A couple of days in New York

Vanessa Beecroft "62019 vb" at the Armory

Lisa Yuskavage at David Zwirner

To compare the gallery experience to that of the art fair is a little like comparing going to gambling on a cruise to a solitary walk on the beach. They are both not easily forgotten and have pro's and con's unless you know what you want. Lisa's new paintings at Zwirner are on the medium large size and are dwarfed by the immense catacomb that occupies them, this being a good thing in that they reek of presence. I am afraid anything dropped on the floor in there would. But, these paintings are well made in that they have a convincing look that they somehow with some struggle emerged out of the process of their making. The light and color of there fantastic worlds has a creditability or believability and one would not argue the
necessity at this bleak moment. But then I wonder what is she and Vanessa Beecroft whose performance I missed at Deitch Studio's trying to say. I know it is about the woman as object,
in the former ideal the latter sexual, but i still can't help and wonder as my groin begins to quiver if they are playing the idea exploiting it or criticizing- this ambitiousness settles my
libido and makes me comfortable in Lisa's case that it is art. As Beecroft's photographs look more like antiquity they loose there edge.
(to be cont..)
Mary Reed