Galleries: November 2005 Archives

Blink and you'll miss it.

Black Cherry by Marilyn Minter

Advertising-oriented photography tends to get short shrift in the fine art world, so I was interested to see "Passionate Image", a one-week show sponsored by "House of Campari" (why a show with works for sale needs a sponsor, I can't fathom). With a few exceptions, this show demonstrates the straight jacket that photographers don when entering into a contract for fashion photography. Creative bankruptcy apparently leads to playing with a single variable - edging as close to the taboo of your choice: animals, homoeroticism, eroticization of children, sadomasochism, etc. Still, there are a few examples where the photorgapher overcame temptation to take the easy way out, such as Horst P. Horst's Round the Clock or Minter's Black Cherry - a set of luscious lips dripping like a wound.

The show is displayed in two rooms, the first hung with the shows' prints, curated by Vince Aletti, Steven Kasher and Craig Hensala. The second is primarily taken up with three walls of actual print advertising, not dissimilar to a college dorm room - an interesting curatorial decision, mimicking how photography is actually experienced by many people.

Through Nov 19th at Steven Kasher Gallery
521 W 23rd St, 2nd Flr
(212) 226-1485

Robin #43, Oakland, CA by Lise Sarfati

I've become so accustomed to seeing large scale color photography that its basically assumed any contempory show I see will feature them. So it was something of a suprise to see Lise Sarfati's The New Life at Yossi Milo and find only modest-sized prints lined up across the main space.

Nevertheless, Sarfati's photography follows other common stylistic approaches in her treatment of the stereostypical modern, disaffected teen such as the blank stare into space or into the camera. In more than a few photos the kids wear wigs - play acting a desired maturity? The vast bulk of the show is medium and close up portraits of teenage "Crewdson extras" with a few longer shots, such as the one above, that are more effective and original at describing the emotional and mental atmosphere of adolescence.

Through Nov 26th at Yossi Milo
525 W. 25th St
(212) 414-0370