|
Nyehaus, Friedrich Petzel Gallery and Metro Pictures present
SWELL—with curatorial team Tim Nye and Jacqueline
Miro—a survey of surf-themed art produced by city dwellers
that will open to the public on July 1st at the three gallery
locations in Chelsea, will include work by most members of
the group of Venice Beach artists known as Light and Space
and Finish Fetish (all of them surfers) including De Wain Valentine,
Peter Alexander, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, Laddie
John Dill and others. To quote Dave Hickey in his essay
about Primary Atmospheres:
“In its initial vogue, these works spoke directly to a new kind
of artistic decorum—less aggressive than pop, less ideological
than Minimalism, and less maidenly than post-painterly
abstraction. It had a kind of gallantry—the cool courtesy of
a well-born rake. California Minimalism created a gracious,
social space in it’s glow and reflection; it treated us amicably,
made us more beautiful by gathering us into it’s dance. It still
does this today, so I am not amazed by the renewed interest
in this work. I am still amazed, however, that my beach-bum
pals could have created such a capacious and courtly art,
although beach bums, I suppose, have dreams like everybody
else.”
Contemporary artists will include Ashley Bickerton, Andy
Moses, Robert Longo, Blake Rayne, Roe Etheridge, Brian
Wills, Dirk Skreber, Sandow Birk, Thomas Campbell, Steve
Olson and a host of west and east coast artists.
|
