darkness in soho

just arrived a day ago, going on a little strole in Soho and see three really intersting shows; There's not so much in Soho, but the quality is really high. Making it less excausting then Chelsea. At the drawing Centre was a show of Rirkrit Tiravanija's Demonstration Drawings. First time I see drawings of this artist. It's a interesting show; around a hundred small, fotografic pencil drawings from newspaper pictures of demonstrations around the world. Using drawing to make something anonymous and invisible, clear and sensitive; a crowed of people But the drawings where a bit to dull.It's well drawn, like a street-portraitist can draw well. When conceptual artist start to draw it often becomes so careful,dry.Or I didn't get it.

Around the corner on Grand; David Ratcliff at the uber-uber hip TEAM gallery.
They do have sometimes good stuff here, but also a lot of Purplemagazine-fashion-emptieness. I saw David Ratcliff's painting a few years ago on The Armoury,then it was the best thing I had seen.Very punky, but original. It's one of the rare cases that I get excited about contemporary painting.But never heard from him again till now;a couple of years later he's here with new paintings. It's made from the same dark, deathmetal brain as a lot of art now (not only in this gallery) but he doesn't do kids stuff like skulls, bats & devils (for god sake). This is a great painter.It's quite abstract, but really scary. Always using stencils and spray paint.
collector/museum/gallery;You should buy this now!




Saw this interesting looking book, about the history of the color black by Michel Pastoureau who also wrote historical studies about stripes and the color blue. Just came out.


Right across the street also lot's of dark matter, but not in black; Drawn with soft colorpencils. Over the top, but so well made that you get absorbed by it. at Deitch project space; Aurel Schmidt