Talking shop with Frederieke Taylor Gallery

Volume One, Issue 14, Dec. 29, 2006 - Jan. 4, 2007

Chelsea Arts & Lifestyles: Fine Arts

Courtesy Frederieke Taylor Gallery

Kirsten Nelson, installation view of “Sculpture”

Talking shop with Frederieke Taylor Gallery

By Shane McAdams

I decided to interview Frederieke Taylor following a productive studio visit I had with one her artists, Kirsten Nelson, a few weeks ago. After learning from Kirsten that she had shown with Taylor, I immediately made the connection with another great exhibition I had seen there by Lisa Sigal. My association was based on art as it relates to architecture, and more specifically, Sheetrock as it relates to painting. Neither of their work is about drywall per se, but I hadn’t seen that many artists using it to comment on the disputed territory between painting and architecture. I wondered if it was merely a coincidence that they both showed at the same gallery.

This question led me to call Ms. Taylor to find out if her sensibility did involve an interest in architecture, and moreover, an interest in how architecture, sculpture, and painting intersect. These thoughts were indeed confirmed, but to a depth and breadth that I didn’t expect. As it turns out, Ms.Taylor’s architectural leanings have deep and branching roots. And in turn, these interests have propagated the aesthetic that she has been cultivating since she began in a small gallery on the corner of Grand and Wooster in Soho alongside Friedrich Petzel and Stefano Basilico.

Before getting involved in art, Ms. Taylor worked at the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies [IAUS] in New York under Peter Eisenman. At IAUS, she worked with contemporary giants such as Bernard Tschumi, Frank Gehry, and Zaha Hadid, who studied under Rem Koolhaas. This is a pedigree that obviously weighs heavily on the work she shows in her gallery. However, as she is wont to point out, architecture was her entrée into the art world, and not necessarily a destination. The work she shows has been shaped by a sophisticated mix of influences ranging from Bob Dylan to Robert Smithson.

Aside from the architecturally-minded work of Lisa Sigal and Kirsten Nelson, Taylor exhibits the prolific, baroque kitsch of Franco Mondini-Ruiz and the inventive, post-consumer sculpture of Jean Shin. More sober and reminiscent of the dematerialized aesthetic from the early ’70s, Peter Hutchinson’s diverse projects temper the visual intensity of artists like Shin and Mondini-Ruiz. But just as quickly as you try to pin Frederieke Taylor down as a gallery for smart, analytical artists, exhibitions such as last summer’s “Paradise Lost”, which focused on victims of Hurricane Katrina, keep intellectual distance in check with humanity and expressivity. Despite the architectural predilections of artists such as Hans Accola and Judith Turner, diversity and balance seem to be Taylor’s ultimate goals. And as you can see from her interests as well as the artists she shows, she succeeds on both fronts.

I spoke to Frederieke Taylor last week to find out what she has been looking at lately:

Bob Dylan at the Morgan Library (through Jan. 6)

I came to New York from Holland years ago. I was in the Village when the folk scene was gaining momentum. I never really liked Bob Dylan at the time, and even later I wasn’t a big fan of his work. But recently I realized what a great poet he is. And the show at the Morgan Library puts it all on display.

Ray Johnson at Feigen (through Jan. 6)

I knew him years ago, when art wasn’t as commercial as it is now. His show at Feigen is extraordinary and despite its being at a commercial gallery, I really appreciate any venue that gives his work the showcase that it deserves.

Fred Sandback at David Zwirner (show closed in Dec.)

Because I grew up in Holland, architecture and minimalist, geometric design is a part of my background. So if you’re a minimalist looking at how simple interventions can reorder space, Fred Sandback is good as you can get. And David Zwirner has been doing great things.

Hélène Binet, Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects, London

Zaha Hadid, Bergisel Ski Jump, Innsbruck, Austria, 1999–2002

Zaha Hadid
I knew her way back when she was studying at the Architectural Association in London. Her show last year at the Guggenheim was astounding and overdue. She’s been doing great work for decades and is finally now getting the recognition she deserves.

Kirsten Nelson
We were really happy with Kirsten’s recent exhibition “Sculpture” at the gallery. Her quiet architecturally-based work is in line with my own minimal interests. The work is really comfortable alongside Lisa Sigal’s and we’re excited about how it will develop in the future.

Hans Accola
Hans is one of our most interesting artists. His work isn’t smooth or two-dimensional — it’s more difficult. But his work is great even if it isn’t as consumer friendly as slickly painted canvases. We’re really looking forward to his next exhibition.

Scope Art Fair
I was recently at the Scope Art Fair in Miami along with most of the international art community. The whole art fair phenomenon is getting so big I wonder about the long-term stability of it. But it was a great fair for us and I met a lot of interesting people. One of my favorite artists, Wangechi Mutu, actually bought a piece from us down there. I really love artists who buy work. It demonstrates a real commitment to art and the larger community. Most artists unfortunately have to generate a collection through bartering their art, so it must be great to get to a point where you can actually collect art without having to trade.

One thing I noticed at Scope was the level of support between galleries. People have mentioned to me in the past that they thought art would be a real cut-throat industry. But it’s not at all. I think the community in the art world is as supportive as any I can imagine.

Being late instead of early

Sometimes you show an artist just a little bit before their time. I had shows with both Jin Meyerson and Anne Chu before they went on to show elsewhere and mature into the great artists they are today. The art world and the artists in it are constantly evolving, and this makes it an interesting and ongoing investigation.

Frederieke Taylor Gallery is located at 535 W. 22nd St., 6th Fl., 646-230-0992, frederieketaylorgallery.com. Email Shane McAdams at Mcadamsshane@hotmail.com