New Art in Chicago

Last week The Society for Contemporary Art voted on the four pieces up for selection for their 2007 acquisition (number five, James Coleman, unfortunately didn't pan out). They went with Grater 2, by Rosemarie Trockel. Usually, all the pieces will be purchased, as is common in situations like this. One will be officially selected, the others with be purchased by various collectors in the SCA and they will gift them to The Art Institute.


Rosemarie Trockel • Grater 2 • 2006 • ceramics & platinum • 127 x 102 x 2 inches
(322.6 x 259.1 x 5.1 cm) • from the Gladstone gallery site

This is interesting piece from an artist that is always coming up with something new. From portraits of dogs, to knitted sky masks and socks as sculpture to knitted fabrics stretched on a frame as painting, Tockel seems all over the map. But the more work of hers you see, the videos, the architectural installations, works on paper and on, the more it some how all fits. This piece, seems very different for her, but is interesting nonetheless. I first really got into her work when I saw her marvelous installation at the Dia Center when it was still running in Chelsea. You can read the piece I did about, as a columnist for the School of the Art Institute’s award-winning, no really, Fnews Magazine HERE




On Monday, Modern Art Notes reported that a few blocks up Michigan Avenue the Museum of Contemporary Art just acquired Ball System by Liz Larner from her first gallery show in 1988. Larner is no stranger to the MCA, in 2002 her sculpture 2001 was displayed in front of the MCA along with some interactive magnetic sculptures in the Education Center Lobby. Recently Larner she sat on a panel in conjunction with the Lee Bontecou retrospective.


Liz Larner • installation View at Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles • 2001 • 2001 • Edition of 3 (each unique to it's color) • 144 x 144 x 144 inches