Meditations in an Emergency: Opening Reception Tomorrow (Tuesday)
Video Still from Sunday in the Country with Larry Rivers by John Glassie
It’s not that I’m curious. On the contrary, I am bored but it’s my duty to be attentive, I am needed by things as the sky must be above the earth. And lately, so great has their anxiety become, I can spare myself little sleep.
— Frank O’Hara, Meditations in an Emergency
NEW YORK, NY — jen bekman is pleased to present Meditations in an Emergency, a group exhibition of work in various mediums inspired by and interpreting Frank O’Hara’s poem of the same name. The exhibition will be on view from June 20 – August 4, 2006, at jen bekman, located at 6 Spring Street, between Elizabeth and Bowery, New York, 10012.
Jen Bekman will host an opening reception for the artists, all represented by the gallery, on Tuesday, June 20, from 6:00 – 8:00pm at the gallery.
From salad days at the Museum of Modern Art’s front desk to curating exhibitions and writing criticism later in life, Frank O’Hara (1926 – 1966) was a controversial figure in his time as today for both the content of his work and his refusal to draw formal distinctions between mediums. O’Hara was a pivotal figure during the particularly vibrant and creative era of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s; he was a prominent poet of the New York School and collaborated with many of the leading New York School painters as well. O’Hara’s synergetic spirit carried across media and genre and impacted a number of artistic realms.
Gallery director Jen Bekman originally planned on curating an exhibition of art interpreting Lunch Poems, probably O’Hara’s best-known collection, but ultimately decided that Meditations in an Emergency was most meaningful given the current political climate. Says Bekman, “The tenor of our culture now is that we’re in a constant state of panic and alarm and I like the idea of art and creativity providing calm in chaos or helping us to maintain composure in an unsteady moment. During the curatorial process I’ve really enjoyed the dialogue with each artist; seeing which part of the poem each artist responds to is fascinating. And of course there’s my obsession with O’Hara and the fact that he’s been a source of inspiration to me since my poetry-writing college days.”
Participating artists include Agnes Barley, Mara Bodis-Wollner, Christine Callahan, Christine Collins, Benjamin Donaldson, John Glassie, Anne Hall, Addie Juell, Holly Lynton, Dana Miller, Katie Murray, Leon Reid, Eliot Shepard, Tema Stauffer and Jeffrey Teuton.
Meditations in an Emergency at jen bekman, 6 Spring Street.
Hours: Wednesday, Friday & Saturday, noon – 6pm and Thursday noon – 8pm, or by private appointment.
June 19th, 2006 at 4:45 pm
[...] The ever-generous Jen Bekman has been kind enough to ask me to participate in her latest group show, the theme of which is reaction and interpretation to the Frank O’Hara poem “Meditations in an Emergency“. [...]
July 7th, 2006 at 6:14 pm
I have spent the last half hour trying to just find the images to your latest show and keep getting directed everywhere but to the work, why does it have to be so hard, I am web savvy and your site I go on all the time but for the life of me I cannot find the images for this latest show you have, I have seen everything but.
Please tell me how this can be?
H.
July 31st, 2006 at 8:28 pm
[...] Remember that Tema also has some work shown right now in “Meditations in an Emergency“. So be sure to check it because Friday will be your last day to see the exhibition. [...]
August 18th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
[...] Leon was a part of the recent Meditations in an Emergency exhibition and also a solo show last Fall “We’re On It”, which debuted his street art with partner Brad Downey. He is one of New York’s most prolific young artists and have been noticed and appreciated by New York Times. [...]
November 7th, 2006 at 11:31 am
[...] I didn’t have to suffer long though. A few months later, during the chaos of installing Meditations in an Emergency at the gallery, a junkie swiped my phone off the front table. (I am steps from the the Bowery after all.) I caught him red-handed, but he slipped the (basically worthless) phone down his pants, and as you can imagine, I was disinclined to go hunting for it. [...]
December 19th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
Ive seen some of her work and I must admit it’s pretty good. I haven’t been purchasing art often because it’s expensive and trendy. Though I don’t purchase it I do partake in it in various forms and appreciate mos tof it.
Thanks for the blog. I enjoyed reading it. Also heard Jen was getting a bit of media attention as well. Good for her.
Bob
Don Lapre Is Cool
bob@tylermorgan.net
January 30th, 2007 at 10:23 am
[...] I’m a person who gets excited about poetry. As revealed yesterday, I majored in creative writing with a poetry concentration in school, practical woman that I am. I’ve been nuts for Frank O’Hara for years. I carry Lunch Poems around with me more often than not, I organized a group exhibition based upon his poem Meditations in an Emergency and of course I named this here blog after his faux manifesto Personism. [...]