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Photo Dealer Takes CBGB Gallery Space
“The space that used to be the punk bar CBGB, at 315 Bowery, will soon become a John Varvatos boutique. Next door, the former CB’s Gallery at 313 Bowery is also getting a high-end makeover: the Morrison Hotel Gallery, which sells fine-art prints of classic rock photographs, will open a location in that space on March 27, with a plan to preserve some of the original, grungy GBGB décor, including bathroom graffiti and fliers that had been buried in an inner wall. The work of Steve Joester, who chronicled 1970s British punks, will be the first exhibition. In April the gallery will open a show devoted to Bob Gruen, the New York photographer who captured much of the first generation at CBGB. June will bring “The Art of Motorcycles.” Morrison Hotel, founded in 2001, will maintain its gallery in SoHo as well as locations in Los Angeles and La Jolla, Calif.“
Is this surprising?
Besides Iggy Pop, Slash, Ryan Adams and Alice Cooper have all appeared in J Varvatos adverts. Converse also carries a line of sneakers designed by J Varvatos.
Today I went to the Morgan Library on Madison Avenue, specifically for “Close Encounters, Irving Penn, Portraits of Artists and Writers”. Sixty seven photographs from 1944 to 2006, all owned by the Morgan Library, most of these photographs were created on assignment for Vogue magazine. When I look at these prints, I marvel at the print quality. The attentiveness of to the craft of balancing every shade between black and white to produce a finished work. Devoid of clichés, these photographs demonstrate Penn’s ability to psychologically engage those he photographed in a way that magnified quiet revellations in each sitter.
This is a must-see show, especially in conjunction with Penn’s must-have book: Irving Penn: Platinum Prints. Studying Penn’s contact sheets is always a treat. His creative process at work reveals a profound sensory awareness for the gestural inherently present in Form. Really, it’s a treat.
