The Great God Pan Is Dead: Chelsea Early May

Monday, May 21, 2012

Chelsea Early May

by Robert Boyd

I was in New York for Frieze, but I did spend some time wandering through Chelsea, where most of New York City's art galleries are. Here's what I saw, offered without comment. (Or at least not much comment.)

seen on the street

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen at Pace (through June 23):

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen

These desk items are, needless to say, huge.

Anish Kapoor at Gladstone Gallery (through June 9). These things look like they were made of petrified turds, like enormous shit menhirs. I love them.

Anish Kapoor

Anish Kapoor

Dana Schutz at Freidrich Petzel through June 16. Just lovely (and funny).

Dana Schutz

Dana Schutz

Gilbert and George's London Pictures were so voluminous that one gallery wasn't enough. They're up at both Sonnabend and Lehman Maupin through June 23.

Gilbert and George

Gilbert and George

Pier Paolo Calzolari has a mind-blowing show up at Marianne Boesky until June 2.

Pier Paolo Calzolari

Pier Paolo Calzolari

In case you can't tell, there is a woman at the top of this extremely long dress. She is topless. There is an apple (or something) hanging in front of her that she keeps trying and failing to eat. I thought about taking a video of her, but it felt too pervy to be taking a video of a topless woman in a crowded art gallery. I know one is supposed to be filled with art thoughts when looking at a piece like, this, but I was asking myself, how do you end up with a job like this? What was in the want ad?

Pier Paolo Calzolari

Pier Paolo Calzolari

Jane Lee, apparently one of Singapore's biggest artists, had a show at Sundaram Tagore that closed the day I saw it.