So today was a very big opening event on the Lower East Side. 9 galleries or had openings of group shows, and each show was inspired by a chapter from the book "Lush Life" by Richard Price. A book, not surprisingly, set in the same neighborhood of the Lower East Side (LES). I should say that I haven't read the book yet. I went not because I was interested in how the art adapted the book; I just went to see what's out there. It's been a while since I dragged my ass to see shows in the Lower East Side. I always lose my way there since it's all named streets and no numbers. Also it's a little further and out of the way. But today was a big deal, and I was confident someone will be happy to join me to see it, but after texting and emailing several friends who were all busy or too tired from the heat wave, and since R. was busy with his own stuff, I decided to be brave and go by myself. I put on a black outfit, some eyeliner, and took the train straight from my studio in Bushwick to Orchard St. in Manhattan. I started my walk at Scaramouche. I know the associate director David, who one day showed up in my studio in SVA looking for artists for a group show. He liked my work but it didn't fit in with his idea I guess, since I never really heard from him again. However he worked with a friend of mine and I saw him last weekend at her picnic, where he actually remembered me. So when I walked into the gallery, still rather empty at 6:30, he greeted me and offered a beer. I was happy that I am not completely alone, and that I even belong with the cool guys. I enjoyed the beer after walking in the terrible heat outside - in the wrong direction as usual. I drank it fast though since I didn't feel like staying there and the works were not my type - too textual... Well it is for a book - but I haven't read it! I walked to "On Stellar Rays" where I saw a couple of paintings I really enjoyed by Jackie Gendel. For a moment I fantasized about buying them but each was $5000... I also liked the little drawings on Polaroids by Manuel Acevedo. That was my favorite gallery. I didn't meet anyone, but I looked at the signing book and saw that my studio mate Sam was just there! I immediately signed my name as well... I continued to Rivington St. and was surprised to see that galleries that did not have openings tonight were open anyway, so I finally got the chance to see Maya Bloch's paintings at Thierry Goldberg Projects. I signed my name in Hebrew... Maybe she'll see? I went to Sue Scott - a gallery I really love, and was disappointed to find there was absolutely no AC in the gallery!!! I found it impossible to look at art while my brain was melting. There was one guy who did a bar - a real bar with drinks, as an art piece, and I recognized a collector who bought my painting talking to him. I said hello and the collector was so sweet and friendly! I would have stayed some more with them but he was talking to three people at once and I was so hot, so I just kind of disappeared. I crossed the street to Freemans Alley, to see Salon 94. It was totally packed. I felt like this is the fanciest opening. I actually liked one installation by Olivier Babin & Harold Ancart, a very modest black and white ensemble of found objects and a metal sculpture. I really liked the composition, the different textures, the little blackboard that leaves you space to step in, and the black nylon bag, which reminded me of my collaboration with the Icelandic artist Aslaug Fridjonsdottir last year. Her bag was treated differently but a bag is a bag! When I was walking out I saw someone I haven't seen in years, a painter that came to Jerusalem to study with Israel Hershberg the same time I was a student there. She was so talented we were all speechless in front of her work. She was perfect and Israel kept saying that so we were all jealous. She really is one of the most skillful painters I've ever met. I ran into her a couple of times since I moved here, but we never meet on purpose, so it was funny to see her again. She said she is planning to go see my group show at Lombard-Fried and invited me to see her work in her studio in Tribeca. I said I admire her work so a feedback might not be helpful, but I would love to see it in person. I left and went to the final gallery on my list - Lehman Maupin. This is a huge gallery, an amazing space that was also filled with well-dressed girls and boys gazing at the art and drinking wine. I ran into a girl who was with me at the emerging artists seminar in the Bronx I just finished a couple of weeks ago. She said this gallery is her dream gallery. That made me like the gallery better and look up to see how high the ceiling is and how wonderful the lighting. I liked Tommy Hartung's animation, which I also saw and liked at the Greater New York Show at P.S.1. He had a piece at the first gallery and here - my last gallery. It was a good closure. From there I went straight to Whole Foods, one of my favorite places in the city that always makes me spend too much and feel great. Sounds like it's something special - but it's a supermarket (A really cool one!!).
Meeting people at almost every gallery made me feel proud that I was now part of this city. I was recognizing people in openings as if I was in Tel Aviv! And I never even went to openings in Tel Aviv. I was offered beer and was kissed on the cheek. It made me feel like I will be OK here. It will just take time. I went straight to the studio and started a new painting. Ahh - New York!!
