Review: Andreas Gursky Reception @ Gagosian Gallery
John Waters, photo by Reserve Result (shot with Polaroid 210 Land Camera with Fuji Film)
You would not believe who all was at last night’s opening reception for renown, German visual artist Andreas Gursky. John Waters, Diane von Furstenburg, Vera Wang, Harvey Weinstein, Adrien Brody, Brian Grazer, Molly Shannon – and a whole list of heavy-hitters in town for Gursky’s second-ever Los Angeles exhibit (the last one being over ten years ago). The newly expanded Gagosian Gallery and all its shiny guests celebrated Gursky & his hypnotizing photographs in a decidedly grand, Gagosian-style. Chic spaces were filled with chic people taking in all the art & conversation (and drinks) we love so much. See more after the jump…
As expected, it was a full house last night at the opening reception for the widely-admired Andreas Gursky. Walking into the the Gagosian Gallery, I felt like I was walking into a bright, white thing of beauty. Clean lines, high ceilings, echoing conversations & the glossy feel you expect from its Beverly Hills surroundings. Sterile, but in a calming (and not creepy) way – you can still smell that hint of fresh paint. The gallery just recently expanded after acquiring the space next door & conveniently making room for Gursky’s epic, large-format prints. Both the shiny, new space & enormous photographs were subject of much admiration from the well-heeled crowd that circulated among the four galleries.
Diane von Furstenburg via Reserve Result
In the first room, guests mingled & drank, while admiring some prints from Gursky’s personal collection (translating to “not for sale”). The second (and newest) room featured the highlight of the exhibition – Gursky’s Ocean series, which takes objective, scientifically-purposed data (satellite Earth images) and melds them into Gursky’s artistic & expressive point of view. At first, I found myself staring into abstractions. But there’s something to be said about large-format photography and the large impact it makes. It causes you to look closer. Pictures that might be called “interesting” or “pretty” on the screen before you…are, in person, absolutely stunning. The giant, quality prints dwarfed me–and details led me to obsessively identify those darky, inky oceans; the tip of Patagonia stretching toward Antarctica’s icy cap, etc.
Vera Wang via Reserve Result
And then there were the famous faces. We know we have them in spades here in Los Angeles. Everywhere you go, you bump into one. It’s not such a big deal. But I have to admit…I was star-struck last night. Too much genius under one roof. Power producers like Weinstein & Grazer? Fashion legends like DVF & Vera herself?! I DIE. All named (& probably unnamed) figures are in town, anxiously awaiting Sunday’s Oscar extravaganza. Of course, Andreas Gursky himself was also in attendance (startlingly more handsome than I had imagined).
In the rear gallery, Jan Schmidt-Garre’s documentary film Andreas Gursky: Long Shot Close Up (2009) was shown with English subtitles. The film offers a peek into Gursky’s creative & technical process, interviewing the artist & those around him. In it, you see how Gursky works–how studied & precise he is and how he (too) wrestles between analog versus digital photos. His gorgeous new & old work in on display now. I strongly recommend you see them.
*The exhibit will be on view now until May 1, 2010 at the Gagosian Gallery of Beverly Hills is located at 456 North Camden Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Gallery hours are from Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5:30pm. For more information, please check out the website.
Check out more images – all credited to our friend @ Reserve Result
