The Whitney Biennial: DAY for NIGHT

ANGELA STRASSHEIM
Untitled, 2004 C-print
40 "x 30 "
courtesy Marvelli Gallery, NYC

I wish I could say that this Biennial did half as much for me as Angelina's, the tea room described in the Night and Day post made earlier this year. Valerie, a New York artist I've followed since her student days told us, "Well, you 've got to see it to hate it..."

The problem with the Biennial this year is that most of it was so forgettable I can't remember it well enough to muster up the emotion of hatred. I do remember one piece that was so bad I know it would have received an automatic F if it were turned in from any of my art or design students.

The most memorable piece was the WRONG GALLERY installtion which many museum goers missed since it could only be accessed from the permanent collection on the fifth floor of the Whitney. I loved wandering through Calder's "Circus" on the way and then also discovered an amazing Milton Avery painting of the Seine which I'd never seen before.

The Wrong Gallery consisted of an installation of art depicting evil doers and angels; titled DOWN BY LAW, something I can relate to in my own work. It includes painting, sculure, assemblage, conceptual work, etc by more than forty artists and included several artworks from the Whitney's permanent collection.

I pleasantly surprised to discover Angela Strassheim's work included in the mostly forgettable Biennial. She had a studio in the 23rd St. loft with Susann and I. I knew she was very talented, she was working on very interesting projects and then when I learned she was headed to Yale it was obvious she would have a real career. Her work was a highlight of this hodge podge collection.