Lincoln Center Out Of Doors
Elaine Summers
The Hidden Forest
August 23 ‘07, New York City

Choreographer: Elaine Summers

Dancers: Dale Andree, Joshua Bisset, Harriet Bograd, Meg Chang, Jessica Higgins, Kiori Kawai, Thomas Kortvelyessy, Laura Quattrocchi

Composers/Musicians: Pauline Oliveros, Jay Clayton, Thomas Houser, Carman Moore, Ann Hurley, Lotte Arnsbjerg

Artists: Alison Knowles, Davidson Gigliotti, Murphy Gigliotti, Taketo Shimada, Laura Quattrocchi, Miana Grafals

Assistant Choreographer: Rebecca Loukes

Budget/ Accounting: Debbie Goldberg

Production Designer: Murphy Gigliotti

Organizational Consultant to Miss Summers: Meg Chang

Communications: Jonathan Gill, Cody Hughs

The influential intermedia artist Elaine Summers performed her new work “Hidden Forest” at Lincoln center on August 23rd during twilight. I was one of the eight diverse dancers to participate in the alcove of trees and inside Elaine’s images of dancers floating among the leaves and weather balloons.

During the previous months Elaine began the process in her loft with balls of many shapes, sizes, textures and colors. I often felt that her in depth anatomical and healer’s knowledge could scale to a planetary dimension. She would work with a dancer’s injuries and then spark their kinesthetic imagination. Elaine innovated much of her vision within the framework of the unique qualities that each dancer had. She spoke many times of Dante, of a hidden forest, which inspired her work:

“Midway in the journey of this life
I came upon a dark forest,
Where the path was lost.”

As time rolled by she mesmerized us as only Elaine Summer’s can as we watched her visions of forest and creatures from our context. We were visible and invisible, darting and spinning, and images or sparkles seemed to flash by.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iH_lZV4Vs][youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRAjNEBF0Ic]
Subject: my James Fuentes story from last night

On Thu, July 12, 2007 2:55 am, JS wrote:

> Erika,
>
> Re: our convo last night about why James is interesting as an organizer
> because of the unusually open channel? I’m sending it to you here for the record.
>
> It was Emily who introduced me to James, I think it was at Bill Stones’
> show at Emily Harvey Gallery, the one with the head maze, such a great
> interactive work. No overkill making the whole body go through tight
> walls. Remember at Emily Harvey Gallery the drop ceiling over the office
> with a height of about 6 feet. Bill adapted it with a walk-in maze hanging
> from the ceiling that came down to about 5+ feet so you experienced the
> confinement from the neck up. It gave the entire opening, which was packed
> solid, a really crazy feel. In the midst of that opening Emily
> brought 20 something James over to meet me with an energy like, Josh, you’re cool, do
> something with James, I have collectors to entertain. I can’t remember
> what was up with Lance Fung Gallery at the time, I think this happened
> after “Five” so we were all in force. But, you know I had had that
> Personal Effects show with Emily and it had caused quite a lot to happen
> to me as an artist, I won’t go into the details – but Emily and I had a
> very good rapport about organization and energy.
>
> James had that Proustian quality of appearing as a small irregularity
> which promised to develop into a massive presence, my antennae were up. I
> found out that James had grabbed a store front on Broome Street and was
> doing a temporary gallery in the space. He was looking for artists. I was
> a bit puffed up at the time and I think I had a handful of shows that year
> already so I wasn’t really in the vein.
>
> A guy named Stephen was my business manager at the time. I met him at his
> office to go over careerist issues, he was quitting smoking. On his office
> wall were three really stunning graphic prints. When I asked Stephen about
> them he told me he had made them and thought they looked nice and put them
> up on the wall to decorate his space. He had no sense of himself as a
> visual artist, whatsoever. I asked how he made the work and he said, “oh,
> they are the filters from my air purifier, I’m such a heavy smoker and I
> have to keep the air clean for everyone else in the office, so I change
> them and they come out like this, they are beautiful.” “Stephen, you
> should consider showing these, you are making a work.” I said. He loved
> the idea, but was clueless. So I told him I was going to get him a show.
>
> I met with James at the desk in the back room of his temporary gallery on
> Broome Street and proposed putting Stephen up. I disclosed to James that
> Stephen was not a declared artist, just someone making these things for
> himself, that they were the filters from an air purifier, that Stephen was
> making them by smoking cigarettes and that James could activate this
> person with a show. James looked at documentation of the work (i had
> Stephen make slides of three pieces he had on his office wall) smiled and
> agreed and gave me a date for Stephen to have a show at James Fuentes
> Gallery.
>
> When I returned to Stephen I explained that there was the problem of
> installation and framing and that he should quickly produce enough of the
> pieces to adequately fill the space, which was not enormous, but required
> maybe 15 good works. Stephen says the problem is that each filter
> requires two months of chain smoking and the three on the wall are the
> only ones he has. Stephen proposes that he buy 15 air purifiers and smoke
> for another two months, but I explain he only has three weeks until the
> opening. For this reason I suggest that he contact the manufacturer of the
> air purifier to negotiate for the discarded test filters. For Stephen, who
> negotiates deals all day, its a natural – a week later he has a pile of
> these things and is simply holding them up one by one and selecting the
> ones he likes.
>
> Stephen went on to show with James and I believe, because James opened the
> venue to him, Stephen (who I’m out of touch with for years) showed with
> several other venues. I have one of Stephen’s pieces from James’ Broome
> Street gallery exhibition which I keep up to this day.
>
> J.

---

Emily Harvey Gallery selected exhibitions included:


Alison Knowles, Coco Gordon, Loose Pages, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Feb 14, 1983

Eric Andersen, Visitors Walk (performance), EHG, NYC, Oct 30, 1983

Peter Van Riper, Portrait Triptychs, EHG, NYC, Nov 30, 1984

Valery Gerlovin, Rimma Gerlovina, N/A, EHG, NYC, Apr 19, 1985

Dorothee Selz, Eat-Art Event, EHG, NYC, Jun 19, 1985

Joel Ducorroy, License Plates Works, EHG, NYC, Oct 18, 1985


Eric Andersen, Please Leave (performance), EHG, NYC, Nov 22, 1985


Charlie Morrow, Citywave Copenhagen in New York, EHG, NYC, Jan 14, 1986

Alison Knowles, Malcolm Goldstein, Breath River Route (performance/installation), EHG, NYC, Mar 22, 1986


Dick Higgins, Arrow Paintings, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Nov 7, 1986

Martin Richard+Richard Martel+Pieere-Andre Arcand, Performance, EHG, NYC, Nov 14, 1986

Ken Friedman, Fluxus Objects, Fluxus Clothes 1966-1986, EHG, NYC, Jan 8, 1987

Jacques Halbert, Projects for Paintings, EHG, NYC, Apr 24, 1987


Hans Breder, Ursonate 1986, EHG, NYC, May 1, 1987

Group, BY THE LETTER – A show of text in art –, EHG, NYC, May 19, 1987

Brendan Atkinson, Painting Money, EHG, NYC, Sep 25, 1987

Alison Knowles, Finger Book, EHG, NYC, Oct 23, 1987

Citizen Kafka, Citizen Sells Out, EHG, NYC, Nov 14, 1987

Piotr Rypson, Slide lecture on polish Futurism, EHG, NYC, Dec 3, 1987

Eric Andersen, Third Divertisement, EHG, NYC, Dec 5, 1987

Carolee Schneemann, Self Shot: Photographic Sequence & Video Installation, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Jan 15, 1988

Eric Andersen, To Dick and Achilleus, EHG, NYC, Feb 21, 1988

Group, Extended Play , curated by Ursula Block & Christian Marclay, (Flexidisc Catalogue), EHG, NYC, Feb 12, 1988

Ken Friedman, Made in Finland, EHG, NYC, March 18, 1988

Larry Miller, Earthly Works, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Apr 15, 1988

Jean Dupuy, WHERE, EHG, NYC, May 17, 1988

Group, A La Lettre , EHG, NYC, Jul 15, 1988

Ben Patterson, Ordinary Life, EHG, NYC, Sep 23, 1988

Eric Andersen, !Lo Lamentamos! !Fuera De Servicio!, EHG, NYC, Oct 21, 1988

Charlie Morrow, Wedding Event , EHG, NYC, Oct 23, 1988

Joel Ducorroy, New Work for New York, EHG, NYC, Oct 28, 1988

Group, Extra! Special Editions, EHG, NYC, Dec 6, 1988

Henry Flynt, Classic Modernism and Authentic Concept Art, EHG, NYC, Jan 27, 1989

Henry Flynt, Publication Party for lo no.14, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Mar 3, 1989

Henry Flynt, Tape Concert – Hoedown, Glissando #1, EHG, NYC, Mar 9, 1989

Dick Higgins, Maps and More, EHG, NYC, Mar 17, 1989

Ay-o, Corner, Higgins, Knowles – Talk w/ Robert C. Morgan on Fluxus @ soho20 gallery, EHG, NYC, Apr 14, 1989

Yoshi Wada, a Sound Installation, EHG, NYC, Apr 21, 1989

Jean Dupuy, Special edition for Hypermetropes, EHG, NYC, May 16, 1989

Brian Buczak, a Memorial Exhibition, EHG, NYC, Jul 4, 1989

Ben Vautier, Art Does Not Exist, EHG, NYC, Sep 16, 1989

Eric Andersen, Call 212-431-7169, EHG, NYC, Oct 20, 1989

Ben Patterson, What Makes People Laugh, EHG, NYC, Oct 27, 1989

Group, Fluxus & CO, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Dec 2

Alison Knowles, Seven Indian Moon – (Catalogue) , EHG, NYC, Jan 17, 1990

Charlotte Moorman, Child of the Cello, EHG, NYC, Feb 24, 1990

Christer Hennix, Metaxy: a Wall of Poetry & Fragrance (Perform ance), EHG, NYC, Mar 18, 1990

Carolee Schneemann, Cycladic Imprints – a Kinetic Installation, EHG, NYC, Mar 23, 1990

Takako Saito, Games, EHG, NYC, Apr 20, 1990

Gerhard Ruhm & Franz Mon, Performance, EHG, NYC, Apr 25, 1990

Dick Higgins, Brown Paintings 1989 – 90, EHG, NYC, Sep 14, 1990

Eric Andersen, The Crying Place (Manhattan), EHG, NYC, Oct 26, 1990

Group, a Fluxus Group Show, EHG, NYC, Dec 14, 1990

Yoshi Wada, A Sound Installation, EHG, NYC, Feb 5, 1991

Henry Flynt, The Samo Graffiti, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Mar 8, 1991

Albert Fine, 1932 – 1987 (curated by Christian Xatrec), EHG, NYC, Apr 19, 1991

Charlie Doria, an Evening of Poetry & Performance, EHG, NYC, May 31, 1991

Ben Vautier, For a Pluri-Cultural Avant-Garde World – (Catalogue), EHG, NYC, Sep 24, 1991

Ben Vautier, Talk about his statements on ethnies, EHG, NYC, Oct 24, 1991

Giordano Bruno Publish party w/ Dick Higgins, Charlie Doria, EHG, NYC, Oct 29, 1991

Ay-o, Ay-o’s Blackhole, EHG, NYC, Nov 1, 1991

Group, Music for Eye & Ear, EHG, NYC, Dec 4, 1991

Philip Corner, Pieces of Reality, EHG, NYC, Jan 31, 1992

Alison Knowles, Bread & Water, EHG, NYC, Mar 13, 1992

Henning Christiansen, I am a Bird…, EHG, NYC, Apr 24, 1992

Orlan, Lecture, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Apr 29, 1992

Group, 10 years on Broadway – 1982-1992, EHG, NYC, Sept 18, 1992

Sari Dienes, Rubbing, EHG, NYC, Nov 24, 1992

Henry Flynt, Concept Art, Modern Art and Fantasy, EHG, NYC, Feb 5, 1993

Ay-o, Some Hanging Pieces, EHG, NYC, Mar 19, 1993

Dick Higgins, Natural Histories, EHG, NYC, Apr 23, 1993

Peter Van Riper w/ Setsuko Konishi, Performance, EHG, NYC, May 21, 1993

Alain Arias-Misson, Publish Party, EHG, NYC, Nov 12, 1993

Frances Whitney, Sculpted Light, EHG, NYC, Feb 11, 1994

Joshua Selman, Personal Effects, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Mar 11, 1994

Kirsten Justesen, Surfacing, EHG, NYC, Apr 22, 1994

Ay-o, Some Hanging Pieces no.10, EHG, NYC, Sep 26, 1996

Ben Patterson, Blame it on Pittsburgh, EHG, NYC, Jan 30, 1997

Emmett Williams, Fresh Impressionism, EHG, NYC, Apr 8, 1997

Alison Knowles, Sea Change, EHG, NYC, Oct 3, 1997

Alain Arias Misson, Shamanix!, EHG, NYC, Apr 9, 1998

Al Hansen, (curated by Gracie Mansion), EHG, NYC, Sep 16, 1998

Al Hansen, Performances (organized by Gracie Mansion), EHG, NYC, Sep 18, 1998

Geoff Hendricks, Sky Notes 1 – 22, EHG, NYC, Jan 29, 1999

Bill Stone, Musings & Ruminations, EHG, NYC, Apr 7, 1999

Jessica Higgins, How it sometimes goes in Kangaroo land, Emily Harvey Gallery (courtesy Lance Fung Gallery,) NYC, Sep 9, 1999

Larry Miller, Genesthetics, EHG, NYC, Oct 8, 1999

Carolee Schneemann, Vespers Pool, EHG, NYC, Jan 27, 2000

Daniel Spoerri, La Cabinet Anatomique – (Catalogue), EHG, NYC, May 11, 2000

Alison Knowles, Footnotes, EHG, NYC, Oct 5, 2000

Alain Arias-Misson, Little Shamani , EHG, NYC, Feb 1, 2001

Christian Xatrec – (Catalogue), EHG, NYC, Apr 12, 2001

Ay-o, Tits Mandala, EHG, NYC, Oct4, 2001

Fluxus Concert (Beginning of Rainbow), EHG, NYC, Nov 3, 2001

Henry Flynt, Musical Recordings Publication Party, EHG, NYC, Nov 4, 2001

Emmett Williams, The Boy & the Bird, screening at Anthology Film Archive, Emily Harvey Gallery(EHG), NYC, Apr 6, 2002

Emmett Williams, Story lines, EHG, NYC, Apr 10, 2002

Berty Skuber, Under Penalty of Law – (Catalogue), EHG, NYC, Oct 3, 2002

Geoff Hendricks, Accidental Significance (Collaboration with Brian Buczak), EHG, NYC, Oct 9, 2003

Jean Dupuy, Looking at Stones – (Catalogue), EHG, NYC, Feb 26, 2004

* Titles and descriptions of Nam June Paik performance pieces were originally written in the evening program directed by Larry Miller.

Appropriating from the site: http://www.artnotart.com/fluxus/gmaciunas-12pianocompositi.html

12 PIANO COMPOSITIONS FOR NAM JUNE PAIK, by George Maciunas, Jan. 2, 1962.

Composition no.1 — no.12 & no. 13 by Larry Miller April 14, 2007

1. let piano movers carry piano into the stage

2. tune the piano

3. paint with orange paint patterns over piano

4. with a straight stick the length of a keyboard sound all keys together

5. place a dog or cat (or both) inside the piano and play Chopin

6. stretch 3 higest strings with tuning key until they burst

7. place one piano on top of one another (one can be smaller)

8. place piano upside down and put a vase with flowers over the sound box

9. draw a picture of the piano so that the audience can see the picture

10. write ‘piano composition no.10′ and show to the audience the sign

11. was the piano, wax and polish it well

12. let piano movers carry piano out of the stage

13. Piano for Head (for Nam June Paik) by Larry Miller 2007

Homage to Nam June Paik

Saturday April 14, 2007, Directed by Larry Millier, Performers & assistance: Kirby Gookin, Bibbe Hansen, Jessica Higgins, Michael Maxwell, Josh Selman, Gillian Wilson, Cello: Lucy Railton, Piano: Jessica Chen, Production Manager: Sean Carrillo, Video Documentation: Kathy Brew and Roberto Guerra, Joan Logue, Sine tone tape and consultations for “Random Access”: Stephen Vitiello, Random Access Instrument Constructions for: Sean Carrillo, Gillian Wilson and Larry Miller, Fluxus Champion Contestants: Robert Ayers, Peter Grzybowski, Hee Soo Kim, Patrice Lerochereuil, Dalius Naujo, Jeff Perkins, Diane Torr, Series graphics: Sara Seagull, Special thanks to: Mina Cheon Kroiz and Gabriel Kroiz, Cole Green, Andrew Gurian, Estate of Charlotte Moorman, Sara Seagull, Arthur Solway, Ginger Cofield, Laurie Harrison, James Cohan and the gallery staff

Above photo from FLUXSONATA performed by Nam June Paik, 80 Wooster Street, NYC,
March 17, 1973, Photo by Larry Miller copyright 1973/2007

JAMES COHAN GALLERY
533 West 26th St. NYC
212 714-9500

PURPLE HAZE: The Brooklyn Museum’s opening
of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art

I arrived last Thursday evening at the Brooklyn Museum with Jessica Higgins having certain expectations. On a lead from my editor, I thought that I would encounter the quintessential artist organizer himself, Ryszard Wasko, at the opening of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art that night. With the idea of seeing Wasko again at the museum openings, and being asked to cover the event for Artist Organized Art, I also knew I would be seeing Judy Chicago’s iconic, large scale project “The Dinner Party,” for the first time. Although I had read the press release about “Global Feminisms,” co-curated by Maura Reilly, the Sackler Center’s curator, and Linda Nochlin, I still anticipated seeing other seminal works of feminist art from the 1970’s onward and was initially disappointed. My preconceptions of what I would see was confronted with an enormously ambitious, unexpected exhibition in the galleries surrounding “The Dinner Party” that places the work being made by younger women, born since 1960, from 50 countries, together for the viewer to assess the present moment of “Feminism(s).” The experience was one of confusion at first, but in retrospect feels like an appropriate take on the female voice which the Feminist Revolution and it’s early activists began to make audible.

First things first. “The Dinner Party” absolutely surpassed my expectations. I was astonished by it’s beauty, detail and depth. I had seen reproductions, which didn’t come close to the experience of walking intimately, around the triangular, banquet tables, lovingly and ceremoniously set with 39 place settings, tributing historical women from mythical goddesses, to Emily Dickenson. Intricately embroidered table linens sit beneath golden chalices and utensils, around unique, porcelain plates created for each recipient, with radiating forms representing female external sexual organs, not unlike a Georgia O’Keefe, flower painting, who was herself a guest at the table. The lighting is intimate and inviting, with the names of almost 1000 other women written on the tile floor. One of the outlying galleries will rotate an exhibition, relating to the women Chicago highlights in her project.

Exiting this permanent installation you are once again confronted with the often sensatio nal images in “Global Feminisms.” There is an over abundance of photography and video, and simplistic, single dimension quick takes, but numerous gems are interspersed as well. A stand out performance work which I believe was “Untitled,” 2006-07, was by the appropriately, one named, Sissi (1977) from Italy. She hovered above the opening crowd, portraying a calm, basic, mindfulness, sitting on a golden branch, in a golden knotted or crocheted body suit like a mythical contemporary goddess of youthful female discernment. I liked Amy Cutler’s “Army of Me,” 2003 (US) and Annika von Hausssolff’s (Sweden), Melanie Manchot’s (Germany), Ingrid Mwangi’s (Kenya), Catherine Opie’s (US), Lisa Reihana’s (New Zealand), Anna Gaskell’s (US) and He Chengyao’s (China) photography. Although I admit to watching very little of the video works, I dug Sonia Khurana’s (India), Salla Tykka’s (Finland) and Boryana Rossa’s (Bulgaria) videos. I always respond to Kara Walker’s (US), Shahzia Sikander’s (Pakistan) and Wangechi Mutu’s (Kenya) paintings. Otherwise lot’s and lot’s of difficult pieces and walk by’s a plenty. It’s an uneven show that for me spoke about the youthfulness of the movement itself. I did find it curious that certain, well known New Yorker’s work, of my generation, like Janine Antoni’s was not present. I did though witness a heart felt conversation she was having with Amy Silman, from afar, like a mini movement of it’s own. Another performative moment in the evening was Martha Wilson and her dance partner tearing up the floor to the music in the Museum’s lobby.

The “F” word and it’s first generation art and heroes of the late sixties and seventies have been by some looked upon as antiquated and taboo in the years of backlash that eventually followed, but we seemed to have come full circle with the present moment to a place that almost feels like it’s infancy again. This show of youthful practitioners leaves room for growth; for me and Jessica and the many other working artists (female and male a like) to fill in the many gaps left here. In that sense it is hopeful. One step backwards, two steps forward…

I loved Roberta Smith’s words in her otherwise scathing NY Times review of the museum’s opening night ensemble: “But feminism is not a style, or a formal approach. It is a philosophy, an attitude and a political instrument. It is more important than Pop, Minimalism or Conceptual art because it is by its very nature bigger than they are, more far-reaching and life-affecting. In addition feminism is not of itself an aesthetic value. It is an idea that can assume an organic force in some artists’ work…”

The cross-cultural worldwide “feminist solidarity/comparative studies model” coined by Chandra Talpade Mohanty, that the exhibition was aimed toward is a good place to examine where we are at. And thinking about solidarity brings me back to Ryszard Wasko. Although I missed him there (as well as Jane Fonda, Elizabeth A. Sackler and Gloria Steinem whom he was probably hanging with in the VIP room), his mentioning that he was attending, led to my spontaneously responding to the new feminist dialogue in the year of celebrating woman artists. So thank you Wasko, Artist’s Organized Art for it’s sudden awakening and woman artists everywhere.

Erika Knerr

by Jessica Higgins
College Art Association took place in Manhattan as previously mentioned, I was especially moved by the lectures of The Woman’s Caucus for Art, titled “The Art Of Being Global: International Art of International Artists.”

Mina Cheon, Professor at Maryland Institute College of Art, is an artist working cross-culturally between South Korea, North Korea and the United States. In Dizz/placement: Half Moon Eyes, Mina explores cross cultural inter-perception of female beauty. As self-image fails to be reified into key models(or stereotypes) she uncovers value contradictions between North America, South Korea and North Korea.

In her presentation, Video clips of surgery to the eyes to achieve the half moon effect are projected along with collaged images of cheerleaders and sirens and a touch-screen form of a virtual ballot booth.

“Half Moon Eyes is an interactive media installation that uses touchscreen technology… It displays a web of video clips that deal with… North Korean Women… as either military femme-bot types or mystical goddesses… dolls, sirens and national cheerleaders… beautification and objectification, constructed by and for South Korean media and tourism… a strange cultural othering… triangular relationship between America, South Korea, and North Korea.”

The panel, made entirely of artist/educator/mothers was diverse in it’s forms, Lisa Kaftori and Joan Giroux both covered an art of earth and ecology which promotes international community of understanding and an interdisciplinary collabroration in their specific art works. When the panel was finished information, ideas and inspiration swirled in the room, I felt lucky to have attended this diverse and empowering group of woman educators and artists.

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