As we make our way to Miami Beach to take part in the exciting events taking place there in just a couple of weeks, we are making stops in Brussels, Belgium and Englewood, NJ to check out the work of emerging American artists Ghost of a Dream and Justin Fontaine Maury. By integrating commercial elements in their visually striking artworks, these artists document the demise of a society fueled by propaganda and fairytales.
Ghost of a dream (Brussels) will be on view from November 21 to January 18 at Hotel Winssinger, 66 rue Hôtel des Monnaies, 1060 Brussels, Belgium.
Ghost of a Dream, I am what (I am), 2011, discarded lottery tickets, romance novel covers, self-help book covers, bible tracts, and postcards on wood and foam with UV coat, Galerie Paris-Beijing, Brussels, Belgium
Ghost of a Dream, the married duo made up of sculptor Lauren Was and painter Adam Eckstrom, explore human vices, such as the habitual purchase of lottery tickets and the obsession with romance novels and films, in their latest exhibition, Day is Done, hosted at Galerie Paris-Beijing’s space in Brussels, Belgium. The activities they allude to in their various mixed-media works underscore humanity’s constant search for the ideal reality. These far-fetched realities are often developed from living in materialist societies where monetary gain is of utmost importance, followed by other self-fulfilling concepts such as spiritual salvation and the fateful quest for one’s soul mate. Ghost of a Dream aim to remind their audiences that most cultural fantasies are not inherent, but are instead learned from the media’s ever-present role in our lives.
Justin Fontaine Maury, Madonna, 2013, mixed media on canvas, Borghi Fine Art, Englewood, New Jersey
Justin Fontaine Maury (American, b.1988), who had a show earlier this year at Borghi Fine Art entitled Bad Girls Go To Hell, will be presenting a new body of work at the gallery that further delves into the oft-controversial world of commercial imagery. The artist applies his background in graphic design and photography to produce text-based, mixed-media works that push the boundaries of the taboo nature of vintage advertisements. Many of the graphics Maury incorporates into his works, including frontal nude images of famous young women, were swept under the rug after being used for marketing purposes due to their inappropriate connotations. With his latest series, which includes a sexually explicit photograph of Madonna against a bright backdrop with the word “BANG!”, Maury examines the practice of appropriation and how it has revolutionized the way we view art.
Annette Messager at Bernier/Eliades Gallery
November 21–January 9, 2014
11 Eptachalkou Street, 11851 Athens, Greece
Berlin, Germany
Aleksandra Koneva: Das ist nicht lustig! at Galerie Sandmann
November 21–January 4, 2014
Taubenstr. 20-22, Am Gendarmenmarkt, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Chicago, IL
David Hockney: The Thrill is Spatial at Richard Gray Gallery
November 21–January 11, 2014
875 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3800, Chicago, IL 60611
London, UK
Charles Avery atPilar Corrias
November 21–December 19, 2013
54 Eastcastle Street, W1W 8EF London, UK
Stan Douglas. Disco Angola at Victoria Miro Gallery
November 21–January 11, 2014
54 Eastcastle Street, W1W 8EF London, UK
Ian Berry ‘Denimu’ atCatto Gallery
November 21–December 12, 2013
100 Heath Street, London, NW3 1SP UK
Madrid, Spain
Bohnchang Koo: Slow Talk at Ivorypress
November 21–January 25, 2014
C/Comandante Zorita, 46-48
28020 Madrid, Spain
Muehlhausen, Germany
Galerie Wild at Winterreise
November 21–February 11, 2014
Kräherweg 15, 78259 Muehlhausen, Germany
Milan, Italy
LAST. Opere recenti nella vita di JFK & JKO (Milan) at Photology
November 21–January 31, 2014
Via della Moscova, 25, 20121 Milan, Italy
New York, NY
Natural Selection at Sundaram Tagore Gallery
November 21–December 14, 2013
547 W. 27th Street, New York, NY 10001
Kris Kuksi at Joshua Liner Gallery
November 21–January 18, 2014
540 West 28th Street, New York, NY 10001 USA
Particle Physical at Kim Foster Gallery
November 21–December 21, 2013
529 W. 20th Street, New York, NY 10011
Collisions at Skoto Gallery
November 21–January 18, 2014
529 West 20th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011 USA
Paris, France
Claude Gaspari ‘Réflexions’ at Galerie Matignon
November 21–January 25, 2014
18 Avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris, France
Exposition Maurice Marinot at Galerie Félix Marcilhac
November 21–December 21, 2013
18 Avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris, France
San Francisco, CA
Pedro S. de Movellán at John Berggruen Gallery
November 21–December 28, 2013
228 Grant Avenue, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Floors, San Francisco, CA 94108
Zurich, Switzerland
Michael Venezia: Stop Looking, Start Finding. Paintings 1970 – 2013 (Zurich) at Häusler Contemporary
November 21–February 22, 2014
Stampfenbachstraße 59, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland