Hello there!
In this here Roundup you’re in for: two photographs, an elite comment from the GOAT, a notable Art Basel installation, and some superb posters.
Enjoy!
1/ Vivian Maier’s Lawn Chair Eye
(photograph made in 1961, technically Untitled)
On view in New York until the end of September is Vivian Maier: Unseen Work. Fotografiska New York is presenting over 200 pieces by Maier, including ones made with a Leica (as opposed to her signature Rolleiflex), some on Super 8, and audio recordings.
This beyond striking photo was featured in a New York Times article about Maier’s work, and absolutely bowled me over.
(To rewind: Vivian Maier (1926-2009) was a mysterious woman who worked as a nanny in Oak Park, Illinois. She also took tons and tons of photographs. They were discovered in 2007 “when John Maloof, then a real-estate agent with a passion for Chicago history, bought the contents of her unpaid storage locker.” (quoting the aforementioned NYT article). Finding Vivian Maier, a documentary, was made in 2014, and made Maier a photography-household name. Many of her street photographs are darn precise and darn alluring.)
The news is that this is indubitably my new favorite Maier!
2/ Boy on Slide
(photograph made by Joseph Rodriguez in 1987)
The movement in this photograph is so bright! I came across it last month and have been so struck by the shining slide, the little fellow flying by, the smiling caretaker-—the brilliant composition! Rodriguez’s catalog is generally characterized as gritty documentary work, and so this joyful, dynamic photograph stands out all the more.
3/ Serena being presidential
(interviewed by David Marchese for the NYT this week; links: PDF, Spotify, Apple Podcasts )
Greatest of all time Serena Williams was interviewed this week (by David Marchese) on a New York Times podcast, and dropped the following:
I talk to a lot of presidents. I spoke to Barack, I spoke to the Clintons. I spoke to every president since I’ve been alive, including Ronald Reagan, I’ll have you know.
So that’s that!
4/ A rare Judd in Basel
(Untitled, from 1970)
An ultra cool Donald Judd sculpture was on view at Art Basel over the past week. From the Gagosian website:
Since its creation in 1970, the piece has only been exhibited five times before, and only twice in its original U-shaped configuration of galvanized iron panels. In line with Unlimited’s focus on championing monumental and trailblazing projects, this important work also marks Judd’s development of immersive, architecturally scaled works that produce an equally visceral and intellectual experience for the viewer.
And not only is it a cool one, but it’s thee sculpture from the famous Castelli show poster (above). Just to ease us into posters...
5/ The posters in the Gagosian shop.
(which was offline for a while, but is now back in business!)
Gagosian’s online shop has some visually great--and well priced--posters. I would say it’s the best online place to buy posters right now, in fact (at least in the art world). Above are three of my favorites (clockwise from top left): a poster for ED RUSCHA: ON THE ROAD: AN ARTIST BOOK OF THE CLASSIC NOVEL BY JACK KEROUAC from 2010, a poster for STERLING RUBY: ACTS + TABLE from 2019, and from ANDY WARHOL & JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT COLLABORATIONS from 1997.