Artillery Magazine

Tag: mural

  • OUTSIDE LA: Emily Oliveira Geary Contemporary, New York

    OUTSIDE LA: Emily Oliveira
    Geary Contemporary, New York

    Hidden amid the bustle of the Bowery, one of New York’s most chaotic streets, is Geary Contemporary, a gem of a gallery that has been quietly making a name for itself with engaging exhibitions of emerging artists. In its latest show, Red Velvet, Orange Crush, Geary presents new sculptural and quilted works by Emily Oliveira.

    Taking over both of Geary’s gallery spaces—the one on Bowery, as well as their upstate New York location in Millerton—Red Velvet, Orange Crush, is a rich example of contemporary textiles. Oliveira combines different colors, textures and materials, including velvet, cotton, cyanotypes, beads and sequins, to create amorphous sculptures and quilts that resemble orifices. Depicting scenes of transformation, both supernatural and natural, the whole of the show seems to challenge our understanding of order and logic. Oliveira takes this otherworldly, science fiction feeling further by treating the entire space of the gallery like her canvas, paintings the walls with a rich ombre of colors that resemble a celestial sky.

    Oliveira’s hints of velvet command attention. In Two Goddesses Witness the Miraculous Resurrection of an Ox Under a Solar Eclipse, Even as Two Dogs Fight Over the Bones (2021), a black velvet circle representing the sun sucks in the viewer’s eye as if pulled by some unknown, otherworldly source. Below the black orb are, as the title states, two goddess figures, fighting dogs and an ox in the process of resurrection. Nearby, in The Goddess is Transfixed by The Blood Moon Reflected in the Water at High Tide (2021), velvet appears again in a rich, red moon and its reflection in the water’s surface, as well as in a fiery orange flame emanating from the goddess’ head.

    Emily Oliveira, I am weak with much giving, I am weak with the desire to give more (2022) on view at Geary. Courtesy of the artist and Geary Contemporary.

    While subtle hints of velvet serve to emphasize specific details in these works, it is the main attraction in a giant, amorphous sculpture installed in the corner of the room. Titled I am weak with much giving, I am weak with the desire to give more (2022), the lustrous, sparkling velvet surface dazzles. The sculpture’s folds and flaps seem to be moving, as if alive or about to come alive. Wedged in the corner, the sculpture appears to have bubbled out from the building’s cracks.

    Oliveira’s show comes at a time when textiles are increasingly celebrated in New York. Just across the street from Geary Contemporary is Faith Ringgold’s stunning solo show at the New Museum, which includes quilts, sculpture and paintings from throughout the 91-year-old artist and women’s rights activist’s long career.

    Emily Oliveira, We Are At a Moment That Will Be Remembered as the Beginning of the Great Change, For Who Can Say When a Wall Is Ready To Come Down mural at Bandshell, Courtesy of the artist and BRIC

    Like Ringgold, Oliveira also excels as a mural artist. Her exhibition coincides with a new wall mural in the Lena Horne Bandshell at Prospect Park. Titled, We Are At a Moment That Will Be Remembered as the Beginning of the Great Change, For Who Can Say When a Wall Is Ready To Come Down, the vivid mural depicts a pink brick wall and brightly colored figures engaging in an apparent scene of rebirth or transformation. Oliveira created the piece, on view through May 31st, to celebrate moments of collective action, in particular the groups that rose up against violence and hate over the last year.

    Whether coincidence or clever scheduling, the juxtaposition of Oliveira and Ringgold’s work can be seen as aspirational. With Oliveira’s mastery of her techniques and mediums, in particular her memorable use of velvet, her work stands strong in such impressive company. It would come with little surprise to see Oliveira follow in Ringgold’s esteemed footsteps.

    Red Velvet, Orange Crush is on view at Geary Contemporary at 208 Bowery and 34 Main Street in Millerton, New York through April 8th.  

  • CODAworx Takes Over the Desert Extreme Public Art

    CODAworx Takes Over the Desert
    Extreme Public Art

    CODAsummit 2021 was marked by an in-person conference in Scottsdale, AZ which coincided with the dramatic light/art/water event titled Canal Convergence. While there was a COVID-friendly digital component for those not in attendance, the turnout was relatively staggering—a volume of renowned artists, museum directors and some of the heaviest global art fabrication companies all making the trek to the Arizona desert.

    For those not familiar with CODAworx—simply put, it is an organization with a purpose of bringing together the needed elements to create public art on a massive scale. CODAworx touts itselves as “the hub of the commissioned art economy.” It is a singular place where those commissioning art can link to creatives, fabricators, engineers and most any others needed to actualize a project. A thrilling announcement at the conference was that CODAworx is nearing the $2 billion mark for commissioned public works; Yes, billion with a B.

    The conference wasted no time diving into controversial issues around both COVID and problems with the traditional art institution model. Christy MacLear (inaugural CEO of SUPERBLUE, Rauschenberg Foundation, etc.) moderated a panel with artist and museum professionals that addressed The Reimagined Museum. The theme that continued to surface during this panel was how COVID regulations forced the archaic museum model to finally adapt, with new ideas, contemporary programming systems and nontraditional methods for engaging the public. Jeremy Strick (Director, Nasher Sculpture Center) spoke about the series of the “Nasher Windows” exhibitions that were presented to remain relevant during a time of nonpublic gathering. It’s worth noting that nearly all changes made in programing during COVID were highly successful and will be remaining in some context moving forward.

    CODAworx organized presenters in a grounding dualistic approach, with conceptual art conversations were followed by tangible presentations such as the talk by Daniel Tobin, co-founder of fabrication powerhouse UAP. Daniel addressed the current need for manufacturing on a global scale—UAP has a facility in Australia, China and New York—but also the menagerie of difficulties that come from manufacturing public art on that scale.

    The Reimagined Museum panel. Photo credit: M.O.D Media Productions

    The final component of CODAworx is the actual creative, the artist. Plenty of interesting presentations focused on the use of solar panels, robots or some tech in the artwork, but the standout artist was one with a far more traditional process. Los Angeles painter Ryan Sarfati, aka Yanoe, found his artistic footing while straddling large-format mural production with an AR twist. Yanoe takes both his moniker and learned skillsets from a prolific youth of graffiti painting in LA. He now applies them to world record setting murals as a part of a two-artist team—Oh Yanoe, LLC. The Majestic is a 15,000 square-foot mural in Tulsa, OK, which was finished in 2021 and is officially the world’s largest AR mural. This is not the first time Oh Yanoe has held the record, just the most recent. Their murals integrate community focused imagery and are inherently bright, stunning and dramatic to the naked eye. If the viewer chooses to employ the AR component it all starts to get real. Portions of the mural morph, hummingbirds fly off the wall, flowers grow and engulf the building. This is something new, and something great that builds on traditions we embrace.

    Art and technology have been integrally related throughout the trajectory of human history with our current day and age being no exceptions. CODAsummit 2021 exemplified how many of our world’s foremost creatives are pushing the boundaries, working on global issues, and adding beauty into this world through the integration and use of technology in public art.