There has been a recurring event in my gallery-going life the past 12 months. It goes something like this: I see a photo in a gallery or museum from the 70s or 80s by an artist with whom I'm unfamiliar. I go to do some research on the artist, and I discover that he's on the roster of Larry Miller's gallery. It happened when I saw the work of Michael Spano at MoMA last year. It happened multiple times last November at the American show at the Biblioteque National in Paris where I saw work of Les Krims, Charles Harbutt, and Burk Uzzle as if for the first time. It happened when I was looking at a Toshio Shibata print at a Chelsea Gallery in a group show.
Of course, that's just the artists with whom I'm unfamiliar. Larry and gallery director Vicki Harris have been my guides and teachers in discovering the pleasures of Ray K. Metzker. Add to Ray K. the marvels of Helen Levitt and a picture begins to develop of a significant slice of important American post-war photography all firmly in the program of Laurence Miller Gallery.
There's an anniversary show on at the gallery through March 7th which highlights these artists and more. The show limns a gallery career few have matched. Go to see the work of great artists you know. Go to see the work of great artists you don't yet know. No gallery is perfect, and one can't run a gallery without ruffling feathers. But I can say I have happily spent long hours discovering spectacular work in the flatfiles of this gallery. I urge others to do the same.
Laurence Miller Gallery
No comments:
Post a Comment