Wednesday night my hubby, Jene Youtt and I went to the VIP opening of SCOPE. It was a sea of gallery booths and art lovers, collectors, artists and friends. We can be counted as all four, having purchased various art pieces from our travels. I believe, as both an artist and lover of art that it is important to support the arts in all forms. Art is what makes us human.
This show is chuck full of new works which pleased me to no end because last year seemed to be a repeat of the same artists’ works as the year before. Our friend Emmanuel of Emmanuel Fremin Gallery, here in NY, had new artists. (The artists aren’t new, just being represented by EFG for 6 months or so).
French photographers, Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre’s beautiful collaboration – The Ruins of Detroit, stately buildings that have been left abandoned as if the people who occupied them since vanished in mid-stride. A library full of dusty books on shelves, offices that once flourished and resounded with the clicks of typewriters & adding machines, train stations where you can almost hear the whistle of the last train pulling out. The artists compiled a massive book of beautifully depicted grandeur that had simply been left to decay. The change of an era. The large colorful photography prints were quite impressive. And the coffee table book would open up many conversations of the way things once were.
How organic – the sugar and salt sculptures by Fernando Mastrangelo, a Brooklyn born artist. This spiral is a wall hanging but there were several free standing pieces on exhibit also.
Ted Lawson‘s sculptures were beautiful.
Jene and I walked around with cameras in hand. I had my little Fuji point and shoot and Jene a borrowed Canon G-12 as his little shooter is back at Canon for repairs again.
Thursday evening, we headed to The Armory Art Show, Piers 92 and 94. One of the sponsors is 
Artstrong bags – the perfect way to quickly package and protect your art purchases. Mary Nguyen and her staff will be stationed there to answer any of your questions (To the left as you enter Pier 92).
If Scope was a sea of galleries, The Armory show is an ocean, and we need another day there to take it all in. We whizzed through both piers, snapping photos along the way but barely stopping to appreciate the contemporary and modern arts. So much to see, so little time to see it in and even less time to write about it.
The Armory Show: A few pieces caught my eye as I breezed by.
Martin C Herbst’s sphere – Oil and laquer on steel sphere. A technique that was were inspired by a famous painting of the Italian Mannerism, Parmigianino’s.
There are weeks on end where we’ve nothing artful to do and then times like this when we are constantly on the go.
Of course, the beautiful works of Irving Penn are always inspirational to me as a photographer. His portraits stand alone and need no words to describe.
Calixte Dakpogen’s sculpture of wire, glass, bulbs, metal interested me because it makes me wonder how and when one decides to pick up all these pieces… Ordinary everyday objects when placed in the hands and mind of an artist somehow become art.
maybe this woman was thinking the same thing as me. Art is so subjective and there’s something for everyone’s taste.
So come see for yourself, SCOPE and the Armory Show run through the weekend. And if you are looking for something more affordable photography, check out mine and Jene’s websites.
Jene Youtt – www.jeneyoutt.com
Mary Durante Youtt – mdyoutt.com
Life is to be enjoyed and filled with beauty, wherever you can find it.
NY metro art scene 