By Karen Bloom
NCMA's current exhibit, "Red Grooms: Ruckus in Roslyn" is a feast for the eyes. Red Grooms is an artist for whom the term "multi media" seems to have been created, Painter, sculptor, printmaker, filmmaker, and showman, Grooms has brought his unique vision to many mediums. His world view is now on display at the museum, in an exhibit of works which have never before been seen together."Grooms is an artist," according to director Constance Schwartz, "who is widely treasured for colorful large-scale three-dimensional assemblages and painted installations that reveal boundless good-natured satire and a wryly whimsical pop style that always brings smiles to the faces of viewers." In this original exhibition of Grooms' work, Schwartz and curator Franklin Hill Perrell have worked closely with the artist, his gallery, Marlborough, and private collectors to gather examples of Grooms' best-known themes, especially that of the gritty reality of New York City. These large- and small-scale works in painting and sculpture exemplify a rich range of the artist's interests including entertainment, sports, the work of other artists and, most of all, the enduring scenes and people of the streets of New York. Be sure to check out the Hot Dog Vendor, a 10-foot-high multi-figured scenario depicting a vendor under an enormous umbrella, serving up street treats to eager diners. Another highlight is The Bus, a life-size New York City bus filled with passengers inviting the viewer to hop aboard for the ride..Born in Tennessee and nicknamed Red for his carrot-colored hair and preference for red clothing, Red Grooms studied at the Chicago Art Institute but, finding it a bit too academic, traveled to Europe to study briefly with Hans Hofman. Upon his return to New York he met artists such as Jim Dine, Claes Oldenburg, George Segal and Allan Kaprow who were creating happenings that explored the intersections of art and theater. Soon Grooms, too, was performing these unstructured live performance/art events as well as creating films and experimenting in printmaking. By 1960 he had embarked on the lively, mixed-media three-dimensional works that would capture the public's imagination and bring him fame. Grooms has noted in recent interviews that he likes the word ruckus, which he often uses in titles, because "it's kind of a commotion...I like that kind of atmosphere." He became so involved in the development of this NCMA showing that the exhibition was subtitled Ruckus in Roslyn. In conjunction with the exhibition, the museum is offering many public programs that illuminate the works on view.See it this weekend, and through Sunday, Feb. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, One Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors over 62, and $4 for children 12 and under. For further information, call (516) 484-9337.
The Hofstra Museum
If you're interested in seeing the legacy of the Clinton Presidency you don't have to travel to his library in Arkansas. Hofstra University's Hofstra Museum is showcasing "A New Democrat: Remembering the Clinton Presidency" and "Clinton and New York."
The exhibition, in conjunction with the Hofstra Cultural Center's recent 11th Presidential Conference, "William Jefferson Clinton: The 'New Democrat' from Hope," includes documents, photographs, political cartoons and artifacts on loan from the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, and from various individuals.
It runs through Sunday, Jan. 15 at the David Filderman Gallery and Lowenfeld Exhibition Hall, Axinn Library, Hempstead. For further information, contact (516) 463-5672.
n n n
Islip Art Museum's latest exhibition features artists who look to the world of sports to examine attitudes toward fame, competition and winning, in "Sports Illustrated." Curated by Karen Shaw, who's own sports-inspired work is featured in the Museum's Permanent Collection Gallery, it runs through Sunday, Jan. 29.
The artists featured in the show include Benny Andrews, Ann Craven, Tory Fair, Phil Frost, Satch Hoyt, Caitlin Parker, Joao Penalva, Russell Maltz, Lance Richbourg, and Doug Wada.
The Islip Art Museum galleries are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, noon-4 p.m. It is located in Brookwood Hall, 50 Irish Lane, East Islip. For further information, contact (631) 224-5402.
