Santa Fe’s Monthly
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of and for the Arts • Dec./Jan. 2015-16
Holiday Celebration Wednesday, December 23rd 5pm – 7pm
53 Old Santa Fe Trail Upstairs on the Plaza Santa Fe, NM 505.982.8478 shiprocksantafe.com
What makes an artist great? Although there may be many answers to this question, the ability to innovate, engage socially and politically, to act as a visionary and speak to his times and generations to come certainly qualifies. The major survey of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and accompanying catalogue, Ai Weiwei (Royal Academy of Arts, London, $75), is a testament to his global cultural significance as an artist and activist. In an interview with Tim Marlow, artistic director of the Royal Academy, Ai provides multiple insights into his creative mind, revealing that Duchamp was not only influential, but that he was the most like an oriental thinker; that Ai considers online communication, such as Twitter, contemporary poetry; and that through his furniture pieces he is playing with fragments of subtly reconfigured history. He also states that when he recorded his dropping of Han Dynasty–era vases he was not destroying but reinterpreting the forms, and thus the work was about discovery not destruction. The power of this artist to confront the Chinese system and to fascinate people with his ideas and processes as well as his stunning visual presentations is apparent in the imagery and texts in this catalogue. Ai is committed to allowing his materials to speak for themselves, whether they become reconstructions made from the hardwood of destroyed temples, waves of rebar recycled from an earthquake that took the lives of thousands of school children, or a hundred million hand-painted ceramic sunflower seeds filling the gallery floor of the Tate Modern. The resulting works exist and resonate within both art-historical and contemporary contexts. As Ai Weiwei comments, “I hope I at least change the spirit of the times with art. I think we would have a better society if imagination, fantasy, or passion—the qualities realized through art—were more valued. I think artists are the ones who use their own lives to feel the world, to understand the world, so by doing that maybe [we] at least add to other people’s understanding.”
Ai Weiwei, Grapes, 27 Qing Dynasty wooden stools, 58¼” x 77¼” x 74”, 2010. Courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio. Image courtesy of Ai Weiwei. © Ai Weiwei
C O N T E N T S 03 14 18 21 23 25 27 31 32 36 37 39
letters
universe of:
Alvaro Cardona-Hine Pulling the Plug by Sandra Filippucci studio visits: Stan Berning and Jennifer Jesse Smith ancient city appetite: El Parasol by Joshua Baer one bottle: The 2004 Pol Roger Champagne Rosé Extra Cuvée de Réserve by Joshua Baer dining guide: Cafe Fina and Chez Mamou art forum:
art openings out
& about
previews:
Amanda Jaffe and Suzanne Kane at Santa Fe Clay and Sembene! at the Lensic Performing Arts Center 1997 national spotlight: The Time Between: The Sequences of Minor White at the Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego 40 feature: Best Books 2015 47 critical reflections: Arthur Drooker: Heavy Metal at Patina Gallery; Ed Ranney at photo-eye Gallery; Getting it Right: Between Two Worlds at the Museum of International Folk Art; Heart of a Dog: Lanny Quarles at Nisa Touchon Fine Art; Laurie Anderson at the Center for Contemporary Arts Cinematheque; Jack Balas: Guy’d Book at James Kelly Contemporary; Constance DeJong at Charlotte Jackson Fine Art; and Timothy Nero at Art Box 56 gone but not forgotten: Leonor Fini: The Enigmatic Queen of the Paris Art World 59 green planet: Marion Claire Wasserman: Artist, Mother, Activist, Yogini, photograph by Jennifer Esperanza 61 architectural details: La Cienega, NM, photograph by Guy Cross 62 writings: “1986” by Anon flashback:
LETTERS
magazine VOLUME XXIV NUMBER VI WINNER 1994 Best Consumer Tabloid
SELECTED 1997 Top-5 Best Consumer Tabloids SELECTED 2005 and 2006 Top-5 Best Consumer Tabloids Publisher/Creative Director
Guy Cross
Publisher/Food Editor
Judith Cross
Art Director
Chris Myers
Copy Editor
Edgar Scully
Proofreaders
James Rodewald Kenji Barrett
Staff Photographers
Dana Waldon Audrey Derell
Calendar Editor
B Milder
Preview Editor
Jackie M.
Social Media
Laura Shields Webmeister
Jason Rodriguez Contributors
Anon, Diane Armitage, Veronica Aronson, Joshua Baer, Ester Barkai, Davis K. Brimberg, Jon Carver, Elizabeth Christopher, Kathryn M Davis, Jennifer Esperanza, Marina La Palma, Michael Motley, Sherri B. Sorensen, Richard Tobin, Lauren Tresp, and Susan Wider Cover
Duane Michals, I Build a Pyramid (detail), 1978. From Storyteller (Prestel). Gelatin silver print with hand-applied text. Carnegie Museum of Art, The Henry L. Hillman Fund. Courtesy of the Artist.
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THE magazine: 505-424-7641 Lindy Madley: 505-577-6310 Distribution
Jimmy Montoya: 470-0258 (mobile) THE magazine is published 10x a year by THE magazine Inc., 320 Aztec St., Santa Fe, NM 87501. Corporate address: 44 Bishop Lamy Road Lamy, NM 87540. Phone number: (505)-424-7641. Email address: themagazinesf@gmail.com. Web address: themagazineonline.com. All materials copyright 2015 by THE magazine. All rights reserved by THE magazine. Reproduction of contents is prohibited without written permission from THE magazine. THE magazine is not responsible for the loss of any unsolicited material, liable, for any misspellings, incorrect information in its captions, calendar, or other listings. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or policies of THE magazine, its owners, or any of its employees, members, interns, volunteers, agents, or distribution venues. Bylined articles represent the views of their authors. Letters to the editor are welcome. Letters may be edited for style and libel. All letters are subject to condensation. THE magazine accepts advertisements from advertisers believed to be of good reputation, but cannot guarantee the authenticity of objects and/or services advertised. THE magazine is not responsible for any claims made by its advertisers for copyright infringement by its advertisers and is not responsible or liable for errors in any advertisement.
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
Santa Fe photographers Tony Bonanno and Mark Schumann’s work is on view at Amoré Fine Arts Gallery—110 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos. The exhibition Hooves and Dust & All Things New will include more than forty images from Bonanno’s Hooves and Dust series, along with Schumann’s black-and-white photography of the New Mexico landscape. Opening reception on Friday, December 11 from 5 to 8 pm. amorefineart.com
TO THE EDITOR: Jon Carver’s review of the UNM Art Museum’s exhibition Necessary Force is a fine accomplishment that summarizes the importance of this searing project. Although I doubt that the cop car was “lovingly flipped” in the Museum’s Main Gallery, its effect brings a realness into the exhibition that must viscerally crackle in the nervous systems of each and every viewer of the show. Albuquerque is not alone in its crimes against innocent human beings brought about by force that is well documented in international and national news. America is now more than ever a culture of force; of forces and police states that are redefining freedoms and basic human rights. The curators, Dr. Karen Fiss and Dean Kymberly Pinder, are to be lauded for putting these issues into the domains of academic learning and public awareness through works of art that are indictments of crimes against peace and freedom. —E. Luanne McKinnon, Ph.D., former director UNM Art Museum, Albuquerque, via email TO THE EDITOR: Picasso is alive and well, and living in Truchas. If you don’t know who I am referring to, you haven’t experienced the artistic world of Alvaro Cardona-Hine, or his most recent body of work, Dream Cities—forty plus paintings created this year. Alvaro, at eighty-nine years old, is a painter, a writer of fiction and poetry, a Zen practitioner, a translator, and a composer. He believes in magic because he is a magician. Magical realism mingles with gravitas, humor, and the sort of imagery that only resides in this particular mind, which he freely and boldly expresses on canvas. His work is so imaginative and experimental that he and his wife Barbara McCauley, also a painter and writer, created their own gallery in Truchas in 1988. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010, it seemed like his painting career would soon be over. But, vigorous and perhaps defiant in both will and whimsy, he has just completed one of his most productive years. These paintings sing with a lyrical joy in a world of mystery. —Jane Cook, via email (See pages 14 and 15)
TO THE EDITOR: Just got the November issue. A really great image of Agnes Martin on the cover. I love the 1994 flashback with Bruce Nauman on the cover. Great work. —James Crump, New York City, via email TO THE EDITOR: I was in Santa Fe in November and was really glad to see that Joshua Baer is still writing those amazing wine reviews. What a treat they are to read. I wish Baer’s column was more widely distributed! Nothing like it here in Tucson. —Jeff Glebocki, via email TO THE EDITOR: I want to expressly thank Guy Cross and THE for doing a wonderful spread in the last issue, which gave me space to express my ideas about art and the creative process. I hold THE as a standard by which other art journals should be judged. It has always consistently covered the best art in our region with an unflinchingly enlightened critical discourse. —Francisco Benitez, via email TO THE EDITOR: Thank you THE magazine and Joshua Baer for the writeup about Oasis in Baer’s Ancient City Appetite column. Many people come into the cafe holding a copy of THE magazine. Baer’s article, along with the ads we have been running in THE magazine, have resulted in a nice up-tick in our business. —John Conlon and Rebecca Silva, via email IN MEMORIAM: ROBERT “CHIP” WARE (1948-2015)
Best known as curator of the Raymond Jonson Gallery and Archives at the University of New Mexico (2000-2014), Chip Ware was an authority on mid-century American abstraction and photography. He studied with Tom Barrow, Betty Hahn, Clinton Adams, and Beaumont Newhall at UNM, receiving a BFA in Photography in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Art History in 1997. His final scholarly publication, To Form from Air: Music and the Art of Raymond Jonson (2010), co-authored with MaLin Wilson-Powell, received critical acclaim. Chip will be remembered as a friend to many young artists, and as a vital contributor to New Mexico’s arts community.
THE magazine | 5
Happy Holidays from Richard Levy Gallery
Richard Estes • Urban Landscapes James Turrell • Aten Reign January 8 - February 26, 2016 Gallery Reception: Saturday, February 6, 6 - 8 pm
Richard Levy Gallery • Albuquerque • www.levygallery.com • 505.766.9888
Charles Arnoldi, 14.31, T Bone, 2014, oil on linen, 84 x 70 inches
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Never a Dull Moment The Life of John Liggett Meigs By Mark S. Fuller A recipient of one of the New Mexico Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts in 1993, John was a colorful character who led an extraordinary life with an intimate connection to notable people ranging from New Mexico to Texas to Hawaii and beyond. Available from Sunstone Press, in Santa Fe, or special order from a local bookstore or web site such as Amazon.com.
Gerald Peters Gallery Bookstore. Art books. 1011 Paseo de Peralta (Peters Projects) Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 Telephone: 505-954-5757 Email: bookstore@gpgallery.com 10am to 5pm, Monday – Saturday Browse our collection online www.gpgallery.com/publications
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UNIVERSE OF
A LVA R O
CARDONA-HINE
A CELEBRATION
to our nature. A voice that is honest and
In the previous five months, I have painted
keeps a distance from trends and fads.
a series of fifty new works that I call
Like a tree, the artist develops slowly,
in Costa Rica, he came to the United States in 1939. His
Dream Cities. This series emerged from
sending deep roots into the collective
knowing that dreaming is free of time
unconscious, displaying the bright spring
creativity spans three disciplines: musical composition,
and space. I did these paintings simply
leaves of youth, the fullness of summer
poetry, and painting. His paintings range from small,
because the beak was open. One sings
shade, the wisdom fruit of autumn, the
like a solitary bird in an intractable forest.
final wood that builds houses after it dies.
is a poet, painter, composer, and translator. Born in 1926
whimsical bird paintings, to medium-size and large land-
Some birds are large and serious, while
MY CREDO
and seascapes, nudes, and abstractions, to Egyptian,
others are smaller and are possessed by bright colors and touches of humor.
Reality is camouflage, and time can only
Greek, Buddhist, and Jewish myths and legends. His
At the age of eighty-nine, I’m pleased
enslave those who see it as moving in
to have done so much. My wife and I
one direction, as a forward annihilation
paintings are in collections throughout the United
differ from most artists by having our
of the past. The artist should be free
own gallery and representing ourselves
to embrace the attempts at beauty and
in our own space. This has allowed us
wisdom made throughout the ages and
both private and corporate collections. He and his wife,
to be free to paint what we want, to
not have to rack his or her brain to find something new and different to express
Barbara McCauley, live in Truchas, where they have had
explore, and to deepen. We get to meet our audience and establish friendships
merely for the sake of originality, and
their own gallery for almost three decades. An exhibition
with collectors and onlookers—a most
so often ugly, and lacking depth and
civilized but nearly forgotten way to
humanity. All intellectualizing in art is ego
of recent works—Dream Cities—will be on view through
exist. For artists to grow and develop, we
stuff; all movements and labels are traps.
need to experiment, even fail, as well as
One should sing like a solitary bird in an
to search and find that voice that is true
intractable forest.
States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia in
December. cardonahinegallery.com
photograph by
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
Audrey Derell
THE magazine | 15
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ART FORUM
THE MAGAZINE ASKED A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND TWO PEOPLE WHO LOVE ART FOR THEIR TAKE ON THIS OILON- CANVAS PAINTING—PULLING THE PLUG—BY SANDRA FILIPPUCCI. THEY WERE SHOWN ONLY THE IMAGE AND WERE G I V E N N O O T H E R I N F O R M AT I O N . Battle
Enter into a photographically based image where
is encapsulated in a camouflaged ninja scuba suit of mail
Rock thoughts
our sense of space, gravity, and scale are askew. In a
(like a contemporary hauberk of the Knights Templar to
struggle and fight
seemingly benign composition, which is oh so loaded,
protect the body in combat or from contact with this
camouflage and chainmail
there are three elements: an elegant, projected
enormous rock). Is this the Myth of Sisyphus endlessly
why and why
camouflage background (move over Duck Dynasty),
rolling the rock up the mountain or a version of Atlas
in a field of wild
a camouflaged floating figure with breasts, and some
trying to hold up the world? Is the boulder our own
crushed by mind
alien-like boulder from the cosmos that is crushing or
kryptonite, is it racism, the implosion of our political
heavy illusions
obscuring or becoming the figure’s head. This is an image
system, and is the ninja a warrior princess fighting to
self-told-lies
that begs for Marisa Tomei, from the movie My Cousin
protect the ownership of her own body? There are many
disappearing flowers touch
Vinny, to blurt out, “Like you blend with a giant rock on
narratives that can spring from this image, but according
the body cannot feel
your head.” What we see in this composition are the
to Albert Camus, “The rock is still rolling.”
no ears
mythological, historical, and contemporary tropes of
no eyes
our own psychological circumstance. Here our figure
—Sherri B. Sorensen, Collections Associate, University of New Mexico Art Museum
wrapped in reasons wrestling life intuition flashback void is light the knowing of not knowing pulses deep heart’s luminous quiet waiting to be heard.
—Elizabeth Christopher, Artist and Poet, Santa Fe We see the Greek mythological figure Sisyphus rendered in modern, female form. In the original myth, Zeus condemned Sisyphus to repeatedly push a boulder up a mountain for eternity. Sisyphus was punished because he arrogantly believed he could outsmart Zeus, “the god of all gods.” Each time Sisyphus pushed the rock up and seemed to progress, the rock came rolling back down. He was forever tortured by this arduous task. Like the mythology, the image here symbolizes peoples’ pains and frustrations. This headless, robotic woman is trapped and overwhelmed by the weight of a boulder. The rock represents the heaviness we so often encounter in our life’s journeys. Her decapitation may be a punishment for once having human, “big-headed” ego desires. The headlessness also represents a lack of identity and a lack of a sense of self. Yet, the decapitation could bring her benefits as well. For instance, she does not have to think, worry, make decisions, or go through difficult things like individuation. Additionally, this robot-being is shown in a fatigues-and-floral print. She is feminine and war-like as she battles her way through a Sisyphean life. Lastly, the male-female duality in these two stories reminds me of Jung’s theories on the anima (feminine energy in men) and animus (masculine qualities in women). This image reveals the human struggle.
—Davis K. Brimberg, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
18 | THE magazine
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
CORDﾃグ DE OURO CORDﾃグ DE OURO MESTRE VIRGULINO MESTRE VIRGULINO
MESTRE SUASSUNA MESTRE SUASSUNA
SANTA FE NM - USA SANTA FE NM - USA
berningstudios.com
ART BOX is a unique exhibition space featuring one-off installations by both emerging and established artists, and is a tool to introduce new videos created by IN THE STUDIO PRODUCTIONS. At IN THE STUDIO PRODUCTIONS we make high quality, affordable art videos for artists and galleries. For a rate sheet and further information, contact Stan Berning at 928-460-2611 or go to stanberningstudio.com and click on ART BOX.
The video series “IN THE STUDIO” are half-hour programs of visits to various artist’s studios. Hosted by Stan Berning. they are intended to “give voice to the individual artist at a time when art is more often than not pressed into the service of curatorial projects and agendas far removed from its origin.”
IN THE STUDIO PRODUCTIONS presents “The Making of Grand Sky Passing #4” (a three minute video) and Stan Berning’s winter show “UNFRAMED” (works from the portfolios -1990 to the present)
Artist’s Opening Reception Friday, December 11 from 5 to 7 pm
Stan Berning, “Grand Sky Passing #4”, watercolor/gouache, 24” x 16”. 2015
ART BOX / STAN BERNING STUDIO / IN THE STUDIO PRODUCTIONS 54 1/2 EAST SAN FRANCISCO STREET (above Haagen Dazs on the Plaza)
928-460-2611 / stan@stanberning.com / www.stanberningstudios.com
STUDIO VISITS
A N I S H KA POOR SAID, “ WORK GROWS OUT OF OTH E R WORK. THERE ARE VERY FEW E UR E KA MOME N T S.” TWO ARTIST RESPOND TO TH I S S TATE MENT. Years of experience making art brings forth the flow of new works, while in my creative fervor, transcendence (aka eureka moments) is synchronous with creating. I find that too much linear thinking can stop awe-ha moments. That’s why human beings require art, sex, drugs, and rock and roll! The artist’s soul knows when looking at a Mark Rothko painting or listening to Jimi Hendrix that there is some kind of divine axis of knowingness, feeling, and transcendence that just makes sense. Bliss, beauty, medicine, and connection is everywhere. My latest “eureka moment” spawned my newest work The Sky Beneath The Earth, an oldtime Navajo saying that was whispered in my ear that speaks of turquoise reflected deep within the earth: “It is man that makes mundane realities of his own existence and his work.”
—Jennifer Jesse Smith Smith’s jewelry can be seen at the Nambe Trading Post, The Rainbow Man, and True West Santa Fe. jenniferjesse smith.com
Art’s true power comes from its ability to surprise, to turn down unexpected paths, sometimes despite the protests of the artist creating the work. These moments of revelation, which can be charged with fear or exultation, are the lynchpins of all artistic experience and the source of its value. The only path I have found to these moments of inspiration is the hard work of putting the first mark down, then the next.
—Stan Berning photographs by
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
Audrey Derell
THE magazine | 21
WHERE THE GYROS ARE FAMOUS AND THE GRILLED SANDWICHES DELISH! Serving a Mediterranean menu of delicious gyros, grilled sandwiches, salads, soups, sides and more. All of the delicious grilled sandwiches are served with Chef John’s famous fennel slaw and a kosher pickle spear.
The Cubano
Pulled pork, ham, pickles, Swiss cheese, garlic-lemon aioli, and mustard Gyros: wrapped in a warm pita. Deluxe Oasis: Shaved beef and lamb gyros, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onions, feta and tzatziki sauce. Vegan Oasis: Falafel, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, cucumbers and tahini sauce. Mega Oasis: Double meat and double fixings on a giant pita. Street Oasis: Shaved gyros, tomatoes and tzatziki. Chicken Oasis: Chicken souvlaki with deluxe fixings. Caprese: Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, tomatoes and garlic/lemon aioli. Melanzana: Roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, tomatoes, pesto aioli and provolone cheese. Cubano: Pulled pork, ham, pickles, Swiss cheese, garlic/lemon aioli and mustard. Tacchino: Oven roasted turkey, caramelized onions, pesto aioli and provolone cheese. Americana: Pulled pork, bbq sauce, pickles and American cheese. Reuben: Corned beef, kraut, swiss cheese, Russian dressing on grilled marble rye. Tuna Hoagie: Fresh herb tuna salad on a hoagie roll. Big Greek Salad: Greens, feta, artichoke hearts, garbanzos, tomatoes, onions and red wine vinaigrette. Bleu Cheese Salad: greens, beets, tomatoes, onions, toasted pepitas and balsamic dressing , and much more.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE OASIS CAFE The Oasis Cafe is a super addition to El Dorado. They have tasty and healthy Mediterranean food at reasonable prices. And they have the equation right: “good food at a good price.” Highly recommended. –Chi F., New York City
A varied menu, generous-sized meals, friendly counter service, and great value for the price. Cannot wait to visit them again. –Jared B. , Boston
Stopped in to have a Gyros and Falafel and I was not disappointed. I will definitely come back to this hidden gem.
Oasis Cafe • 7 Caliente Road, La Tienda at Eldorado • Tuesday through Saturday: 11am to 8pm • 505-467-8982
ANCIENT CITY APPETITE
Ancient City Appetite by Joshua
Baer
El Parasol 1833 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe Mondays through Fridays 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturdays 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sundays 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 505 995-8015 You know the feeling you get when somebody close to you says “I know it looks
Everything on El Parasol’s menu is worth ordering, including the Footlong
bad but, believe me, it was an honest mistake”? The line comes at the end of an
Chile Cheese Dog with Onion, $6.50 (yes, I know), but these are the items you
explanation. The explanation is either full of apologies that sound like stories or
do not want to miss.
full of stories that sound like apologies. The problem with the explanation is that
Chorizo Burrito (with scrambled egg, potatoes, cheese, and chile) $4.90.
it’s an attempt to sell you a lie. If you buy the lie, or act like you’re buying it, the
I order mine with no egg, extra Christmas. It’s delicious with the egg but each
liar expresses relief. Then he or she changes the subject. All of this would be
time I eat one with the egg, I go into a burrito coma. Without the egg, the chorizo
helpful if the liar went away, but liars don’t go away. Instead, they hang around,
takes its rightful place as the star of this all-world burrito.
like panhandlers, reminding you of your lack of nerve. You know the feeling of being lied to because you also know how it feels to be told the truth. When you hear the truth, you recognize it, because the truth doesn’t have to be sold. It just has to be told. In Santa Fe, there are the restaurants that lie and then there are the restaurants that tell the truth. One of the restaurants that tells the truth is a take-out place on Cerrillos Road. Its name is El Parasol. El Parasol has locations in Espanola, Los Alamos, Pojoaque, and south Santa Fe. People say the El Parasol in Pojoaque is the best. They may be right. I go to the one on Cerrillos because it’s the closest location to my house. Information about El Parasol’s other locations is listed at elparasol.com.
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
Carne Adovada Burrito (with beans and cheese) $5.95. Try it with no beans and extra green chile. This is the best burrito in Santa Fe. You could build a religion around carne adovada that tastes this good. Chicken Tacos (with cheese, guacamole, and lettuce). $2.50, each. Or you can order the Chicken Taco Combination Plate, for $8.50. The plate comes with three chicken tacos, beans, cheese, and your choice of posole or rice. I like the rice. Congratulations, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to the Atencio family and to all of El Parasol’s employees. El Parasol’s food is a gift to the people of northern New Mexico. We are grateful. Photograph by Joshua Baer. Ancient City Appetite recommends places to eat, in and out of Santa Fe. Send your favorites to places@ancientcityappetite.com.
THE magazine | 23
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ONE BOTTLE
O ne B ottle
The 2004 Pol Roger Champagne Rosé Extra Cuvée by J oshua
At a banquet in New York City, from across the dining room, I saw a tall
de
Réserve
B aer . We agreed to meet in the lobby at his hotel. I brought a bottle of
Chinese man standing at the center of a group of young women. He
Champagne. In the lobby, Isaac Lee was standing next to pair of club
was wearing a black suit, a white dress shirt, and a red tie. One of
chairs. The chairs were facing each other, with less than a foot of space
the young women was a striking blonde. I recognized her as the wife
between them. His suitcase was on the floor next to the chairs. After
of the guest of honor. All of the young women were staring at the
we shook hands, I gave him the bottle.
tall Chinese man like he was George Clooney. It was obvious that he had mastered the art of listening to a question. Each time he spoke, the young women either burst out laughing or stared at each other in amazement.
“Thank you,” he said. He looked me in the eye, then he looked at the label. “Never had this one. It looks expensive.” “It’s delicious,” I said. “But it’s a gift. It’s not how I’m paying you for the reading. I brought cash.”
When the time came to sit down, my wife and I found our seats at
H e looked me in the eye again. While I did not get the sense that he
one of the satellite tables. The tall Chinese man was at the main table,
was looking right through me, I could feel his concentration on my face.
but he never took his seat. Before the appetizer course was served,
It felt like a mild sunburn. “Let’s see how it goes,” he said.
he shook hands with guest of honor and kissed the guest of honor’s wife on the cheeks. Then he left.
We sat in the club chairs. Our knees almost touched. “Your life has been one big struggle,” he said. “You’ve been lucky with love
At the end of the evening, the guest of honor and his wife
and with money, but your mind can’t accept your good luck. Your
waited by the entrance to the dining room and said goodnight to
father had a spectacular mind. Full of curiosities and obsessions.
each of their guests. After the guest of honor shook our hands
You and he quarreled. It seemed like a betrayal to both of you,
and thanked us for coming, his wife embraced both of us. We
though neither of you ever betrayed the other. After he died,
barely knew her or her husband, but she hugged us like we
your mind began to doubt your own nature. It tricked you into
were old friends.
believing you were a failure, in spite of all your luck. Ten years
“The Chinese man,” I said. “Who is he?” “Isaac Lee,” she said. “He’s a reader.”
ago, you had a health crisis. Something to do with the path between your heart and your brain. There was a procedure.
“You mean like a poet?”
It was successful. Medically, you’re safe, for the time being.
She giggled. “No, silly. He reads you. You want his number?”
Mentally, you’re better off than you were before the crisis, when you were a slave to your own doubts. The
After we got back to our hotel, I looked up Isaac Lee.
crisis showed you how close death is to life. The line
There were two in the United States. Neither one was
between them haunts you, but you’ve learned to accept
Chinese. I waited until nine the next morning. Then
it. You’re gliding to balance. You love your children,
I called the number. It was in the 415 area code. He
your grandchildren, and your wife more than you ever
answered immediately. “Hello?” he said.
thought possible. And your seven dogs. And three cats.
“Is this Isaac Lee?”
So many beings!”
“Yes. How can I help?”
“We only have two dogs,” I said, “and one cat.”
“My wife and I were at the dinner last night,” I said. I told him our names.
“Two living dogs,” he said. “One living cat. The other animals are not here physically, but they’re with you.
“Yes,” he said. “Too bad we never got the chance to meet. Your wife has a sweet face. Very serene. Do you and she want to schedule a reading?”
They live in the air around you and your wife. They’re waiting for you to come home.” Which brings us to the 2004 Pol Roger Champagne
“I’d like to go first, if that’s okay. Then she’ll decide. How much do you charge?”
Rosé Extra Cuvée de Réserve. In the glass, the 2004 Pol Roger is the color of
“There’s no set fee. We do the reading. Then
the ocean ten minutes after a long, slow sunset.
you decide how much you want to pay. It’s strictly
The bouquet is alive with traces of celebration and
voluntary.”
ceremony. On the palate, the balance emerges from
“Okay. But is there like, an average?” “No
average.
Some
people
pay
the center of the Champagne and makes its way to the thousands.
edges. The finish manages to be simultaneously happy
Couples in finance, mostly. Women, sometimes they
and sad. You love it, you hate to see it go, and then it’s
bring presents. Many people pay nothing. I just had
gone.
a cancellation. I can read for ten minutes at six-fortyfive this evening. Seven sharp, I leave for JFK. Red eye to Oslo. Do you want the appointment?” d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
One Bottle is dedicated to the appreciation of good wines and good times, one bottle at a time. You can write to Joshua Baer at jb@onebottle.com
THE magazine | 25
DINING GUIDE
SOUP’S ON!
CAFE FINA 624 Old Las Vegas Highway
466-3886
$ K E Y
INEXPENSIVE
$
up to $14
MODERATE
$$
EXPENSIVE
$15—$23
$$$
$24—$33
VERY EXPENSIVE
$$$$
Prices are for one dinner entrée. If a restaurant serves only lunch, then a lunch entrée price is reflected. Alcoholic beverages, appetizers, and desserts are not included in these price keys. Call restaurants for hours.
$34 plus
EAT OUT OFTEN
Photos: Guy Cross
...a guide to the very best restaurants in santa fe, albuquerque, taos, and surrounding areas... 315 Restaurant & Wine Bar 315 Old Santa Fe Trail. 986-9190. Dinner Full bar. Patio. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: French. Atmosphere: An inn in the French countryside. House specialties: Steak Frites, Seared Pork Tenderloin, and the Black Mussels are perfect. Comments: Generous martinis, a terrific wine list, and a “can’t miss” bar menu. Winner of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.
Café Fina 624 Old Las Vegas Hiway. 466-3886. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Fri.to Sun.) Wine/Beer soon in 2015 Cash/major credit cards. $$ C uisine : We call it contemporary comfort food. A tmosphere : Casual. H ouse specialties : For breakfast, both the Huevos Motulenos and the Eldorado Omelette are winners. For lunch, try their soup and we love the One for David Fried Fish Sandwich.
Andiamo 322 Garfield St. 995-9595. Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine. Patio. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: Italian. Atmosphere: Casual. House specialties: Start with the Steamed Mussels or the Roasted Beet Salad. For your main, choose the delicious Chicken Marsala or the Pork Tenderloin are our choices. C omments : Great pizza.
Café Pasqual’s 121 Don Gaspar Ave. 983-9340. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Multi-ethnic. Atmosphere: Adorned with Mexican streamers and Indian posters. House specialties: Hotcakes got a nod from Gourmet The Huevos Motuleños is a breakfast that you will really love. Comments: they’ve been doing it right here for over thirty-five years.
Arroyo Vino 218 Camino La Tierra. 983-2100. Dinner (Tuesday-Saturday) Full bar. Major credit cards. $$$$ Cuisine: Progressive American. Atmosphere: Warm and welcoming. House specialties: The Charcuterie Plate, the Grapefruit and Almond Salad, the Prosciutto Wrapped Norwegian Cod, and the N.M. Rack of Lamb. Comments:. Superior wines in the restaurant and wine shop.
Chez Mamou 217 E. Palace Ave. 216-1845. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Artisanal French Bakery & Café. Atmosphere: Casual. House specialties: Start with the Prosciutto Melon Salad. For your main, try the Paillard de Poulet: lightly breaded chicken with lemon and garlic sauce, or the Roasted Salmon with white dill. Comments: Pasta dishes rule.
Bang Bite 502 Old Santa Fe Trail & Paseo de Peralta. 469-2345 Breakfast/Lunch Parking lot, take-out, and catering. Major credit cards Cuisine: American.Fresh, local & tasty. Atmosphere: Orange food truck in parking lot. House specialties: Burger and fries and daily specials. Lotta bang for the buck here.
Chopstix 238 N. Guadalupe St. 982-4353. Lunch/Dinner. Take-out. Patio. Major credit cards. $ Atmosphere: Casual. Cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. House specialties: Lemon Chicken, Korean barbequed beef, and Kung Pau Chicken. Comments: Friendly owners.
Beestro 101 W. Marcy St. 629-8786 Breakfast/Lunch No alcohol. Patio. Cash/ Major credit cards. $ Cuisine: Standard coffee-house fare. Atmosphere: Casual. H ouse specialties: Chef-made Panini, salads, sanwiches, Soups, coffee drinks. Comments: Take-out or dine-in.
Counter Culture 930 Baca St. 995-1105. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine. Patio. Cash. $$ Cuisine: All-American. Atmosphere: Informal. House specialties: Burritos Frittata, Sandwiches, Salads, and the perfect Grilled Salmon are our favorites. Dinners are terrific. Comments: Nice selection of beer and wine. Very casual, friendly, and very reasonable prices.
Bouche 451 W. Alameda St 982-6297 Dinner Wine/Beer Patio. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: French Bistro fare. Atmosphere: Intimate with an open kitchen. House specialties: Start with the Charcuterie Plank. The Bistro Steak and the organic Roast Chicken are winners. Comments: Chef Charles Dale is a pro.
Cowgirl Hall of Fame 319 S. Guadalupe St. 982-2565. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Full bar. Patio. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: Good old American. fare. Atmosphere: Patio shaded by big cottonwoods. Great bar. H ouse specialties : The smoked brisket and ribs are the best. Super buffalo burgers. Comments: Huge selection of beers.
Coyote Café 132 W. Water St. 983-1615. Dinner Full bar. Major credit cards. $$$$ Cuisine: Southwestern with French and Asian influences. Atmosphere Bustling. House specialties: Main the grilled Maine Lobster Tails or the 24-ounce “Cowboy Cut” steak. Comments: Great bar and good wines. Dr. Field Goods Kitchen 2860 Cerrillos Rd. 471-0043. Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: New Mexican Fusion. Atmosphere: Casual and friendly. House specialties: Faves: the Charred Caesar Salad, Carne Adovada Egg Roll, Fish Tostada,, and Steak Frite. Comments: You leave feeling good. Downtown Subscription 376 Garcia St. 983-3085. Breakfast/Lunch No alcohol. Patio. Cash/ Major credit cards. $ Cuisine: Standard coffee-house fare. Atmosphere: A large room where you can sit, read periodicals, and schmooze.. House specialties: Espresso, cappuccino, and lattes. El Faról 808 Canyon Rd. 983-9912. Lunch/Dinner Full bar. Patio. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Spanish Atmosphere: Wood plank floors, thick adobe walls, and a small dance floor for cheek-to-cheek dancing. House specialties: Tapas. Comments: Murals by Alfred Morang. El Mesón 213 Washington Ave. 983-6756. Dinner Full bar. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: Spanish. Atmosphere: Spain could be just around the corner. Music nightly. House specialties: Tapas reign supreme here as well as vegetarian dishes. Comments: Music nightly. Fire & Hops 222 S. Guadalupe St. 954-1635 Dinner - 7 days. Lunch: Sat. and Sun. Beer/Wine. Patio. Visa & Mastercard. $$$ Cuisine: Sustainable local food. A tmosphere : Casual and friendly. House specialties: The Green Papaya Salad and the Braised Pork Belly. Fave large plates: the Cubano Sandwich and the Crispy Duck Confit. C omments : Nice selection of beers on tap or bottles. G eorgia 225 Johnson St. 989-4367. Patio. Dinner - Full bar. Major credit cards. $$$$ C u i s i n e : Clean and contemporary.
A t m o s p h e r e : Friendly and casual. H o u s e s p e c i a lt i e s : Start with the Charcuterie Plate or the Texas Quail. Entrée: Try the Pan-Roasted Salmom—it is absolutely delicious. C o m m e n t s : Good wine list, a sharp and knowledgeable wait-staff, and a bar menu that you will love. G eronimo 724 Canyon Rd. 982-1500. Dinner Full bar. Patio. Major credit cards. $$$$ Cuisine: We call it French/Asian fusion. Atmosphere: Elegant and stylish. H ouse specialties: Start with the superb foie gras. Entrées we love include the Green Miso Sea Bass and the classic peppery Elk tenderloin. C omments : Wonderful desserts and top-notch service. Harry’s R oadhouse 96 Old L:as Vegas Hwy. 986-4629 Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner 7 days Full bar. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: American and New Mexican. A tmosphere: Down home House specialties: For breakfast go for the Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese. For lunch: the out-of-this-world Buffalo Burger. Dinner: the Hanger Steak. C omments : Friendly folks and reasonable prices. Il Piatto Italian Farmhouse Kitchen 95 W. Marcy St. 984-1091. Lunch/Dinner Full bar. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: Italian. A tmosphere: Bustling. House specialties: Our faves: the Arugula and Tomato Salad, the Lemon Rosemary Chicken, and the Pork Chop stuffed with mozzarella, pine nuts, and prosciutto. Comments: Farm to table. Izanami 3451Hyde Park Rd. 428-6390. Lunch/Dinner Sake/Wine/Beer Major credit cards. $$$ C uisine : Japanese-inspired small plates. A tmosphere : A sense of quietude. House specialties:. The Nasu Dengaku, eggplant and the Pork Belly with Ginger BBQ Glaze. C omments : Great selection of Sake. Jambo Cafe 2010 Cerrillios Rd. 473-1269. Lunch/Dinner Major credit cards. $$ C uisine : African and Caribbean inspired. A tmosphere : Real casual. H ouse specialties : Jerk Chicken Sandwich and the Phillo, stuffed with spinach, black olives, feta cheese, and roasted red peppers. C omments : Truly fabulous soups reign supreme here.
Joseph’s Culinary Pub 428 Montezuma Ave. 982-1272 Dinner. Beer/Wine Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Innovative. Atmosphere: Intimate. H ouse specialties : Start with the Butter Lettuce Wrapped Pulled Pork Cheeks. For your main, try the Crispy Duck, Salt Cured Confit Style. Comments: The bar menu features Polenta Fries and the New Mexican Burger. Many really wonderful desserts to choose from. Great service is the standard here. Kai Sushi and Dining 2720 St. Michael’s Drive. 438-7221 Lunch/Dinner Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Japanese. Atmosphere: Casual. House specialties: The Sashimi is amazing as are the Sushi Rolls and the Salmon Teriyaki Combo. Comments: Great Bento boxes and excellent sake. Kohnami Restaurant 313 S. Guadalupe St. 984-2002. Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine/Sake. Patio. Visa & Mastercard. $$ Cuisine: Japanese. Atmosphere: Easygoing. House specialties: Miso soup; Soft Shell Crab; Dragon Roll; Chicken Katsu; noodle dishes; and Bento Box specials. Comments: Love the Sake. La Plancha de Eldorado 7 Caliente Rd., La Tienda. 466-2060 Highway 285 / Vista Grande Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner. Beer/Wine. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: An Authentic Salvadoran Grill. Atmosphere: Casual. House specialties: The Loroco Omelet, Pan-fried Plantains, and Tamales. Comments: Sunday brunch rules. La Plazuela on the Plaza 100 E. San Francisco St. 989-3300. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Full Bar. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: New Mexican and Continental. Atmosphere: Casual House specialties: Start with the Tomato Salad. Entrées we love are the Braised Lamb Shank with couscous. Comments: Wonderful breakfasts and a really beautiful courtyard for dining. Located in the La Fonda Hotel, just off the Plaza. Loyal Hound 730 St. Michael’s Drive. 471-0440 Lunch/Dinner. Beer/Wine. Patio. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: Real comfort food. Atmosphere: Unpretentious. H ouse specialties : Fried Rosemary Olives, Shrimp and Grits, Beer Battered Fish and Chips, Braised Bison Short Rib Nachos, and Southern Fried Chicken. Comments: The homemade salsas are delicious. Nice selection of beer, wine, and aperitifs. Teriffic desserts.
continued on page 29 d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
THE magazine |27
RIDGE WINEMAKER DINNER Wednesday, January 27, 7:00pm ◆ $95/ person For reservations call (505) 986-9190 1ST COURSE Fresh Hawaiian Hearts Of Palm with Jumbo Lump Crab saffron meyer lemon & black garlic emulsions 2012 Estate Chardonnay, Monte Bello Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
2ND COURSE Wood-Fired Whole Roasted Salmon with Porcini Mushroom-Dusted Onion Rings sage, brown butter winter squash & brussel sprouts 2013 Pagani Ranch, Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley
ENTRÉE Sliced Beef Loin with Rosemary & Shallots wild mushroom strudel & black truffle potato parsnip purée 2012 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Monte Bello Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
CHEESE Pear & Raclette Turnover Sun-Thur, 5:00 -9:00pm ◆ Fri- Sat, 5:00 - 9:30pm ◆ 315 Old Santa Fe Trail ◆ www.315santafe.com
Baking for Santa Fe since 1983
with grilled endive & poached huckleberries 2012 Lytton Springs, Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley
DINING GUIDE
T H E S A U T É V E G E TA R I A N AT C H E Z M A M O U , 2 1 7 E A S T PA L AC E AV E N U E , S A N TA F E . 5 0 5 - 2 1 6 - 1 8 4 5
Masa Sushi 927 W. Alameda St. 982-3334. Lunch/Dinner Sake/Beer Major credit cards. $$ C uisine : Japanese. A tmosphere : Low-key. H ouse specialties : For lunch or dinner: Start with the Miso soup and/or the Seaweed Salad. The spicy Salmon Roll is marvelous, as are the Ojo Caliente and the Caterpiller rolls. The Tuna Sashimi is delicious. C omments : Highly recommended. Midtown Bistro 910 W. San Mateo, Suite A. 820-3121. Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine/ Patio. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: American fare with a Southwestern twist. Atmosphere: Beautiful open room. H o u s e s p e c i a lt i e s : For lunch: the Pacific Blue Crab Cakes or the Baby Arugula Salad or the Chicken or Pork Taquitos. Dinner: Seared Pork Tenderloin or the Alaskan Halibut. C o m m e n t s : Marvelous soups. Mu Du Noodles 1494 Cerrillos Rd. 983-1411. Dinner/Sunday Brunch Beer/Wine. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: Pan-Asian. Atmosphere: Casual. House specialties: Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Green Thai Curry, Comments: Organic. New York Deli Guadalupe & Catron St. 982-8900. Breakfast/Lunch Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: New York deli. Atmosphere: Large open space. House specialties: Soups, Salads, Bagels, Pancakes, and gourmet Burgers. Nexus 4730 Pan American Fwy East. Ste. D. Alb. 505 242-4100 Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Major credit cards. Patio. Cuisine: Southern-New Mexican. Atmosphere: Brew-pub dive. House specialties: Lots of suds and growlers, not to mention the amazing Southern Fried Chicken Recomendations: Collard Greens, Mac n’ Cheese with green chile, Gumbo and Southern Fried Fish n’ Chips. Comments: Fair prices.
Rio Chama Steakhouse 414 Old Santa Fe Trail. 955-0765. Brunch/Lunch/Dinner/Bar Menu. Full bar. Smoke-free dining rooms. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: All-American. Atmosphere: Easygoing. House specialities: Steaks, Prime Ribs, and Burgers. Haystack fries rule. Recommendations: Excellent wine list. S an F rancisco S t . B ar & G rill 50 E. San Francisco St. 982-2044. Lunch/Dinner Full bar. Major credit cards. $$ C uisine: Good bar food. Atmosphere: Casual, with art on the walls. House specialties: Lunch: the San Francisco St. hamburger or the grilled Salmon filet with black olive tapeade and arugula on a ciabatta roll. Dinner: the flavorful twelve-ounce New York Strip steak, with chipotle herb butter, or the Idaho Ruby Red Trout with pineapple salsa. Comments: Visit their sister restaurant at Devargas Center. Santacafé 231 Washington Ave. 984-1788. Lunch/Dinner Full bar. Patio. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Southwest Contemporary. Atmosphere: Minimal, subdued, and elegant House specialties: Their world-famous calamari never disappoints. Favorite entrées include the grilled Rack of Lamb and the Pan-seared Salmon with olive oil crushed new potatoes and creamed sorrel. Comments: Happy hour special from 4-6 pm. Great deals: Half-price appetizers. “Well” cocktails only $5. Santa Fe Bar & Grill 187 Paseo de Peralta. 982-3033. Lunch/Dinner Full bar. Patio. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: American and New Mexican. Atmosphere: Casual and friendly. House specialties: Cornmeal-crusted Calamari, Rotisserie Chicken, or the Rosemary Baby Back Ribs. Comments: Easy on the wallet.
Oasis Cafeé 7 Caliente Rd.-A3. Eldorado. 467- 8982. Lunch/Dinner Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: American and Greek. Atmosphere: Casual and friendly. House specialties: Gyros, Falafel, and the the best Cubano we’ve ever had. Comments: Friendly waitstaff.
Santa Fe Bite 311 Old Santa Fe Trail. 982-0544 Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: American and New Mexican. Atmosphere: Casual and friendly. House specialties: Lunch: the juicy 10 oz. chuck and sirloin Hamburger or the Patty Melt. Dinner: the Ribeye Steak is a winner. The Fish and Chips rivals all others in Santa Fe. C omments : Try any of the burgers on rye toast instead of a bun. Their motto” “Love Life. Eat good.” We agree.
Plaza Café Southside 3466 Zafarano Dr. 424-0755. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner 7 days Full bar. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: American and New Mexican. Atmosphere: Bright and light. House specialties: Breakfast: go for the Huevos Rancheros or the Blue Corn Piñon Pancakes. All of the burritos are great. Patty Melt is super. Comments: Green Chilie is perfect.
Santa Fe Capitol Grill 3462 Zafarano Drive. 471-6800. LuLunch/Dinner Full bar. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: New American fare. Atmosphere: Contemporary. House specialties: Tuna Steak, ChickenFried Chicken with mashed potates and bacon bits, and the New York Strip with a yummy Mushroom-Peppercorn Sauce. Desserts are on the mark. Comments: Nice wine selection.
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
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Saveur 204 Montezuma St. 989-4200. Breakfast/Lunch Beer/Wine. Patio. Visa/Mastercard. $$ Cuisine: French meets American. Atmosphere: Casual. Buffet-style service for salad bar and soups. H ouse specialties : Hot daily specials, gourmet sandwiches, Get the Baby-Back Ribs when available. Second Street Brewery 1814 Second St. 982-3030. Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine. Patio. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: Pub grub. Atmosphere: Real casual. House specialties: We enjoy the Beer-steamed Mussels, the Calamari, and the Fish and Chips. Comments: Good selection of beers. Shake Foundation 631 Cerrillos Rd. 988-8992. Lunch/Early Dinner - 11am-6pm Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: All American Burger Joint. Atmosphere: Casual with outdoor table dining. House specialties: Green Chile Cheeseburger, the Classic Burger, and Shoestring Fries. Amazing shakes made with Taos Cow ice cream. Comments: Sirloin and brisket blend for the burgers. Shohko Café 321 Johnson St. 982-9708. Lunch/Dinner Sake/Beer. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Authentic Japanese Cuisine. Atmosphere: Sushi bar, table dining. House specialties: Softshell Crab Tempura, Sushi, and Bento Boxes. Comments: Friendly waitstaff. Sweetwater 1512 Pacheco St. 795-7383 Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner. Sunday Brunch Beer/Wine Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Innovative natural foods. Atmosphere: Large open room. House specialties: The Mediterranean Breakfast—Quinoa with Dates, Apricots, and Honey. Lunch: the Indonesian Vegetable Curry on Rice; C omments : Wine and Craft beers on tap. Terra at Four Seasons Encantado 198 State Rd. 592, Tesuque. 988-9955. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Full bar. Patio. Major credit cards. $$$$ Cuisine: American with Southwest influences. Atmosphere: Elegant House specialties:. For dinner: start with the sublime Beet and Goat Cheese Salad. Follow with the PanSeared Scallops with Foie Gras or the Double Cut Pork Chop. Comments: Chef Andrew Cooper brings seasonal ingredients to the table. Excellent wine list. The Artesian Restaurant at Ojo Caliente Resort & Spa 50 Los Baños Drive. 505-583-2233. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Wine and Beer Major credit cards. $$ C uisine : Southwest and American. A tmosphere : Casual, calm, and
friendly. H ouse specialties : At lunch we love the Ojo Fish Tacos and the organic Artesian Salad. For dinner, start with the Grilled Artichoke, and foillow with the Trout with a Toa ste Piñon Glaze. C omments : Nice wine bar. The Compound 653 Canyon Rd. 982-4353. Lunch/Dinner Full bar. Patio. Major credit cards. $$$$ Cuisine: American Contemporary. Atmosphere: 150-year-old adobe. House specialties: Jumbo Crab and Lobster Salad. The Chicken Schnitzel is always flawless. All of the desserts are sublime. Comments: Chef and owner Mark Kiffin, won the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef of the Southwest” award. The Palace Restaurant & Saloon 142 W. Palace Avenue 428-0690 Lunch/Dinner Full bar. Patio Major credit cards $$$ Cuisine: American Atmosphere: Victorian style merges with the Spanish Colonial aesthetic. House Specialties: For lunch, the Prime Rib French Dip or the Lemon Salmon Beurre Blanc. Dinner: go for the Lavender HoneyGlazed Baby Back Rib, or the Prime Rib Enchilada Comments: Super bar. The Ranch House 2571 Cristos Road. 424-8900 Lunch/Dinner Full bar Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Barbecue and Grill. Atmosphere: Family and very kid-friendly. House specialties: Josh’s Red Chile Baby Back Ribs, Smoked Brisket, Pulled Pork, and New Mexican Enchilada Plates. Comments: The best BBQ ribs. The Shed 113½ E. Palace Ave. 982-9030. Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine. Patio. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: New Mexican.Atmosphere: A local institution located just off the Plaza. House specialties: If you order the red or green chile cheese enchiladas. Comments Always busy., you will never be disappointed. The Teahouse 821 Canyon Rd. 992-0972. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine. Fireplace. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: Farm-to-fork-to table-to mouth. Atmosphere: Casual. House specialties: For breakfast, get the Steamed Eggs or the Bagel and Lox or the Teahouse Oatmeal. All of the salads are marvelous.. Many, many sandwiches and Panini to choose from. A variety of teas from around the world available, or to take home make The Teahouse the best source for teas in the great Southwest. Tia Sophia’s 210 W. San Francisco St. 983-9880. Breakfast/Lunch Major credit cards. $$ C uisine : Traditional New Mexican. A tmosphere : Easygoing and casual. H ouse specialties :
Green Chile Stew, and the traditional Breakfast Burrito stuffed with bacon, potatoes, chile, and cheese or the daily specials. C omments : The real deal. Tune-Up Café 1115 Hickox St. 983-7060. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: All World: American, Cuban, Salvadoran, Mexican, New Mexican. A tmosphere : Down home. H ouse specialties : Breakfast:We like the Buttermilk Pancakes. Lunch: Great specials C omments : Easy on your wallet. Vanessie
of
Santa Fe
434 W. San Francisco St. 982-9966 Dinner Full bar. Smoke-free. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: American. Atmosphere: Piano bar and oversize everything, thanks to architect Ron Robles. H ouse specialties : New York steak and the Australian rock lobster tail. C omments : Great appetizers. Vinaigrette 709 Don Cubero Alley. 820-9205. Lunch/Dinner Beer/Wine. Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: American. Atmosphere: Light, bright and cheerful. House specialties : Organic salads. We love all of the salads, especially the Nutty Pear-fessor Salad and the Chop Chop Salad. Comments: Seating on the patio. When in Albuquerque, visit their sister restaurant: 1828 Central Ave. SW. Verde 851 W. San Mateo Rd.. 820-9205. Gourmet Cold-Pressed Juice blends Major credit cards. $$ Cuisine: Just Jjuices. Atmosphere: Light, bright, and cheerful. House specialties: Eastern Roots: a blend of fresh carrot and apple juice with ginger and turmeric juice, spinach, kale, and parsley. Zacatecas 3423 Central Ave., Alb. 255-8226. Lunch/Dinner Tequila/Mezcal/Beer/Wine Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine: Mexican, not New Mexican. Atmosphere: Casual and friendly. H ouse specialties : Try the Chicken Tinga Taco with Chicken and Chorizo or the Pork Ribs. And more then 65 brands of Tequila for your drinking pleasure. Zia Diner 326 S. Guadalupe St. 988-7008. Dinner Full bar. Patio. Major credit cards. $$$ Cuisine American A tmosphere : Real casual. House specialties: The perfect Chile Rellenos and Eggs is our breakfast choice. Lunch: the Southwestern Chicken Salad, the Fish and Chips, and any of the Burgers C o m m e n t s : A variety of delightful pasteries and sweets are available for take-out.
THE magazine | 29
DavidrichardGALLEry.com 1570 Pacheco Street, A1, Santa Fe, NM 87505 505-983-9555 | info@DavidRichardGallery.com
DAVID RICHARD GALLERY
GRAND OPENING IN OUR NEW LOCATION Paul Huxley,, After Venice 3, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 74” x 74”
Friday, January 15, 2016 Artists Reception: 5:00 - 7:00 PM Exhibitions run through February 20, 2016
PAUL HUXLEY Recent Paintings
Michele Bubacco, The Naked Lunch, 2014, Oil on canvas, 31.5” x 47”
Artist Talk: Saturday, January 16th 2:00 - 3:00 PM
MICHELE BUBACCO Serenade
Heads and Hands: New Ceramic Sculptures LAST EXHIBITION IN THE RAILYARD CHRISTIAN HAUB Float
HOLIDAY GROUP SHOW Through - January 22, 2016
The Railyard Arts District | 544 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Christian Haub, Float for Gilberto Perez, 2015, Cast acrylic sheet, 24” x 24” x 2.5”
MONTE COLEMAN
Monte Coleman, 146 Single Blue Skull, 2014, Glazed Stoneware, 5.75” x 5”
Artist Talk: Saturday, January 16th 3:00 - 4:00 PM
OPENINGS
DECEMBERJANUARYARTOPENINGS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Downtown College of Fine Arts Studio, 113 4th Street NW, Alb. 505-221-8037. Who Do We Think We Are?: works by the Advanced Interdisciplinary Portfolio students in photography at UNM. 5-7 pm. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2
El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, 555 Camino de la Familia, Santa Fe. 992-0591. Flashing on the Sixties: a look back at revolutionary times though the eyes of Lisa Law and her friends, including photos, posters, artifacts, music memorabilia, and her psychedelic bus, Silver. Reception and screening: 7:30-8:30 pm. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3
John Sommers Gallery, Art Building #84, Rm. 202, 1 University of New Mexico, Alb. 505-277-5861. Land Arts of the American West: works by students in the interdisciplinary, field-based studio art program. 5-8 pm. Santa Fe Main Library, Second Floor Gallery, 145 Washington Ave., Santa Fe. 9556788. Full Circle: watercolor landscapes by Roberta Parry. 5-7 pm. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4
Art Exchange Gallery, 60 E. San Francisco St., Ste. 210, Santa Fe. 603-4485. Santa Fe Six: works by James Griffith, Richard Tashjian, Trinon Crouch, Laurence Seredowych, Jeff Tabor, and Mike Mahon. 4-6 pm.
Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main St., Las Cruces. 575-541-2154. Remembering the Mays: historic photographs and items celebrating local history and one of Las Cruces’s pioneering families. The Beggars of Venice: suite of drawings capturing the many characters of Venice, Italy. 5-8 pm. Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, 558 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe. 992-0711. Venus: solo exhibition of steel and wood abstract sculptures by Peter Millett. 5-7 pm. Gebert Contemporary, 558 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe. 992-1100. Mary Mito—Collages: new works and book signing and sale. 5-7 pm. Inpost Artspace at the Outpost Performance Space, 210 Yale Blvd. SE, Alb. 505-268-0044. HILO: contemporary textiles by Season Evans, Katie Ford, Rachel Hayes, Joanna Keane Lopez, and Sarah Vosmus. 5-8 pm. Stranger Factory, 3411 Central Ave. NE, Alb. 505-508-3049. Winter Salon: annual small works and editions group exhibition, featuring members of the Circus Posterus collective. 6-9 pm. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5
George R.R. Martin’s Dragonstone Studios, 317 Camino Alire, Santa Fe. 831747-4676. First Open House and Art Show: works by over twenty painters, sculptors, jewelers, weavers, photographers, filmmakers, and musicians. 1-5 pm.
Tresa Vorenberg Goldsmiths, 656 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe. 988-7215. Four Jewelry Artists: jewelry by Evy, Anne Farella, Samaya Blaise, and Tresa Vorenberg. 3-5 pm. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11
Amoré Fine Arts Gallery, 110 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos. 505-901-2544. Hooves and Dust and All Things New: images from Tony Bonanno’s Hooves and Dust series and Mark Schumann’s black-and-white photographs of the New Mexico landscape. 5-8 pm. Art + Industry, 101 W. Marcy St., Santa Fe. 988-1555. Kodachrome Memory— American Pictures 1972-1990: photographs by Nathan Benn that act as metaphors for American culture and values. 5:30-7:30 pm. Edition One Gallery, 1036 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe. 323-422-8306. Soft: new gallery showcasing works by eighteen contemporary photographers in editions of one. Photographers include William Coupon, Baron Wolman, Tony Bonanno, and Irene Owsley. 5-8 pm. New Concept Gallery, 610 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe. 795-7570. Winter in Photographs: solo exhibition by Woody Galloway. 5-7 pm. photo-eye Gallery, 541 S. Guadalupe St., Santa Fe. 988-5152. Between Water and Sky: photographs on silk by Chaco Terada. 5-7 pm.
Santa Fe Clay, 545 Camino de la Familia, Santa Fe. 984-1122. Amanda Jaffe and Suzanne Kane: landscape-inspired ceramics. Cups!: invitational exhibition of cups, mugs, yunomis, tea bowls, and tumblers, made by 150 artists. 5-7 pm. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13
Las Placitas Presbyterian Church, 7 Paseo de San Antonio, Placitas. 505-8678080. December Artist Series: Lisa Chernoff, fused glass; Amy Ditto, photography and digital art; Katherine Irish, pastels; and Elzbieta Kaleta, paper cutouts, mixed media and photography. Artists’ reception: 2-3 pm. Concert by Presidio Saxophone Quartet: 3-5 pm. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18
Catenary Art Gallery, 616 ½ Canyon Rd., Santa Fe. 982-2700. Sans Frontiéres: largescale surrealistic paintings and small works on paper by Nicolai Panayotov. 5-7 pm. Patina Gallery, 131 W. Palace Ave., Santa Fe. 986-3432. The Colors of Claire Kahn: jewelry inspired by Kahn’s memories and current Italian landscapes and architecture. 5-7:30 pm. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27
203 Fine Art, 203 Ledoux St., Taos. 575751-1262. New Works: paintings by Tom Dixon. 4-6 pm. FRIDAY, JANUARY 15
David Richard Gallery, 1570 Pacheco St., Ste. A1, Santa Fe. 983-9555. Grand opening at the new gallery location. Recent Paintings: paintings by Paul Huxley. Serenade: paintings by Michele Bubacco. Heads and Hands: new ceramic sculptures by Monte Coleman. 5-7 pm. Peters Projects, 927 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe. 954-5771. Failure of Modernity: works that examine how the West has appropriated methods, imagery and borrowed perspectives from Indigenous peoples through painting, installations and performance art. This is the inaugural exhibit of a broader thematic program entitled Outside In/Reclaiming Place—a year-long exploration of Native American influences on 20th century art. 2-4 pm. SUNDAY, JANUARY 17
Las Placitas Presbyterian Church, 7 Paseo de San Antonio, Placitas. 505-8678080. January Artist Series: Mary Rawcliffe Colton, tapestry; Diana Martin, beaded jewelry; Terry Mulcahy, photography; and Suzanne Visor, painted silk. Artists’ reception, 2-3 pm. Concert by Willy Sucre and Friends: 3-5 pm.
Art + Industry, 101 West Marcy Street, Santa Fe. Solo Show: photographs by Nathan Benn that act as metaphors for American culture and values. Reception: Friday, December 11 from 5 to 7:30 pm.
continued on page 34 d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
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THE magazine | 31
WHO WROTE THIS? “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” Steve Jobs or Albert Einstein or Henry Ford or Eleanor Roosevelt
THE REAL DEAL
For artists without gallery representation in New Mexico. Full-page B&W ads: $750. COLOR: $1,000.
Reserve space in the February/March Issue byThursday, January 14.
505-424-7641 or email: themagazinesf@gmail.com
The Big Show with Honey Harris and THE magazine Thursday, December 17 10:30 am 98.1 FM KBAC
OUT & ABOUT OUT & ABOUT photographs by OUT & ABOUT Mr. Clix OUT & photographs Audrey Derellby ABOUT Mr. Clix by photographs
Audrey Derell Mr. Clix photographs by Audrey Derell Mr. Clix Audrey Derell
SPECIAL INTEREST
516 ARTS, 516 Central Ave. SW, Alb. 505242-1445. Artist Talks and Poetry: talks with two of Albuquerque’s most prolific painters with concurrent solo exhibitions. Poetic reading of ekphrastic responses to works by Melisa Garcia. Thurs., Dec. 3, 6 pm. More events: 516arts.org
Encaustic Art Institute, 632 Agua Fria St., Santa Fe. 989-3283. Beginning Encaustic/ Wax Class with Douglas Mehrens: Sat., Dec. 5, 9 am-1 pm. Call to register or email: mehrens@eainm.com Evoke Contemporary, 550 S. Guadalupe
St., Santa Fe. 995-9902. Kent Williams— Native Bone and Far to Home: gestural paintings by Williams. Through Wed., Dec. 16. evokecontemporary.com First Presbyterian Church, 208 Grant St., Santa Fe. 982-8544. Symphonic Poems Project:
Art House, Thoma Foundation, 231 Delgado St., Santa Fe. 995-0231. Luminous Flux 2.0: light-based and electronic artworks from pioneering experimenters and contemporary innovators. Also on view, Tom Joyce’s massive Aureole I. Reception and reading for students at the New Mexico School of the Arts who participated in the Thoma Foundation Arts Writing Scholarship competition: Thurs., Dec. 10, 5:30-7 pm. thomafoundation.org
Institute of American Indian Arts, 83-A Van Nu Po Rd., Santa Fe. 424-2300. Library Readings: with MFA candidates Ruby Hansen Murray, Terese Marie Mailhot, and Ramona Emerson. Tues., Dec. 1, 4 pm. More events: iaia.edu James Kelly Contemporary, 1611 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe. 989-1601. Bill Jacobson—Lines in My Eyes: photographs by the New York City artist. Through Sat., Jan. 9. jameskelly.com
AVA, A Virtual ArtSpace, 316 Read St., Santa Fe. 795-8139. Photographing in Virtual Space: gallery talk and visual presentation with Tony Buchen. Two Saturdays: Dec. 5 and 12 at 2 pm.
Joyce Group Santa Fe, Santa Fe Public Library, 145 Washington Ave., Santa Fe. Reading and discussion by lovers of the works of James Joyce. Led by Adam Harvey, creator of the acclaimed one-man show Don’t Panic—It’s Only Finnegans Wake. Enthusiasts with all levels of knowledge welcome. Free, Saturdays, 10 am12:30 pm. joycegeek.com
Axle Contemporary, Santa Fe. Advent: walk-in Advent calendar by Carolyn Riman that reveals a new mixed-media image-event each day. Sun., Nov. 29 through Sun., Dec. 20. Daily locations: axleart.com Baca Street Arts Tour, Baca St., Santa Fe. 15th annual tour featuring artist demonstrations, music, farolitos, glass blowing workshops, and holiday shopping. Fri., Dec. 4, 4-9 pm, Sat., Dec. 5, 10 am-5 pm, and Sun., Dec. 6, 10 am-4 pm.
Kindred Spirits Animal Sanctuary, 3749A Hwy. 14, Santa Fe. 471-5366. Christmas Celebration: annual lighting of the live tree and meditation. Refreshments. Sat., Dec. 12, 4-7 pm. kindredspiritsnm.org Las Cruces Railroad Museum, 351 N. Mesilla St., Las Cruces. 575-647-4480. Toddler Story Time: 11-11:30 am every third Saturday of the month. las-cruces.org/museums
Boofy’s, 8201 Golf Course Rd. NW C-2, Alb. 505-890-0757. Children’s book signings. Ross Van Dusen, author of What Makes A Snowflake?: Sat., Dec. 5, 12-2 pm. Slim Randles, author of Ol’ Jimmy Dollar and Nasario Garcia, author of Grandma Lale’s Tamales— A Christmas Story: Sat., Dec, 12, 12-2 pm.
Collages: a solo show, book signing, and sale with Mary Mito at Gebert Contemporary, 558 Canyon Road, Santa Fe. Reception: Friday, December 4 from 5 to 7 pm.
Canyon Road Art Brokerage, Santa Fe. 995-1111. Margaret Nes: Tues., Dec. 1 through Thurs., Dec. 31. Carol Corell: Fri., Jan. 1 through Sun., Jan. 31. canyonroadartbrokerage.com
Flashing on the Sixties—a look back at the Sixties though the lens of Lisa Law and her friends. Show includes photos, posters, artifacts, music memorabilia, and Law’s psychedelic bus, Silver. On view through the end of February 2016 at El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, 565 Camino de la Familia. Flashing on the Sixties: film showing on Wednesday, December 2, 7:30-8:30 pm with Q&A afterwards. Reception: 5 to 7 pm. Image: Nico—former Velvet Underground front woman known for her sultry voice and ice-goddess presence—by Lisa Law.
Chama Chili Ski Classic and Winter Fiesta, Cumbres and Toltec Railroad, Chama. The largest and longest running cross-country skiing event in New Mexico. Sat., Jan. 16 through Mon., Jan. 18. Info and registration: skichama.com David Richard Gallery, 544 S. Guadalupe St., Santa Fe. 983-9555. Float: geometric, acrylic sculptures by Christian Haub. Through Thurs., Dec. 31. davidrichardgallery.com
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, 217 Johnson St., Santa Fe. 946-1000. Surface Matters—Formal Innovation in the Sculptural Works of Jeff Koons, Katharina Fritsch, and Charles Ray: part of an ongoing exchange between the University of New Mexico and the Museum. Tues., Dec. 1, 6 pm in the Education Annex. More events: okeeffemuseum.org Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux St., Taos. 575-758-9826. Pressing Through Time: an exploration of 150 years of print making in the Taos Valley. Through Sun., Jan. 24. harwoodmuseum.com
ARTScrawl, Alb. Citywide, self-guided arts tour: Fri., Dec. 4 and Jan. 1, 5-8 pm. Route 66 Artful Saturday: Sat., Jan. 16, afternoon hours. Create your own tour: artscrawlabq.org
CCA, 1050 Old Pecos Tr., Santa Fe. 9821338. The Masters—Exhibition on Screen: eight films that tell the story of an artist or a movement. Sat., Dec. 5 through Sun., Jan. 3. More info: ccasantafe.org/cinematheque
concert and visual event with music by Grisha Krivchenia and artworks by Pamela Markoya. Fri., Dec. 11, 5:30-6:30 pm.
Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W. San Francisco St., Santa Fe. 988-1234. SEMBENE!: feature-length documentary of the unbelievable true story of Ousmane Sembéne—the “Father of African cinema.” Fri., Jan. 29. lensic.org Light Among the Ruins, Jemez Historic Site, Jemez Springs. Annual holiday festival of lights: Sat., Dec. 12, 5-8:30 pm. nmhistoricsites.org MoCNA, 108 Cathedral Pk., Santa Fe. 424-2300. An Evening Redness in the West: group exhibition reimagining the Apocalypse. Meryl McMaster— Wanderings: photographs of McMaster’s personal journey through familial heritage and contemporary indigenous identities. Both through Dec. More exhibitions: iaia.edu/museum Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 710 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe. 476-1269. Oblique Views—Archaeology, Photography, and Time: the story of the Southwest told through aerial photographs by Charles and Anne Lindbergh and Adriel Heisey. Through May 2017. indianartsandculture.org
OPENINGS
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe. 476-1200. Flamenco— From Spain to New Mexico: more than 150 objects including items used by renowned artists Encarnación López y Júlvez “La Argentinita,” José Greco, Vicente Romero, and María Benítez. Through Sep. 2016. internationalfolkart.org New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave., Santa Fe. 476-5200. Wool and Weaving Day: documentary premiere. An Unbroken Thread— Wool and Weaving in Northern New Mexico: weaving demonstrations and activities. Sun., Dec. 6, 1:30-4 pm. More events: nmhistorymuseum.org
William R. Talbot Fine Art, 129 W. San Francisco St., Santa Fe. 982-1559. William R. Talbot Fine Art Celebrates Its 30th Year in Santa Fe: antique maps, nineteenth-century Americana, and more. Fri., Jan. 1 through Fri., Feb. 12. williamtalbot.com Zane Bennett Contemporary Art, 435 S. Guadalupe St., Santa Fe. 982-8111. Original Mimic—Work by Armond Lara, 2000-2015: 15 years of drawings, paintings, and sculptures by the Navajo artist. Tues., Dec. 1 through Sun., Jan. 31. zanebennettgallery.com PERFORMANCE
Santa Fe Artists’ Medical Fund, Blue Rain Gallery, 130 Lincoln Ave., Santa Fe. 954-9902. Silent auction to benefit the fund. Sun., Dec. 13, 4-7 pm. santafeartistsmedicalfund.org Santa Fe Botanical Garden, 715 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe. 471-9103. Glow: winter lights event in the Garden. Thurs., Dec. 3 through Sat., Jan. 2. Tickets and info: santafebotanicalgarden.org Santa Fe Community Gallery, 201 W. Marcy St., Santa Fe. 955-6705. Narcissus Exhibition: works by Diane G. Rolnick. Through Thurs., Jan. 14. Santa Fe Film Festival, Various locations, Santa Fe. 15th annual festival with over 100 film screenings, panels, juried awards, workshops, and parties. Wed., Dec. 2 through Sun., Dec. 6. Info: santafefilmfestival.com Santa Fe Foodie Classic, various locations, Santa Fe. A new culinary festival featuring tastings and demonstrations. Fri., Jan. 15 through Sun., Jan. 17. Tickets and schedule: santafefoodieclassic. com
IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, New Mexico Museum of Arts, and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W. San Francisco St., Santa Fe. 988-7050. Acting OUT: performances by iconic indigenous performance artists James Luna, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, and Rebecca Belmore. Discussion with Lucy Lippard to follow. Fri., Dec. 4, 6-8 pm. Jean Cocteau Theater, 418 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe. 466-5528. Lost Love and Other Bits of Whimsey: an afternoon of poetry and music. Sat., Dec. 12, 4 pm. Tickets: jeancocteaucinema.com Musical Theatre Works, Warehouse 21, 1614 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe. 946-2468. Carol of Christmas: a moving and hilarious account of renewed friendships, shared dreams, and unexpected reasons for celebration. Fri., Dec. 4,
7 pm. Sat., Dec. 5, 2 and 7 pm. Sun., Dec. 6, 2 pm. Call for tickets. Spiderwoman Theater, Institute of American Indian Arts, 83-A Van Nu Po Rd., Santa Fe. 4242300. Muriel Miguel—A Retrospective: the artistic director shares her pioneering contributions to the contemporary feminist and indigenous theater movements. Thurs., Dec. 3, 7:30-9 pm. Storyweaving Workshop: a unique process that Spiderwoman Theater uses to create their plays. Sat., Dec. 5, 2-4:30 pm. spiderwomantheater.org
Left: George R.R. Martin’s Dragonstone Studios—317 Camino Alire, Santa Fe—hosts an open house and art show on Saturday, December 5 from 1 to 5 pm. Over twenty painters, sculptors, jewelers, weavers, photographers, filmmakers, and musicians will show work. Image: Silver Dress by Piper Leigh
Right: Venus: solo exhibition of steel and wood abstract sculptures by Peter Millett at Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, 558 Canyon Road, Santa Fe. Reception: Friday, December 4 from 5 to 7 pm. Image: Marker
Taos Chamber Music Group, Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux St., Taos. 575-7589826. A Spanish Holiday: chamber music for flute, violin, cello, and piano by Spanish composers. Sat. and Sun., Dec. 12 and 13, 5 pm. Play It Forward: a new series that presents younger music and musicians. Sat. and Sun., Jan. 16 and 17, 5 pm. Tickets: taoschambermusicgroup.org ARTISTS CALL
3045 Variations on The Feast of Venus: an ongoing project by contemporary artist Inga Krymskaya, involving adaptations and reinventions of the Baroque painting by Rubens. All materials and mediums welcome. Submit by Fri., Feb. 26: info@curzonpr.com Fresh Santa Fe, 2855-A Cooks Rd., Santa Fe. 270-2654. Call for artists to develop and showcase their work and ideas in the 2,000 square-foot space for 2016. Contact Gregory Waits by phone or email waitsga@gmail.com
Santa Fe Forward, SITE Santa Fe, 1606 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe. Future of Cities: conversation with Geoffrey West and Mayor Javier Gonzales. Thurs., Dec. 3, 5:30-7 pm. santafeforward.com Santa Fe Public Library Southside, 6599 -2823. The Ripped Jaguar Dr., Santa Fe. 955 Reality Series: vibrant pastels by Sharon A Sittloh. Through Thurs., Dec. 31. santafelibrary.org Taos Calabash Bash, Taos Country Club, 53 Golf Course Dr., Ranchos de Taos. 575-741-5149. Gourd art created by Taos area artists will be sold to benefit both Stray Hearts Humane Society and Taos Men’s Homeless Shelter. Hors d’oeuvres, live and silent auctions: Sun., Dec. 6, 4-7 pm. Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie, Santa Fe. 424-1601. Coltrane’s God: reading and book signing by former NEA Fellow, Donald Levering. Sun., Dec. 13, 5 pm. UNM Art Museum, 1 University of New Mexico, Alb. 505-277-4001. Necessary Force—Art in the Police State: works addressing the systemic forces in our history and our society that continue the violation of civil rights. Sowing Seeds in the Garden: the Mulvany Family Collection of African Art. Through Sat., Dec. 12. unmartmuseum.org UNM Bookstore, 2301 Central Ave. NE, Alb. 505-277-1388. Understanding Graffiti— Multidisciplinary Studies from Prehistory to the Present: book signing with authors Dr. Troy Lovata and Dr. Elizabeth Olton. Thurs., Dec. 3, 3:30 pm.
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PREVIEWS Amanda Jaffe and Suzanne Kane Santa Fe Clay 545 Camino de la Familia, Santa Fe. 984-1122 Friday, December 11, 2015 to Saturday, January 23, 2016 Reception: Friday, December 11, 5 to 7 pm We all live in landscapes that influence our lifestyles. For artists Amanda Jaffe and Suzanne Kane their environments provide the inspiration for the imagery found in their ceramic sculptures. Jaffe’s work reflects the contrast that exists in the landscapes of her two homes, one in Helena, Montana, and the other in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The landscapes provide her with polarities found in the diptych format she uses, the color palettes of the places, and the imagery itself. Jaffe had an active career, exhibiting extensively and teaching ceramics at New Mexico State University for twenty-six years, and became a professor emeritus upon retirement. Suzanne Kane constructs her sculptures out of welded steel with high-fire stoneware, which is glazed, or finished with auto-body paint and flocking. The forms are inspired by the landscape of the Chihuahuan Desert. The plants and seeds found in this dry, desolate environment have attracted the artist for their tenacious resiliency and adaptability, and although representations of natural forms, they take on abstract qualities. Kane lives and works on the edge of this desert, in El Paso at the University of Texas as a lecturer in Ceramics. The artists are well paired by Santa Fe Clay for this exhibition demonstrating the varied possibilities landscape-inspired art can create. (A group exhibition Cups: Hundreds of Cups will also open on December 11.)
Sembene! Lensic Performing Arts Center 225 West San Francisco Street, Santa Fe. 988-1234 Film Screening: Friday, January 29, 2016 Time to come The right to tell one’s own story for one’s own people was something that was not possible in the Africa still dominated by colonial influence during the youth of Senegalese legend Ousmane Sembène (1923-2007). Rising from a humble background, Sembène was a storyteller who became a self-taught author and filmmaker, creating work that led him to be hailed as the Father of African Cinema. He turned to film realizing that many of the people he wanted to engage couldn’t read his books, while the cinema
Suzanne Kane, Bind Weed, welded steel, stoneware, auto-body paint, and flocking, 2015
was a medium they could more easily access. He wrote his own scripts, also directing
Still from Sembene!
and producing his work at a time when the world had not experienced a truly African voice that dealt with injustice, colonization, slavery, and corruption. The documentary Sembene! was created by African scholar and Mount Holyoke College professor, official biographer, and mentoree Samba Gadjigo and CCA Cinematheque director, film programmer, and writer Jason Silverman. The two met when Silverman discovered the work of Sembène and was seeking an article on him and a way to bring his films to the attention of American audiences to advance their understanding of African culture. Gadjigo had met Sembène early in his own career and had collected considerable material on him. Silverman felt his story should be told on film, and despite the challenges of finding support and little collective filmmaking experience, they set out to present the work and legacy of this seminal figure in a feature documentary. The story unfolds through the voices of Sembène’s intimate circle and his works. Designated as one of the top fifteen movies of the Cannes Festival season, the film has been shown to great acclaim at Sundance, the Walker Art Center, and the British Library, and screened in fifty major venues, including at MoMA and Harvard. Ousmane Sembène’s films have been shown arounf the world, and to this he says, “It is up to us to create our own values, to recognize them and to carry them throughout the world. I do not define myself relative to Europe. In the darkest of darkness if the other does not see me, I do see myself. And surely do I shine.”
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Santa Fe Scout Collection Holiday Trunk Show December 12 • 11am-5pm at
home frocks 611 Old Santa Fe Trail
Available at
1219 Cerrillos Rd
Dana Waldon 505.660.6442 • santafescoutcollection.com
FLASHBACK 1997
38 | THE magazine
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N AT I O N A L S P O T L I G H T
The Time Between: The Sequences of Minor White Minor White, Windowsill Daydreaming, Rochester, New York, gelatin silver print,1958 No. 6 from Jupiter Portfolio, published 1975. The Minor White Archive, Princeton University Art Museum. Bequest of Minor White MWA 58-171-7. © Trustees of Princeton University Acknowledged for his many contributions to the field of photography, Minor White (1908-1976) stands out as an image maker and a deep thinker. He saw beyond the representational aspects of the medium, recognizing the power of images to evoke feelings and communicate ideas that were subjective and malleable. The Time Between: The Sequences of Minor White explores White’s seminal work and life-long interest in grouping images to create visual narratives. Influenced by the installation work of Nancy Newhall and Alfred Stieglitz’s belief that photographs selected in wellthought-out groupings could transcend the individual meanings of the images to create a total statement that had greater depth and significance, White stressed that the “reading” of an image was as important as photography’s ability to capture a likeness and represent the natural world, albeit at times abstractly. In fact, as he created his groupings of ten to as many as one hundred images he was able to demonstrate the inherent complexity in visual imagery. Beginning in 1952, White discovered he could eliminate the d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
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specificity of language and allow the juxtaposition of the works to elicit the richer significance the photos communicated by plumbing the emotions. To his workshop students he offered the freedom to create sequences by handling the prints so that they might discover insights of their own. At times the sequences were highly personal statements White chose not to show the world, as in The Temptation of St. Anthony Is Mirrors (1948), a series of male nudes. White wrote on the nature of the sequences for various publications and in his journals, asserting, “The photographs in a Sequence or Constellation may be compared to a dance or theme. The major points of the whole are stated and restated with variations until the very last member of the audience has encountered it or them.” The exhibition is on view through January 31, 2016 at the Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado, San Diego. It is the first show with a catalogue examining the significance of these sequences in Minor White’s prolific career. THE magazine |39
BEST B 2O0O1K5S E AC H
YE A R
THE
MAGAZINE
RECEIVES
BOO KS F RO M MANY PUB L I SHERS F OR R E VI E W
C O NSI D ERATI O N.
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OF
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T H O U G HT O UR READ ERS W O ULD ENJOY. R E VI E W S BY D IANE ARM ITAGE , VERONICA ARONSON, KATHRYN M DAVIS, JACKIE M, M I C HA EL MO T LE Y, RICH ARD TOB IN, L AUR EN T RE SP , AND SU SAN WIDER .
F E AT U R E
To dive into Black Dolls (Radius Books,
The sculptor Louise Bourgeois was
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in home building and then insurance, is
connection with the departed—an
artists when her long life ended, in 2011,
Have There Been No Great Women Artists?”
now focused on philanthropy and art.
experience of simultaneous resurrection
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which became part of a seminal foundation in the
The Broad, a $140-million museum of
and loss. The book documents over
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history which up to that point was loath to include
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installation pieces. The Broad Collection
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very large book—four hundred and sixty-
handmade construction from found and
friend the photographer Alex Van Gelder
took place at the Los Angeles County Museum
four pages with four hundred beautifully
repurposed materials. The photographs
in his Mumbling Beauty Louise Bourgeois
of Art in 1976, succinctly presented many of the
reproduced illustrations—that offers essays
capture each doll in a portrait, animated
(Thames & Hudson, $50), she retained
missing pieces of Western art that the world had
by artists, writers, and filmmakers on other
by echoing its past life as a childhood
a luscious vitality that belied nearly one
been too myopic or just plain too uninterested to
artists. Pulitzer Prize–winner Mark Stevens
companion and a location of solace.
hundred years on the planet. Van Gelder
acknowledge. Women Artists: The Linda Nochlin
writes on Cy Twombly, filmmaker John
Accompanying
are
captured her sitting, tiny and turbaned
Reader (Thames & Hudson, $50) not only loops
Waters on Jeff Koons, curator Francesco
reproductions of vintage photographs
or sporting a motorcycle cap; her old
back to her important text from 1971, it picks up
Bonami on Damien Hirst, and Lynne Tillman
from the nineteenth and twentieth
eyes faded into blue or lively, dark, and
from there and proceeds with essays Nochlin has
on Cindy Sherman. The book is divided into
centuries of children posed with their
twinkling; her sculptor’s hands gnarled
written about women artists from the past and
five sections: Challenging History, Comedy
own dolls. Faith Ringgold, Margo
and delicate. At age ninety-nine, she was
into the twenty-first century. In this book,
and Tragedy, Society and Selfhood, Making
Jefferson, and Lyle Rexer contributed
hardly a glamorous subject, but she was
illustrated in color throughout, Nochlin not
and Breaking Patterns, and Perpetual
essays that examine the themes of racial
never less than bewitching. —KMD
only covers artists working in traditional genres
Games. The Broad is a collection of many
identity, social mobility, and the doll as
like painting and sculpture, she fully engages
of the major players of contemporary art:
the inadvertent vessel for bias. This book
the postmodern world of conceptual and
Joseph Beuys, Anselm Kiefer, Jenny Holzer,
offers a highly personal and challenging
multidisciplinary work by artists such as Jenny
Jeff Koons, Mike Kelley, Julian Schnabel,
commentary on these topics, which are
Holzer, Liza Lou, Louise Bourgeois, Cindy
Robert Longo, Neo Rauch, Kiki Smith, Sam
made accessible through its impressive
Sherman, and Sophie Calle. From the “old
Francis, John Baldessari, Sherrie Levine,
reverence for these playful, cherished
realism” of the Renaissance to the “new realism”
Bruce Nauman, and Ed Ruscha to name
objects. —LT
of Contemporary Art, Nochlin casts her art-
but a few. This book is a must-read and a
historical net with an encyclopedic reach. —DA
must-have for all with a serious interest in
these
images
art. —VA continued on page 42 d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
THE magazine | 41
The spirit of the late John Connell is deeply
With his saturated aerial vistas of Earth,
Storyteller:
embedded within this elegant overview of his
photographer
$75) was produced to accompany
Prestel, $45) examines Fritz Scholder’s
protean life as an artist. All art is a high, wide,
makes it clear that we are going to hell
a
self-taught
controversial Indian series from 1967 to
and cracked mirror of the artist who created
in a handbasket. However, Edmaier’s
photographer’s work. During the 1960s
1980—powerful paintings that marked
it, and this is especially true of Connell and
handbasket is so lush, so ripe, and so
Michals began adding words and poems
a massive shift in his palette and subject
his prolific output of sculptures, drawings,
frankly gorgeous that we hardly mind
to his pictures, creating visual stories
matter. Scholder created a hullabaloo
paintings, and text. Once he found his way
the destination so long as we get to ride
by
sequences.
with his portrayal of American Indians
into Buddhism as a young artist, everything he
the waves of ridiculous splendor Edmaier
Author Linda Benedict-Jones, Curator of
by merging Abstract Expressionism,
made—every animal, flower, Bodhisatva, and
exposes us to. In the coffee-table book
Photography at Carnegie Museum of Art
Figurative, and Pop Art an interpretation
man, woman, or child—was really a portrait
Water (publisher and price) climate
in Pittsburgh, offers a comprehensive look
that defied viewers to look past the
of himself. The tar he used as paint, the iron
change has never looked so sexy. That is
at the man and his creativity. Also included
generalized conception of the Native
oxides, wax, plaster, sunflower seeds, and
not to say that the artist, with geologist
are interviews with Michals by William
American to the unvarnished reality of
chicken wire were extensions of his fingertips
and writer Angelika Jung-Hüttl, has not
Jenkins and Enrica Viganó, and essays
Indian life at that time. Scholder took
and his hyperactive imagination. To say that
presented us with the stunning reality
by Allen Ellenzweig, Marah Gubar, and
on the taboos of alcoholism, poverty,
Connell’s vision was unique in contemporary
of
changes
others about Michals’s place in twentieth-
and alienation that were experienced
art doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what
wrought on the planet by time (with a
century photography, his images of
by many Indians. In a newspaper
flowed out of him. It was indeed art, but it was
little help from our species); this book is
sensuality and sexuality, his legacy, and
interview he said, “Indians in America
also a vision of the material and the spiritual
a sobering consideration of how hostile
the rarely explored childlike aspects of his
are usually poor, sometimes derelicts
planes of our existence glued together with
our environment can be. Even more
work. More than seventy-five of Michals’s
outside the value system, living in
his rambunctious sense of humor and a deeply
impactful is the notion of how little we
iconic works are reproduced—including
uncomfortable surroundings… viewed
felt compassion tempered with indifference.
humans have mattered over the course of
many of his troubling and disturbing photo
as something other than human beings
Life in many of its incarnations was animated
Earth’s billions of years of existence. The
sequences where grandmothers vanish,
by the larger society. The Indian of
by Connell’s distinctive textures and his crude
thought that the third planet in the solar
the bogeyman wins, and Schrödinger’s
reality is a paradox—a monster to
sense of finesse that helped to establish his
system can take or leave us is shattering
cat ponders the viewer—along with
himself and a non-person to society.”
ideas about the imperfect nature of perfection.
and splendid. By focusing on the many
facsimiles
handwritten
The reproduction of Scholder’s paintings
John Connell: Works 1965-2009 (Radius Books,
forms water takes on this planet, we are
notes such as, “A FAILED ATTEMPT TO
is top-drawer. Several informed essays
$55) is a gorgeous book that does justice
presented again and again with evidence
PHOTOGRAPH REALITY, how foolish of
by renowned academics discuss and
to Connell’s amazing grasp of humanity in
that nature is the most avant-garde of
me to believe that it would be that easy.”
illuminate Scholder’s influences and
all its oddness, soulfulness, and deliberately
artists, and we, poor humans, often don’t
—SW
creative practices. Of particular interest
misshapen beauty, and gives the reader much
“get” the art.—KMD
more than they bargained for. This fabulous monograph provides a window into an artist’s life that was redolent of “the pungent, the poignant, and the hilarious,” as Malin WilsonPowell wrote in her bittersweet and perceptive essay. This extraordinary book is like another version of Connell’s Raft Project or his Kwan Yin Pavilion, where Kwan Yin offers everybody a sip from her jar of immortality.—DA
catastrophic
Bernhard
geographic
Edmaier
Duane
retrospective
using
Michals of
this
multiple-image
of
Michals’s
(Prestel,
Super
Indian
(DelMonico
Books/
is David Bradley’s essay “Scholder in the Southwest.”—VA
F E AT U R E
Abstraction was, and remains, one of
John Baeder’s Road Well Taken (Vendome
Roman Vishniac: Rediscovered (DelMonico
Although it may seem that everything that could
the seminal forces in the art of the past
Press, $45), with text by Jay Williams, is
Books/Prestel
a
be said or done in regard to the popular icon
century. Modernism was born from an art
a double-edged sword gone dull on one
monolithic compilation of the modernist
Frida Kahlo has been articulated, from biopics,
that was liberated from mimesis by color
side. Baeder’s paintings are marvelously
photographer’s six-decade-long body of
refrigerator magnets, to museum exhibitions
and shapes existing independently beyond
executed tropes of the classic coast-to-
work. The volume was published as an
and numerous impersonations of her style,
rigid academic and political hierarchies.
coast road trip, replete with diners, vans,
accompaniment to a major retrospective
Frida Kahlo—Her Photos (Editorial RM, $65)
Postmodernism still embraces aspects
yellow cabs, and more diners—nostalgic
of Vishniac’s oeuvre, which was drawn
has much to reveal. Kahlo’s personal collection
of abstraction as a powerful means of
renderings of an America as envisioned
from the archive of his work held by
of over six thousand photographs begins with
thought and expression. Adventures of the
by Madison Avenue after World War II. As
the International Center of Photography
images of her parents in their youth, her own
Black Square: Abstract Art and Society 1915-
such, the paintings are rather too clichéd
and curated by Maya Benton. Vishniac
childhood portraits, friends in her artistic circle,
2015 (Prestel, $60) focuses on the history
to be true standouts amid today’s visual
(1897-1990) is arguably the most famous
her pets, and Mexican folk objects. Kahlo’s
of geometric abstraction from its origins in
opulence. However, when considered
chronicler of a lost world: that of pre-war
father was a commercial photographer who
Russian Constructivism through its global
as the manifestations of the photorealist
Jewish life in Eastern Europe. Those iconic
was particularly attracted to self-portraits. His
evolution.
geometric
movement that was so popular in the
images are included in this monograph,
favorite daughter acquired this self-fascination
abstraction differs from the biomorphic
second half of the twentieth century, the
and are joined by his lesser-known yet
as well. Friducha, as he called her, helped him in
genre, whose images are derived from
paintings in this volume acquire deepened
exhaustive images of pre-war Berlin,
the darkroom, introducing her to the technical
nature and visualizations of psychic
layers of meaning that save them from
unseen documentation of post-Holocaust
aspects of the medium. During her infamous
elements, or the gestural and existentialist
being mere postcards blown up large. The
refugee camps, striking coverage of post-
marriage, she and Diego Rivera collected
influences of Abstract Expressionism. The
text by Williams tells a well-researched
war ruins across Europe, and compelling
images of friends and made photographs in
pure forms in geometric abstraction are
narrative of the artist’s life and work,
images of Jewish daily life in America in
the pre-photocopy era from the pages of
based on mathematically derived systems
and his standing in the “diner culture”
the 1940s and ‘50s. Additionally, images
magazines and books of subjects that piqued
and are most commonly monochromatic
that he documented so well. Baeder’s
of items from the Roman Vishniac
their interest. Frida freely demonstrated her
and non-representational. The book
photographs of the ephemera of the
Archive, including vintage prints, personal
personal feelings for certain individuals by
traces developments in this formalist style,
road are wisely presented here, and are
correspondence, and contact sheets
literally cutting out the faces of those she had
chronologically identifying four key themes
more forceful than the paintings, which,
are also included. The comprehensive
disagreements with from a group photo, or
beginning with the utopian vision of a new
to our twenty-first-century eyes, veer
compendium is a trove of insights into
by adding color or lipstick kisses to images
future for society based on technological
dangerously close to downright Kincaid-
the era as well as the vision of this
demonstrating affection. Casa Azul, Frida’s
progress. With the rise of mass media,
isms. Taken by the artist in the 1960s, the
versatile and innovative photographer.
home, studio, and world figures prominently
geometric abstraction would influence
black-and-white prints read as outsider
A number of essays—both scholarly
in the collection. Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, a
communication, promoting ideas through
art, all hand-drawn counterpoints to the
and personalar—threaded throughout,
prominent Mexican photographer, editor,
text and image. Lastly, the book tracks
slick graphical world we inhabit today.
covering topics from Vishniac himself to
and curator chose the four-hundred-and-one
abstraction’s absorption into the everyday
This is not so much the story of the
the lives and cultures he captured, from
works presented in this book, with essays by
vocabulary of material culture and social
American road as it is a documentary of
documentary photography during the
various contributors. Monasterio comments,
relations. For each of the periods there
how we see ourselves today—because of
1930s and ‘40s to photo microscopy, a
“The camera was always familiar to Frida
were innovators furthering the black
how we saw ourselves then.—KMD
field the artist pioneered.—LT
Kahlo. She seems to have felt comfortable
Non-objective,
and
ICP,
$75)
is
square’s influence on European, North
in front of it. She even learned to look into
and South American, Middle Eastern, and
the lens to put across what she wanted and
East Asian aesthetics and politics.—JM
managed to reinvent her own image through photography.” —JM continued on page 44
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
THE magazine | 43
Martin Gusinde, a German missionary,
An actual book about an ephemeral print
Dream Science: Exploring the Forms
arrived on the island of Tierra del
publication from the 1990s may seem
of
$99.95)
takes the time to include sublimely clever
Fuego in 1919. His original task was to
irrelevant when no one reads much
offers an evidence-based approach to
illustrations? Writing letters by hand was
convert the Tierra del Fuegan Indians
anymore, except on their phones, but this
understanding dreams and their role in
the norm for how many millennia? And now
to the Catholic faith, but that did not
analog epitaph—COLORS: A Book About
creativity. Author J. F. Pagel, a leader in
the millennials may look at a book like this as
happen. Instead he became one of the
a Magazine About the Rest of the World
the field of dream research, has created
a relic of a form of not-so-instant messaging
first Westerners to be initiated into the
(Damianai, $19.75)—is a reminder of the
a volume that integrates information on
justifiably superseded by lines of text where
tribe’s sacred rites. For more than five
power of print in the pre-digital era. As
so many aspects of dream science that
you don’t have to think too much to send or
years he studied the Alakaluf, Yamana,
Francesco Bonami says in his introduction:
the book can act as a single-source, go-
receive them. LOL. That said, what I wouldn’t
and Selk’nam peoples, taking over
“Creating a magazine like COLORS today
to work for those interested in how
give to have been the artist Hedda Sterne when
1,200 photographs in what appear to be
would likely be an impossible feat.” It
dreams and human creativity intertwine.
a note arrived, some time in 1943, from her
preternatural landscapes. The Lost Tribes
certainly would be in an age of Tweets,
“Dreams are at the basis of the major
friend Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. His message
of Tierra del Fuego (Thames & Hudson,
advertorials, and trigger warnings, but
theories of mind, philosophy, and brain
(written in French) may have been short—“I
$90) consists of Gusinde’s compelling
those who remember the world before
function,” writes Pagel. “Dreams may
just arrived—Do you have time for dinner? Call.
photographs of figures wrestling, family
the Web may also recall the visceral punch
actually be important.” Pagel investigates
Thanks. A.”—but the drawing he included was,
groupings, men posing with bows and
that COLORS delivered. Three individuals
the dream as inspiration and does so
in that famous Saint-Exupéry style, exquisite. Of
arrows, and natives wearing headdresses
created COLORS: Oliviero Toscani, the
historically, tying the recording of dreams
course Saint-Exupéry wrote one of the most
made of bark. Gusinde had to overcome
Italian photographer and provocateur;
to some of the earliest known writing. He
treasured fables of the twentieth century, The
strenuous objections from the tribe
Tibor Kalman, a legendary American
delves into night terrors, lucid dreaming,
Little Prince, and now, Sterne’s invitation to dine
about his taking photographs, as they
graphic designer; and Luciano Benetton,
even shamanism. “From the beginnings
with A. is also a treasure. Another gem is the
saw him as the mank’acen—the “shadow
the head of the clothing company who
of philosophical method,” he writes,
letter Yves Saint-Laurent wrote to Alexander
snatcher.” Looking at these seductive and
turned them loose and paid the bills.
“dreams have proven to be an excellent
Liberman, the director of Condé-Nast
otherworldly images is akin to entering
Toscani wanted a magazine that was
philosophical topic in the discussion of
Publications. Written from Marrakech, Saint-
a time machine. Anne Chapman’s essay
“eccentrically
politically
truth.’” Of particular interest to creative
Laurent’s note has bold geometric patterns in
“Myths and Initiation Rites” is an eye-
incorrect, intriguing and intimidating,
artists are the sections dealing with
the background that complement a line drawing
opener, as is Christine Barthe’s “With
that dealt with race, AIDS, immigration,
creative insight. “Creative waking is not
of a woman in a burka. And there is a charming
Eyes Wide Open,” and Marisol Palma
death, and war, and ran interviews with
focused waking. Creative insights occur
pen-and-ink drawing of an old-fashioned girl
Behnke’s treatise on Gusinde. This book
people no one had ever heard of. It was
most often during the periods of non-
pulling back a curtain that took up a third of a
is an anthropologist’s delight—a unique
nothing like the pallid clones we have
attention that occur after periods of
page in a letter the artist Dorothea Tanning
documentation of a people who were in
today full of fashion, style, expensive toys,
focused waking.” Although this is a dense,
(then the wife of Max Ernst) wrote to fellow
the process of becoming extinct.—VA
celebrity non-entities, and insipid art.
highly researched book, it is surprisingly—
artist Joseph Cornell. In Cornell’s diary entry
It definitely wasn’t Interview, which was
and rewardingly—accessible to readers
for May 4, 1948, he wrote, “Received beautiful
Kalman’s previous gig, and the words and
interested in the mind-brain interaction.
letter from Dorothea in morning mail illustrating
images in this book still have the power
—SW
story of old Paris with jeune fille of the 1840s.
intelligent,”
Consciousness
(Elsevier,
Who handwrites letters anymore, let alone
to stop us cold with their audacity, humor,
Exquisite surprise.” More Than Words: Illustrated
poignancy, and continuing relevance to
Letters from the Smithsonian’s Archives of American
current events.—MM
Art (Princeton Architectural Press, $24.95) is comprised of letters that range from the sublime to ridiculously illustrated vignettes and verbal bon mots.—DA
F E AT U R E
Print is Dead. Long Live Print: The
Text-image courses are a staple of
“Tyger Tyger, burning bright/In the forests
It is commonly assumed that photography is
World’s Best Independent Magazines
creative writing programs, of which
of the night.” These timeless lines by
about making pictures with a camera (or other
(Prestel, $49.95) presents a survey of
there are over eight hundred in the
poet-painter William Blake still convey a
devices), and that a photographer’s practice
independent magazines that are infusing
United States (up from seventy-nine in
sense of the dread and awe evoked for
revolves around this action. In Photographers’
the genre with new directions. Author
1982). However, discovery of a symbiosis
Blake’s readers by the creature’s “fearful
Sketchbooks (Thames and Hudson, $60),
Ruth Jamieson brings to the project her
between
predates
symmetry.” Yet it is as much the “forests
authors and fellow photographers Stephen
expertise from writing for The Guardian,
creative writing workshops. In his Art of
of the night” that infuse the toy-like tiger
McLaren and Bryan Formhals introduce
The Telegraph, and The Times, along with
Poetry, a work on the craft of poetry and
of Blake’s colored print with the menace
the reader to the processes employed by
her experience as a creative director in
drama addressed to his Roman peers by
we feel from the great cat whose fierce
forty-nine contemporary photographers
the advertising industry. She assembles
the Augustan-age lyric poet Horace, the
visage stares at us from the deep jungle
in conceptualizing their work. Through
over fifty profiles of ahead-of-their-genre
author coined a phrase that would have
foliage of Henri Rousseau’s Le Rêve. Since
thematic essays, the reader enters the realm
publications from throughout the world
lasting import for later writers and artists.
the dawn of man the night has played a
of each artist’s intimate, creative journey.
that are innovators and shapers of print
Ut pictura poesis—literally, “as in painting,
profound role in both our perception
Personal statements by the artists and
journalism’s future. Following Jamieson’s
so in poetry”—was Horace’s take on a
and imagination. It has provided subject,
numerous examples of the visual research,
short introduction, the magazines are
still earlier belief about the link between
tone, or theme in the visual arts in works
sketches, drawings, and minutiae that fill
grouped within categories such as
both art forms, realized in imagistic prose
as diverse as Caravaggio’s Conversion
their sketchbooks follow these texts. The
Travel, Life, Food and Drink, Sports,
and mimetic painting. Horace’s catchy
of Saint Paul, Rembrandt’s Nightwatch,
practice of using a sketchbook to record
Design, and Current Affairs. Each entry
phrase was a locus for the revival of this
and Picasso’s Night Fishing at Antibes.
ideas is de rigueur for most artists. The
receives four pages of treatment that
conceit in the Renaissance. Fast forward
Yet the Bowdoin College Museum of
difference here is that the products of the
includes full-color images of covers,
to Sunlight On The River: Poems about
Art can rightly claim that its exhibition
process will be presented as some form of
interior spreads, newly commissioned
Paintings, Paintings about Poems (Prestel,
and accompanying publication, Night
photographic project, altered significantly
photographs, and information on the
$34.95) edited by Scott Gutterman. With
Vision: Nocturnes in American Art, 1860 to
from the preparatory materials. These
periodical’s distinguishing characteristics.
all deference to creative writing faculty,
1960 (DelMonico Books/Prestel and the
sketchbook entries are fascinating snapshots
Also included are publication details
one refreshing fact about the book is
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, $60) is
of how some photographers approach their
like the launch date, the name of the
that Gutterman is not professor, poet, or
“the first major museum survey dedicated
work. McLaren writes in his introduction,
founder, and the home country. There
painter. His day job is deputy director for
to scenes of the night in American art.”
“Each presentation is unique and derives
is often a lengthy quotation from an
Neue Galerie New York. And while he
If Night Vision is a tad too ambitious
from an intimate and personal body of work
editor, founder, or creative director that
himself chose the paintings and poems,
in claiming that the “reduced visual
that has not been prepared for a commercial
highlights the magazine’s rationale and
his criteria were poems that referenced
information and altered perception” of
client. Individually, they celebrate the
perceived challenges. All that is missing
paintings, and paintings based on poems.
night were factors “contributing to the
personal interests, artistic sensibilities, and
from this volume is Jamieson’s take on
Gutterman brought to these criteria
rise of abstraction during the first half of
aesthetic styles that define each contributor
THE magazine.—SW
an insight that assures the appeal of the
the twentieth century,” the essays and
as a photographer. Collectively, they provide
book: “The poem and the painting fused
plates provide an engaging look at how
an invaluable resource for anyone who
into something greater: a meditation
various American artists have captured
has ever wondered how a photographer
linking thought and feeling, the literary
our complex response to the night.—RT
realizes a personal vision, finding that seed
image
and
and the visual.”—RT
text
of inspiration and then discovering how to engage with an audience.” —JM
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
THE magazine | 45
THOMAS ROTH
A Solo Exhibition of New Works
D1, Thomas Roth, Mixed media, 36” x 36”
February 12 - March 4, 2015 Opening reception: Friday February 12, 5-7pm 652 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501 | www.tanseycontemporary.com
CRITICAL REFLECTION
Black Magic: Constance DeJong
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art 544 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe
EVERY DAY, I WALK PAST THE WALL OF WINDOWS THAT IS THE BACK WALL OF Charlotte Jackson Fine Art. And every day during the
bent and angled according to subtle geometries. Carefully
Gazing upon this warm, amber light, I almost expect it
recent exhibition Black Magic, my eyes tracked to flashes
and deliberately manipulated, they bear no marks or signs of
to shimmer and flicker, as though from a candle. I imagine the
of amber light reflecting up onto the gallery walls. Called
the handiwork required for this process.
effect shifts and evolves depending on lighting circumstances.
as though by Sirens, I couldn’t help but be momentarily
The exterior surfaces are blackened and oxidized,
The natural attraction to the phenomena of these reflections
intrigued and transfixed by these objects: small scale,
which creates an effect akin to being charred, sooty, and
recalls some simple joy experienced by children, such as the
quietly dark, yet flashing curiously and brilliantly. And,
aged. The upward-facing elements are unadulterated,
allure of sparkles or bright colors. However, it also reaches
what’s more, the power of Constance DeJong’s body of
mirror-like copper. Installed at eye level, the horizontal
more deeply and more broadly into a sense of reverence
work is no cheap trick. The work rewards meditative
surfaces are barely visible (at least for a viewer at five
for that most unmitigated and sincere experience of material
lingering; it echoes somewhere in the bone space,
foot six). What are visible are the flashes of light reflecting
and light: wonder at the world. It also recalls stained glass–
somewhere primary and eternal.
up as though from sconces. Some of these pieces are
infused chapels in Europe, in which the colored glass, or here
In Black Magic, a two-person show with Max Cole,
quadrangles in different shapes and angles, as in Golden/
the copper, acts both as an image in itself and a transmitter
DeJong presented a series of small-scale wall sculptures, along
Grid (2015), an angled square folded out at a ninety-
or transformer of light. We are asked to witness an ancient,
with one larger piece. The smaller works in the show consist
degree angle, and others incorporate multiple layers or
elemental triad: light source, its path, and the effects of
of sheets of copper that are just a few inches across affixed to
curves, as in Arc/r33 (2015), in which a concave copper
its illumination.
white panels and enshrined within deep, open frames. These
piece casts the glow; each arrangement has subtly varying
small metal arrangements consist of copper plates that are
reflective effects.
Though this work taps into something primal and rudimentary, the execution is anything but. This series is rooted in a geometric impulse and minimalist aesthetic. The pieces are also minimalist in construction: there is a tight and integral route from material to finished work (however, this does not apply to the processes involved in working with and finishing the copper). Exposed, delicate screws and the rawness of these simple geometric shapes allow the viewer to partake somewhat of the objects’ essential composition as constructed objects. These sculptures do their work without theatricality or deception. Further, the exhibition is characterized by only three color elements: black, copper, and white. Which is also to say that there are no real colors at all. Black and white are achromatic, or lacking any color or hue. And the copper in this instance functions more as a substance and material. The body of work achieves a remarkable quality of colorlessness. That lack of color is most notable in Square 48/2 (2014), the largest piece, which consists of a forty-eight-inch-square piece of blackened copper laid nearly flat against the wall, and subtly raised two inches on one side. This tilted panel results in a wedge of horizontal space from which the glossy copper gives off its aura skyward. The lilt and glow are so subtle that the piece first appears to be nothing, simply a vacuous blackened surface. The experience of looking at what appears to be nothing, to suddenly beholding the nuances of light and metal, is something of a revelation. The black magic of this work lies in this experiential process: a power unfolds that cannot be mimicked in print, nor reproduced through language, but must be seen and felt. —Lauren Tresp
Constance DeJong, Arc/r49, copper and maple, 15 ½” x 15 ½” x 3”, 2015
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THE magazine | 47
Seven-headed Rider, acrylic on canvas Local Conic Diaries, acrylic and ink on paper
Opening Reception:
December 18th, 2015, 5 - 7 pm
C AT E N A R Y ART GALLERY
616 1/2 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM, 87501 (505) 982 2700 i n f o @ c a t e n a r y a r t g a l l e r y. c o m w w w. c a t e n a r y a r t g a l l e r y. c o m
CRITICAL REFLECTION
Jack Balas: Guy’d Book
James Kelly Contemporary 1611 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe
Jack Balas relayed to me this anecdote, which speaks volumes about his latest exhibition at James Kelly Contemporary: Stephen [Husbands, director of the gallery] told me that, when he was in the process of hanging the show, a woman came in and looked around awhile, but told him, “I don’t think I can like this show.” Stephen asked why, and she replied, “Because I’m a Feminist.” He proceeded to speak a bit about the work, and asked her specifically, “Why do you have trouble with the work?” The woman answered, “I used to work for Judy Chicago.” She did pick up a catalogue; however, she left the gallery without paying for it. —With apologies to Judy Chicago, whom none of us hold responsible for the gallery visitor’s remarks.
ONE HOPES THE UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN ABOVE EXPLORED THE CATALOGUE and had a belated breakthrough along these lines: As the
when the installation was revealed in 1979? Probably.
usually don’t seek to possess men, although they may wish
Guerrilla Girls have pointed out, there are hardly any full-
Has feminist art come a long way in the decades since?
to emulate them. In fact, the activity of men-looking-at-
frontal male nudes to be found as subjects in the modern
Undeniably. But it had to start somewhere, and entering
men with too much pleasure is considered suspect by our
history of Western art. Thus it follows that the insertion of
women’s names into history and our consciousness, as The
patriarchal ruling class. In the rigid construct of acceptable
the male form into significant institutional collections of art
Dinner Party did so poignantly, was a vital beginning.
behavior for a straight male, admiring a man’s body for its
would represent a huge transformation in favor of feminism,
Currently the female nude in art functions as a means
beauty is seen as an indication that the viewer is susceptible
assuming one defines one of its tenets as the belief that men
for the dominant class, which is male, to possess (through
to homoeroticism, which is considered out of the question
and women should be represented equally (though not the
the fabled gaze) the bodies of women. The male nude is
for a “real man.” All of this is, of course, nonsense, and a
same) in art and culture. Did many viewers consider the
hardly present in visual art. Why? To reduce feminist and
cause for misery for far too many individuals for far too long.
vulvic shapes in Chicago’s iconic Dinner Party a bit much
queer theory to a very simple equation: it’s because men
In his writings, Balas has asserted his desire to see attractive male bodies. In his art, he chooses to right their absence. And, he says, there are lots of people who also might be partial to the view. From gay men to a bunch of randy females, lots of us find looking at the male body an enjoyable pursuit. Do we need to understand an artist’s thesis before we can “get” their art? I believe the answer to that question is a resounding “No,” but I’ve also discovered that the more I learn about an art movement or an artist, the greater the likelihood that I will enjoy the work itself. The same holds true with, for example, opera. I can go to a performance and soak in the music, the voices, the sets, and the costumes with delight; it is highly likely, though, that reading a bit about the opera I’m attending will reveal greater depths of gratification. This is true about all of the arts, from sculpture to theater. The real issue raised by our unsatisfied gallery visitor is this: Has Balas mastered his chosen mediums—specifically painting, drawing, and photography—plus his visual vocabulary, sufficiently to get his point across? Look at The Discovery of Honolulu (#509), which was for me the star of the exhibition. It conveys the sheer joy of arriving in a beach environment and physically reveling in exposing one’s body to the pleasures of sun and sea. Its text conveys the painter’s exuberance at seeing the male bodies cavorting before him, all salt and sweat. Balas has discovered not only Hawai’i, but his own paradise. —Kathryn M Davis
Jack Balas, The Discovery of Honolulu (#509), oil and enamel on canvas, 69” x 70”, 2010
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THE magazine | 49
Timothy Nero
Art Box 54 1/2 East San Francisco Street, Santa Fe
“WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU SEE.” THIS DICTUM OF LATE MODERNISM DATES TO a 1966 interview with Frank Stella and Donald Judd. The comment belongs to Stella.
paper drawings. A brief look at Nero’s artist statement within this context can help
It would become a mantra for minimalism—itself a label that both artists disowned
to inform a critical response to his work: “Extreme is the single word that most
for its reductive associations, preferring instead to describe their approach in terms
accurately describes my work and has been the constant thread linking my work
of the work itself. Judd’s enameled or lacquered boxes and Stella’s striped and
over the entire course of my career whether it is painting, drawing or sculpture.
shaped canvases shared the qualities of literal presence and immediacy. As such they
Extreme forms, shapes, content, ideas, marking, making, and images. Over the
were “specific objects” (later “primary structures”) whose shapes are experienced
past three years I have been working on a series of shaped paintings other than
as objects in the viewer’s space rather than vicarious images alluding to something
rectangles. I found that the forms I was drawing or painting were far more intriguing
outside it: “What you see is what you see.” The essential traits of Judd’s, and by
to me than the painted figure locked onto a painted ground. I fell in love with the
extension Stella’s, concept of a work of art as specific object—versus the fictive
singular form and needed to see it as an object occupying space. The wall then
status of a painting or sculpture as an allusive or evocative image—were described
became the ground.”
by Judd in 1965 in his “Specific Objects” essay. The work is a whole, not defined by
Each of the three paintings from Nero’s The Shape of Anxiety series involves
its parts, an entity whose sense of singleness is “the one thing” that compels; it is not
a painted wood panel mounted on an irregularly shaped, sinuous frame whose
an image devised by forms but an object whose shape per se is “specific, aggressive,
unusually deep projection from the wall produces a hybrid painting-as-relief effect.
and powerful.”
The biomorphic look of each brightly colored shaped painting is heightened by
This concept of the specific object is what art critic Michael Fried characterized
features resembling fins, wings, or spiky antennae emerging at points along the
as the idea of “Shape as Form”—with particular application to Stella’s 1966 series
painted, marbled core shape, and the squiggly line patterns crudely inscribed on the
of asymmetrically shaped paintings: “Frank Stella’s new paintings investigate the
surfaces like micro-organic tracks or arcane tribal tattoos.
viability of shape as such.”
Beyond the biomorphic feel that links them to the shaped paintings, the two
It is this idea of “shape as form” that Timothy Nero appears to embrace in
small ink-on-paper drawings in the show—from his Mental Chew Toy series—possess
his latest series of paintings, seen recently in a small show at Art Box comprising
a visual artistry that Nero denies to the shaped paintings. The wry title of the drawing
three “shaped paintings” from his The Shape of Anxiety series, and two small ink-on-
series belies Nero’s graphic mastery and inventive power in conjuring up imagery that suggests a mind-meld of Lee Bontecou and Eva Hesse. Each iteration transforms the chew toy motif into some new species of marine invertebrate, abyssal creatures of some furtive, aquatic kingdom. Nero’s taxonomy of fanciful, wormlike organisms should trigger the viewer’s natural aversion to all things membranous and slimy. Yet the sheer virtuosity of his drawings engages the eye and compels attention. Not so in the case of the shaped paintings. Nero’s deep engagement with each of the paintings does not translate into compelling conviction for the viewer. As Fried wrote, “shape as such can be said to have become capable of … compelling conviction—as well as … capable of failing to do so.” The shaped paintings come across as inchoate, suspended between an approach to form geared to the principle of the specific object and an application of facture tied to traditional practice of painting and sculpture. In The Shape of Anxiety: False Flag, for example, the artist dispels any overriding sense of singular form with the intrusion of a visual and pictorial complexity that evokes a range of poetic allusion (Jonah and the whale, spirit being, guardian figure) ultimately unsupported by his artfully crude handling. The result is something formidable that is neither primary structure nor symbolic totem. The effect is neither image nor object, an unresolved tension between literal and fictive whose contending traits of immediacy and allusion dilute a richly nuanced work’s capacity to persuade, to compel conviction. . Given Timothy Nero’s prodigious talent, the unresolved state of these shaped paintings simply reflects the artist’s efforts to realize its underlying aesthetic—“What you see is what you see.” It will likely be just a matter of time before Nero achieves its apt expression in his own work. When he does, it will be something to see. —Richard Tobin
Timothy Nero, The Shape of Anxiety: False Flag, acrylic on wood, 72”h x 68”w x 10 ½”d, 2015
CRITICAL REFLECTION
Lanny Quarles
Nisa Touchon Fine Art 1925-C Rosina Street, Santa Fe
ENTER NISA TOUCHON FINE ART, HOUSED WITHIN A PERFECT LITTLE PINK adobe building, the fabulous Plaza Rosina that is also
the shackles of the church and governmental entities.
home to lavish antique purveyors, an architectural
Art pour l’art becomes more dependent than ever upon
So, to put it clearly, the emptying out of referential
interiors show-space, and the International Museum of
the largesse of wealthy private patrons whose own
or symbolic content from Euro-Abstraction (and
Collage, a project of team Touchon that lovingly accepts
transformative acts of societal theft were often at odds
Abstract Expressionism) was done, in part, to make way
and archives hundreds of artists’ donated collages.
with the socialist-communist-anarchist political views held
for the capitalist mechanisms of post-industrialization,
A large wooden door opens on a polished, well-lit gallery
by bohemia’s creative majority.
and to ease the commodification of the art object, while
and a hushed sense that you’re in a space where intimacy with art is encouraged.
better they came to support each other’s necessity.
One way to handle this delicate situation was to
also colonizing the visual languages of multiple “others”
evolve a culture-wide set of stylistic principles that could
for whom (like Mondrian, ultimately) specific cultural and
Lanny Quarles’s bright, compellingly competent
expressly avoid overt expression of anything that might
metaphysical content was the real point of abstraction.
and energetic paintings and collages animate the walls.
be too controversial, hence ideas of the (near fascistic)
When do we call art derivative? When we recognize
They arabesque and arc with curling convexities and
“purity” of formalism and its “universal” accessibility via
its parts, when the artistic spell of transformation
concavities, successfully straddling the stylistic terrains of
the uniquely Western construct of an abstract art whose
remains not yet completely cast, when the desired
early twentieth century abstraction, cartoon animation,
only content was, in theory, its own form, and which—
synthesis of something(s) fails to transpire. The pitfall
and graffiti. Quarles closely quotes sources like Matisse
and here is the salient point—expressly left viewers/
of cartoon and graffiti-based abstraction is not that
and Mickey Mouse, and all the while there’s a whole
patrons/collectors (the bread and butter) to make of it
it comes out of cartooning and graffiti, or that it’s not
lotta Matta goin’ on. Through an elegant cartoonist’s
whatever their particular subjectivity wanted. Art pour
abstract enough, but that too often it is precisely as
linearity, and the graffiti-esque compositional strategy of
l’art became, inadvertently, self-censorship. The truth of
abstract and mind-numbingly formal as the Modernist
compressed curvilinear forms filling a rectilinear space to
this cynical assessment needn’t contradict the sincerity of
abstraction it so easily (using cartoon physics) usurps.
the brim, Quarles updates his sources only slightly. We
early Modernists in their aesthetic explorations anymore
Ballooning exaggerated loopiness is inherently formally
see the same visual-textual dynamic in the early graff
than we will reject de Kooning for his CIA involvement.
pleasant, just as all cryptic texts and tags laid down in
writing of the Chi Rho Iota page of the Book of Kells
In fact the more perfectly the artist’s sincerity dovetails
serpentine twinings are implicitly mystical, making the
and in the kufic script carved into Islamic architectural
with an emptied formalism, as in Mondrian’s case, the
collisions of the languages of twentieth-century cartoon
settings like the Alhambra. Both represent
and graff aesthetics with concepts of “pure
forms of abstraction within the visual arts
abstraction” à la Modernism an inevitability,
that predate the so-called inventions of
especially as this particular stylistic mash-
Euro-Modernists.
up
In fact, myriad abstract traditions around
interfaces
with
the
post-industrial
commercial gallery setting.
the world, from Hopi-land to the Australian
This is part of my quarrel with Quarles
Outback, are looted by the Modernist
(sorry) and what I term today’s Ubiquitous
colonialist mindset of the early 1900s in one
Abstractionists. After ironists like Duchamp
of its relatively more benign manifestations.
and Warhol, to say nothing of Koons and
The stealing and transforming of visual forms
Hirst, after over one hundred and fifty
from within or without one’s own culture has
years of art critical literature decrying the
always been a Western artist’s prerogative.
commodification of art, and as the “avant-
It is the degree of transformation that is
garde” becomes ever more blatantly an
vital in distinguishing offensive acts of visual
elitist club of money launderers for the
theft from what respectfully comes to be
one percent, it’s clear that art for art’s
called influence. Copyright laws aside, there
sake didn’t get artists far enough. Having
is no private property in the realm of avant-
jettisoned the demands of church and state,
garde aesthetics. Everything comes from
we still need an art (and world) freed of
something(s). What matters is what you do
capitalizing monopolies, or at the very least,
with what you take. Picasso made this fact
an art (abstract or not, though what art isn’t
into his bread and butter. His big baguette
actually) designed to hold meaningful cultural
fingers made each form his thieving hands
content alongside perfect form.
touched all his own through “signature style.”
—Jon Carver
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries we see artists decisively abandoning
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Lanny Quarles, The Old Greek Matador, collage on canvas, 20” x 16”, nd
THE magazine | 51
Laurie Anderson: Heart of a Dog
CCA Cinematheque 1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe
LAURIE ANDERSON HAS A WAY WITH WORDS. AND WITH MUSIC AND moving images, not to mention the way
The themes that Heart of a
learned how to play the piano as
vehicle inches its way closer to the
she uses her distinctive voice in her
Dog embraces are packed away in
she was going blind? And even the
uneven flashes of red light, finally
highly acclaimed movie, Heart of a Dog.
a series of boxes nesting inside of
near-fatal accident involving a young
determined to belong to a stalled
Those familiar with Anderson’s work as
each other, but the boxes are round
Anderson
toddler
tow-truck. The red is like blood
a musician and performance artist can
ones; there are, for all their gravitas,
brothers on a pond in winter offers
spurting from some wound—jagged
agree that she knows how to deliver a
no sharp and brittle edges to be
an important metaphor to the mature
refractions that feel heartbreaking
good narrative. In Heart of a Dog, the
found. Anderson gently envelops us
Anderson who, in sifting through her
in their intensity. All the while,
stories will stick like burrs or roll off
with her signifying narratives, and
deck of memory cards, picks this one
Anderson
your psyche like waves of a temperate
she weaves her history and memory
out as a constellating image of great
mother’s final moments in a hospital
ocean, sometimes taking you with
and desire for understanding within
significance that segues, visually and
culminating with an admission about
their momentum so you find yourself
the curvature of her world. Every
verbally, into her coming to terms
how the artist really felt about her.
washed up on some other shore
image, musical interlude, and spoken
with her mother’s death.
littered with fragments of the artist’s
word follows an arc of meaning
There is a through line in Heart of
platform for Anderson to unpack
bittersweet philosophy. Or maybe her
intricately bound to every other arc.
a Dog and it’s this: “It came from the
one of her round boxes and line it
words are addressed to the memory
Perhaps the sense of perfect unity
sky.” And establishing shots of the sky
with a Buddhist teaching called “The
of her rat terrier Lolabelle, the ghost
that fuses the individual parts of the
are like chapter markers all through
Mother Meditation,” which ties the
in the machine of this movie—“Hello
movie to the whole is partly due to
the movie, whether a flawless blue
death of her mother to the near-
little bonehead, I’ll love you forever.” In
her Buddhist studies, but it’s mostly
over the California hills, or the
death experience of her two little
the movie, Anderson takes us back to
due to her innate genius for deft
densest of winter gray punctuated
siblings who were being taken care
aspects of her childhood, to the arrival
constructions, beautifully crafted and
with falling snow that could also be
of by Anderson when the accident
of Lolabelle in her life, to 9/11 and
of great resonance, but always swept
drifting ashes if you looped back
occurred. This is followed by a
its aftermath, to her mother’s death,
along on currents of irony tinged
to an earlier sequence. One of the
sequence of skaters on a pond that
her dog’s death, and, very obliquely,
with rue.
and
her
twin
has
been
relating
her
The storm scene provides a
most engrossing episodes is the view
eventually segues to a song composed
the death of her husband Lou Reed.
Taken as a whole, Heart of a Dog
of a snowstorm seen through the
by the artist’s late husband called
Yet, in this episodic non-linear movie
has its own unclassifiable identity
windshield of a slow-moving car. The
“Turning Time Around.” In Heart of
that unfolds like a lucid dream, the
within the world of movies, and
shot appears as images of a country
a Dog, Anderson proves herself to be
artist’s vision, for all its melancholic
Anderson, as a consummate artist,
road covered in snow and steeped
a master at open-heart surgery. She
undertones, is never ponderous with
has created a great work of art that
in shades of black, white, and gray
repeatedly takes out her own—and
its repertoire of ways to deconstruct
draws from all the disciplines. There
with one exception: up ahead on the
ours—and puts in a series of fresh
and talk about love and loss. It’s the
is also more than a little serendipity
road and off to the right are blinking,
ones, light as a feather and yet dense
manner in which these two forces
here—you could call it the luck of
fragmented beams of a bright red
as moments of truth.
inspire Anderson’s creative powers
Laurie Anderson; how else to explain
light. The car doesn’t feel like it’s
—Diane Armitage
that proves astonishing.
her beloved Lolabelle, the dog who
moving but it is, and the viewer is fixated on what can and cannot be seen through the windshield as the
Two stills from Heart of a Dog, high definition video, 75 minutes, 2015
CRITICAL REFLECTION
Getting it Right: Between Two Worlds
Museum of International Folk Art 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe
IF YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN A DRAWING CLASS YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD SOMEONE ask the instructor: Does this look right? Everyone knows what “right” is—it’s when an art-
looks off, as Picasso did in his landmark painting The Young Ladies of Avignon, we recognize it
work succeeds in creating the illusion of reality. Artists are schooled to get it right, practiced
as a choice. Folk artists, though, do make significant choices when, without training, studios,
in techniques such as perspective, value, and proportion. The art on display in the Gallery
or promise of financial reward, they choose to make art.
of Conscience, at the Museum of International Folk Art, would likely not do well in an aca-
I went to the Museum of International Folk Art the night it presented Through the Eye of
demic critique because it was made by self-taught artists. When a self-taught, folk artist gets
the Needle, which is a documentary about folk artist Esther Nisenthal Krinitz, one of the art-
it wrong, we see it as naïve and not as a choice. When a trained artist creates an image that
ists whose work is currently on display in Between Two Worlds. In the film, Krinitz’s daughter, Helene McQuade, explained, “Our mother was very driven to tell the story. She wanted us to know, she wanted us to remember.” Her mother had escaped the Holocaust by assuming a fake identity, then after the war immigrated to America, had a family, and at age fifty began to make pictures. Trained as a seamstress, she used cloth and thread to put together images for her children of the life she had with her other family in Poland. After the movie, Bernice Steinhardt, another of the artist’s daughters, spoke about her mother’s art and told the crowd that an effort was being made to bring an exhibition of Krinitz’s artwork—thirty-six pictures total—to the Museum of International Folk Art for an exhibition. She also spoke of a workshop in which she and faculty from Santa Fe Community College, inspired by her mother’s art, encouraged untrained artists to use cloth and create pictures of their own stories. Coming to America is the picture of Krinitz’s that is currently on view. It depicts her and other family arriving at Ellis Island. The figures are not posed naturalistically. They stand in rigid contrast to a group of flying seagulls, whose white wings, drawn with a high degree of variation and movement, stand out against a blue cloth sky. The boat that carries the family approaches the Statue of Liberty—the image of promise and hope for a better life. Though everyone’s stories are unique, the immigrant experience starts with a reason for leaving: war, poverty, natural disasters. You may be thinking that this doesn’t sound like fun, but the thing is: folk art is fun. It is colorful and surprising and a strong sense of design often informs the narrative, as in J. Miguel da Silva’s print, Retirantes (Family Leaving), a picture of a family walking away from their drought-ridden home in search of somewhere else to live. Refugiados (Refugees), a sculpture by Camurdino Mustafá Jethá, also portrays a family fleeing, though from civil war. The linear design is created by the portrayal of individuals walking in a line, taking what they can carry. The painting by Billie Hutt, Untitled: (Conversos), depicts a family keeping the Jewish tradition of Shabbat within the privacy of their home, lighting candles on Friday night amidst the architecture and landscape of New Mexico: a menorah sits on a kiva-style fireplace while out the window a tall white cross stands on a hill. The figures in Hutt’s painting were not rendered with foreshortening or realistic proportions. Still, the artwork powerfully represents the immigrant’s dilemma—how to fit into a new culture while at the same time retaining some of who you were. In the spirit of the gallery’s participatory exercises, I will say I come from a family of immigrants. My parents are from different countries, met in a third, where I was born, and then we immigrated to the United States. I grew up with stories of people and things left behind. One of the thought-provoking participatory displays in the gallery addresses that common aspect of the immigrant experience. It is a collection of objects arranged a bit like a still life set up for art students to draw. The display prompts the viewer to consider two questions: If you had to take one thing, what would you take? If you had to leave one thing behind, what would you miss most? My response was quite common. I wrote “pictures” and “people.” —Ester Barkai
J. Miguel da Silva, Retirantes (Family Leaving), woodblock print. 19” x 10¼”, 1995 Gift from the collection of Dr. James Bert Smith and Dr. Beej Nierengarten-Smith.
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THE magazine | 53
Edward Ranney: Two Landscapes: England & Peru
photo-eye Gallery 541 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe
PHOTOGRAPHY’S MAGICAL CAPACITY TO OFFER INTIMATE VIEWS OF WORLDS other than my own seduced me over
their works manufactured by others.
act of looking—a human body, with its
Las Vegas, New Mexico—an ambitious
half a century ago with late Victorian
Meanwhile, digital photography and
stereoscopically placed eyeballs, engaging
construction that is part architecture,
portraiture; the steady gaze of Lewis
its manipulation and dissemination in
with the surfaces of planet earth. Most of
part sculpture, part earthwork, and a
Hine; Brassai’s jaded windows into gritty
electronic media and forms have grown
the show consists of silver gelatin prints—
naked-eye celestial observatory
milieus; the elegiac records of vanishing
ever
Available
some recently printed, others “vintage,”
Spread over four decades, Ranney’s
worlds by Eugène Atget and Roman
chemicals,
darkroom
that were printed at the time they were
work embodies an enduring relationship
Vishniac; Tina Modotti’s deep, murky
developers change decade after decade,
taken. Also included are two pigment
with
spaces; the spark of invention in Moholy-
and aesthetic tastes change subtly over
prints, a form more recent in Ranney’s
dedication to craft. After the taking of
Nagy or Man Ray. The world has radically
time. For example, consider the contrast
oeuvre, offering a larger size and different
a photograph, its printing, hanging, and
changed since then, but photography still
between an Edward Weston photograph
presentation of his subject matter.
display are a specific statement, saying,
offers much to the attuned viewer.
more
technological. papers,
and
challenging
landscapes
and
a
printed by Weston and later prints made
Beginning in 1980 Ranney made
in effect, This is exactly what I want you
As it developed into a widely
by one of his sons. An artist who chooses
images of structures in the remote English
to see. Yet the photographic process is
accepted medium and then made its
today to produce his photographs as
countryside, such as Hadrian’s Wall and
subject to the dizzying array of modes
way into the hands of the general public,
silver gelatin prints harks back to an
the standing stones of Swinside Circle.
of display that exist today. For example,
photography’s status as art and its
earlier form of practice, engaging in a
Subsequently he carried out a visual
the popping out or receding of areas of
credibility as documentation underwent
complex process involving judgment,
survey of Maya and other sites along the
two pieces, River Lune, Cumbria, England
twists and turns. Modernism called
intuition, and skill.
length of Latin America. He extensively
(1981) and Wastwater from Whinn Rigg,
attention to and called into question all
Photo-eye’s exhibition of Edward
recorded the arid landscapes of Chile and
Cumbria, England (1981) (both of which
the forms, techniques, and accepted
Ranney’s Two Landscapes: England & Peru is
Peru, including the remarkable Nazca
contain a body of water reflecting some
meanings of photographs. For some time,
a wonderful opportunity to ponder some
lines that seem deliberately designed to
portion of sky) is astonishingly different in
photography’s status stood somewhat
of these issues and get a good look at this
be read from the sky, yet were produced
person from that on the gallery website.
below that of painting and sculpture.
dedicated artist’s work. In his exhibited
many centuries before Europeans came
As I write this, I am consulting small
This was due partly to the possibility
photography Ranney works exclusively
to South America. At such sites, we
black-and-white examples on sheets
of multiples rather than single, unique
in black and white. His photographs
see evidence of intense human activity
of paper. As you read this, you will be
originals, but perhaps more importantly
are studies of landscapes, sometimes
and know little or less of how and why
looking at yet another printed version on
because it was viewed as dependent
wild and bleak, sometimes showing the
it occurred. Ranney has lived in New
paper. Message and medium, content and
on equipment and thus coming less
laborious intervention of humans; they
Mexico since 1970 and collaborated with
form, engaged in a complex dance.
authentically from the personal crafting
speak of distance and contour through
Lucy Lippard on Down Country (2013),
—Marina La Palma
“hand” of the artist. Today, that seems
blends of dark and light, addressing spatial
an in-depth study of ancestral Pueblo
quaint. Artists in many media have
relationships, textures, contrasts, and the
habitation and ceremonial sites in the Galisteo Basin. He has photographed the site of Charles Ross’s Star Axis, near
Edward Ranney, Hogwill Fells, Cumbria, England, gelatin silver print, 8” x 10”, 1981 Edward Ranney, Wastwater from Whinn Rigg, Cumbria, England, gelatin silver print, 8” x 10”, 1981
CRITICAL REFLECTION
Arthur Drooker: Heavy Metal
Patina Gallery 131 West Palace Avenue, Santa Fe
PATINA IS ONE OF SANTA FE’S MOST BEAUTIFUL GALLERIES. THE TIN CEILING alone is a stunner, and the space feels
content is, however, a little more gritty than
Heavy Metal, also the title of
world supply, no doubt, melted down
spacious without being crowded, which
the gorgeous gardens of Giverny. Stacks of
Drooker’s most recent book, holds
and recast or refabricated at least once
can sometimes be a challenge for a gallery
crushed automobiles, exhaust manifolds,
meaningful content in terms of issues
or multiple times since last being used
in the center of a tourist town. It was
massive cogs, and much metal detritus fills
of
to depict a Titus or Trajan type riding his
in the well-appointed, picture-perfect
the entirety of the visual field in most of
extraction
while
best pony. The yearly addition of raw ore
Patina that I discovered that certain
the pictures. In one case the rusting body
having a ubiquitously abstract look due
to world metal caches is minimal. Most
state-of-the-art lighting systems will in
of an old pickup from the forties—one
to Drooker’s aforementioned pushing
of the metals that humans work has
fact cause me to uncontrollably salivate.
with all the super-nice curves—appears
of horizonless imagery to the edges, and
been handled for centuries, so facilities
Recently under the spotlights, among
with the single word SAVE chalked on
carrying this forward through eschewing
like Schnitzer Steel have existed on
many other fascinating art, jewelry,
it, set against a massive towering sea of
traditional photo framing. The prints,
smaller scales for thousands of years, but
and sculptural objects, were photo-
autos crushed forever, damned to having
presented under glass, sans mats, in
ratcheting up to industrial scale creates
based images from the latest series by
their forms lost for all eternity. Who was
simple, thick, white frames, have an
all sorts of sea changes.
American photographer Arthur Drooker
the scrap-yard Yahweh that reached
elegant, almost sculptural presence that
Drooker’s lens tends to be that
documenting the repurposing of scrap
out and fingered this particular piece of
encourages abstract readings as the
of a documentarian, as self-proclaimed
metal at Schnitzer Steel’s mammoth
curvilicious steel for reuse rather than
hyper-realist imagery morphs into pure
“urban explorer.” The sheer scale of his
recycling facility in Oakland, California.
recycling? We may never know. Beautifully
visual texture and back again.
subject here, the mountainous refuse
planet-wide and
material
resource
management,
Drooker employs a horizonless
toned and full of rich, sharp detail, this is
The endlessly transforming life of
and reuse of resource, stands as a
format pioneered in European painting by
not exactly Michelangelo’s Last Judgment
metals is clearly evoked. Where is the
symbol for the ponderously threatening
Monet’s Waterlilies, in which the visual field
or Gericault’s Raft of the Medusa, but an
copper and tin today that once made up
weight of everything that the world’s
is filled top to bottom and side to side with
amusing, seemingly serendipitous play
hundreds of Roman imperial equestrian
most materialistic imperialist society has
the depicted subject matter. Drooker’s
on both.
bronzes, for example? Somewhere in the
evolved—the weight of everything that is too big to fail, jail, or flail. The weight of endless and bigger bank warfare is evoked as metals have a primary role in weaponry, historically and today. The Deleuzian concept of the artist creating the war machine is especially instructive in this regard. The price of military steel is not just measured in billions of dollars, clearly, but the photographic presence of such quantities implies their economic worth and the longstanding connection of metals to wealth. And the longstanding connections of wealth to social oppression and abusive hierarchies through metallic might. In Drooker’s hands, the engine that is Schnitzer Steel is used to process as many rich metaphors as it does disposable, fossilfueled vehicles. Like walls of sound thrown up by a bank of electric guitars in the musical genre his exhibition title alludes to, these images also become pure and impenetrable boundaries of sight and vision. Please try not to lick the lights. —Jon Carver
Arthur Drooker, Save, digital pigment print, 20” x 30”, 2014
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
THE magazine | 55
THE ENI GMATI C QUEEN OF THE
PAR IS A RT W OR LD
LEONOR FINI WAS BORN IN Argentina in 1907. As a youth, she was thrown out of every school she attended for her lack of obedience. She educated herself by reading and studying the world around her. In 1932 she moved to Paris where she was “adopted” by Max Ernst and the Surrealist artists that surrounded him. Fini always went her own way; she was the only internationally recognized woman artist before the 1970s that did not align herself with a male artist of greater fame. She made her reputation in the world
because
of
her
talent,
her imposing beauty, vivacious character, flamboyant style, and the immense force of her personality. Her
female
figures—sphinxes,
felines, nymphs, priestesses, and nudes—are
daring
declarations
of female sexuality that convey a potent feminine subconscious. Fini was never a slave to convention. She produced the first erotic male nude ever painted by a woman. She was openly bisexual and antimarriage: “Marriage never appealed to me. I’ve never lived with one person. Since I was eighteen, I’ve always preferred to live in a sort of community—a big house with my atelier and cats and friends, and with a man who was rather a lover and another who was rather a friend. And it has always worked.” Until her death in 1996, she lived in her Paris apartment with her two lovers and seventeen Persian cats.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
THE magazine | 57
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marionclairewasserman.com Wasserman’s Master’s Thesis The Alchemy of Now is available on CreateSpace.com Artists home/studio in Santa Fe by Jennifer Esperanza Ann Jag • Images on Fabric: Marion Claire Wasserman
photographed in the dress design:
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
THE magazine | 59
SEASON’S GREETINGS From all of us at
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A R C H I T E C T U R A L D E TA I L S
La Cienega, NM photograph by d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
Guy Cross THE magazine | 61
WRITINGS
1986 by
Anon
Waited all day on Christmas day to see how it happened to see how we helped to see how we turned away to see how we tried a little bit more than before to be better I was covered up with embarrassment but I wanted that little animal inside me to come out and bless us all
62 | THE magazine
d e c e MBER / j a n u a r y
2015-16
Kent MonKMan Failure oF Modernity
January 15 – march 12, 2016 1011 paseo de peraLta santa Fe nm 87501 505.954.5800 | petersproJects.com
opening reception: Friday, January 15th, 5-7pm Q&a with Lucy r. Lippard & artist: saturday, January 16th, 11am exhibiting: kent monkman, ray turner and kenton neLson
2016 Outside-in exhibitiOn PrOgram
on view: steina, patrick hubbeLL, and santiago x