"1992009" Exhibition
D'Amelio Gallery
This event has ended.
The exhibition 1992009 is motivated by historical synchronicities between the years 1992 and 2009 and brings together content-driven art made during times of cultural upheaval. Both periods represent a transition from Republican to Democratic administrations, a stagnating war in the Middle East and extraordinary moments of fiscal failure. The early 90s witnessed the emergence of poignant, introspective artists who address universals through ‘the everyday’. This period was also especially formative in shaping the viewpoints of the gallery owners.
Prompted by current circumstances and a desire to take stock of the gallery’s program, 1992009 compares emerging artists of the early 90s with emerging artists represented by D’Amelio Terras. The exhibition presents new art from these two tumultuous moments, re-invigorated with new potential and a critical response to art history. These artists channel personal experience into visceral hand-built sculpture and direct imagery after periods of post-production excess.
1992009 emphasizes earnest themes in art practices that remain resilient. Meaningful ideas have germinated in times of contraction, free from the enticement of an indulgent market. The silver lining of this moment may be a slower pace of making and looking at art.
Media
Schedule
from February 28, 2009 to April 25, 2009
Opening Reception on 2009-02-28 from 18:00 to 20:00
Artist(s)
Matthew Barney, Jedediah Caesar, Nicole Cherubini, Jessica Diamond, Robert Gober, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Leslie Hewitt, Karen Kilimnik, Louise Lawler, Zoe Leonard, Cady Noland, Demetrius Oliver, Steven Parrino, Heather Rowe, Sam Samore, Noah Sheldon, Kiki Smith, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Sara VanDerBeek, Sue Williams, Fred Wilson, Christopher Wool
Reviews
1992009 is a who's who/greatest hits that fizzles out fast because the concept and intent of the show is weak to begin with. An ambulance chaser could get more millage than this exhibition does. Relying heavy on established artists from the last 20 years to address a serious economic issue is not new but to do it with artists whose work gained fame from excessive over pricing is contradictory and irony isn't enough for this show to stay afloat. Artist’s included who are exception to this rule, Nicole Cherubini and Leslie Hewitt. Both are out of place though but obviously here because the gallery represents them. Hewitt's poetic photo-sculptural gesture is optimistic in the power of translation & transition while Cherubini’s work exists only as aesthetic “chrome” to a vase that needn't the excess of the artist’s heavy hand. Someone lied to us and to the artists and also to the public about “myth making” it is here even in the flat lined market of New York City. Instead of looking for genuine prophets speaking about the social ills 1992009 looks for “profits” from the handout collectors who couldn’t tell the difference between Jerry Springer to Jerry Saltz.
Matt Keegan's solo show in the project room doesn't hit heavy or even brake-wind. A poetic comment tried and true on freestanding sheet rock instead relies on homoerotic boys bathroom humor and Keegan never decides if he wants a hand job or a hand out. He tries really hard but putting more work into a small space is over kill. Heavy over hung work and pretentious concepts too eager and half-baked fall as flat as the 1992009 show. Keegan needs to stop trying to have his work look cool conceptual art and instead try and really work on his over eager art.
Like John Lennon once said "you're old enough to know better, so cry baby cry"
ps. Who curated and edited these show?