The Armory arts show, 2011

The Armory Show—my photo friends and I go every year!

3 years ago on Saturday, March 7th, 2009 my friend Edward, who runs Wired New York, organized a meet-up for local photographers at the Armory Show out on Pier 94 by 12th Avenue and the Hudson River—and we've gone to the show every year since!

I have some past blog posts showing the contemporary art that I've admired at the show over the years, and here's another one:





"New York is a lot of work" - $1,000 worth of dollar bills foil stamped by Reed Seifer


From the 'Untitled' Gallery in New York - $576.60 worth of pennies
laid out on the floor by Los Angeles artist Ry Rocklen


From oliva arauna galeria - 'Three Women', consisting of one photograph,
six light projectors and six tripods.


The Armory Fence - site-specific neon installation by Ivan Navarro, 
Displayed by Paul Kasmin Gallery




'I Love U' 2009 piece by Kira Kim, made of LED bulbs and mixed media pieces.
Shown by Kukje Gallery in Seoul, Korea and the Tina Kim Gallery in New York.


My friend and I taking pictures of a cool piece by Michelangelo Pistoletto
set up by the Giorgio Persano gallery

Scattered Light in Madison Square Park

I saw images of this public art installation set up in Madison Square Park on flickr, and with the park being near my office I went over after work to try and catch it in both light and dark. The display is up through February and features LED lights put together by new media artist Jim Campbell.

Some interesting information and more pictures here on NYC <3 NYC's blog.

Dumbo Arts Festival 2010

This was my third time at the Dumbo Arts Festival. Last year I went solo and this year I went with a group but ended up wandering off by myself to explore more of Pier 1 and Brooklyn Bridge Park. There were musical performances including a marching band, some wedding photos taking place, and an actual wedding ceremony on the park lawn with the Manhattan skyline as the backdrop. I also came across some cool dance routines being performed out on Pier 1 with the picturesque Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

More pictures here of the dancers.

Wedding ceremony taking place on Saturday during the festival

Brooklyn Bridge Park, on the rocks

View of the Manhattan Bridge from inside an artists' studio at 10 Jay Street

Views from Bushwick, Brooklyn

Over the weekend there was an open studio event in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Bushwick is located southeast of Williamsburg and close to Queens. Artists opened their studios to the public as part of Bushwick Open Studios 2010. Visitors could talk with the Artist, check out their work space and view works in progress. A lot of the "studios" were the Artists' homes and they were very nice and spacious—with paint and canvas everywhere!

I went with a group and toured maybe 25 studios out of 300. It was very hot and we were in and out of numerous buildings. I don't know why the heat waits to break out on the weekends when people are out exploring the city, then goes away during the week when people are safe inside their offices...

Anyway, it was an inspiring arts festival showcasing many forms of fine art, studio art and mixed media.

From almost every street and outdoor patio in Bushwick, you can get a glimpse of The Empire State Building and the rest of the Manhattan skyline.

For some reason, it always looks so blue... maybe it's the Yankee's colors?

View from a roof deck at Troutman Studios


Manhattan skyline faaaaaar in the background





Inside an Artist's studio at Troutman Studios


Many canvases inside an Artist's studio


Art supplies


Signs outside Artist Studio #116

The Affordable Art Fair

The Affordable Art Fair is my new favorite art fair in New York. It was similar to The Armory Show, which was rows and rows of 20th and 21st Century fine art set up in gallery booths from all over the world.

This show was comprised of rows and rows of fine art from both young talent and established artists and galleries, but it wasn't as overwhelming and the artwork seemed closer to home (lots of city scenes). I didn't buy anything because my walls are already covered with Jack Vettriano, Le Chat Noir and vintage James Dean posters, but the theme is affordable art ranging in price from $100 - $10,000.

While there I enjoyed viewing works from local NYC galleries, London and Toronto galleries, and even the familiar studios in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Below are some of my favorites.

Julio Brujis, 'New York', digital photographic print
at the Mark Jason Gallery booth from London


Floyd Douglas, Dutch artist, photography on canvas
on display at The Art Shop booth from Amsterdam

Stephen Brooks, acrylic on canvas pieces from Behr-Thyssen LTD in New York

Museum of Modern Art - it's been a while

It's been a while since I've visited the Museum of Modern Art.

I went back in January in an attempt to view the Tim Burton exhibit (up through April), but didn't get there in time for one of the limited-available tickets.

While there I enjoyed viewing works by Gabriel Orozco, the Bauhaus artists and of course, Monet.

Gabriel Orozco's Samurai Tree Invariants (ended Mar. 1)


The entrance to the Bauhaus 1919-33: Workshops for Modernity exhibit
(ended Jan. 25)


Monet's Waterlillies

At the Armory arts Show

The Armory Show, which was first put on in 1913 as the "International Exhibition of Modern Art", now occurs every year in March. It is the place to see contemporary art from artists, galleries and collectors from all over the world all in one spot—two big spots that is, being Piers 92 and 94 out on the Hudson.

I went last year and was so pleasantly surprised and so exhausted after walking among miles and miles of gallery art that I couldn't wait to return this year and fill my camera card to the max with more color, people, shapes and outrageous things again.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Dumbo Arts Festival '09

I'd been looking forward to the annual Art Under The Bridge festival in Dumbo, Brooklyn since last September when I first attended and saw this unique neighborhood for the first time. It provides great views and chances to see new contemporary art from up and coming artists.

This year, by the time I went (which was Sunday, the last day of the festival), there wasn't much going on since a lot of outdoor performances and installations were either over or had been rained out. But I still got to see a few cool pieces indoors and out:

From inside Smack Mellon studios on Plymouth Street

Ellen Driscoll's 'Revanent: New Work' inside Smack Mellon

Under the newly improved Archway on Water street,

below the Manhattan Bridge

rainy sign

out in front of powerHouse Arena on Main Street, facing the Manhattan Bridge

outdoor installation in Brooklyn Bridge Park, near the Brooklyn Bridge

Inside DAC (Dumbo Arts Center)

Gustave Caillebotte at the Brooklyn Museum

I visited the Brooklyn Museum and zipped up to the 4th floor galleries to see Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party, a permanent installation at the museum in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center's Herstory Gallery. This triangular dinner table is a FAMOUS piece of feminist art. Anyway, that's another post I believe.

Then I went on up to the 5th floor to see what I came to the museum to see, Gustave Caillebotte: Impressionist Paintings From Paris to the Sea. Yes! I'm a huge Impressionism lover.

It was at this exhibit that I realized: I don't go to museums to see pictures, I go to museums to take pictures of people looking at pictures. It's always great to see the young ones educating themselves, or the elderly taking camera phone pics.

Brooklyn Museum

On Saturday March 28th I went to the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. I'd never been before but I walked past it last year in May when I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens to see the last day of the Cherry Blossom Walk's bloom. The two venues are right across the street from each other.

I was drawn to this museum because I wanted to see Gustave Caillebotte's paintings in an exhibit that had just opened the day before on March 27th. The New York Times covered it and suggested viewing it, but I would have seen it no matter what. Caillebotte was a French Impressionist, and Impressionism is my favorite art movement of all.

It took 5 subway transfers to get me there, but it was worth it to not only see paintings by Caillebotte, but works by Georgia O'Keeffe, Diego Rivera, Judy Chicago, Auguste Rodin, Kara Walker and Kehinde Wiley—all artists I studied throughout high school and college.

More to come on this wonderful place of art and creativity!

View from across the street on Eastern Parkway



the lawn out front

1st floor lobby, directing "Everybody" towards the exhibit halls

1st floor lobby looking out onto Eastern Parkway, with sculptures
by various artists including Auguste Rodin!