On Friday night, Feigen Contemporary was bustling with people. The venue seemed like a magnet, people hung out both inside and outside. At one point, loud live music began performing inside, but we had to skip out and grab some dinner. The place was packed from beginning to late ending.

David Ellis at JMP

On the way to the gallery, we stepped into the Jessica Murray Projects show by David Ellis. Inside was an impressive installation of trees ripping down from the ceiling, mechanized wall sculptures, wall murals, ripped open cellos, video monitors, noise/sound, and such.

The trees that came from the ceiling stopped short, had a section missing, then the stump resumed. Inside each stump, there was an emaculate and glossy turntable installed. The turntables seemed to be functional and playing atmospheric sounds.

David Ellis’ Turntable Trunks at Jessica Murray Projects

Carry On

While the David Ellis show was the only other opening I took time to attend on Thursday night, it really began to resonate with me after seeing the Carry On group show.

Deanne Cheuk’s Mushrooms at Feigen Contemporary

At Carry On, the art was professional and improfessional, weak and strong, slow and fast, gross and proper. Much of the work could have been installed or implemented in a fancier way, but since it was a group show, each artist came with their own aesthetics.

Mark Borthwick Installation at Feigen Contemporary

Wrap Up

At the David Ellis show, everything was crafted or pushed to the fullest degree, but it left the viewer with no outlet to become curious.

At Carry On, the entire show was full of places to stop and figure things out… to inspect and grow deeper into the work. There were mushroom sculptures, crazy (insane) animations, an installation with party streamers, a movie, and sculptures up in the ceiling. There was simply more room for the viewer to have an experience, rather than the work push an experience on them… and that is good psychedelics, if you ask me.

(This explains some details about my first art exhibition opportunity in New York City.)

(The image above is a detail from work by Daniel Higgs.)

Carry On, co-curated by Rich Jacobs and Feigen’s Abigail Scholar, opens next week and I have been doing some research.

Jacobs has an extensive background, supported by Vans, and, overall, has been extensively curating shows on both the East and West Coasts. He is still exhibiting in shows (like the upcoming Juxtapoz NYC Show) and mentioned that after ten years of working as an artist, Feigen Contemporary is the biggest gallery he has ever dealt with.

Artists in the show include:

• Reed Anderson (San Francisco / Visual)
• Hisham Akira Bharoocha (Brooklyn via RISD via Japan / Musician, Visual)
• Mark Borthwick (a Musician, Filmmaker, and Photographer)
• Mat Brinkman
• Bruce Bickford (Seattle / Animator, Visual, Sculpture, Claymation Legend)
• Calef Brown (L.A. ? / Illustrator, Made some designs for OK Soda)
• Jeff Coad (San Diego / Musician, Visual)
• Richard Crawford (Filmmaker)
• Eye (Japan / Boredoms Vocalist, Visual, Video)
• Yusuki Gungi (Tokyo)
• Daniel Higgs (Famous from Dischord band Lungfish / Poet, Painter, Jews Harp Player, Tattoo Artist, Vocalist)
• Ray Johnson (Deceased / Father of Mail Art / Can Draw Bunny)
• Kim Krans (Painter)
• Andrew Kuo (Printmaker)
• Matt Leines (Painter)
• Richard McGuire (Paris / Illustrator, Graphics, Artist for Willing to Try)
• Nancy Mladenoff (Painting, Photography)
• Olivia Shao
• Eugene Von Bruenchenhein (Deceased / Painter)
• Eric White (NYC / Painter)
• Unica Zurn (Deceased / Germany /Visual)
• and myself

I can’t recall ever showing alongside deceased artists.

This list was extensive, but there may be more info at the exhibition website (as if any more info is needed).