Foley Gallery at Aqua Wynwood

Foley Gallery is happy to announce that we will be participating in the Aqua Art Miami in the Wynwood district of Miami. If you are in the Miami area please come and visit us at booth number 3. General information is as follows.

grand opening & preview
Tuesday, December 4, 5-8pm
the preview is free & open to the public

fair dates:
December 5, 12-5pm
December 6, 7, 8, 11am-7pm
December 9, 11am - 4pm

general admission $10
admission ticket is good for the whole week at both venues
free admission with Aqua VIP pass or Art Basel VIP pass

On Press and on the Wall

A few weeks ago, Michelle Hinebrook and I took a trip to up to New York Press & Graphics in Albany to print Michelle's catalogue. Between the unlimited supply of Mountain Dew's in the fridge and a very fun dog, we had a great time and walked away with a handsome catalogue. Her exhibition opened November 1 and remains on view until January 5th.

Thomas Allen Uncovered

It's hard to believe (actually, not really) that I haven't posted since July! I guess it was just a very long birthday celebration that brings me now to November. On the cusp of the Miami Fair and coming down off a great opening for Michelle Hinebrook and Doug Keyes here at the gallery on November 1. Instead of unleashing all news at once, I need to backtrack a little....



The Thomas Allen monograph has been out now for a little over 2 months and a 2nd printing is underway. That was quick. We do have some signed first editions here available for sale.

Tom's book was on press with Goose on the Loose Goose. A nice pairing (so to speak).

Thomas Allen on Cover of Fine Books and Collections Magazine

This just in! Thomas Allen's image "Stranger" is appearing on the cover of the July/August issue of Fine Books and Collections Magazine. We are very proud of Tom. You can check this publication out at Barnes and Noble and other book retailers.

Long Overdue

A big long overdue thanks to Jonathan LeVine for hosting the event of the year, Ruas de Sao Paulo, at the Hiro Ballroom. This event which coincided with his gallery exhibition survey of Brazilian Street Art, was a great way to show off the talent that this city has to offer. Foley Gallery artist Alexandre Orion comes from the same generation of street artist and it was so good of LeVine to bring that work to NYC. Long overdue.

Great hanging out with Jonathan and Joyce.

PowerHouse

For the third year in a row, I participated in the PowerHouse portfolio review. The event is held in their large Arena headquarters in DUMBO. What a space! This year was incredibly well organized and the morning pastries provided to the reviewers were as good as ever.

I enjoy doing these portfolio review events for several reasons. First, it gives me the opportunity to see at least 12 new artists who work with photography in some fashion. Second, it's a great way to catch up with a whole host of colleagues...thanks to Tom Gitterman for letting me hitch a ride to the event. Third, the pastries.

I was incredibly fortunate this year to meet Kent Rogowski who shared his work with me. His project, BEARS, has just been released by PowerHouse books and I have scheduled an exhibition at the gallery to open June 21. I found the work to be incredibly intriguing and confounding all in the same view. I look forward to the show.

Bonus for me: I sat between Larry Fink and Stephen Frailey during the day. Thankfully, the reviewers are seated alphabetically!

PDN

Much to my chagrin, I have been chosen to be one of PDN's "Players" in the upcoming May issue. Part of this entails being photographed. I thought I could submit a casual digital snap, but the folks at PDN sent over the big lens of David Leventi. This was a first for the gallery and certainly for me. David was so cool with me and put me right at ease. As easy going as I am, being photographed usually turns up the tension knob. Looking forward to seeing the results...not just of my photograph (please...) but the spread which will feature several gallery artists including Polixeni Papapetrou who will have a full page backdrop in the contents page.

Kereszi

Bopped on over to the Lisa Kereszi opening on Thursday at YRG. A big turnout as I expected, but what did surprised me was the selection of work. A selection of newer (2006) and older (2002) work of very stark interior and exterior environments, it's Kereszi at her most distilled. Stop by, let me know what you think.


Another show not to miss is Ben Donaldson at Jen Bekman Gallery in SoHo. Ben has covered a lot of territory in his career in addition to turning me onto the camera I use for most of these shots - CASIO Exilim. The show he has up now is one of my favorite slices from the pie of his career. Photographs of individuals while under hypnosis. Yes, it's as good as it sounds.

One night out

It started innocently enough at Yancey Richardson Gallery, my alma mater. Bart Michiels and I met up to contemplate the new work of Helen van Meene. Great show, see it before it closes on March 17th.



We met up with Jessica Backhaus and Pepper and a nice volley of conversation ensued.



Vinegar looked on from his perch...



On to Trestle on 24th and 10th Avenue. I really like this place for a good glass of wine and conversation. I met the photographer Maura Sullivan there for a little bit of both. Things were going along just fine when in came trouble...Gerald Slota!



Actually, it's fun trouble. Before long, I was wearing a kimono and the hostess, Sara, was rearranging my flowers very delicately. Sara had such patience with us, thank you Sara. Not only did Gerald take this photo, you can see the real Slota work at the George Eastman House right now.

Natasha

"Where's Natasha"?...that's what one recent curator said when he came by the gallery one Saturday. For a dog that makes rare appearances here at the gallery, she has quite a following. I had wanted to rescue a dog for at least a year at that point and I knew it was high time to visit the shelter on 110th. It was love at first sight and I know right then and there I had my gallery dog.



Well, I tried everything for transportation with her. A basket on the front of bike - she jumped out. A pet trailer for the back of my bike - she jumped out. A cab - she loves cabs, but a little too costly everyday. I even thought about buying a car to get her here. Fact is, she is just a little too rowdy to be here quite yet. When she settles down, she will be here, by my feet, doing her best to illicit those "isn't she cute" sales.

Sugimoto

What a rare treat to see and hear Sugimoto at the Guggenheim last week. He is so thoughtful, reverent. Everything is so precise and exacting. From his early seascapes to the mathematical forms, there is so much integrity along with experimentation. Not without a sense of humor, he showed a couple of self-portraits circa 1972 complete with hippy/shaggy hair and a can of Budweiser. I remember reading an interview with him in W magazine several years ago where he certainly didn't deny experimenting with psychedelics. I also seem to remember him saying he owned a VW campervan at one point...

Big Red Wine

The decision that I was about to make called for a conversation over a glass of German Pinot with my friend Kelly. I've known Kelly for about 11 years now, meeting back in San Francisco. She is a remarkable woman who completed the graduate curatorial studies program at Bard. She is now the kick-ass director at George Adams Gallery just one block away.

We visited Trestle and parked ourselves squarely at the bar. The wine was poured and the conversation flowed. For the last few weeks I have been trying to figure how to integrate my program in a way that makes sense. I have primarily been known for my history in dealing with photography. I introduced works on paper and now sculpture as of late. I just wasn't sure if it all made sense to me, let alone to the people visiting. Should I just stick with photography? "But I love painting, drawing & sculpture!" Should I alternate back and fourth between photography and another medium? "But isn't this too confusing?" Well, over just ONE glass of wine, we came up with a solution. More later...

Demolition Derby

I was pleased to attend the opening night festivities at the Museum of Arts & Design last Wednesday. Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting as curated by David McFadden featured an arresting installation by Cal Lane. The show was previewed by the Village Voice and reviewed by both the NY Sun and The New York Times last week. In each publication an image of Cal's was reproduced. Wow! Three in one week. way to go Cal!

Smoking in LA

There is just something about lighting up in LA...it just doesn't fit. It's all seems so healthy and green in Santa Monica. That's why I take the rare occasion to. Bummed one from Paul Amador and it was a nice cap to a long day at the fair. Special shout out to all the new people I met (you know who you are) for making it a fantastic five days.



It was refreshing to have the gallerist from Gualala (say that 3 x fast) Paul Kozal in the booth. Never see him enough and he has been a fair buddy over the years. In fact, I even worked with him at Edward Carter Gallery so many years ago. Flanked by a couple of Tom Allen's, we enjoyed a sweet meal at Broadway Deli where I always seem to end up on Saturday night.


Pepper from YRG rests his sad dawgs in my booth as well. My former work partner, we dubbed ourselves "Salt & Pepper," because we worked so well together. What a team. We also had a third, "Vinegar," but that's a whole other story.

New Kidd in Town

If there is a bigger fan of Allen's work than me, it's Chip Kidd. He's been eyeing Allen's work since the fall of 2004 and since has used his images on three different James Ellroy book covers that were reissued by Vintage. The recent Zoetrope (published by Francis Ford Coppola) was "guest designed" by Kidd using over 30 of Allen's photographs cover to cover. He has recently signed on to write the introduction for Allen's Aperture book due this fall. What a pair.

What a Long Night

Yes, it continues, my recollection of the Thomas Allen opening. Ok, I am just back from Photo LA and I am rehashing old news, but never got to finish what I started....What a long night! The opening went smoothly, wine flowed profusely and I was able to sneak my Talisker in a styrofoam cup. It was so packed with a rainbow of characters, some literally pulling on my jacket to get my attention...probably to show me a portfolio of their latest series, "Details of Roots and Rocks." Aaaargh! Below it all was Tom's daughter just going about her business of being an artist at all costs. Watch those high heels girl!

Paydirt

The Thomas Allen catalogues finally arrived...just hours before the opening on Thursday. I brought the price down to 10 bucks and that seemed to spark a frenzy at the opening. People bought multiple copies, one client buying 10! Yes, I have a few left, but will be taking a bunch to Photo LA on Wednesday.

Tom spent a long time signing them on Thursday and it looks like it got the best of him.

Preparation

Having a gallery, it's not that glamerous, really. I scrub the floor, set the lights and often hang the shows myself. Not that I mind. I've scrubbed some of the best floors in the business: Fraenkel, Howard Greenberg & Yancey Richardson. It's a total experience and that's what having a gallery is about...at least when you first start off.

Pressed

It was press day for the new Tom Allen catalogue: New Releases. Aah, the smell of those delightful inks churning in the big presses while Mohawk Super Fine paper is guided not so gently through. I use 1 800 Postcards and before you chuckle, they are the BEST! I was on press with the mighty print master Sebastian and overall production manager, Haim the Magnificent.

The cries of "more red, more red" were heard quite often. Sebastian is a massive man with a gentle touch. He grew quite fond of Tom's work over the course of the day and hoped to visit the gallery to see the show.

Haim and I both took a good look at the proofs and what was coming out of the press. Haim cuts me a lot of slack. It might be the 15-year Glenfiddich I slipped him last week, but I like to think he has empathy for my plight of championing my super cool artists.

Finally, there is approval and Haim pulls out this diamond studded Mont Blanc pen and I sign off on the sheet which closes out a long day. My eyes see all colors of the rainbow, but perhaps with a bit more red, more red.

As I write this, the catalogues are at the binder...at least they should be. Haim, if you're reading this, please make sure they are at the binder! I trust him, not to worry. We kick the show off Thursday night with 16 brand new images. We should be here late, at least until 9 pm, so please stop in and say hello to Tom.