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New on view on the 5th floor is an installation of works by Petah Coyne from the collection. These works are individual pieces that have been envisioned as an installation. For this, she created flowers and bows to complement and unify the hanging sculptures. In case you’re wondering where it’s located, you can’t miss it. It’s just outside the 5th floor elevator.

Petah Coyne (American, born 1953). Left: Untitled #750 (Bird Wedding Cake), 1993. Wax and mixed media. Gift of Rothfield Family Collection in memory of Harriet Weil Rothfield, 2008.17.2. Center: Untitled #698 (Trying to Fly, Houdini’s Chandelier), 1991. Mixed media. Gift of Rothfield Family Collection in memory of Harriet Weil Rothfield, 2008.17.1. Right: Untitled 816 (Dr. Zhivago), 1995-96. Formulated wax, steel, antique birdhouse, wire, cable, ribbon, silk flowers, candles. Anonymous gift in honor of Charlotta Kotik, 1997.191. Photo courtesy bachullus via Flickr.

Petah Coyne’s fantastical forms, presenting a beauty that slides into the grotesque, allude to death and decay. Her large, arresting sculptures are neither abstraction nor figuration, but exist somewhere between the two. Using a wide range of nontraditional materials including hay, wire, black sand, specially formulated wax, silk flowers, ribbons, artificial birds, earth, hair, and trees, Coyne often veils or covers objects as though they were artifacts frozen in time. Often hanging from the ceiling, her sculptures project a sense of unease and fragility. Although the materials appear delicate, one senses the weight and density of the works (the gossamer-like Untitled 816 (Dr. Zhivago), for example, weighs three hundred pounds).

Coyne is part of a generation of feminist sculptors who came of age in the late 1980s after Minimalism. Like many of her contemporaries such as Ursula von Rydingsvard, she seeks to integrate themes of nature and the self in her works, which become metaphors for the human experience of the life cycle.

To see more, stay tuned she will be having a solo show at Galerie Lelong later this year.

On October 23, 2009, we’re launching a major exhibition, Who Shot Rock: Photographers of Rock and Roll.

Who Shot Rock will be guest curated by the distinguished photography historian Gail Buckland, who began her career in the early 1970s collaborating on a book with Cecil Beaton (The Magic Image: The Genius of Photography). I will design the exhibition and be the liaison between the Museum and Gail, and report here on the progress we make. As the exhibition is about 18 months away, I thought it would be a good time to give you a brief preview of how far along we are.

Gail has been researching the exhibition since 2006 and has met with over 100 rock and roll photographers to review their work. Often, she has been able to identify vintage prints from their personal archives during these visits. And so this exhibition will provide an opportunity for museum visitors to see these original prints as well as learn the names of the photographers who shot some of the world’s most iconic images. For example, Jimi Hendrix with his burning guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, photographed by Ed Carraeff. There will 175 works in the exhibition and we are just beginning to clear image rights, so you’ll have to wait for a preview of these great works nearer to the end of the Summer.

The exhibition will cover the rock and roll era from the 1950s to the present and will be organized in 6 sections with the following working titles: Behind the Scenes; Live Performances; Crowds and Fans; Portraits; Young Artists; Conceptual Images & Album Covers. Together these will represent the varied approaches to rock and roll photography . . . which is as varied as the artists themselves. Though not a compendium of everyone in the history of rock, the exhibition will include Ike Turner, Little Richard, Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Ramones, Tina Turner, and Amy Winehouse. And of equal note, the photographers William “Popsie” Randolph, Barry Feinstein, Mick Rock, Richard Avedon, David Gahr, Pennie Smith, Jean-Paul Goude, Henry Diltz, and Max Vandukul.

A final checklist is near, and we are about to send out loan forms. Gail will be writing the book through the Summer. Once the loan forms have returned by Summer’s end, the design of the exhibition will begin.

With just a day left before the opening of © MURAKAMI, installation has wrapped up here at the Brooklyn Museum. We will be presenting nearly 100 works of art by the internationally-acclaimed artist Takashi Murakami as part of the most comprehensive retrospective of his work to date. Along with our own conservators, registrars, and art handlers, we have been hosting officials from Kaikai Kiki, (the artist’s studio in Tokyo and New York), and from the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles – the exhibition’s organizing institution – to assist with the installation. It’s been a packed house, but we are definitely grateful for so many experienced pairs of hands. And of course, the progress of the installation has also been closely monitored by the artist himself.

[note: photo removed due to agreement with artist]

Takashi Murakami (left) with Paul Schimmel, Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Photo by Mami Kato. Flower Matango (b), 2001-2006 and Cosmos, 2003. Artworks ©Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
I am most excited about the nitty-gritty details which make for an interesting installation period at the Museum. This multi-faceted exhibition fuses art with design elements, and Murakami has designed custom carpets and wallpaper to serve as the backdrop for his lively pieces. The effect is quite marvelous! Lately I have been consumed by the carpeting, for which a delicate installation plan had to be developed. As always, our primary goal was to achieve a seamless, flawless look for the exhibition. But there were other concerns as well; namely, ensuring that a temporary install would not permanently damage our original granite flooring while simultaneously guaranteeing that the bonding method would withstand heavy traffic. I think we’re there; the carpet looks wonderful.

[note: photo removed due to agreement with artist]
Installers from Carpet Resources, Ltd., work with Ken Moser, Chief Conservator (right) to determine an appropriate installation plan for the carpet. Photo by Tamara Schechter. Artwork ©Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

As you can see from the first photo in this post, Murakami sees the gallery space itself as an extension of his artistic presentation, meant not to fade into the background but rather to contribute to the overall atmosphere created by his work. Through the use of carpet and wallpaper, Murakami turns the very walls and floors around his art into works of art themselves. We have had plenty of experience installing fine art wallpaper; many of you may remember this element in the presentation of Global Feminisms. In addition, artist Ghada Amer has also explored the use of wallpaper in her work; you can check that out in Ghada Amer: Love Has No End, currently on view in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art.

Murakami’s mesmerizing patterns are meant to overwhelm the senses and stimulate a greater connection to his work, and our first-class wallpaper installer, Amir Hasan, worked diligently for two weeks to ensure that Murakami’s intricate patterns matched seamlessly.

[note: photo removed due to agreement with artist]

Amir Hasan, installer extraordinaire, hangs Murakami’s wallpaper. Photo by Shelley Bernstein. Jelly Fish Eyes, 2001. Artwork ©Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

This presentation will be stellar, and I hope these images have sufficiently whetted your appetite, but, be aware, when the show closes the images within my post will have to come down along with the exhibition. Many thanks to Takashi Murakami and KaiKai KiKi for allowing us to share these images with you during the run of the show! © MURAKAMI opens on April 5^th!

We said goodbye to Infinite Island at the end of January.

Packing up: The artwork from Infinite Island: Contemporary Caribbean Art is crated in preparation for shipping.

The show had a great run, and encouraged much enlightening discussion that will surely continue for years to come. It was a real privilege to be a part of that groundbreaking exhibition.

But, no time to dwell on nostalgia! One of the great things about working at the Brooklyn Museum is how quickly projects develop. We’re always working on something new, and this month is no exception. It’s time to make way for ©MURAKAMI!

If Marshall McLuhan were a gypsy and his teacup the art world, the tea leaves would be artists’ books. —Ingrid Sishey (National Arts Guide, vol. 1, no.1, Jan-Feb. 1979, p.2-3)

This quote resonates so well with me as it points to the role artists’ books have both as messengers of information and works of art in themselves. From mass produced, or open editions to limited editions to unique bookworks – artists’ books underscore McLuhan’s ideas about the medium as the message. Artists’ books constitute a highly varied contemporary art form which can be described as artworks which exist within the structure of books. Usually these are books utilizing a sequence of pages to produce a stream of imagery - textual and/or visual. They employ a full range of forms utilizing unusual paper, typographic design and bindings.

Artists’ books are a vibrant part of the Brooklyn Museum Library Special Collections. The Museum Library started to actively collect artists’ books in the 1970’s and now there are approximately 2,000 titles with a collecting emphasis on multiples. In an effort not to duplicate what other art libraries are collecting in the New York area, we have developed a collection policy that focuses on:

• Innovative works created by Brooklyn-based artists
• Innovative works created by artists worldwide
• Works created by artists either exhibited by the Museum or who have works in the Museum’s art object collection
• Works that relate to the objects or cultures represented in the Museum’s object collection

We try to present the artists’ books collection to the public either through display in exhibitions or through on-site visits and artist’s talks. This past Saturday we featured Angela Lorenz who is an American artist living in Bologna, Italy. Ms. Lorenz talked about her very innovative work entitled Pandora’s Book (1992). She creates mixed-media limited-edition artists’ books and uses them as a tool to convey cultural observations and historical research. As whimsical and humorous as some of her books are, each one is based on fact often derived directly from experts in architecture, anthropology, art history, textiles, and economics. This thought-provoking bookwork was recently donated to the Brooklyn Museum Library by Dorothy and Jerome Preston in honor of Dorothy Cochlin McCann (1899-1997), art historian and avid sewer.

On December 1st we are going to feature the work of Booklyn – watch our website for details and visit the Library Online Catalog to see what artists’ books we have in the collection!

Portions of this text are excerpted from an essay of mine published in the Artists’ Book Yearbook 2001-2002 (Impact Press, 2001). For copies of the essay or more information about artists’ books send us an email to library@brooklynmuseum.org.

As an educational programmer I am always on the lookout for organizations with which we can collaborate to bring innovative and diverse programs to the Museum. I am especially excited about our upcoming film programs this weekend that are a partnership with Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century. Art:21 offers a unique perspective on contemporary art by giving viewers an often unseen look of artists working in their studios, installing, and reflecting on their works in progress. On October 13 and 14 we are showing a special sneak-preview of the episodes “Protest” and “Paradox” from their upcoming 4th season.

The episode “Protest,” showing Saturday, October 13 at 2 p.m., features artists Jenny Holzer, Nancy Spero, Alfredo Jaar and An-My Lê. The artists in this episode employ visual art as a means to provoke personal transformations and social revolutions. This episode is particularly relevant to the exhibitions featured in our Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art because it speaks to the themes of The Dinner Party and Global Feminisms Remix. Following the screening, Brooklyn-based artist An-My Lê will discuss her work (see above for a clip from “Protest” featuring An-My Lê).

On Sunday, October 14 at 2 p.m, we are screening the episode “Paradox” as part of our Caribbean Film Series. “Paradox” features the artists Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla, whose video and photographs are featured in Infinite Island. The episode explores artists responding to paradoxes between global and local realities, and engaging with uncertainty in the art they create. Following the screening Eve Moros Ortega, Art:21’s Series Producer, will discuss the episode.

As I am committed to closely linking public programs to themes and questions that are raised by the works of art in our exhibitions, I am enthusiastic about the two Art:21 episodes that we are screening and the talks that accompany them. If you join us we would love to know what you think!

Infinite Island opened nearly three weeks ago at the Brooklyn Museum, and thousands of people have already visited the exhibition. We’ve been getting great feedback - check out what visitors are saying.

Roughly half of the show’s participating artists are back in town for this evening’s Members’ reception, as well as to participate in various panels and discussions taking place at the Museum over the next few weeks. Festivities and events include, of course, our next Target First Saturday on October 6^th. That weekend will feature many programs and activities focusing on Infinite Island, so be sure to stop by!

Annalee Davis, one of our presenting artists, installs Just Beyond my Imagination at the Brooklyn Museum.

The artists’ return to Brooklyn also offered a great opportunity to organize an informal artists’ talk in the galleries tomorrow, Friday, September 21^st. Do you have a question about a work in Infinite Island? Would you like to meet your favorite artist in the exhibition? Beginning at 12:30 PM tomorrow, over a dozen Infinite Island artists will be on-hand in the galleries, ready to discuss their work and receive your questions and comments. One artist will present every half-hour through closing at 5:00 PM, and talks will occur simultaneously on both floors of the exhibition. When you arrive, you can find the final schedule for tomorrow’s talks in the Lobby, or ask for more information at our Visitor Service desk. We look forward to seeing you!

Remy Jungerman installs Sometimes Travelers Don’t Come Back… at the Brooklyn Museum. Hear Remy discuss this work tomorrow!

Contact tamara.schechter@brooklynmuseum.org with any questions about this event.

Artist Steve Ouditt installing his Infinite Island work, “Excerpts From the Propagandist’s Diary of L. Padre Grande,” 2007.

What happens after an exhibition opens? Even after the works of art are displayed in the galleries, activity behind the scenes at the Museum does not stop. In the case of museum educators and educational programmers like me, our work really begins after an exhibition opens, but starts many months before. To prepare for Infinite Island: Contemporary Caribbean Art, I have been working closely with curator Tumelo Mosaka to decide what kinds of public programs related would offer innovative perspectives and interesting experiences for our visitors. After months of preparation, our inaugural public program for Infinite Island will take place this Saturday, September 22nd at 2 p.m.

Visualizing Caribbean Art and Culture in the Twenty-first Century includes five dynamic speakers who come from a variety of backgrounds and areas of expertise: Aisha Khan, Associate Professor of Anthropology at NYU and Director of Undergraduate Studies; Infinite Island catalog essayist Annie Paul, Associate Editor of the journal Small Axe and Head of Publications at Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Research at University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica; and Infinite Island artists Jean-Ulrick Dèsert, Deborah Jack and Steve Ouditt (pictured above). Tumelo Mosaka will moderate the event.

This is the first in a series of three panels and it should be exciting to hear the discussion of contemporary Caribbean art and culture with these artists and scholars. If you attend, let us know your thoughts.

Update 9/26/07: Photos posted to our Flickr account.

Only two days left until Infinite Island opens here at the Brooklyn Museum! I have enjoyed regaling you with descriptions of huge, complicated installations, and the most unlikely materials ever to be found in a Museum. I assure you, however, that the level of exactitude for which we aim holds true for the other installations as well. For example, take a look at a detail from Tropical Night, by Christopher Cozier, below:

This piece is comprised of 200 drawings on paper, each 9″ x 7″ and hung in a grid, secured to the wall with binder clips and simple pushpins. It is a fairly straightforward installation, and yet preparation for it began months ago with the selection process for proper hanging hardware. I even sent a sample pushpin and clip overnight to Cozier in Trinidad; we wanted to be sure everything was in line with his vision for the completed piece.

Ultimately, we decided to invite the artist to complete the installation here at the Museum, since his preferred placement of each drawing is ever-changing. Though he had shipped the piece to us months ago, he arrived with a stack of alternate drawings to work with so that he would have more variety in creating the final layout. It took the artist two days to construct the grid of drawings.

Drawings to supplement the completion of Tropical Night, by Christopher Cozier.

The completed piece, though installed with everyday office materials and almost childlike at first glance, is actually a complex narrative about repression. It is at once understated, accessible, and very beautiful in its subtlety - and one of my favorite pieces in the show. I’m thrilled to share it with you, and look forward to seeing and hearing your reactions to it.

Christopher Cozier constructs the grid for Tropical Night.

Infinite Island opens this Friday, August 31^st. We look forward to seeing you there!

Contemporary art often employs cutting-edge techniques, technologies, and materials, and our Infinite Island artists are proof in point. I would love to share some of the interesting materials coming in to the Museum as we get ready for the exhibition opening - just days away!

1200 AA batteries are used to light Bounty, a series of light boxes by Deborah Jack.

As mentioned in earlier posts, in many cases, I have been called upon to shop for materials, a task that can be simultaneously fascinating and frustrating. But at the end of the day, if the artist is pleased with what we have found, then all the hours of phone calls, internet searches, jaunts to thrift stores, and long truck rides out to New Jersey are worth it. Some of the items we collected are pretty extraordinary, and the way the artists have manipulated them for the finished pieces, even more so. Read on.

A wall of real leaves hangs behind Kuku (Kitchen), by Marcel Pinas - shipped to the Museum directly from the forests of Suriname.

The biggest challenge, in my opinion, was coordinating the delivery of 70 used car and truck tires for Kawtchou by Maxence Denis. You might have heard a bit about this from Nicole Caruth’s blog earlier this month, but I think the sheer magnitude of this task warrants another mention. The artist had specified not only the total number of tires he needed, but also the required diameter of each tire - ranging from 13″ to 26″ - and these precise instructions made it much more difficult to locate exactly what he wanted. We were very lucky that Anton Junicic Ent., Inc., a Brooklyn auto parts shop, was willing to collect the tires for us, and made three trips over with our big truck to transport them to the Museum. Special thanks to Robert Barclay, our dedicated truck driver, for all his help with this! The artist was very pleased, and so were we. The finished piece, which incorporates audio/visual elements, makes quite an imposing statement.

Tires for Kawtchou, by Maxence Denis, fill the Brooklyn Museum truck.

Another great accomplishment involved furniture-shopping for Spirit of the Caribe, an installation by Tirzo Martha. For this, all the credit goes to Dasha Chapman, our wonderful research assistant with an eye for a bargain. Like Kawotchou, this installation was completely recreated for the exhibition, and the artist needed new materials that matched his vision for the piece. Kudos to Dasha for biking around Brooklyn on the hottest day of the year in search of the perfect chair, loading coffee tables into the backs of cabs, and riding the truck out to New Jersey to pick up the bed frame she found on Craig’s List.

Chair and rug for Spirit of the Caribe, by Tirzo Martha.

Art handlers assemble the bed, to be used in Spirit of the Caribe, by Tirzo Martha.

Though this post focuses mainly on raw materials, I would like to include a sneak peak of the installation of Tirzo Martha’s work - I think you’ll be surprised to see what became of that bed:

Installation detail of Spirit of the Caribe, by Tirzo Martha.

That’s right; all the furniture now hangs on the wall, creating a vertical bedroom 12 feet high. I will leave the rest of the piece to your imagination for now; come and visit us to see the completed piece!

From 1200 batteries to 1000 feet of black cord, 85 cubic feet of packing peanuts to 7 cubic feet of beach sand, Infinite Island certainly breaks ground in its ingenious use of materials. We have just a few finishing touches to put on the show before we welcome you this Friday, August 31^st! Mark your calendars for the opening!