Check out this wonderful article by Charlie Finch in Artnet about ArtStar's "What Works" pop-up show. We're blushing!

Responding to the Art Newspaper article we posted a few days ago (see below) that argued that the traditional gallery format was being outpaced by art fairs and online ventures, Finch holds up ArtStar as an example of the new kind of gallery that signals "the latest testament to the strength of galleries among the true believers who continue to start them up: pop-up galleries."

Writes Finch:

"On this past July 14, I attended the opening on one of these phenomena [popup galleries] and was astounded. The show was called "What Works,” a one-night exhibition at ArtStar's Space on Chrystie Street followed by three days of opening hours "by appointment only." Situated on the eighth floor of an office building near Sara Delano Park downtown, this popup effort was more professional than some of the shows I see at (I don't know) Winkleman Gallery.

The theme was collaborative work between artist couples, emphasizing their influence on each other. The work was highly stylized and accompanied by erudite wall texts and rivers of mediocre wine. The opening was jammed. As an example, one piece by Katherine Newbegin, Hotel Slavjia, Belgrade, Serbia,was a seductive C-print of a bathroom decked out in geometric blue patterns, while her partner, Todd Knopke, responded with a fabric piece called Chapel,a miniature done in the same blue patterns, and full of tiny religious clutter."

Read the rest of the article here.  Finch goes on to commend David Levinthal and Kate Sullivan as well! We're absolutely indebted to all of the wonderful artists who participated in "What Works," the guests who make the evening such a resounding success, and a very special thank-you to Creative Director Rich Hendricks to conceived of and executed the show to such a high standard. Thanks everyone!!

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Colette Robbins, The Head Exchange: Eve, 2001. Graphite painting on paper

ArtStar's first pop-up show What Works opens tonight in our gallery space.

Opening Reception: 6-9pm. July 14th

By Appointment: July 15-17

195 Chrsytie Street, 801B, New York NY 1002.

Featuring the work of 6 artist couples exploring the influence they have on each other:

Kate Sullivan & David Levinthal

Langdon Graves & Nick Van Woert

Erin Kornfled & Charlie Schultz

Ginger Schulick & Don Porcella

Katherine Newbegin & Todd Knopke

Colette Robbins & Micah Ganske

We can't wait to see you all there! - xo, the ArtStar team

As spring turns to summer on the eastern seaboard (slowly, slowly) there's much we're looking forward to in and around New York City and beyond. Have a tip of something great we should check out or want to tag along? Tweet us at @ArtStarUpdates!

- Sol LeWitt: Structures 1965-2006 at City Hall Park. This retrospective, which opens May 24th (tomorrow!), includes 27 works from this titan of Minimalism spanning LeWitt's 40 year career. Not a LeWitt fan? Now is the time to confront the largest assembly of LeWitt's "structures" in an outdoor space, no commitment required. As the artist wrote in 1967, "The idea becomes a machine that makes the art." Discuss.

- Hunter College's MFA Thesis Exhibition. May 18-June 18 at the Hunter College Times Square Gallery. Always a source of up and coming talent and great conversation with bright, ambitious artists you can expect a review from Creative Director Rich Hendricks later in the week.

- Informed by the City: A Fundraiser. ArtStar curator Meenakshi Thuirkode's Project For Empty Space's first Annual Benefit will take place on June 4th 2011 at Tribeca Grand, from 5-8 PM. The benefit will include a screening of David Henry Gerson's short film, "Ultra Violet for Sixteen Minutes" and a discussion to follow with the filmmaker about how the New York City art scene in the 1960's has influenced his work. This discussion will be followed by a cocktail reception. Get your tickets (cocktails and Ultra Violet, muse to Warhol and mistress to Dali, together at last!) here.

LeWitt, Pyramid (Munster), 1987

Project for Empty Space, in situ, 2010.

ArtStar's first Affordable Art Fair couldn't have gone better. We had a blast meeting so many collectors and were overwhelmed with all the positive feedback we received. ArtInfo listed ArtStar as one of the most successful galleries at the fair. Artist Jason Alper's Mr. White had collectors charging into the booth to grab one for their collection (including Stacy London from TLC's What Not to Wear!). ArtStar was a major partner with AAF for this Spring fair and along with exhibiting at the fair also hosted two workshops. We coordinated with artist Don Porcella to be onsite during the fair creating his pipe cleaner action figure sculpture series 'The Art World' surrounded by his phenomenal installation of his larger sculptures and encaustic paintings. We also hosted a talk for fair attendees focused on how to take the intimidation factor out of collecting. Thanks to Nicole Berry, Rebecca Heidenberg and Kate Singleton for putting together such a thoughtful discussion. We really had such an amazing experience and look forward to the next AAF!

The ArtStar team: Rich, Grace, Chrissy and Mike

"Taking the Intimidation Factor out of Collecting Art" with Kate Singleton, Nicole Berry and Rebecca Heidenberg

Our crowded AAF booth!

Don Porcella hard at work at AAF

Chrissy being interviewed for AAF tv.

Follow the claim that he has "seen almost every musician and band from 1978 to the present day" - we just had to ask Jason Alper 5 Questions for our blog.  Says Alper, "Having no formal art school or college training - something I find would have been a hinderance for me, I have immersed myself in the art world and popular culture through my own findings. Some people would call it a misspent youth. I would call it an education. Along the way, I have watched countless movies, read endless magazines, visited thousands of exhibitions and museums and seen almost every musician and band from 1978 to the present day. These are the greatest reference points and inspiration that anyone can have. Something that I feel can't be taught."

Creative Director Rich Hendericks (and new dad!) talked to Jason Alper (also new dad!) recently about sewing, Michelle Obama, and Rod Stewart.

5 Questions for Jason Alper:

So Armory week is over and while we're sad to see the booths come down as we go back to staring at our computers instead of canvases all day (oh, hello mr. desk!), we're equally relieved to be out of our heels and suits and black ensembles. (Should you drop by ArtStar HQ this week we'll just say our sneakers are because we're, um, spring cleaning?)

Nevertheless, we had a fantastic time last week, saw some amazing art, met some lovely people and capped it off with a bash that we would modestly claim was a massive success.  Read on for the wrap up.

Top Moments of Armory Week:

- The Moving Image Art Fair: gorgeous and airy, not too crowded, and Shana Moulton's entrancing video, Galactic Pot Healer, that was endearingly strange and lo-fi.

- ArtStar curators Jess Hodin, Tali Wertheimer, Simmy Swinder and Grace Johnstone's tours of Volta for Soho House. Well-attended, informative (if we do say so ourselves!) and fun.  Bertram Hasenauer's drawings at Jan-Philipp Fruehsorge were a subtle and moving highlight and Elizabeth Subrin at Sue Scott Gallery gave one of the strongest artist talks we've heard in a while.

- The Independent Art Fair: Creative Director Rich Hendrick's favorite for its experimental direction.

- Zaria Forman at the Art of Love Auction.

- We shouted out Trong G. Nguyen following his mention of our party in ArtSlant on twitter and he actually came.  Thanks Trong!

Finally, the week wouldn't have been complete without our party at SPiN, co-hosted with Volta, Whitewall Magazine, Collectrium and Saint Germain. Artists and their Dealers battled it out on the ping pong table until Marty Reisman swept in and won it all with his winning shot against Max Levai (video below).  What makes him so good at ping pong? We're guessing it has something to do with the aviators, if not the combined sartorial power of a fedora,white trousers, black satin shirt and red jacket. Marty: you are truly an institution.  The other highlight is undoubtedly Paddy Johnson's smackdown of Ryan Schultz. Confused? The pictures on facebook tell it all. Equally shocking were Sue Scott's unbelievable ping pong skills. Not only did she annihilate Paddy (despite threats to the contrary on Twitter), she almost won the whole thing!  Clearly Sue is only a mild-mannered gallerist by day...

Otherwise, we really had a blast, relished the chance to gather with all our friends and colleagues (whom we shout out collectively, hi guys!) and can't wait to do it again NEXT YEAR.  We're currently taking suggestions for next year's challenge: artists vs dealers karaoke? dance/rap off? Chelsea vs. LES rumble? YOU decide. And was that team ArtStar breaking it down on the dance floor in the wee hours while Padma Lakshmi played a round in the corner? We wouldn't know, we were fast asleep in bed :)

later, art world!

marty's winning shot

Zaria Forman, Rich Hendricks & Chrissy Crawford at SPiN

As a new feature in our newsletter, we've decided to pose to each week's featured artist a series of 5 questions to probe their deepest psyche.  This week, Creative Director Rich Hendricks talks to Micah Ganske about painting with pure light, Shrek's ass, and Evolutionary Anthropology.

See more of Micah's new work, made exclusively for ArtStar, here.

5 Questions for Micah Ganske:

AS: Who/What most influenced you to become an artist?

At first I wanted to go into computer animation but my highschool art teacher infected me with the fine arts bug.  I realized quickly that I sure as hell didn't want to work for a company like Disney, doing the artistic grunt work on a movie whose point was to sell pretty princess dolls.  I may not make as much as my friends who continued on into the animation field, but then again, I didn't have to model the warts on Shrek's ass so I'm pretty content with my decision.

AS: What's the most random art world thing that's ever happened to you?

That's easy!  It's most certainly when I first met Jeffrey Deitch.  In the last month of grad school, I had one of my thesis show pieces in my first ever group show in New York.  He showed up to the opening on recommendation from Kurt Kauper, and bought the 10 foot painting on the spot.  It all started there and, while I admit he bought the painting because it was an awesome painting, it could have easily never happened and my whole life would be different.

AS: Who would you most want to share a beer with?

Living or dead?  I'll go with living since zombies are so unpredictable.  I choose... Bill Bryson!  He's not a real scientist and not a true specialist in any field, but I feel there are few people who have developed such a well-rounded knowledge of both science and world history.  Oh, also, he's funny as hell.

AS: If you could only paint/draw with one color, what would it be?

I would paint with pure light, man.

AS: If you were not an artist who/what would you be and why?

Realistically?  Probably a writer since I've always loved to do it as well.  I don't know what I would write about but non-fiction and science fiction are strong possibilities.  Romantically, I want to say something along the lines of Evolutionary Anthropologist because I love the combination of natural science and social science.  It's almost like a perfect union between science and philosophy.  I wish I could say I'd be a Physicist so that I could help put people into space, BUT I'm rubbish at math so what can you do?

Since Annabel's work has been so popular this week - what with being picked by our latest guest expert, the very talented actor and friend of ArtStar, Alison Pill - it seemed fitting to post the following interview that ArtStar's Creative Director Rich Hendericks recently conducted with her. Enjoy!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with New York-based artist Annabel  Linquist’s popular ‘mind map’ paintings, they are a combination of mad scientist meets Amelie meets crime scene investigator in the most endearing way. Her ultimate goal is to get deep inside your head, and your heart, and make it all better. Through her paintings she has created an ingenious system to navigate trauma, most specifically of the heart, and reprogram the paths in our brains that have short-circuited.  I talked with Annabel recently to find out a little more about mind maps and the really beautiful and interesting ‘Unjinx O-Meter’ series she has featured on ArtStar.



What is a mind map and what has possessed you to dedicate the last 5+ years of your life to investigating and discovering this recurring theme in your paintings?

I'm just totally obsessed with the idea that we can actually neurologically rewire ourselves with our own thoughts. My mind maps are created as transformational tools that mark neurological terrain by constructing a graphical language (or interface) that externally represents very specific internal information (and vice versa). What I'm building here is a visual (or some sort of contextual) narrative that acts as a navigational system meant to create a conscious dialogue between one's inner and outer worlds based on a system that is very much like computer programming. Or like, Charlie Kaufman-ish computer programming.

You are also a songwriter, singer, and working on a book based on your ‘Holy Map’ series. Can you tell us a little about your upcoming projects?

The book I'm currently working on is a remixed collection of visual diary entries, in the style of city guides. This is a collaboration with Vanity Fair's illustrious party thrower extraordinaire, Jess Latham. But at the moment I'm totally immersed in preproduction for my first record. I'm currently in Sweden collecting sounds that we will use to make microbeats. I've been getting some really nice sounds in the forest. Otherwise, I do private painting commissions, make custom love songs, broker whale adoptions, you know, the usual.

The ‘Unjinx O-Meter’ images now on ArtStar are awesome. What inspired the designs, symbolism, and titles?

I've always been able to perceive ghosts (and other phenomenological things). As you might imagine, it can become quite troublesome at night to sleep, especially when you are clairaudient. So like, a decade ago or something, I created a system of protection for myself called MBG (moth be gone) to clear the space around my bed so I wouldn't be disturbed. Basically, I just wrote 'MBG' on the wall with a pencil. (There are probably 20 rooms around the world with MBG written somewhere hidden behind the bed!) So, that sort of evolved into a gleaned image of a vintage insecticide icon, which then evolved into an Unjinx O-Meter image. I call these things 'calibrated tools' because I actually use them to do things (like, remove troublesome obstacles – they repel ghosts! – or amplify favored conditions). It seriously does the trick.

How do they work? Do you just hang them up in any space, one in every room, on every wall, surrounding yourself to ward off all bad things? Can ‘Hologram Glamifier’really make me more beautiful? What’s your advice on how to best use these powerful talismans?

Mind over matter.

Hang them wherever, put them under your bed, even in a drawer or closet. They totally work. If you are skeptical, experiment and get back to me. I'm always curious.

My advice is to believe. There is nothing less sexy than a skeptic.

If you were not an artist who or what would you be?

A mom?! I can't believe I just had that thought. My biological clock is like, totally ticking.