Chelsea Gallery Visits

PACE WILDENSTEIN
Maya Lin: Three Ways of Looking at the Earth
September 10, 2009 - October 24, 2009

The Pace Wildenstein gallery on W22 currently features the work of Maya Lin. The exhibition is based on Lin's interest in landscape as well as topography and allows the viewer to re-imagine the natural world in the interior space of a gallery. The three large scale installations are based on two real topographies and one that has been imagined. The 2x4 Landscape, perhaps has the most presence in the interior space. It is made up of 50,000 vertical 2x4 pieces of wood arranged in such a way that it ends up resembling a small mound or a hill. It is a quite impressive piece, especially considering the amount of time it probably took to make.

The two other works, Blue Lake Pass and Water Line are based on actual topographies. Blue Lake Pass is composed of 20 individual units that form narrow passageways resembling those of a mountain pass, while Water Line is a suspended wire installation which explores the underwater landscape.

What's perhaps most successful and interesting about these pieces is the fact that we can interact with work. We can view it from different angles as well as navigate through and around it. In a way. Maya Lin is making these somewhat inaccessible landscapes accessible to the viewer.




PACE WILDENSTEIN
James Turrel: Large Holograms
September 10, 2009 — October 17, 2009

Jame's Turrell's solo exhibition at PaceWildenstein on W25 features fifteen large scale transmission light works all ranging between five and six feet. I have seen this exhibition a few years ago, but it's always nice to revisit and perhaps gain a new perspective or outlook on the artwork.

Turrell plays with geometry and color but also with the aspect of illusion and the physicality of light. The geometric shapes and colors change depending on where you are in relation to the work. This results in an interaction between the viewer and the piece itself. Although at first glance the holograms appear to be similar, as you walk through the gallery each piece is actually quite different from the previous.


LEHMAN MAUPIN GALLERY
September 10, 2009 - October 17,2009
Juergen Teller

Juergen Teller's work did not resonate with me in the same way that perhaps Maya Lin's work did. The exhibition featured large scale photographs of two nude women in the Louvre. The women were juxtaposed against classical marble sculptures from antiquity. It appeared almost as if the women were trying to imitate of mimic the actual statues. However, Teller's snapshot quality did not portray the female nude in the best light. When we look at or think of classical sculpture, we think of something beautiful. By placing these women amongst these statues and shooting in the way that he did, it seemed almost as if he was trying to mock classical sculpture or the concept of beauty in general. I'm not quite sure...but maybe that's what he was going for.



ANDREA ROSEN GALLERY
Josiah McElheny
September 12, 2009 - October 17, 2009

Josiah McElheny focuses primarily on glass blowing as well as the assemblage of glass and mirrored glass objects. The main piece, is located in the center of the gallery. The artist has assembled and stacked up colored blocks of glass creating a kind of architectural sculpture resembling a miniature skyscraper. This specific piece somewhat reminded me of Donald Judd's work, simply because of its minimalist approach and nature.

The exhibition also features a series of white "paintings" (nothing I haven't seen before) which I couldn't help but associate with Rauschenberg's work. The other pieces are actually wall mounted cabinets which hold glass blown vessels all in sets of red, yellow, blue (primary colors). The cabinets play with the concept of the removal of ornamentation from objects of everyday use. I thought they were kind of cool and contemporary looking.