April | 2009 | The Unknown Hipster

Pierre Bismuth at Team Gallery

Posted in Art by unknownhipster on April 27, 2009

I was in a downtown joint chewing a vegetarian burger for the first time –I’ve been running on low battery for the past 3 months, and a yoga instructor met in a bar the previous night had just advised me to cut on meat for energy saving- when Pierre Bismuth, the famous french artist, yelled at me accross the room. I ran over to his table to found out he was taking me for somebody else. Nonetheless, he invited me to his opening on the same evening at Team.

The place was packed with Art hipsters. I had to fiercely fight my way in. It was not easy, because most of the girls were very tall, and strong. My old sneakers were pierced by high heels several time until I found shelter next to a wall projection of a silent black and white film footage featuring Freud (Sigmund, not Lucian) chatting (and possibly smoking a cigar) outdoors.

Pierre's installation view

Once I had collected myself in this safe haven, I got the idea to snapshot Bismuth. Why not documenting the Art world ? I thought. How many insiders would do that better than me ? None. But Bismuth was protected by a triple raw of admirers, each of them craving to be noticed. Hey, Pierre ? He was too busy alternating small talks and no-nonsense insights on his work to even look at me. I’d realized I’d better wait for the place to clean up and went for beers at Fanelli’s. On my way back, I got intrigued by a crowd gathering in front of a building entrance, and joined another party thrown by one of those kitchen applyance top brands where I grabbed a few more glasses of this high octane red only to be found in NYC. When I finally returned to Team, there were only the most insistant types left. I might have seem a little drunk, because on the shots, Bismuth is looking back funny at me.

Pierre with anonymous Art hipster

Pierre with "Following the right hand of Louise Brooks in Beauty contest"

I’m amazed how good those snapshots are ! Hey, dude, aren’t they professionnal grade ? I wanted them to reflects on the art, but it’s the dressing style that comes out the most beautifully.

Tagged with: Freud, Pierre Bismuth, Team gallery

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“The Cultivated Life” at Partners & Spade

Posted in Art by unknownhipster on April 27, 2009

3 "Gallery Booth" paintings by Jean-Philippe Delhomme at Parners & Spade

I went to Jean-Philippe Delhomme’s opening and new book « The Cultivated Life » launch at Partners & Spade the other day. It was Fools Day, and I was expecting some kind of weird joke, but I was curious to see the guy who drew me. The place was pretty crowded, even though it was raining. Glenn O’ Brien and Gina Nanni were there, Thom Browne, Gaby from threeASFOUR, Mathias Augustiniak from M/M Paris, Spade himself. And many others. I kept shaking hands, but …nobody was paying attention to me, The Unknown Hipster ! Only one of the gallery assistant had a smile when I told her my name. Even Delhomme nodded back in distract when I greeted him. Was it for what I had dragged myself out my pad ? Instead of comfortably listening to one of my favorite poetry web radios ? I swore I’ll never go out again!..