Christian Awe working on the pictures for Wynwood Kitchen and Bar October 2010, photo by Bernd Borchardt II

This year, during Art Basel week at Miami Beach, NYC-based gallery – The Hole’s Kathy Grayson and Meghan Coleman – curated new sets of sculptures and murals at Wynwood walls by artists including Ryan McGinness, Ben Jones, Assume Vivid Astro Focus, Ron English and Kenny Scharf. The wall art covering the Wynwood District is becoming a refreshing alternative to the white-cube confines of more conventional gallery spaces in which art is traditionally sanctified. The labyrinths of walls at Wynwood are sponsored by Goldman Properties who benefit from the revitalization of the district, and these murals without a doubt enhance the aesthetics and property values of the flat-roofed run-down warehouses. The artworks from previous years by Shepard Fairey, Futura and Kenny Scharf have weathered well enough to become part of the Wall’s growing ‘permanent collections.’

Shepard Fairey Murals at WKB restaurant in the Wynwood District, photo by Martha Cooper

Additionally, Goldman’s restaurant on NW 2nd Avenue, Wynwood Kitchen & Bar (WKB), has been transformed from floor-to-ceiling with murals by Shepard Fairey and Christian Awe, magnifying the neighbourhood’s appeal as a watering-hole and cultural nexus for artists all year round.

Gallerist Jonathan LeVine contributed with an exhibition titled Urban Alchemists within the Wynwood complex, showing works from his stable of artists, including those by Dan Witz, Jim Houser, Doze Green, Invader, Jeff Soto, and WK. Tony Goldman and his daughter and partner Jessica Goldman Srebnick kicked off the event with more than 2000 people attending the live performances and dancing to DJ’s Andrew and Andrew. Jeff Soto painted a mural and Invader created a pixilated mosaic on one the walls of Levine’s space.

Friendswithyou, one of the exhibitors at Wynwood also created a playful field of fun inflatable displays at the Paper Mag/AOL event held in the Design District the same night with Pharrell perfoming live and Shepard Fairey attending. And Ryan McGinness later showed up at Club Madonna, a strip club, where he airbrushed and painted nude dancers during a night of rather dubious artistic events.

Ron English at Wynwood Walls by Martha Cooper

Stuck-Up sticker wall at Wynwood Walls Miami 2010. Photo: Martha Cooper

Stuck-Up sticker wall after opening night. Photo: Dale Posner

True Self: A Group Exhibition Curated by Gary Baseman

Saturday marked the opening of Gary Baseman’s newest oeuvre, True Self, at Manhattan’s Jonathan LeVine Gallery. The group exhibition brings together the work of 40 artists, including Baseman, Ron English, Boris Hoppek, Eric White, Mark Todd, and others. Baseman left the theme open to encourage individual interpretation and there are no size or medium restrictions, so that each participating artist has complete creative freedom on the subject at hand.

"Temptation" by Gary Baseman

In his own words, Baseman elaborates: “In this exhibition, I have invited a group of painters, photographers, and sculptors, to look deep inside themselves and create an image that they feel represents their own passion or obsession. They might imagine themselves as anyone or anything—a wolf, a cupcake, a mermaid, even a skyscraper. I am requesting each artist to create an artwork that represents his or her true self. I am not asking for (nor do I want) a self-portrait. Rather, I’m requesting that the participating artists pick an icon, metaphor, or symbol that they feel represents their true essence. The desired result is a breaking of boundaries to allow a space and time where we can discover, accept, and love our true selves, feeling nirvana and heaven on earth.”

"Good Grin" by Ron English

Sharing the LeVine Gallery space is Make Room For The Emptiness, a solo exhibition of new works by Philadelphia artist, Jim Houser. Consisting of paintings, sculptures, and a musical score to accompany the exhibition, this is Houser’s third solo show at the gallery.

Make Room For The Emptiness marks a subtle departure in style and sophistication for Houser, resulting in a cleaner, simpler, more mature approach to his installation. For the past several years, his work has been heavily influenced by intense physical and emotional pain due to a congenital health problem and grief suffered from personal tragedy. Honoring the memory of his late wife, while also suffering from health issues, Houser’s work has often been a practice in cathartic meditation, driven by memory and mourning.

"Doses" by Jim Houser

Shepard Fairey says of Houser’s work: “When I think of Jim houser and his art, I’m alway struck by the bond he consistently forges with his audience, the way every work of his shows me a piece of myself while at the same time reflecting his own catharsis. Jim’s paintings and installations span the entire spectrum of human emotion, but he never seems to pass judgment, leaving the bias up to the viewer’s discretion. Being Jim’s friend is synonymous with being a collector of his art – no one is more generous when it comes to requiting the admiration he gets from the people around him. The pieces in my collection all stand out individually, but there’s something about the gestalt of his installations, the way that each compartment melds seamlessly into the integrated whole, that creates an atmosphere of a bigger picture. Maybe that’s just my interpretation of it.”

"The Hit Taker" by Jim Houser

Both shows are running through November 21st.