Personism

Paired: Bechtle + Ferlinghetti

Texas and 20th Intersection by Robert Bechtle | Color Soft Ground Etching With Aquatint

The changing light
         at San Francisco
    is none of your East Coast light
        none of your
              pearly light of Paris
The light of San Francisco
            is a sea light
                    an island light
And the light of fog
          blanketing the hills
     drifting in at night
           through the Golden Gate
                    to lie on the city at dawn
And then the halcyon late mornings
    after the fog burns off
      and the sun paints white houses
                  with the sea light of Greece
         with sharp clean shadows	
            making the town look like
                it had just been painted

But the wind comes up at four o'clock

                   sweeping the hills

And then the veil of light of early evening

And then another scrim

         when the new night fog

                    floats in

And in that vale of light

           the city drifts

                  anchorless upon the ocean

— Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Paired: Penelope Umbrico + Mark Strand

Suns from Flickr by Penelope Umbrico

Luminism

And though it was brief, and slight, and nothing
To have been held onto so long, I remember it,
As if it had come from within, one of the scenes
The mind sets for itself, night after night, only
To part from, quickly and without warning. Sunlight
Flooded the valley floor and blazed on the town’s
Westward facing windows. The streets shimmered like rivers,
And trees, bushes, and clouds were caught in the spill,
And nothing was spared, not the couch we sat on,
Nor the rugs, nor our friends, staring off into space.
Everything drowned in the golden fire. Then Philip
Put down his glass and said: “This hand is just one
In an infinite series of hands. Imagine.”
And that was it. The evening dimmed and darkened
Until the western rim of the sky took on
The purple look of a bruise, and everyone stood
And said what a great sunset it had been. This was a while ago,
And it was remarkable, but something else happened then—
A cry, almost beyond our hearing, rose and rose,
As if across time, to touch us as nothing else would,
And so lightly we might live out our lives and not know.
I had no idea what it meant until now.

—Mark Strand

Paired: Alexander Beeching + Robert Frost

The Constellation of the Elephant, a 20x200 edition by Alexander Beeching

On Looking Up by Chance at the Constellations

You'll wait a long, long time for anything much
To happen in heaven beyond the floats of cloud
And the Northern Lights that run like tingling nerves.
The sun and moon get crossed, but they never touch,
Nor strike out fire from each other nor crash out loud.
The planets seem to interfere in their curves
But nothing ever happens, no harm is done.
We may as well go patiently on with our life,
And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and sun
For the shocks and changes we need to keep us sane.
It is true the longest drouth will end in rain,
The longest peace in China will end in strife.
Still it wouldn't reward the watcher to stay awake
In hopes of seeing the calm of heaven break
On his particular time and personal sight.
That calm seems certainly safe to last to-night.

— Robert Frost

Paired: Gefeller + Hopkins

Untitled (Leaves) by Andreas Gefeller

Spring and Fall: To a young child

Margaret, are you grieving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
Leaves, like the things of man, you
With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?
Ah! as the heart grows older
It will come to such sights colder
By and by, nor spare a sigh
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;
And yet you will weep and know why.
Now no matter, child, the name:
Sorrow's springs are the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What heart heard of, ghost guessed:
It is the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for.

— Gerard Manley Hopkins

Sparkling Conversation: Sarah McKenzie + Eva Hagberg @ JBG

Construction 6 by Sarah McKenzie

Join us for mimosas, pastries and sparkling conversation @ Jen Bekman Gallery this Saturday, March 7, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. — before the fairs!

Painter Sarah McKenzie and Eva Hagberg, editor of the architecture and design blog Edificial, will discuss McKenzie's practice, influences, and current exhibition, Building Code, on view through April 4, 2009.

Read Eva's recent interview with Sarah here.

After the talk, we'll send you off with a complimentary PULSE day pass. Head over to Booth I-12 at PULSE — opening at noon on Saturday — to see Beth Dow's platinum palladium prints from her series, Fieldwork.

Artist Talk with Sarah McKenzie + Eva Hagberg, Saturday, March 7, 2009, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m at:

Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
Between Elizabeth + Bowery

Space and complimentary PULSE day passes are limited, please RSVP to: info@jenbekman.com

Jen Bekman Gallery @ PULSE New York, Booth I-12

Seven Stumps by Beth Dow

Jen Bekman Gallery is exhibiting at the PULSE Contemporary Art Fair, Thursday, March 5 - Sunday, March 8, 2009. Please join us!

PULSE New York — Booth I-12
Pier 40 (353 West Street @ West Houston)

On view:
Beth Dow's critically acclaimed series, Fieldwork.

Additional featured artists:
Ian Baguskas, Mara Bodis Wollner, Christian Chaize, Gregory Krum, Holly Lynton, Carrie Marill, Brad Moore, Hosang Park, Jason Polan, Kent Rogowski, and Carlo Van de Roer

Left to right: Ian Baguskas, Carrie Marill, Brad Moore, Gregory Krum