Katy Diamond Hamer

Worth the Chill: Contemporary Art Oslo, ETTD
In excerpt:
Clean. Crisp. Sharp. Those are words that come to mind when I think of contemporary art in Oslo. Most of the galleries have a presence in the art fairs and Norwegian galleries and publications were given special attention at The Armory Show (2012) and the Printed Matter Art Book Fair (2014) both in New York. This exposure in the US has been beneficial in further procuring interest. Galleries like Standard (Oslo), the most commercially recognized from this circle, are now also joined by VI, VII a hip and smart gallery run by American transplant Esperanza Rosales and participates in art fairs such as Frieze London, Miart in Milan, Fiac Paris and others.

Life With Louise Bourgeois -- New York Magazine, Vulture: SEEN
In excerpt:
Jerry Gorovoy: She was definitely ahead of her time in that way.I was totally fascinated by everything about her. There was no separation between her art and her life. Emotionally she was like a child, a troubled child. But there was an amazing intelligence and complexity behind her formal inventions. I knew that the more her art was out in the world, the more people would come to understand how incredible of an artist she really was. Psychologically, Louise needed to work and needed to work constantly. It really did keep her less anxious.

26 Female Artists on Lynda Benglis (NSFW) -- New York Magazine, Vulture: SEEN
In excerpt:
MARILYN MINTER (b. 1948)
Lynda's ad in Artforum was/is brilliant! I am always supportive of women owning production of sexual imagery, of women becoming the agents of sexually provocative images instead of always just being the subject. Of course, I consider myself a feminist. Advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for woman equal to those of men — what idiot would say they don't advocate this, male or female?

10 Black Artists on the Lessons of Ebony and Jet, New York Magazine, Vulture: SEEN
In excerpt:
Hank Willis Thomas: I have always used Jet and Ebony magazines as an archive. They are like time capsules and time machines that bring you back to the mind-set, struggles, and values of African-American communities throughout the latter part of the 20th century. There is no more complete visual and textual archive of the 20th century black experience in America. I've known that for my entire life.

Artist Trisha Brown Re-Activates the Judd Foundation
In excerpt:
Growing up in the 70s, Rainer Judd, the daughter of the late artist Donald Judd, recalls large communal dinners at the family home in Manhattan’s Soho. Last weekend, she brought back that communal spirit in the landmarked space that was also her father’s studio and is the current site of the Judd Foundation, with a series of performances choreographed by the performance artist Trisha Brown.

I spoke to Curator and Dean of the Yale School of Art, Robert Storr on his life, curatorial practice and his own artistic drive.

In excerpt:
Robert Storr: As for my Biennale, there was scant substance to the criticism other than ad hominen invective. I was typecast at “the MoMA man,” even though I had walked away from MoMA, and quit a job that everyone was killing to get. I walked away from that position, and had not been at MoMA for five years when Venice opened. And despite the job I’ve had I was never the “establishment” figure people were trying to say I was. But then the thing that really bugged the shit out of them was that I did a show that others had been talking about doing but that no one had actually done. It was very international, it was political and it did offer critique of the genre.

A Look at Michael E. Smith's New Exhibition | W Magazine

In excerpt:
Underneath the main level of the SculptureCenter in Queens, New York, is a cellar gallery that is nearly raw, with exposed brick and a slight dampness to the air. It is a nontraditional space, perfect for an artist like Michael E. Smith, who makes work that doesn’t always look like art. His new exhibition, curated by Ruba Katrib, is his first solo in an American museum, and includes sculpture and a two-channel video.

Rachel Dolezal shocked the world when she was discovered to be living as a black woman even though she is biologically Caucasian. In the heat of the moment, I chose to contemplate the issue of race and the performative gesture.
In excerpt:
Just as Jenner finally emerged as Caitlyn, a truer, more honest form of self, Dolezal on the Today Show with Matt Lauer declared, “I identify as black.” Can the two be compared? They both carry a significant amount of psychological weight and controversy. In both situations neither breasts nor hairstyle choice leads to a particular form of womanhood. True identity comes from a a place deep within the self and the issues arise based on what other people see. As a whole, we might be in one of the most interesting moments of a long historical timeline: when the internal self merges with the external self and in some cases with a level of public approval.

Paul Chan, Hugo Boss Prize Winner

In excerpt:
Entering Nonprojections for New Lovers, the first thing one feels is a breeze. Its source: the large fans that are part of Tetra Gummi Phone, a new artwork made up of tubes of nylon fabric billowing out from the wall. Chan, who is known mostly for politically charged digital animations, set out to rethink the idea of projected images in preparing for this show. “I wanted to find compositions that crystallize how I feel about moving images today,” he explains.

On the occasion of the relocation of the Whitney Museum of American Art, I wrote about the inaugural exhibition, "America Is Hard To See" as well as what the new building means to New York.
In excerpt:
A vast ship docked and overlooking the Hudson River, the building is somewhat unassuming from its exterior, but once inside, its mission and purpose are quite clear; to house and exhibit works of art. There is an elegance and pride in that unspoken declaration and it is evident in the domineering strength of the architectural lines that are both eye-catching and unencumbered, allowing the artwork on view to be the beating heart, pumping fluid metaphorically through each room, giving the structure and each visitor, a purpose.

In its 56th year, the Biennale di Venezia has once again caused controversy and many opinions within the art community and beyond. Above is my take on the exhibition and how it relates to previous exhibitions along with contemporary art today.
In excerpt:
The exhibition, All The World’s Futures curated by Okwui Enwezor, presents conflicts and ultimately, proposed solutions, and brings together 136 artists from 53 countries, 89 who have been included for the first time. As with most exhibitions the theme is not (or shouldn’t be) in the written text accommodating the artworks but rather in the artworks themselves and this is where All The World’s Futures, flounders. Not only are there too many artworks and artists in the main exhibition, but rather than feel like a cohesive, fluid incarnation, instead much of the work would have looked better on its own surrounded by white rather than next to a forced neighbor whose visual intention is quite different. This being said, there are golden nuggets scattered throughout the two main venues, inclusive of several collateral events and external pavilions.

Laurie Simmons Jewish Museum / New York | Flash Art
In excerpt:
“I can see you with my eyes closed. Can you see me as clearly?” This seems to be the question posed by the figures in Laurie Simmons’s candy-colored photo portraits at the Jewish Museum. The slightly larger-than-life-size images gaze with an eerie frozen stare, looking but not really seeing at all. In fact, in each portrait the model’s eyes are closed; intricately painted replicas of eyes appear on each shut lid.

My interview with hair sculpture artist and stylist, Bob Recine in Eyes Towards the Dove.
In excerpt:
Bob Recine: People might ask, “What do you mean you’re a hairdresser? What do you mean you’re working with Bjarne?” For some strange reason people get confused but I’ve been used to that my whole life. My book, “Alchemy of Beauty” (published by Freedman|Damiani, 2012) visually describes collaborations with [artists such as] Louise Bourgeois, Vanessa Beecroft and others. It explains a lot.

My conversation with Courtney Love around her 2012 exhibition at Fred Torres Gallery, NY.
In excerpt:
Courtney Love: This one, “42 Birkin Bags”, April 2012, I made when I realized I wished I could set all Birkin bags on fire. Finally, to answer your question I started getting more Miro-y and physical with the work more recently as I started using larger paper. “Helga”, 2012, was just framed just yesterday and was made for David (LaChapelle) and is about his Mom (Helga). [As the intention gets more specific] the context can be hidden. I’ve started learning more and revisiting art school, focusing on formal qualities, kitsch and avant-garde, I started to make the work for myself and unlike a teenage diary it [the series] gets more formal in the references and hidden gestures.

Allora & Calzadilla, Fault Lines, NY
In excerpt:
There are many ways that we can define sculpture. Most people, if asked, would probably say it is made of marble, mimics the human form and stands on a pedestal. If from a time in antiquity, the sculpture might be missing an appendage, or if of the male persuasion, a penis. Throughout centuries, cultures and trends, sculpture survives and flourishes even as its form and tradition has changed. The art duo Allora & Calzadilla continue this spatial inquiry and often incorporate a person (or, in this case, two) walking the tightrope between sculpture and performance.