Castle Fitzjohns Gallery, Lower East Side, New York, NY – Gabriel Gimenez, an artist born and raised in Miami, has invented his own icon: Fado. Fado is the character he connects with the most personally among all the characters he has generated over his career as an artist. He uses Fado to convey his different themes, and he uses this character as a way of telling a story.

In one of his paintings Gabriel had references to Jeff Koons, Keith Haring, Banksys, Basquiat, and Andy Warhol. He creates connections with these major artists by referencing their recognizable appearances. Keith Haring for instance, was standing above the “radiant baby,” his iconic symbol representing his work. Keith Haring created a plethora of line drawings that symbolized a multitude of characters with different implications of nuclear holocaust, sexuality, AIDS, and commercialism. Gabriel seemed to be influenced by Haring’s large overtones with simple line drawings. Gabriel’s work created an extension of line work’s powerful ability to convey big meaning that Haring had generated, except Gimenez supplemented Fado.“Fado,” as Gimenez states, implies a character of “curiosity and confusion,” with one eye bulging large, and one eye small. Gabriel drew upon Haring’s and Warhol’s implications of commercialism by referencing the dollar symbol within many of his works, suggesting  the commercialistic society we currently abide by.

Gimenez, in his pull to engage the audience with pressing contemporary issues references Steve Jobs and  Mac computers, and how they echo Warhol’s concept of the Campbell’s soup can. Mac computers are mass produced, often to break down within an agitating short amount of time. A Mac computer, which consumers wish to love and cherish, becomes another perishable consumer product, just like a Campbell’s soup can. An image that we see repeatedly, that we in turn worship as an object that will bring function and happiness to our lives, is yet another material possession produced by a corporation that essentially wants to take our money, and does not truly care about our satisfaction. 

He is a self taught artist, he didn’t go to school for art, which explains the sense of raw urgency behind his work. His style has not been filtered and watered down by academia. Gabriel produces an extraordinary amount of paintings, all clearly generated by him. Gabriel samples different artists’ work, as he says, as a “hip hop artist.” He aims to create “new ways of how society sees things.”.

The most pivotal point in his work is a “personal expression.” He aims to express spontaneous things. He filled the entire downstairs of Castle Fitzjohns Gallery with paintings all of a consistent visual icon. Fado took over the paintings, and marked Gabriel’s signature character within different themes of cultural iconography, whether it be Fado as Darth Fader, or Fado as the Beatles, or Fado as any of the many artists icons that Gimenez is influenced by. Fado is Gimenez’s way of creating a footing within society, generating a new symbol that society is faced with. Fado is a defiant expression of an artist who competes with domineering figures and symbols that we cannot escape, by supplementing its own face amongst the chaos of a money driven society.

I asked him if his work will evolve over time, and he responded that for the past 2 years, his work has become more conceptual, in that it targets concepts more than aesthetics. It has changed from graphics into work that has become more idea-based. He feels that he is expressing things at their essence.

I asked him if he believed in a higher power, or in a soul. He responded that as far as a spirituality, he is still trying to chase that idea, and he is trying to comprehend spirituality, and his work suggests that search. He is primarily sharing ideas for other people. He feels that any artist sharing his/her work is a spiritual practice.

Gabriel feels that he is always pushing himself.  Marcel Duchamp is the artist that is pushing him the most, and although none of Duchamp’s concepts directly influences Gimenez’s work, understanding how theoretical Duchamp’s work goes, pushes Gabriel to extend his boundaries, and dig deeper with his visions.

written and photographed by Andrew Kaminski

The post Castle Fitzjohns exhibits Gabriel Gimenez appeared first on Artiholics.

NEW YORK, NY – Wednesday, September 18- Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

7:00 pm Muse Fuse: Ann Fensterstock | Storefront Bushwick – 324 Ten Eyck St., Bklyn,NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm The Inaugural Rub Out | Christine Cha | Kraine Gallery & KGB Bar – 85 E. 4th St., NYC
8:00 pm – 11pm Lädy Millard “Luxury”| Con Artist Gallery – 119 Ludlow St, NYC

Thursday, September 19th, 2013

4:00 pm – 10pm Photoville | Pier 5 Brooklyn Bridge Park –360 Furman Street, Brooklyn, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Herb Jackson | Claire Oliver Gallery – 513 W. 26th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Roxa Smith | Conde Nast Building – 4 Times Square, NYC
6:00 pm – 10pm Members Only | CultureFix – 119 Ludlow St, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Edward Burtynsky | Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery – 505 w. 24th St., NYC
6:00 pm Greenpoint Film Festival | Opening Screenings & Panel $ – 67 West St. Greenpoint, Bklyn
6:00 pm – 8pm Jonathan Callan | Josee Bienvenu Gallery – 529 W. 20th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm David Herman | People/Places II | Denise Bibro Fine Art – 529 W. 20th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm David Kassman | Lost | Winston Wächter Fine Art –  530 W. 25th St., NYC
7:00 pm Openings | Faith Based Group Show | Church of St. Paul the Apostle – 405 W. 59th St., NYC
9:00 pm – Midnight Red Bull Curates | Canvas Cooler Project | The 1896– 215 Ingraham St., Bklyn, NYC

Friday, September 20th, 2013

11:00 am – 6pm Behind Closed Doors $ | Brooklyn Museum – 200 Eastern Parkway, Bklynt, NYC
2:00 pm – 7pm The NY Art Book Fair | MoMA PS1– 22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm In The Good Name of the Company | See | Exhibition Space – 26-19 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Fountain Art Fair Chicago | Mana Contemporary – 2233 S. Throop St., Chicago, IL
7:00 pm – 9pm Augustin Doublet | Skin of the City | fuchs projects – 56 Bogart St, Bushwick, Bklyn, NYC

Saturday, September 21st, 2013

6:00 pm – 8pm Rosalind Nashashibi | Murray Guy– 453 W. 17th St., NYC
12:00 pm – 12am Galerie Project | $ | Light Space Studios – 1115 Flushing Ave., Greenpoint, Bklyn
7:00 pm – 10pm You Are My Sunshine | Group Show | Associated Gallery -The Active Space 566 Johnson Ave., Bklyn

Sunday, September 22nd, 2013

More coming soon

Monday, September 23rd, 2013

More coming soon

Tuesday, September 24th, 2013

More coming soon

The post Your NYC Art Week: Sept. 18th – 24th appeared first on Artiholics.

NEW YORK, NY – Wednesday, September 11- Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Tuesday, September 10th, 2013

10:00 am – 5:15 pm Janet Cardiff | The Cloisters – Fort Tryon Park, NYC
5:00 pm – 7 pm Degrees of Separation | SVA Gallery – 209 E. 23rd St., NYC
5:00 pm – 8 pm Kerry James Marshall | Jack Shainman Gallery– 524 W. 24th St., NYC
5:00 pm – 8 pm Hayv Kahraman | Jack Shainman Gallery– 513 W. 20th St., NYC

Wednesday, September 11th, 2013

6:00 pm – 8pm Pond, Mirror, Kaleidoscope | Visual Arts Gallery – 601 W. 26th. St., NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Josh Smith | Luhring Augustine – 25 Knickerbocker Ave, Bklyn, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Lucas Grogan & Andrea Mary Marshall | Garis & Hahn – 263 Bowery, NYC
>6:00 pm – 8pm Nina Könnemann | Ludlow 38 – 38 Ludlow St., NYC

Thursday, September 12th, 2013

2:00 pm  Cathrine Opie Artist Talk| NYU Fales Library – 70 Washington Sq. S., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Jonas Wood | Anton Kern Gallery – 532 W. 20th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Evening With Bob & David | Town Hall – 123 W.43rd St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Joel Grey | Max Kozloff | William John Kennedy | Steven Kasher Gallery – 521 W.23rd. St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm David Ellis | Joshua Liner Gallery – 540 W. 28th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Lucas Michael | Danziger Gallery – 527 W. 23rd St. NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Susan Derges | Danziger Gallery – 527 W. 23rd St. NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Show #15: Four Lives | Field Projects – 526 W. 26th St. #807, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm The Creator Series | Bar Catalonia – 206 W. 41st St. NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Susie MacMurray | Inaugural Show| Danese Corey – 511 W. 22nd St. NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Harriet Bart | Driscoll | Babcock – 525 W. 25th St. NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Andreas Blank | Benrimon Contemporary – 514 W. 24th St., 2E, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Antoinette Wysock l| Blank Space– 511 W.25th St.,#204, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Decline & Fall of The Art World Part II | Freight + Volume – 530 W. 24th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Josh Smith | Luhring Augustine – 531 W. 24th St., NYC

Friday, September 13th, 2013

10:00 am – 5pm Rethinking Landscape with Le Corbusier | MoMA – 11 W. 53rd St., NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Superstitious 13 Group Show | Gspot – 66 Greenpoint Ave., NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Greenpoint Gallery Night |Greenpoint Brookyn, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Greenpoint Now Art Show | The Yard – 33 Nassau Ave, Greenpoint, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Ugly Art Room | The Yard – 33 Nassau Ave, Greenpoint, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm “WHITE WASH” Group Show | Brian Morris Gallery – 163 Chrystie St., NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm #ThrowbackThursday | Calico – 67 W. St. #206, Bklyn, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Skewville | Mighty Tanaka Gallery – 111 Front St., Dumbo, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Charlotte Becket, Emmy Mikelson, Robert Egert – 464 Seneca Ave, Ridgewood, QNS, NYC
7:00 pm – 10pm Paul Gagner | Centotto – 250 Moore St., #108, Bushwick, NYC
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Sonic Front | Front Room Gallery – 147 Roebling St., Bklyn, NYC

Saturday, September 14th, 2013

7:00 pm – 10pm COLLIDE- Group Show | Harbor Gallery – 17-17 Troutman, Ridgewood, NYC
7:00 pm – 10pm Dave Hardy | Regina Rex – 17-17 Troutman, Ridgewood, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm All-over or Nothing | Parallel Art Space – 17-17 Troutman, Ridgewood, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Bad As I Wanna Be | Ortega Y Gasset Projects – 17-17 Troutman, Ridgewood, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Jane Fox Hipple | Dodge Gallery – 15 Rivington St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm A PINCH OF SAFFRON… (group show) | Dodge Gallery – 15 Rivington St., NYC
7:00 pm -10pm Don Pablo Pedro | English Kills – 114 Forest St., Bushwick, NYC

Sunday, September 15th, 2013

1:00 pm – 5pm MICA THEN/NOW | Ethan Cohen Fine Arts – 211 Fishkill Ave, Beacon, NY
3:00 pm – 7pm Brooklyn Acts | Performance | The Living Gallery– 1094 Broadway, Bklyn, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Jordan Tate | Denny Gallery -261 Broome St., NYC

Monday, September 16th, 2013

7:00 pm   Tom Sito Lecture & Book Signing | SVA Theatre – 333 W. 23rd St., NYC

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013

6:00 pm – 9pm listings to come…

The post Your NYC Art Week: Sept. 11th – 17th appeared first on Artiholics.

NEW YORK, NY – Wednesday, September 4- Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Thursday, September 5th, 2013

6:00 pm – 9pm James Charles | Art Now NY– 548 W. 28th St.2nd Fl., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Kaoru Okura & Jerry Madson | Caelum Gallery – 508 W. 26th St. #315, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Barbara Takenaga | DC Moore Gallery – 535 W. 22nd St. NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Daniel Borlandelli & Juxtaposition (Group Show) | Deniese Bibro  – 529 W. 20th St.#4W, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Fall Group Show | Arcilesi | Homberg Fine Art –  111 Front St., Dumbo, Bklyn, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Sungsic Moon | DOOSAN Gallery New York – 533 W. 25th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Vicki Sher | frosch & portmann – 53 Stanton St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Luca Dellaverson | Tilton Gallery – 8 E. 76th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Lisa Levy | Littlefield – 622 Degraw St., Bklyn, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Present Memory | Christopher Henry Gallery – 127 Elizabeth St.,NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm A2A: Annuals To Art $ | Art Directors Club – 106 W. 59th St., NYC
7:00 pm – 12am Lexi Bella & Amanda de Souza | reBar – 147 Front St., Bklyn, NYC
8:00 pm – 11pm BK vs. Dali | Sacred Gallery NYC – 424 Broadway, 2nd Fl., NYC

Friday, September 6th, 2013

6:00 pm – 8pm Greg Haberny | Lyons Wier Gallery – 542 W.24th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 10pm Brian Galderisi | et al projects – 56 Bogart, NYC
6:00 pm – 10pm BYO Art | The Living Gallery – 1094 Broadway, Bklyn, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm James Cullinane | Robert Henry Contemporary – 56 Bogart St., Bklyn, NYC
6:30 pm – 9pm “Station to Station” – $25| Riverfront Studios -420 Kent Ave, Bklyn., NYC
7:00 pm – 9pm Liz Sweibel | NURTUREart Gallery – 56 Bogart St.,Bklyn , NYC
7:00 pm – 9pm Amy Hill | Front Room Gallery – 147 Roebling St., NYC

Saturday, September 7th, 2013

11:00 am – 6pm Governors Island Art Fair | Governors Island, NYC (Every Sat-Sun. in SEPT.)
3:00 pm – 9pm WARM UP 2013 (Final)| MoMA PS1 Courtyard – 22-25 Jackson Ave, LIC, NYC
5:00 pm – 7pm Carmen Papalia | Cue Art – 137 W. 25th St., NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm MATERIAL Group Show | Storefront – 324 Ten Eyck St., Bklyn, NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Matthew Mahler | Sardine – 286 Stanhope St.,Bklyn, NYC
7:00 pm – 9pm Blek le Rat | Jonathan LeVine Gallery – 529 W. 20th St., NYC
8:00 pm – 9:30pm Free Screening “Drivers Wanted” Doc.| 55 Stan – Long Island City, NYC

Sunday, September 8th, 2013

4:00 pm – 8pm Cara Phillips | Station Independent Projects – 164 Suffolk St., NYC
4:00 pm – 8pm Brian Leo | S & J Projects – 191 Henry St., NYC
4:00 pm – 8pm Vicki Sher | frosch & portmann – 53 Stanton St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Will Rogan | Laurel Gitlen – 122 Norfolk St., NYC
8:00 pm – 10pm Gaslight Anthem – Performance $ | The Paramount – Huntington, NY
6:00 pm – 8pm Ron Gorchov & Group Show | Lesley Heller Workspace – 54 Orchard St, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Session One | Pocket Utopia – 191 Henry St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Joan Lurie & Beth Dary | Muriel Guépin Gallery – 83 Orchard St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Jeila Gueramian | Allegra LaViola Gallery – 179 E. Broadway, NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Johns Lichtenstein Stella | MARC STRAUS – 299 Grand St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Jeff Talman | MARC STRAUS – 299 Grand St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Antonio Santin | MARC STRAUS – 299 Grand St., NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Tomaz Hipólito | Rooster Gallery – 190 Orchard St., NYC
6:00 pm – 8pm Morten Schelde | Munch Gallery – 245 Broome St., NYC
6:00 pm – 9pm Viking Rappers | NOoSPHERE Arts – 251 E.Houston, NYC
6:30 pm – 8pm Looks Of The L.E.S. | Fashion Show | Lower East Side – Orchard btwn. Broome & Grand

Monday, September 9th, 2013

12:00 am – 1am Zombie Boy | Live Performance | Webster Hall – 125 E.11th St, NYC

Tuesday, September 10th, 2013

10:00 am – 5:15 pm Janet Cardiff | The Cloisters – Fort Tryon Park, NYC
5:00 pm – 7 pm Degrees of Separation | SVA Gallery – 209 E. 23rd St., NYC
5:00 pm – 8 pm Kerry James Marshall | Jack Shainman Gallery– 524 W. 24th St., NYC
5:00 pm – 8 pm Hayv Kahraman | Jack Shainman Gallery– 513 W. 20th St., NYC

The post Your NYC Art Week: Sept. 4th – 10th appeared first on Artiholics.

NEW YORK, NY – Wednesday, August 14- Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Wednesday, August 14th 

6:00 pm – 9 pm Coterie: Collective Pop-Up Exhibition | Munch Gallery – 245 Broome St., NYC

7:00 pm – 9 pm Drink & Draw NUDE MODEL | The Living Gallery – 1094 Broadway, BKLYN

7:00 pm – 10 pm BURGER JOINT ART SHOW II | Burger Joint – 33 W.8th St. NYC

Thursday, August 15th

5:30 pm – 8 pm MoMA Nights with Tristan Perich & Meehan Perkins Duo | MoMA – 11 W. 53rd St.,NYC

6:30 pm – 8 pm Robert Szot 3 Speeches | Opening Reception | Muriel Guépin Gallery – 83 Orchard St.,NYC

7:00 pm – 9 pm Ego vs. Empathy by Qinza Najm | Opening Reception | SMV Gallery Space – 145 W 46th St.,NYC

Friday, August 16th

6:00 pm – 8 pm Yoko Takeuchi “Power of the Earth” | Opening Reception | AG Gallery – 107A N 3rd.,BKLYN

Saturday, August 17th

8:00 pm – 11 pm The Timeless Event | Opening Reception | Vector Gallery – 40 Clinton St.,NYC, NY

Sunday, August 18th

1:00 pm – 6 pm Doppler | Closing Brunch | Parallel Art Space – 17-17 Troutman St. #220, Ridgewood

Monday, August 19th

10:00 pm – 5:30 pm Julia Margaret Cameron | Opening  | The Met – 1000 Fifth Ave.

Tuesday, August 20th

5:00 pm – 10 pm Short Cuts Film Festival Semi-Finals | Screening | SVA Theater – 333 W. 23rd St.,NYC

Entry is free for all events with RSVP to diversity@nbcuni.com. Seating is limited and on a first come, first served basis.

Wednesday, August 21st

Events to come…

The post Your NYC Art Week: August 14-21 appeared first on Artiholics.

The new issue of Time Out New York arrived in the mail yesterday and I was hit in the face with Popeye throwing fists, from the Houston Street Mural by John “Crash” Matos, I highly recommend picking up this issue if you are curious about public art, and street art in NYC. I knew this would be an interesting issue just from that cover, so I had to open it up and start breaking it down.

Inside the magazine the first story is about all the new outdoor art in the city like Studio Klimoski Chang Architects, Head in the Clouds, an installation piece constructed with 53,000 recycled milk jugs and water bottles filled with colored water (Curious how much you would get if you recycled them? $2,650 – just did the math).   Alexandre Arrechea’s No Limits and French artist JR’s Inside Out New York City which is a massive portrait as pavement project in Times Square.

The next article is about Iconic Public works, featuring famous pieces by Keith Haring, Robert Indiana, and Tony Rosenthal.  Followed by an article Top Spots For Street Art which mentions a bunch of venues including The Bushwick Collective, Centre-fuge Public Art Project  with a good plug for artist and friend of ours Danielle Mastrion and of course 5 Pointz.

The next two page spread has Chris Stain and Billy Mode break down their process of mural making.  Followed by descriptions of the various street art styles, Stickers represented by a photo and description of a piece by our friend Fumero.

There is an article about the various street-art friendly galleries and spaces, including a few of my regular haunts Jonathan LeVine Gallery, Mighty Tanaka with shouts to artist Chris RWK, VengRWK (which I assume they meant H.Veng Smith), and Alice Mizrachi.   Le Salon d’Art is written up with a shout out to friend and fellow artist Joseph Meloy, the Vandal Expressionist himself.

Pick it up on newsstands this week around the city, and if you aren’t into spinach eating sailors there is also an alternate cover with a giant metal circle – because that is also “an art.”

Written by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

[TimeOutNY]

The post Time Out New York Cover Story Gives NYC Street Artists Big Ups appeared first on Artiholics.