art shows

so scoboco hooked up with baby pablito yesterday (stunningly warm para enerno, no?) and did the chelsea gallery thing. and though much of our attention was on baby pabs (now seven weeks old and smiling!), we did get to see some fun/good/cool/interesting art.

the afternoon began at that newish diner, named the diner, on 9th avenue and 14th street (which replaced the oldish diner, maybe also named the diner, a couple of months ago). pretty standard brunch stuff, but a good vibe and friendly waitresses. then it was off to the shows...

but first, pablito's hungry, so we pull into the chelsea market and while my mom feeds him, me and boco feast on freebie treats at the, what?, dozen or so bakeries in the complex.

and THEN it was off to the shows! here's what we liked the most...

• breaking and entering: the art of the video game, at pace wildenstein, 545 w22, through jan 28. especially cool was john haddock's complete "screenshots", in which terrible events of the past 50 or so years--the mlk assasination, columbine, that famous execution in vietnam, the la riots after the rodney king verdict--as well as not-terrible movie scenes, are rendered as video game screenshots, created in a three-quarters, from-above perspective and starring sims-like characters. it was an interesting parenting experience to explain the story behind these scenes to bo and co.

• willie cole: sole to soul at alexander and bonin, on 10th avenue just north of 18th street, through feb 18. basically: three or four massive wreaths made out of women's shoes. bo said it reminded her of andy goldsworthy, except with shoes instead of, say, leaves.

• mike cloud at max protech, 511 w22, through feb 11. we liked these bright, simple, maze-like paintings punctuated by plastic parts from children's games.



and when dglass and i went gallery-going last weekend, we liked these shows:

• warren isensee at danese, 535 w24, through feb 11. i really enjoyed these geometric, colorful paintings.

• paula scher at maya stendhal, 545 w20, no longer up. we both liked this a lot and bo and co would have LOVED it (it was her maps filled with words stuff), but it's over. oh well.

• thomas hirschhorn: superficial engagement, at barbara gladstone, 515 w24, through feb 11. this is a huge piece, starring mannequins hammered-full with nails and screws, oversize coffins, spirograph drawings, crude signage, graphic photographs of humans destroyed in war... it's totally over-the-top, dizzying, challenging, gross, painful, truthful, overwhelming, absolutely not appropriate for kids and, in my opinion, a must see.