Jonathan LeVine Gallery News

VINZ interventions in Brooklyn

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:00

While in town for the opening reception of Hybrid Thinking, our current group exhibition curated by Marc + Sara Schiller of Wooster Collective, which features his work, Valencia-based artist VINZ created some interventions in Williamsburg, Brooklyn...

"Skipping the Rules" on North 5th Street and Wythe Avenue

"Just the Two of Us" on North 15th Street and Wythe Avenue

(detail)

"To Serve and Protect" on Ten Eyke Street and Waterbury Street

(detail)

"Without Their Suit They are Naked" at Metropolitan Avenue

(detail)

Book release : DELUSIONAL

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:00:00

DELUSIONAL: The Story of the Jonathan LeVine Gallery will be released March 1, 2012.

The gallery will host a NY launch and book signing on:
SATURDAY, MARCH 10TH, from 3—5pm

A number of artists featured in the book will be in attendance.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
This event is free and open to the public.

(Details on an LA launch/signing event to be announced soon)...

ABOUT DELUSIONAL
With a foreword by Carlo McCormick, and text written by Caleb Neelon, the 252-page hardcover book features quotes by dozens of artists and other important figures in the scene, telling LeVine's story of from early years as an independent curator to present-day gallerist.

For further info, please visit:
www.gingkopress.com/07-art/delusional.html

For updates, please like/follow:
www.facebook.com/DelusionalTheBook

From the publisher, Gingko Press:
Widely revered as the “artists’ gallerist,” Jonathan LeVine has nourished a much needed alternative viewpoint within the stilted New York art market. In the pages of Delusional, readers will discover the fascinating backstory that brought this punk kid from Trenton, NJ, to the hallowed gallery walls of Chelsea. LeVine began his career in the arts publishing a fanzine in the 1980s and then curating shows at diverse venues in the 90s. By the turn of the millennium, LeVine had opened up Tin Man Alley, his own gallery located in New Hope, and then Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jonathan LeVine Gallery was officially launched in New York City in 2005. Since then, LeVine has brought his considerable talents to bear, focusing on work influenced by illustration, comic books, graffiti, street art and pop culture imagery.

LeVine’s featured artists tend to share a strong figurative and narrative inclination and include: Doze Green, Shepard Fairey, Audrey Kawasaki, Gary Baseman, Camille Rose Garcia, Tara McPherson, Josh Agle (aka Shag) and a long list of many other talented, esteemed artists.

Lavish illustrations throughout complete the package.
252 pages, Hardcover, 8.5 x 10.5 inches
325 color illustrations, English
ISBN: 978-1-58423-458-6
$34.95

Olek appeal

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:00:00

Polish-born, NY-based crochet artist Olek is currently involved in an unfortunate legal battle in the UK. In order to help raise funds for legal defense, the artist has released the following appeal (which we wish to verify is NOT fraudulent or in any way a scam):

http://olekappeal.com

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STATEMENT :
“Olek recently arrived in London in order to fulfill a variety of professional engagements; the first of which was to donate a piece of art work to a charitable organization. On October 6th after donating a piece of her art to the charity at a show in London, Olek was involved in an incident with a drunk and aggressive male who behaved reprehensibly.

The incident happened extremely quickly and not knowing anyone in London or able to access her cell phone for numbers she was swept up into the legal system and treated very poorly. This has resulted in very serious charges being leveled against her which she strenuously denies. She has not even had the chance to state her case before a Court and she must await a statutory timetable before she can present her case properly.

She has now been fortunate enough to be referred on to an appropriate lawyer to defend her against these entirely false allegations, but effective legal representation in cases like this comes at a cost. Today, she needs your help to assist her to get through this terrible and unfair ordeal. At the moment she is facing serious charges with a risk of custody if she is not represented properly and able to expose the untruths and falsehoods in the allegations made against her.”

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As advised by Olek's attorney, we are not at liberty to disclose any further information at this time or discuss specific details pertaining to the charges, so as not to jeopardize the artist's case, before her hearing.

Many thanks for your concern and consideration and a very special thank you to everyone who has already made contributions to the cause, Olek sincerely appreciates your support.

WK's RIOT series in Paris

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00

Inspired by the NYC "OCCUPY" movement and protests occuring all around the world, WK recently placed his "RIOT" series of images throughout the streets of Paris, in areas like Bastille Station. These masked figures grimace through imagined police barricades. In the artist's words : The movement of 'occupiers' has evolved into an organized force, armed with loudspeakers. No more polite silence. They raise their voices, volumes above indifference. Gas masks at hand, in preparation for what lies ahead...

Tara McPherson at TEDxBrooklyn

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:00:00

Jonathan LeVine Gallery is proud to announce that artist Tara McPherson will be presenting work at the upcoming Second Annual TEDxBrooklyn taking place on Friday, December 2, 2011 at The Brooklyn Bowl located at: 161 Wythe Avenue, in Brooklyn, NY.

This one-day program will feature TED-like talks, music, art and tech demos, fueling inspirational conversations and an evening reception. Speakers will include some of the most promising innovators, from entrepreneurs to artists, community activists, storytellers to scientists. For further information about the event, please visit: www.tedxbrooklyn.com

ABOUT TEDx
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, independently organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.

About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world; and the TEDFellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

JLG at SCOPE-Miami 2011

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:00:00

SCOPE-Miami, Booth E09
NE 1st Avenue @ NE 30th Street, Miami, FL 33127

November 29—December 4, 2011
Tues 11/29, 4—8pm | Wed 11/30—Sat 12/3, 11am—7pm | Sun 12/4, 11am—6pm

NEW YORK, NY (November 1, 2011) — Jonathan LeVine Gallery is pleased to present new works by artists Aakash Nihalani, Jason DeCaires Taylor, Olek and WK at SCOPE-Miami Contemporary Art Fair, from November 29—December 4, 2011, during Art Basel Miami Beach. Placing a focus on public art for this program, the gallery will present a series of works that highlight a diverse range of distinct styles, cultural perspectives and unconventional mediums. Each of the four artists selected represent fresh directions in creating work in public space through their innovative vision and inventive use of materials. Photography documenting their interventional imagery, sculpture, and performances convey the transformative effect their work has on its surrounding environment.

Aakash Nihalani’s playful geometric shapes and patterns, formed out of tape when applied on the street, are complemented by his aluminum sculptures and video work. Olek’s work mainly consists of wrapping public sculptures, personal objects and performers in a crocheted camouflage pattern. The vibrant fluorescent color palette of Nihalani’s tape and Olek’s acrylic yarn both create striking contrasts against the urban landscape. The graphic black and white imagery of WK’s mixed-media works are layered in textures and elements that re-create the ephemeral experience of encountering his work on the street. Jason DeCaires Taylor infuses his eco-sculptures with biological materials that form artificial reefs, once submerged under the sea. Casting full-scale figures and objects in cement, Taylor’s ambitious public projects have a practical, functional and environmental aspect, rejuvenating habitats for marine life and replenishing natural reefs, an endangered natural resource.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Aakash Nihalani was born in 1986 in Queens, New York and is currently based in Brooklyn. In 2008, he received a BFA from Steinhardt School, New York University (NYU). His colorful geometric-based work spans across sculpture, multimedia, interactive video, street interventions and photography.

Jason DeCaires Taylor was born in Great Britain in 1974 and is currently based in Mexico. He worked as a scuba diving instructor and experimented with graffiti before earning a BA in Sculpture and Ceramics from Camberwell College of Art, London in 1997. He learned traditional stone carving techniques at Canterbury Cathedral, and worked in the field of concert set design, producing projects on a grand scale. In 2006, Taylor created the world’s first underwater sculpture park in Grenada, West Indies, which consists of over 65 individual works and covers 2,624 square feet (800 square meters). In 2010, Taylor founded the Museo Subacuático de Arte (MuSA), located in Cancun, Mexico, where he created and installed over 400 life-size figurative underwater works, which occupy an area of 1,640 square feet (500 square meters) and weigh over 200 tons, collectively.

Olek was born in 1978 in Poland. In 2000, she received a Bachelor degree in Cultural Studies from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, and relocated to New York City, where she is currently based. Olek’s award winning performance and installation work has been exhibited in galleries, museums and public spaces worldwide, and featured in numerous publications. In 2012, Olek’s work will be included in the 40 Under 40 exhibition at the Smithsonian.

WK (aka WK Interact) was born in 1969 in Caen, France. He has lived and worked in New York since 1991. Interested in capturing the body in motion, the artist’s imagery often portrays figures frozen in a flight of movement. WK’s technique of twisting an original drawing or photograph as it’s being photocopied, results in the monochromatic palette and streamlined moment-in-time appearance of his finished work, seen on the streets as well as in the gallery setting.

HEY! at Halle Saint Pierre Museum

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:00:00

Photos and video press coverage of HEY! Modern Art & Pop Culture exhibition at Halle Saint Pierre Museum in Paris, featuring work by 64 International artists including Jean Labourdette (Turf One), Jeff Soto, AJ Fosik, Dan Witz, Dave Cooper, Chris Mars, and many more...

Jeff Soto

Dave Cooper

Jean Labourdette (Turf One)

Chris Mars

work by AJ Fosik

Work by Robert Crumb

Works by Jean Labourdette (Turf One)

Installation piece by Jean Labourdette (Turf One)

Opening photos by David Meignan, installation photos by Bobby Alkabes, courtesy of HEY! Magazine

Shepard Fairey murals in Asbury Park, NJ

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:00:00

Here are photos of site-specific public murals Shepard Fairey and his crew created in Asbury Park, NJ during our exhibition REVOLUTIONS: The Album Cover Art of Shepard Fairey presented in association with All Tomorrow's Parties (ATP) I'll Be Your Mirror music festival.

Photos by Joe Russo, courtesy of Arrested Motion

Jason DeCaires Taylor at Rivera Gallery

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:00:00

In advance of his upcoming debut solo exhibition at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in 2012, we are pleased to announce the inclusion of works by eco-sculptor and underwater photographer Jason DeCaires Taylor in Anthrophysis, a group exhibition opening October 15, 2011 at Rivera Gallery in Los Angeles. Please scroll down for further information...

Rivera Gallery is pleased to announce anthro[physis], a group exhibition featuring sculpture, photography, film, paintings and works on paper by nine emerging and mid-career artists from Brazil, Ireland, Israel, Japan and the US. By means of diverse cultural frames of reference, personal and political interests and unique creative visions, the artists in anthro[physis] offer works that both individually and collectively explore the dynamic, ever-evolving relationship between human beings and their habitat. From installations that offer poetic depictions of man’s transience and vulnerability to works that forebode the downward spiral of the natural landscape, anthro[physis] subtly fosters a conscientious understanding of the ramifications of society’s connection to the physical foundations upon which it was built.

For underwater sculptor, photographer, and conservationist Jason deCaires Taylor it is the threat of coral reef extinction that fuels the driving force that is his art. Rising ocean temperatures and the acidification of ocean waters through greenhouse gases injure and prevent the growth of these “rainforests of the ocean”. Taylor’s captivating installations, otherwise known as underwater museums, implement the cognizance of the endangered species and draw human activity to their specific locales, whilst facilitating the growth of the oceanic landscape through the regenerative quality of time.

Anthro[physis] runs from October 15 - December 1, 2011
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday October 15, 6—9pm

For the full press release, please click HERE
For the exhibition essay by curator Maryam Parsi, please click HERE
For further info, please visit: www.riveraandrivera.com

PROJECT BRAVE by WK

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:00:00

PROJECT BRAVE by WK
September 11—October 11, 2011
Kent Avenue (between North 4th & North 5th Streets)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York

To commemorate the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, street artist WK collaborates with New York City firefighters to create a large-scale public mural, measuring 328 feet (100 meters) wide. Full of passion and motion, his images of the iconic firefighter (NY’s bravest) symbolize the many heroes that helped New Yorkers survive the tragic events of 2001, and how their courage inspired the world.

WK was born in Caen, France. He has lived and worked in NYC for the past 20 years. He feels grateful and proud to be a French New Yorker. With this mural he wishes to pay tribute to all the heroes of 9/11 and give something back to the city of New York.