barneys.com.
"We are honored to be a part of this collaboration that provides the public with greater access to Lichtenstein's iconic and rarer works," said Art Production Co-Founders Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen. "The playful collection pays homage to the artist's longstanding interest in designing his own functional objects and in American consumerism in general."
In addition to the collection, Barneys New York will dedicate its famed windows to Roy Lichtenstein with an installation conceived by Barneys Creative Director Dennis Freedman. The windows will be unveiled and the collection will be available for purchase in late April.
About Roy LichtensteinRoy Lichtenstein (born in New York City, 1923) was one of the leading figures of the Pop Art movement. Depicting American pop culture and mass media with a sense of irony, Lichtenstein's distinct style has made him an icon of the 20th century. Lichtenstein found inspiration in popular advertising and the comic book aesthetic, and his artwork is recognized globally today. During the 1960s, Lichtenstein exhibited at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York alongside Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist, and Andy Warhol. Lichtenstein continued creating works until his death in 1997. His artwork has been celebrated in numerous retrospectives worldwide.
About Art Production FundArt Production Fund (APF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and producing ambitious public art projects, reaching new audiences and expanding awareness through contemporary art. Recent projects include: SHOW, Vanessa Beecroft, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1998; PLAN B, Rudolf Stingel summer 2004, Grand Central's Vanderbilt Hall and The Walker Art Center; Prada Marfa, Elmgreen & Dragset, Valentine, TX, 2005, permanent; Greeting Card, Aaron Young, Park Avenue Armory, 2007; Electric Fountain, Noble & Webster, Rockefeller Plaza, 2008. The Ghosts, Sue de Beer, Park Avenue Armory, New York City, 2011; After Hours: Murals on The Bowery, New York City, 2011; David Brooks, Desert Rooftops, NYC, 2012; Josephine Meckseper, Manhattan Oil Project, NYC, 2012; Kiki Smith, Chorus, NYC, 2012; Yoko Ono, Imagine Peace Times Square, NYC 2012; Yvette Mattern, Global Rainbow After The Storm, NYC 2012; Ryan McGinley, Taxi TV, NYC, 2013. Co-Founders: Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen; Director: Casey Fremont Crowe.