Gallerist at Home
Gallerist at Home: Mixed Greens
Written by Andrew Katz Katz
Setting out to document this Gallerist at Home spread with four distinct gallerists, homes, and art collections was tricky, but it is wonderful to see where their tastes and collecting practices overlap, shedding light on their collaborative processes. Focusing on exhibitions coordinator Courtney Strimple and directors Steve Sergiovanni, Heather Darcy Bhandari, and Monica Herman, I asked them to explore their two favorite interior spaces and works of art and to share the stories behind them. Enjoy this look into the more private collections and art inside the homes of the faces behind Mixed Greens. – Ellen C. Caldwell, Los Angeles Contributor COURTNEY STRIMPLE, Exhibitions Coordinator
Courtney: I think the first work of art I bought was a small panel painting by Mark Mulroney. Initially I could only afford small-sized artworks. So I amassed a collection of smaller pieces, and began to incorporate them into a salon-style hanging. Now everything in my apartment is hung in clusters. In this photo, a majority of the works were either given to me by artists, or were purchased at the NurtureArt Benefit Auction. The very first piece I ever bought at an art fair was the little wooden lint roller sculpture. I bought it at the NEXT Fair in Chicago years ago. It meant a lot to me at the time to be able to find something in an affordable price range. In the upper right hand corner is a collage by Ryan Sarah Murphy. I missed out on one of her works at the 2010 NurtureArt Benefit, so at the 2011 Benefit I sprinted to nab it before anyone else could. I still feel victorious every time I look at it.
Courtney: The little blue panel painting was a gift from Mark Mulroney. He and his wife were house sitters for my apartment and they left behind a medley of mini artworks. I was blown away by their generosity. But by far the best treat was a vintage copy of the novel "Ben and Me" (my fiance's name is Ben) which sits in a stack on the console. Mark filled the pages with (rather explicit) drawings in true Mulroney-fashion. It was quite the surprise. STEVEN SERGIOVANNI, Director
Steven: I purchased Zilvinas Kempinas' wall sculpture at Basel in 2009, when we were exhibiting at VOLTA. I had just moved into a new apartment and was looking for a piece specifically for that wall in my entry area. I had become familiar with Zilvinas' work, and became a huge fan, after seeing his sculpture at SF MOMA in 2008. Light Formation transforms space with the most minimal means of light and shadow, perfect for my somewhat cave-like apartment.
Steven: Nick Waplington's Living Room series depicted Britain's working class in a somewhat grim, yet beautifully photographed series, which later became a successful book. This photograph was a gift of the artist, whom I worked with for many years at Holly Solomon Gallery. The piece is like nothing else I own and it has found a permanent place on my bedroom wall; I just love it.
HEATHER DARCY BHANDARI, Director
Heather: The works by Rob Carter and Joan Linder provide windows in an otherwise windowless corner. Rob's work was chosen by me and my husband as an anniversary present to one another. The work juxtaposes Le Corbusier’s Assembly Building in Chandigarh, India, and The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England. Both are architecturally alien to their locations and the plants Rob has grown unify the structures. Joan Linder's drawing hits very close to home. Literally. When I bought the piece many years ago, little did I know I would live a 5-minute walk from the corner where Joan drew the piece! The Ken Fandell work was one of the first pieces I ever bought and I still love it. I got it from Tony Wight at Bodybuilder and Sportsman Gallery in Chicago. The whole experience of buying art from a gallery was really new to me and somewhat intimidating even though I worked in a gallery. Tony was amazing and I've gotten to know and show Ken a few times since. Although it was a stretch for me to buy art at the time, I'm so happy I did.
Heather: The dining room is another windowless area of our apartment that needed the illusion of light. It was the perfect space for a Mary Temple light installation. The wall utterly transforms the space and creates a little bit of magic. The Edward del Rosario prints were done at the Lower East Side Printshop. I had admired his emotionally charged narrative paintings for years and getting a pair of prints was the best way for me to live with the work. MONICA HERMAN, Director
Monica: The Rory Donaldson, Angela Dufresne, Whiting Tennis and Rob Nadeau works were grouped together to set a mood for the room. I simply wanted to create a sunny and cheerful atmosphere, which I think happens (for me at least) with the colors and shapes. I don’t collect much photography, but I love the Rory Donaldson for its painterly, albeit digital, “brushstroke.” I don’t know why, but for some reason the work reminds me of the light in a scene from Love Affair (the remake of An Affair to Remember). It’s not even a favorite movie of mine, but the scene – something about being temporarily stranded on an island – has stuck with me. Last year, I found the Whiting Tennis drawing at an Aldrich Undercover benefit, and did a silent shriek of joy when I realized it was still available. I was also very fortunate to “win” the Angela Dufresne painting at a Momenta Art benefit. The Rob Nadeau drawings are dear to me, as well, and I always find a place to hang them somewhere in our apartment.
Monica: The Chris Duncan, Svenja Deininger and Dan Gunn works were all, coincidentally, purchased at various art fairs. In each instance, seeing the work stopped me in my tracks and beckoned a closer look. Seeing each painting then gave me that initial rush of happiness that still exists today. The most recent purchase was the Deininger at Galerie Martin Janda at last year’s Frieze New York. I am just captivated by the surface of this painting, which one can’t really get an accurate sense of in this particular photo. --- Mixed Greens is currently showing Mars’ Planet, Leah Tinari’s sixth solo exhibition with the gallery. It runs through July 3rd, with the following two shows opening July 11th: Crossing the Line: Contemporary Drawing and Artistic Process; curated by Dexter Wimberly & Larry Ossei-Mensah and Paris-Scope: Sanam Enayati {re.side...} yet again. Mixed Greens’ next submission review will take place in August 2013. They will accept submission packets during the month of July only. In January of 2014, they will accept new proposals for the Mixed Greens windows (3 windows facing 26th Street). Currently, they only accept proposals by artists living in the United States. Please visit their site for more information and application specifications. Ellen C. Caldwell is an LA-based art historian, editor, and writer.
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