VGALLERY&STUDIOOL. 6 NO. 2 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2003/JANUARY 2004 New York The World of the Working Artist Joseph Foret’s L’Apocalypse de Saint Jean Dali Fini Buffet Foujita Mathieu Trémois Zadkine and others Salvador Dali “L’Hostie” Salvador Dali “L’Hostie” through November 24, 2003 CFM Gallery 112 Greene Street, SoHo, New York City 10012 (212) 966-3864 Fax (212) 226-1041 Monday thru Saturday 11am to 6pm Sunday Noon to 6pm [email protected] www.cfmgallery.com ALLAN SIMPSON “Dancer in Red Square”, 11x14 C-print, 2003 Transcendent Journeys –Recent color photographs– Max Victor Alper December 5, 2003-January 6, 2004 Amsterdam Whitney Gallery 511 West 25th Street • 4th Floor NYC 10001 • 212 255 9050 Tues-Sat 11am - 5:30pm “Midtown” Oil on canvas 40" x 34" Urban Metaphors: Machine, Nature & Design “All Ways” Acrylic, 40" x 40" Sheila Hecht By Appointment: 718 274 9619 Through Thick and Thin [email protected] November 4 - 22, 2003 530 West 25th Street, 4th floor New York, NY 10001 (212) 367-7063 Tues - Sat 11am - 6pm GALLERY&STUDIO NOV-DEC 2003/JAN 2004 A new exhibition CRISTINA RUIZ Mexican Artist Also known as La pintora del amor ”Twin Souls” Acrylic on canvas 40" x ”Twin www.cristinaruiz.com.mx EXHIBITION: NOVEMBER 18 - DECEMBER 1ST, 2003 COCKTAIL RECEPTION WITH THE ARTIST THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 AT 7 P.M. GALLERY HOURS: TUESDAY - SUNDAY 11 A.M. TO 6 P.M. 498 Broome Street THE BROOME STREET GALLERY Soho, New York, N.Y. 10013 (212) 226 6085 Zarvin Swerbilov, G&S pg. 5 Highlights On the Cover: French publisher Joseph Foret conceived it as “the most expensive book in the world.” For New York gallerist Neil Zukerman it was “like finding the Holy Grail.” L’Apocalypse de Saint Jean at CFM Gallery. –Page 7 Iliyan Ivanov, pg. 31 Maryleen Schiltkamp, pg. 6 Japan Art Alliance at Westwood Gallery, pgs. 36-37 Olivia Max Victor Alper, Koopalethes, Virginia Evans Smit, pg. 13 pg. 11 pg. 33 GALLERY&STUDIO Sheila Hecht, pg. 15 An International Art Journal PUBLISHED BY Judith © EYE LEVEL, LTD. 2003 Zeichner, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED pg. 39 217 East 85th Street, PMB 228, New York, NY 10028 (212) 861-6814 E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Jeannie McCormack MANAGING EDITOR Ed McCormack SPECIAL EDITORIAL ADVISOR Margot Palmer-Poroner DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Karen Mullen “Process” at the Art Students League, pg. 22 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Juliet M. Ross 2 GALLERY&STUDIO NOV-DEC 2003/JAN 2004 c w “Up Rolling Thin” Encaustic and collage on paper, 52" X 40" Thin” Encaustic and collage on paper, “Up Rolling Olivia Koopalethes Heart&Soul ~ Encaustic Paintings thru December 3, 2003 81 Emjay Boulevard Berlex Laboratories Corporate Headquarters Brentwood, N.Y. 11717 340 Changebridge Road, Montville N.J. 07045 Wayne Branch 6 West Belt Ave., Wayne N.J. 07045 Phone: (631) 952-5320 Fax: (631) 952-5315 To view the show, please call 201-818-8913 for an appointment Art/Open End A Fine Arts Exhibit of Paintings and Drawings Curated by Margo Mead and K.A. Gibbons December 3 - 21, 2003 Brenda Rodrigues Epstein • Eleanor Gilpatick Mary Hogan • Thomas Kuehl • Beth Kurtz Gary B. Martin • Margo Mead • K.A. Gibbons Robert T. Schultheis • Bushra Shamma • Karl Volk Broadway Mall Community Center Broadway at 96th St., NYC (center island) Wed 6 - 8 pm/Sat & Sun 12 - 6pm 212 316 6024 Iliyan Ivanov’s [email protected] www.wsacny.org Full Pallette Jam November 17 - 30, 2003 The GALLERY&STUDIO Reception: November 19, 6:30 to 8:30 pm advertising deadline for the The Consulate General of the Republic February/March issue: of Bulgaria in New York January 13 for color, 121 East 62nd Street, N.Y.C. 10021 212-935-4646 Fax: 212-319-5955 January 20 for black/white. E-mail: [email protected] 2nd floor, open 9am - 12pm NOV-DEC 2003/JAN 2004 GALLERY&STUDIO 3 Complementary Contrasts in the Art of Helene Wilder and Milan Heger ow dramatically contrasting styles can eerily entitled “Protect me From What I painted areas to conjure up faces and frag- Hcomplement each other was seen Want,” they are as statuesque and stately as mented figures that seem to be involved in recently in “Extra Dimensions,” a joint the long-gowned Victorian portraits of John some frantic struggle with unseen oppo- exhibition featuring works by Helene Wilder Singer Sargent, albeit in a sinuous, linear nents or forces. Some of Heger’s composi- and Milan Heger, two highly acclaimed graphic style more akin to that of tions seem to have complex psycho/sexual artists from Seattle, at Montserrat Gallery, Schiele, and even to certain aspects of undertones, expressed by sensual forms that 584 Broadway. Aubrey Beardsley. seem to emanate straight from the artist’s While Wilder’s larger than life mixed It seems unlikely, however, that Wilder nervous system, of which his erratic lines are media drawings are possessed of an exquisite would ever depict women as Schiele did, a graphic conduit. Accident and process draftspersonly refinement, Heger conjures with legs akimbo, as helpless, often degrad- obviously play an important role in his com- up a furious, often deliberately crude, ges- ed, sex objects. Quite the contrary, even positions, which often have the blunt tural energy. Yet, on entering the main while seemingly haunted or in distress, immediacy of a car-crash. room of Montserrat Gallery’s elegant Soho Wilder’s figures are possessed of great for- In one large mixed media painting called space, where both of their works were on mal dignity which gives some of them the “Private Issues,” the principle figure extends view, one was immediately aware that this quality of being, simultaneously, high priest- a big blue hand, as if to push the viewer exhibition was a harmonious marriage of esses and martyrs. They are invariably away. Confronting this painting, boldly exe- opposites. attended by small birds symbolizing free- cuted on a human scale, one feels like an To begin dom or intrusive paparazzi about to be assaulted by with Helen flight, as some crazed celebrity like Sean Penn! And Wilder, there well as then one realizes that the title of the work is is a strong other especially apt, for it seems to comment in its feminist symbols own brash terms on the general intrusive- component slightly ness of the modern world and the difficulty in her work, more dif- that we all have in maintaining privacy and which she ficult to integrity in our media-saturated century. makes explic- decipher. Heger obviously aims to rock us and it in her dec- Multiple shock us, and his paintings succeed laration, “In eyes, for admirably in that goal, as seen in an espe- my drawings example, cially large mixed media on canvas called I want to appear on “Inner Desires.” Here, the main figure is make a state- the indicated by a bold blue mass in a posture ment about bodice of of Buddha-like stillness. Above it, another my feelings one vague figure, created with scrawled strokes that organ- woman’s floats in a horizontal position, while a series ized religion dress like of pale geometric forms, suggesting phan- still remains wounds. tom steps, can be seen on the right hand one of the Another side of the composition. While the various greatest figure Milan Hager “Mutation” elements are obscure, the entire composi- adversaries of appears pierced by small crosses. Yet another tion suggests a strong narrative subtext. women’s has a streak of red running down her front, At the same time, Milan Heger’s work is rights. I perhaps a symbol of menstrual shame. visually appealing for its sumptuous tactility feel that Nonetheless, all of Helen Wilder’s exquis- and sensual paint handling. Indeed, one gets today, in itely drawn figures have a towering presence the impression that Heger would agree with many cul- and a beauty that is starkly compelling. Julian Schnabel’s statement, “All of my Helene Wilder’ “Protect me tures, Combined with a smaller series of glass wall- images are subordinate to the notion of From What I Want #5” women still sculptures, suggesting saints or angels, ironi- painting. What matters is not what is paint- have no rights or sense of identity because cally titled “Worship Me,” they make a ed, but how it’s painted.” of the a male God inflicted curse. This has unique statement. There is no doubt that Heger’s paintings made her a shadow of her self in so many The paintings of Milan Heger are as unin- would also be compelling as purely abstract countries. Woman is made to take a subor- hibited as Wilder’s are restrained. Heger’s compositions, given the gestural excitement dinate role in life and hide behind a man approach is almost hedonistic in its raw that he is able to generate with his combina- ––in some cultures literally covering her impact. He is obviously a kindred spirit of tion of bold color areas and scratchy, graffi- face. Women are still not entitled to decide Neo-Expressionists such as Julian Schnabel ti-like passages of drawing. That said, how- their own birth control. This is often a deci- and David Salle, although he also has simi- ever, his subject matter is also fascinating sion taken by men and barren women are larities with the even wilder visions of artists and lends an impact to his pictures that is still looked down upon in some societies. like Sam Messer and Francis Bacon. undeniable. My drawings are about the great possibili- One gets the feeling that Heger’s paint- Both Helene Wilder and Milan Heger, in ties for women to shed these imposed ideals, ings are executed in a frenzy, and that their different ways, make powerful, some- to take on freedom and play a greater role impression is enhanced by his statement, times disturbing, statements about the in her life and that of her community.” “Images and ideas come to me at unpre- human condition.