Gavin Rain Selected Press by ContiniArtUk

Gavin Rain Selected Press

Index Page 4

Design & Trend

Page 9

The Culture Trip: Bangladesh

Page 12

Afronte

Page 13

Nassau County Museum of Art

Page 16

Examiner.com

Page 17

Tuscia Web

Page 20

North Word News

Page 21

Boing Boing

Page 26

Ars Key

Page 31

The English Room

Page 36

Art Africa

Page 48

Immagina Arte

Page 49

Amicor

Page 51

Elaborate Taste

DESIGN

15 Best Contemporary Artworks at The Armory Show 2015 Meg Busacca , Design & Trend Mar, 10, 2015, 02:04 PM

Meg.Busacca@designtimes.com

This past Sunday concluded New York City's 2015 The Armory Show after a three-day event featuring some of the world's best modern and contemporary artists' works from galleries across the globe. This year's event offered selections from premier galleries from 28 countries to represent art and artists from today and the twentieth century. Hosted at Manhattan Piers 92 and 94, the permanent tents were divided into Modern and Contemporary presentations. Pier 92 categorized work from the twentieth century and Pier 94 was dedicated to primary international galleries highlighting living talent in today's art realm. This year marked The Armory's seventeenth edition, which continues to establish itself as a serious and captivating showcase for both emerging and reputable galleries worldwide. Out of the impressive 199 new and returning galleries, we were able to choose our 15 favorites. Our editor's picks include galleries from Istanbul to Helsinki, London to Seoul â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Dirimart, Galerie Forsblom, Johnen Galerie, Tina Kim Gallery, Kukje Gallery, Lehmann Maupin, Galerie Lelong, Regen Projects, Michael Rein, Frederica Schiavo Gallery, Nara Roesler and DC Moore Gallery.

Selected artists included multimedia works as well. From the distinct, circular structures of Rodney Graham to Rome Prize winner, and creator of theatrical sculptural installations, Nari Ward to texturized, gradient paintings of iconic individuals from Gavin Rain, all of the works were nothing short of impressive. Our list also features sculptural work from a long-time favorite, Frank Stella. The 78-year-old painter and printmaker combined minimalism with abstract expressionism in his pieces over the course of his career, making the artist a legend in his own right. Our latest craze was for the contemporary pieces from Sarah Cain. The Los Angeles-based artist often uses traditional canvas and a variety of unique materials to elevate her work outside of two-dimensional pieces. In this case, incorporating safety pins into her work. View the full list of our favorites from the prestigious art fair below, as we take you through inspiring works from other artists including Cenk Akaltun, Doug Aitken, Jacob Hashimoto, Andrea Sala, Abigal Deville, Julio Le Parc, Damien Hirst, Kyungah Ham, Makoto Saito and Joyce Kozloff.

1. Frank Stella Treat My Daughter Kindly 1986 Metal and Fiberglass Dranoff Fine Art

2. Rodney Graham Cylindro-chromatic Abstraction Construction #16 2014 Gouache on wood, framed Johnen Galerie

(Photo : Design & Trend - Meg Busacca / Cylindro-Chromatic Abstraction Construction #16 - Rodney Graham)

3. Nari Ward Oprama 2014 shoelaces, shipping barrel Lehmann Maupin Gallery

(Photo : Design & Trend - Meg Busacca / Cylindro-Chromatic Abstraction Construction #16 - Rodney Graham)

4. Gavin Rain Audrey 2014 Acrylic on canvas Leslie Smith

(Photo : Design & Trend - Meg Busacca / Audrey - Gavin Rain )

5. Cenk Akaltun

Untitled, Untitled 2015, 2015 Oil on canvas, oil on canvas Dirimart

6. Doug Aitken

7. Sarah Cain

Always Run Fast in a Modern World 2014 Painted aluminum Regen Projects

Ojai night sky 2013 Safety pins, gouache and acrylic on canvas GALERIE LELONG

8. Jacob Hashimoto

Memory of Some Great Dark Planet 2015 Paper, wood, acrylic and Dacron GALERIE FORSBLOM

9. Andrea Sala

Italia Rosa 2015 Polyurethane, bondo and pigments Frederica Schiavo Gallery

10. Abigal Deville

Nobody knows my name 2015 Wood panels, flourescents, mirrors MICHEL REIN

12. Damien Hirst

11. Julio Le Parc

BEAUTIFUL, RUNNY EGG ON A SUMMERS SphÃ¨re jaune DAY NOSE BLEED PAINTING 2001 2006 yellow translucent plexi, steel wires, aluminum household gloss on canvas Galeria Nara Roesler

13. Kyungah Ham

5. Cenk Akaltun

Untitled, Untitled 2015, 2015 Oil on canvas, oil on canvas Dirimart

5. Cenk Akaltun

Untitled, Untitled 2015, 2015 Oil on canvas, oil on canvas Dirimart

Title: Costa Rica: Stupore Artists: Luis Chacón, Francisco Córdoba, Silvia Fossati and Raffaella Rosa Lorenzo, Gianfranco Meggiato, Gavin Rain, Jaime David Tischler, Patrizio Travagli, Horst Uhlemann, Alec Von Bargen, Luca Zampetti Curators: Luca Carniato, Dino Leoni. Venue: Sant’Elena Campo de la Chiesa 3 Gavin Rain is a neo-pointillist painter living and working in South Africa. His exacting painting method explores visual communication processes at multiple depths. Rain mostly depicts human faces, using a technique which took a significant amount of time to develop. The paint is applied in an intricate mass of dots, resulting in works that are accessible at two viewing distances. Close up presents a tangible image - one that reveals only the technique, whereas viewing from afar the real message is revealed.

With this technique Rain attempts to re-establish the importance of human beings in our lives. Within his work this extends to a political and social critique, investigated from a firm humanist standpoint. For the Costa Rican pavilion Rain has depicted the face of Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi, presenting her as an icon of our time. Here, Rain discusses with Kathryn Lloyd the importance of technique, responsibility and perseverance in his work.

Kathryn Lloyd: You are a South African artist, yet you represented Costa Rica at the Venice Biennale, and the work you presented has a strong political motive concerning Aung San Suu Kyi. Where do you think that social and political responsibility lies - do you think it transcends nationality? Gavin Rain: Without a doubt it transcends nationality. I’ve always found art to be a socio-political platform. Art often transcends language, transcends culture – art should have universal appeal. As to where the responsibility lies, well I’ve always thought it the duty of an artist to raise awareness…. to tackle problems from a different angle, cast things in a different light – that kind of thing. Rhetoric becomes rhetorical all too quickly. Art should redress this. KL: How do you feel your work interacts with the other artists in the pavilion? Did you see your work as an autonomous section of the exhibition, or did you see the exhibition as a collaborative effort? GR: Well the show really tackled international themes – hence the international artists. I hope we all tackled the theme individually but that the gestalt – the whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts – delivered a cohesive message. After many discussions with my fellow artists I often would end up saying yes yes yes (or si si si) when we found that our goals were often the same, that our ideas were going in the same direction. Those were great moments. KL: You often say that your work attempts to reveal things ‘hidden in plain sight.’ Is this simply a reference to your aesthetic - in that it proposes a multitude of textures, and a multitude of representations - or does it also have a social didactic? GR: I started with this style with the express purpose of delivering a message. To literally force people to ‘get it’. I hate art with no message, and I hate it when people stare blankly at a work in a museum. Look, it’s not their fault. But that disconnect is a terrible thing. I never want to have that. So I spent a few years just working on message. On the dialogue that I wanted my art to have. With the style that I use, you kind of have to get it. You have to step back. You have to take the journey. And you have to therefore get the message. I’m saying that – step back – recognise what’s going on in your life. Recognise the people and the ideas that make you who you are and makes our society what it is. There’s a lot that’s hidden in our society and in our lives, not because it’s been obfuscated but because we simply don’t notice a lot of the time. I’ll give you an example. I listen to Laurie Anderson a lot when I paint. She has this song called “Beautiful Red Dress” and it’s partly about exploring the inequalities between wages: For every dollar a man makes, a woman makes 63 cents. 50 years ago it was 62c. Isn’t that just disgustingly shocking? So I Googled the ratio today, thinking naively ‘I’m sure that’s been addressed’ - but it’s 68c. KL: Your visual method is extremely laborious, and took you years to perfect. Do you feel it is necessary to have such an invested, time consuming practice in order to successfully grapple with political issues? Do you think it adds weight to what you are saying? GR: I don’t. I mean, I love the mechanism of the conversation – I love the way the style makes people get it, and even think about things. Yes I think this is important to tackle certain social issues. Not the labour, but the mechanism. Certainly not the labour. I wish I could paint in this style faster, but pointillism is just slow. It’s sometimes excruciatingly slow. I see the face emerge painfully slowly. I want to start the conversation with the viewer. I know the idea works. I know the style works. But sometimes I put the brush down at 4am and wonder where the hell the day went and why I’m so hungry. I do love the style. I love being able to tell a story in a different way. And people see the time invested. They realise I must be investing that time for a reason. So they spend longer thinking about what I’m trying to say. As a kid I did that with Escher and Vasarely… they got into my head and I thought about them all the time. When you think about someone, you think about what they’re saying. If people stop and think about what I’m doing, and how I’m doing it…that makes it worth it. But I need to keep telling myself that. Especially at 4am. KL: Your work is politically orientated - do you think this makes it functional as a political tool? How far do you think art can manage to achieve this status? What do you want your work to achieve - to highlight certain issues, or do you think it can go beyond that and produce actual results? GR: I really hope my art is functional as a political tool. I really think that art is one of the few mechanisms left to actually have a shot at achieving this goal. We’re bombarded by advertising. We’re bombarded by political rhetoric. We build up walls to block all this crap out. I’m hoping art requires no such filter. It’s not demanding. At worst it’s pleading. At best it shows that ideas and ideals can be beautiful, that different isn’t scary. It’s often amazingly good. Why don’t you just come to the edge for a bit – after a while you’ll feel comfortable – and oh look….your horizons just shifted. Hey now look at that… there’s a new edge… I’m all about highlighting issues. Aung San Suu Kyi is a good example of this. Can I produce actual results? Well I’m planning on donating the money to her foundation. Money’s a decent result that I think can help her. I’m some guy… on the other side of the world. I can do something and help people see perhaps just a little bit further… and help a true icon of our time. Isn’t that wild?

Le opere di Gavin Rain in mostra a Caffeina Viterbo - Il 28 giugno l'inaugurazione

In occasione di Caffeina Cultura 2012 la Kyo Art Gallery presenta la mostra “Lena” dell’artista sudafricano Gavin Rain curata da Antonella Pisilli. Nel XIX secolo la fisiologia e la psicologia della percezione diventano il fulcro di un’attenta analisi che si fonda su basi rigorosamente scientifiche. Gli studi di Chevreul sul contrasto simultaneo e sui colori complementari vengono sviluppati dagli impressionisti e successivamente dai pointilliste Seurat e Signac. Nasce così il primo movimento che abbia la necessità di porre un fondamento tra arte e scienza, le ricerche artistiche 17

incentrate su questi concetti toccheranno l’apice negli anni ‘50 del Novecento con Max Bill, Josef Alberts e altri. Sulla questione tra arte e scienza si costruisce l’opera di Gavin Rain, che la definisce Neo-pointillism. I lavori di Gavin Rain hanno una molteplicità di livelli di visione, la prima osservazione a una distanza ravvicinata mostra una serie di colori puri posti in cerchi concentrici, arretrando di un passo si può cominciare a osservare un’immagine sfumata, ma soltanto a una certa distanza l’opera si completa e la figurazione si arricchisce di particolari mostrando la perfezione delle forme. Questa caratteristica del suo lavoro provoca meraviglia e pone lo spettatore in una condizione di incredulità, ammirazione e stupore. Le particelle di pigmenti mescolati dal pittore sono giustapposti e in parte sovrapposti in una combinazione così complicata di addizione e sottrazione che il risultato finale si elabora a livello ottico e mentale. Tale processo che è tipico nella stampa a colori e ancor di più in quelle digitali ci chiariscono ancor meglio la scelta del soggetto in mostra, “Lena”. Quando le immagini digitali cominciarono ad apparire nei primi anni ’70, gli ingegneri della University of Southern California (USC) che stavano lavorando sugli algoritmi di elaborazione delle immagini avevano bisogno di una buona immagine da utilizzare con le loro attrezzature da analogico a digitale. In quel momento, per caso, passò qualcuno che portava una rivista di Playboy. Nel paginone centrale c’era Lena Söderberg. Siccome la macchina aveva una risoluzione fissa di solo 100 linee per pollice, gli ingegneri strapparono il terzo superiore dell’immagine da utilizzare, tagliandola 18

all’altezza delle spalle del soggetto. Questa scansione è diventata una delle immagini più usate nella storia del computer, con Lena che viene soprannominata la “First Lady di Internet”. Gavin Rain partecipa con L’opera “Lena” alla Biennale di Venezia, 55 Esposizione internazionale d’arte con la mostra “Supernatural” presso il padiglione del Bangladesh.

NASSAU COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART - JAN, FEB 2015 MAIN GALLERIES November 22, 2014 to March 8, 2015 China Then and Now Sponsored by HSBC Private Bank China Then and Now brings together exemplary Chinese works of art from the classical, early modern and contemporary periods. The exhibition explores three millennia of one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important artistic traditions from the perspective of American collectors on Long Island, such as Childs and Frances Frick and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler.

CONTEMPORARY COLLECTORS GALLERY November 22, 2014 to March 8, 2015 Gavin Rain A native of Cape Town, South Africa, Gavin Rain works primarily in a neo-pointillist style. He cites two main narratives in his work: Hidden in plain sight, in which the subject cannot be seen until the viewer takes a few steps back; and Pseudo digital, in which the artist uses rows of dots in a pattern similar to television or computer screens. He credits Seurat, Russian avant-garde art of the 1900s and the work of many architects as his main artistic influences. Rainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work has been seen in solo and group exhibitions throughout the world. Ongoing

http://boingboing.net/2015/04/23/portraits-made-of-concentricc.html

http://www.teknemedia.net/magazine_detail.html?mId=9664 30

http://www.theenglishroom.biz/2016/07/11/artist-spotlight-seriesgavin-rain/ 35

http://artsouthafrica.com/220-news-articles-2013/2565-andrewlamprecht-in-conversation-with-gavin-rain.html 47

http://www.immagina.info/le-collaterali-gavin-rain-nascosto-inbella-vista/ 48

http://amicor.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/gavin-rain.html

http://www.elaboratetaste.com/gavin-rain-neo-pointillist-art/ 51