Contemporary Art: Storm King Art Center, New York

 

(Drivebycuriosity) - Do you like sculptures? Then you might enjoy the "Storm King Art Center" (stormking). This is a large park (around 500 acres; 200 ha; 0.78 sq mi) in the state of New York, around 1 hour north of Manhattan (wikipedia).

You can see there - mostly huge - sculptures which are fitted into a beautiful landscape. The artworks sit on the hayfields and meadows and harmonize with the green topography.

I indulged in the harmony of the artificial - sometimes monumental - pieces with the nature and the interplay of shapes & clolors.

My favorites are the works by the Chinese artist Zhang Huan. There is now an exhibition, called "Evoking Tradition" (through November 9 2014). His enormous "Three Legged Buddha" (2007, Steel and copper), which shows the head of the artist, is part of the museum`s permanent collection. Huan`s sculpture "Peace No. 2" (Cast bronze, gold leaf, and steel) shows a traditional Buddhist temple bell. Instead of the clapper the artist hanged a replica of his own body covered with gold leaf. Yes, great artists love themselve very much.

If you go there you shouldn`t miss the trolley ride, which is covered by the admission. The vehicle drives you close to the park´s highlights and a recorded commentar gives short explanations to the art works.

There is also a small indoor museum with more sculptures and some drawings. Above you can see some sculptures by Zhang Huan. The artist used ashes found in buddhist monastries in China.

Let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Movies: Life Of Crime

 

(Drivebycuriosity) - Kidnapping is a serious crime. But Hollywood made a lot of more or less funny movies about this topic, like "Fargo" or "Raising Arizona". The film "Life of Crime", which now is running in US cinema theaters, follows this tradition (imdb).

A group a thugs abduct the wife of a seemingly wealthy man, which leads to a chain of surprising and hilarious events (this blog is spoiler free). The movie is less dark and messy as the typical crime flick these days and doesn`t have the usual gory scenes and shock tactics. "Life of Crime" shows more a laid back attitude and has even some romantic moments.

I enjoyed watching the fine cast. Mark Boone Junior got a lot of laughs as a creepy but clumsy weapon obsessed Nazi, an evil version of "The Dude" (Big Lebowski).  Jennifer Aniston delivered her role as the abducted wife with charm, Tim Robbins as her "couldn´t care-less" husband was a perfect counter part and Mos Deaf showed the appropriate sleaziness. I had just problems that John Hawks, as part of the abductors, was a bit too nice to be believable.

The nimble editing helped to make the film enjoyable like a straight-up Margarita on a late Sunday afternoon.

Economy: Why The US Retail Sales Disappoint

(Drivebycuriosity) - The US economy is expanding. But the US retail sales have been disappointing recently. US consumers are reluctant to shop in spite of the healing job market and swiftly climbing stock & home prices. One explanation for the almost stagnating retail sales is the slow growth of salaries.

And there is another explanation: The high gas price. Today gas at US pumps costs around twice the average price in the 1990 (around $1,90 zfact). The rise works like a tax hike because consumers, especially commuters from the suburbs, have less money to spend for other goods.

The following table shows how average US gas prices at the pump developed since 2005 (each year mid August bespoke):

2005  $2.56
2006  $2.96
2007  $2.76
2008  $3.76
2009  $2,63
2010  $2,74
2011  $3,59
2012  $3,72
2013  $3,54
2014  $3,45

In 2008 the gas price jumped around one dollar (plus 30%), which turned then the economic slowdown into a severe recession, because many commuters couldn´t bear the dual burden of high gas prices and mortgages which let to a default of their mortgage payments (driveby).

After a short relief in the years 2009 and 2010 the high gas prices returned. Today US gas costs almost as much as at the peak in 2008 in spite of the rising US oil production (fracking). Pundits claim that the US refineries cannot use the American type of oil, called WTI (West Texas Intermediate, also known as Texas light sweet), therefore they depend on the International oil type, called Brent Crude. WTI costs today $94 and Brent $102.

Brent is more expensive than WTI because it is mainly produced in Middle East, Iran and Russia. The ongoing geopolitical issues (Iran conflict, Russia sanctions, wars in Iraq and more countries) are fueling speculation that the oil supply from these regions can be interrupted. Therefore the price for Brent has a speculative premium for risk which is keeping it expensive.

But there is hope. Recently the price for Brent dropped from around $115 to $102 because there is a flood of oil on the market and none of the alleged disruptions has happened so far. As a result the US gas price also went back ( minus 6.5% from this year's high) reports the financial service Bespoke Investment Group (bespoke). If there are no new severe conflicts the US gas price could fall further which should rekindle the US retail sales.

Culture: Street Art - What`s Going On In Lower Manhattan - August 2014 Edition

(Drivebycuriosity) -  Manhattan is a paradise for connoisseurs of street art. Almost any day some new mural, graffiti or other image appears, most of them in the downtown area. Since my latest street art report from July 2014 (driveby) I discovered a lot new works on the streets of Soho, East Village and Lower East Side.

My favorite in this collection is a tribute to China, which I found at trailer on Manhattan`s East First Street - a satellite office for Second Avenue Subway workers. This is part of the frequently changing works of the New York`s Centre-Fuge Public Art Project (driveby).

Also eye catching is the artsy Beastie Boys mural by street artist Danielle Mastrion on Ludlow Street in Lower East Side. Again I am impressed by the variety and the indeas of the spray painters.

And there were of course more funny stencils to discover (driveby).

Let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy.

Economy: Hooray, The Oil Price Is falling - Causes & Consequences

(Drivebycuriosity) - The oil price is under pressure. Brent Crude, which represents the price for international traded oil, dropped today below $102 for the first time in more than a year (businessinsider). Brent has now declined more than 3% in August and 11% since a June surge to just under $115. The high oil price has been holding the global economy back, especially Europe suffered, because it depends strongly on imported oil.

It looks like that the oil price bubble is losing air. I have written frequently that the oil market doesn`t represent the economical fundamentals any more (driveby). The oil price is artificially elevated because banks, hedge funds and other speculators pumped a lot of money into the oil market (via financial instruments called futures).  They ignored that the global market is awash with oil thanks to rising production in the USA (fracking) and a sluggish demand (more energy efficiency and weak economy in Europe).

Instead the oil speculation focused on geopolitical risks. Many speculators had set bets that conflicts in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria and other problem regions could lead to a disruption of the oil supply.
The oil market resembles a hot air balloon: A steady flow of geopolitical news (Ukraine, Middle East) has been heating the speculation on upcoming supply problems and has been keeping the price of oil high like a balloon in the air.

In the recent days the news flow from the geopolitical risk areas has been calming, meaning less hot air for the "oil price balloon". As a consequence many speculators are reducing their bets on possible supply disruptions.  "This has taken an enormous amount of speculative steam out of the oil trade", explains one expert (seekingalpha).

If the fall of the oil price continues it would work like a global tax cut. Consumers would have more money to spend for other goods and services. Hence a pullback of the oil price would foster consumer spending and rekindle the sluggish retail sales in the US and Europe. Companies could invest more money because of shrinking energy and transportation costs.

If the oil price drop continues - and it should as long as no new conflict is cooking up which could be used as an excuse for the oil speculation - falling energy prices could deliver some tailwinds for the global economy. Especially the weak European economy could use some boost from a lower energy bill.

Contemporary Art: "The Loss Of So Many", By David Mellen @ BOSI Contemporary, New York

(Drivebycuriosity) - New York City is a mecca of art. There seem to be hundreds of galleries and almost any day a new interesting exhibition is popping up. Recently a show @ BOSI Contemporary on Orchard Street in Manhattan´s trendy Lower East Side caught my eyes (through August 23, 2014 bosi).

They are presentings works by David Mellen, an American artist. The solo exhibition is called "The Loss of So Many".

Going there isn`t a loss. The paintings hit my visual taste buds. I indulged in the delicate but powerful interplay of colors. Mellen created dynamic scenarios wich reminded me of tales of alternative universes and other science fiction topics.

His sculptures - which were almost paintings - displayed similar constructions and fit perfectly into this collection.

Let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy.

Economy: Europe - The Bill For The Russia Sanctions

(Drivebycuriosity) - Europe´s economy is falling back: In the second quarter Italy dropped again into a recession, Germany´s GDP also shrank and France stagnated. The setback is - at least partly - the bill for the sanctions against Russia.

As I wrote in March (driveby) sanctions against Russia are a bad idea and Europe has to bear the highest costs. These warnings were confirmed by the latest economic numbers:

1. Contrary to the USA, who has a rising oil production thanks to fracking, Europe is dependent on the global oil supply and receives a lot of oil & natural gas (Germany a third) from Russia, who is a major global oil exporter. 

The price of oil has been artificially elevated because the sanctions are fanning speculation that the global oil supply could be disrupted. The price for Brent Crude, the financial instrument (future) and gauge for the international oil market, has been floating stubbornly north of $100 even that the global supply of oil is rising (especially because of fracking in the US) and demand is shrinking as a result of more energy efficiency (less gas suckling cars) and the slow global economy.

The high oil price works like a tax on consumption and production. Consumers have less money to spend for other goods, thanks to high gasoline bills, heating and transportation costs which make many goods more expensive. This - at least partly - explains the weak European retail sales that are holding the economy back. And companies have to deal with higher costs and are therefore reluctant to invest and to hire.

2. Russia is the third largest foreign customer for the European industry and imports cars, machines, medicaments, chemical products and more. Shrinking exports are the main cause for the weak German industrial production. They also discourage companies to invest.

Europe`s economy is already slow and fragile. High energy costs and measures against exports worsen the problem. The russia sanctions are another example what damage ignorant and economic illiterate politicians can do.

PS: As an illustration I used a segment of the painting "Frühbürgerliche Revolution In Deutschland/Early Bourgeois Revolution In Germany", by Werner Tübke (driveby), another example in which turmoil Europe can get because of political stupidity.

Movies: A Most Wanted Man

 

(Drivebycuriosity) -  John le Carré is a brand name in the world of espionage-thrillers.  Novels like "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" described the sophisticated & dangerous work of spies during the cold war between the West and the Sovjet System. His 2008 novel "A Most Wanted Man" is a reflection of the post 9/11 world and the war against terrorism. Director Anton Corbijn adapted the book into a cool movie with the same name (imdb).

An illegal immigrant has arrived in Hamburg, Germany, and attracts a lot attention by German & US intelligence corps. What does the Chechen Muslim want? Is he a terrorist? Does he have accomplices? Le Carré & Corbijn are more interested in the psychological and political aspects than in pure action which makes the film more interesting than the average spy movie.

"A Most Wanted Man" fascinated me thanks to its superb cast, consisting of global movie stars - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Rachel McAdams & Willem Dafoe - and some of the top German actors  - Nina Hoss & Daniel Brühl. The late Hoffman delivered another superior performance as a shrewd spy and resourceful investigator, a kind of cinematic legacy. His blend of aplomb and diligence was amazing. The adorable Robing Wright ("House of Cards") as elegant but vicious representative of the US interests  and McAdams as a naive-idealistic social worker and lawyer were congenial partners in this game.

I also enjoyed the cinematography, especially the contrast between beautiful shots from Hamburg´s harbor area and the pictures from the dingy red light district (neighborhood St. Pauli).

"A Most Wanted Man" is a mindful and entertaining espionage film and recommended for friends of intelligent contemporary cinema.

PS: As an illustration I used Sigmar Pohlke´s painting "Police Pig" (driveby).

Contemporary Art: Living With Pop - A Reproduction of Capitalist Realism @ Artists Space, New York

 

(Drivebycuriosity) - Contemporary Art has many faces and roots. One of them is Pop Art which used articles of daily use and popular magazines and transformed them into art work. In the early 1960th a group of then young artists formed in Germany. They performed art shows and happenings and called their work "Capitaistic Realism", a reference to the changes in post war Germany and the rapid economical uspwings there (Wirtschaftswunder), which had let to a sharp rise in life standards. The artists focused on "Germany`s growing consumer culture and media-saturated society" and was influenced by American Pop, writes Wikipedia (wikipedia).

The exhibition "Living With Pop - A Reproduction of Capitalist Realism @ Artists Space, New York (through August 19th 2014) reminds to the actions of these artists: Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Wolf Vostell and Konrad Lueg. 2 of them - Richter & Polke - are now super stars of the art world.

The Manhattan show (hundreds of objects, including leaflets, pamphlets, postcards, pictures, films, and correspondences)  used material that was originally displayed in Düsseldorf, Germany, in a vacated butcher shop, then in a furniture store (Möbelhaus Berges) and later in some galleries. The paintings were photographic reproductions to avoid the high costs of loans, insurance, security and transport.

I enjoyed the variety and the opportunity to take a glance on the early careers of Richter & Polke whom I admire. At the top of this post you can see Richter´s "Party" from 1963. It is an example of his paintings based on images drawn from newspapers and magazines. Then follows Pohlke´s "Freundinnen/Girl Friends" from 1965 and Richter´s "Schwimmerinnen/Swimmers" from 1965.

Above the second paragraph you find Richter`s "Porträt Schmela" (1964) and "Porträt Klinker" (1965), both are paintings of influental German art collectors. There he blurred the images by dragging a dry brush over wet pigment - a technique which is characteristic for many of Richter´s works. Below is  Richter´s "Motorboot/Motorboat" from 1965 followed (left) by Pohlke`s "Berliner (Bäckerblume)" which portraits pupular German pastries.

Enjoy.