Prince William's Betrothal, Peetie the Bird + Luzzo's Food for Italians

ART - Now Showing:

Jennifer Rubell and HRH
at Stehpen Friedman, London!

Kelly Crow reports that during artist Jennifer Rubell's opening at London's Stephen Friedman Gallery, Bianca Jagger splashed a glassful of red wine across one of the artist's $25,000 blank canvases with a protruding whisky spigot. Auctioneer Simon de Pury saw Ms. Jagger's gesture and threw his red wine on another, so did designer Marc Newson. Ms. Rubell, watching nearby, encouraged the interaction and audience participation. It is a reason she is one of the art world's new favorites. (She is also the daughter of major Miami collectors Don and Mera Rubell - see the Feb 3. issue of ARTSnFOOD ie: Rubell Family Collection.) 

Her show, titled "Engagement", is about the mania surrounding England's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton. The show's main work is a lifelike wax figure of the prince modeled to match the pose he assumed during last month's televised announcement of his engagement. The artwork is made so people can step into the place where Ms. Middleton would be and slip their ring finger into a oversized, faux sapphire-and-diamond ring which Ms. Rubell has stitched onto the "prince's" sleeve. The effect is equal parts satire and awkward Madame Tussaud near-miss likeness of Prince William. Women and children have done most of the mugging alongside the prince, but every once in a while a man slips on the ring. One male poser, made for an unusual couple, he was an octogenarian in a pin-striped suit. This work, also titled "Engagement" is priced at $125,000.

Rubell is known for creating clever installations that always invite participation. Last year at a Brooklyn Museum gala, she carved a series of cheese sculptures of her own head and suspended them underneath heated lamps so they would melt onto a huge pile of crackers on the floor below. Gala guests ate it up! (The "Engagement" exhibition runs through March 5, 2011 25-28 at Stephen Friedman Gallery, Old Burlington Street, London W1S 3AN  T: +44 (0) 20 7494 1434)

. http://www.stephenfriedman.com/  (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Quakes stops New Zealand's "Scape" Biennial again!

Feb. 24, 2011 breaking news: "Due to the extraordinary circumstances of the recent earthquake, SCAPE will not be going ahead as planned 4 March – 17 April. The SCAPE Team of staff and trustees, and their families, are safe and have been able to get to a secure place. Our thoughts are with our friends and neighbours who have suffered loss at the hands of this tragedy." 

The New Zealand city of Christchurch has been struck by a second major earthquake in five months. The 6.3-magnitude quake, which struck at lunchtime on February 22 caused at least 118 fatalities, with many more people unaccounted for and widespread destruction. This second disaster comes just two weeks before the rescheduled opening of the public art biennial “Scape”, which was postponed last September until March 2011, after the first earthquake. No new plans for the Biennial have been considered at this time. (source: The Art Newspaper & SCAPE)

NOW SHOWING
At the Whitney:

"Singular Vision"

12 Rooms with only 12 Works of Art

Paul Chan - Digital animated projection dealing with the World Trade Center tragedy among other concepts.

This exhibition features only twelve works, each in its own room. The works will change every three months for a year. This luxury of space is a curatorial experiment to focus on only one work of art at a time. I have seen a tremendous amount of art in galleries and museums, most art gets only a few seconds of my time as I stroll past. When I stop and study a work, it is truly fascinating. This exhibit forces everyone to look. "The Wait" by Keinholz, "Tenrife" by Grosvenor, "Walk, Don't Walk" by Segal and Paul Chan's projection all take time to check out and deserved a room of their own. If a piece is less than stellar, this presentation technique seems to emphasize that fact, also. 

George Segal's 

 "Walk, Don't Walk"

A highlight of the 12 pieces is "Peetie the parakeet", blue and chirpy and part of Edward Keinholz’s The Wait, an installation from 1964–65. The installation is the figure of an elderly woman, constructed from cow bones, siting atop an upholstered chair with a very dead taxidermied cat in her lap. Dusty, nostalgic and colorless relics surround her. The bright blue and yellow Peetie is constantly in motion and the only sign of life, his cage is next to the elderly woman's chair.

Peetie will be given to the most appropriate applicant when the installation is put back into storage. The following artists are included in this installment of Singular Visions: Jonathan Borofsky, AA Bronson, Paul Chan, Sarah Charlesworth, Robert Grosvenor, Eva Hesse, Edward Kienholz, Ree Morton, Georgia O’Keeffe, George Segal, Gary Simmons, and Tom Wesselmann.

The Whitney is currently building a new Museum structure in New York's Chelsea Arts District and I have been told they will lease their upside-down, stepped Marcel Breuer masterpiece of architecture to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for its contemporary art annex. I hope this does happen, the Whitney building on Madison is starting to feel neglected. Currently there is no gift shop, no restaurant - just coffee service and something about the spirit of the building is missing. The administration's attention has already shifted to the new Chelsea venue. The Whitney is one of my favorite museums, I am looking forward to seeing the exciting things to come at the new Whitney. The current/old Whitney will be missed also, it was an exciting venue for new American Art in the heart of New York's Museum Mile.

Josh Owen's Time Lapse of NYC

NYC - Mindrelic Timelapse from Mindrelic on Vimeo.

FOOD

Where do native Italians

eat in NYC?

Italian foods (pizza and great pasta dishes) are probably the most popular type of food sold in hundreds of restaurants in New York City, but where do people, who are from Italy, go when they want to eat Italian food? Many choose Luzzo's Restaurant on 1st Avenue at 13th Street. This small store front was a 100-year-old bakery which had a coal burning oven. Since there is a moratorium in NYC on any new coal burning ovens, Luzzo's bought the bakery, inheriting the "grandfathered-in" coal burning oven, for their Neapolitan style pizzas.

"Each patch of mozzarella 

is like a fallen cloud

from Heaven."

The pizza is prepared with fresh ingredients from Naples following traditional recipes handed down for generations. Great Neapolitan pizzaiolos (pizza makers) always cook with love and passion. At Luzzo's you might be fooled into thinking you're actually in Italy when you will hear Italian customers speaking their native language. Even if you have never met anyone who speaks Italian, this restaurant is one of those off-the-beaten-path jewels you will love finding in Manhattan. 

Reservations are recommended, often it is very crowded. Luzzo's is casual, family and kid-friendly, open late, accepts credit cards, offers take out, (the plaster walls, gregarious crowd, TV, music and servers make it) noisy, the spaces are tight with just enough room to squeeze past to your table and sometimes the service is as unpredictable as the Italian train system. They offer excellent wine by the glass and fabulous, authentic Italian food. Because of all of the above, people from Italy LOVE this place! 

Luzzo's 100-year-old Coal Fired Pizza Oven.

Luzzo's Restaurant

211 1st Avenue, 

(Btwn 12th & 13th St)

New York, NY 10003

(212) 473-7447 

Neighborhood: East Village

Tue-Sun, noon-11pm; Mon, 5pm-11pm

www.luzzosnyc.com

LUZZO'S  MENU:

SFIZI E ANTIPASTI

OLIVE MARINATE Marinated Olives $7

FRITTO DI CALAMRI Fried Calamari $10

PATATA A MODO NOSTRO Potatoes Gratin with Mozzarella Ham and Truffle paté $10

CARCIOFI GRATINATI Artichokes Gratin $10

PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE Eggplant Parmigiana $10

ARANCINI DI CARNE Rice balls stuffed with Meat Ragú (4 pieces) $9

CARPACCIO DI BRESAOLA Carpaccio in lemon dressing $11

POLPETTINE Meatballs in tomato sauce $10

BUFALA E PROSCIUTTO Mozzarella di Bufala with Prosciutto di parma $11

MOZZARELLA PIZZAIOLA Mozzarella di Bufala, tomato sauce and basil $9

INSALATA DI POLIPO Marinated Octopus salad $12

PANZAROTTI NAPOLETANI Fried potato croquet (4 pieces) $9

SALUMI MISTI Mix of Imported Cold Cuts $14

FRITTO NAPOLETANO Mix Fried Neapolitan specialties $20

BRUSCHETTE

TRADITIONALE Marinated cherry tomatoes $7

ROMANA Speck and Goat cheese $7

CALABRESE Spicy salame and smoked Mozzarella $7

ZUPPE

MINESTRONE Vegetable soup $7

ZUPPA DI FAGIOLI Neapolitan Beans Soup $7

ZUPPA DEL GIORNO Soup of the day $MP

INSALATE

CARPESE Mozzarella di Bufala and Tomatoes $11

RUCOLA Arugola, Apples and shaved Parmigiano Cheese $9

CESARE Classic ceasar salad $8

MISTA Mix Green salad and Cherry tomatoes in balsamic dressing $8

AMALFI Arugola, Walnuts, Cherry Tomatoes and Goat Cheese in balsamic dressing $10

MEDITERRANEA Italian Tuna, Green Olives, Beans and cherry tomato $11

INDIVIA Endive, Gorgonzola, Pear and Walnuts in lemon dressing $12

Le Paste

GNOCCHI ALL SORRENTINA Homemade Pasta with Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato sauce $15

BUCATINI PESTO E GAMBERI Pasta with Shrimp and Pesto sauce $15

SPAGHETTI GORGONZOLA E RUGHETTA Pasta with Proscuito, Gorgonzola and Arugola $16

PAPPARDELLE SPECK E PORCINI Homemade Pasta with Speck, Prcini Mushroom and Truffle Oil $18

PACCHERI AL RAGU NAPOLETANO Pasta with Italian Sausage, Baby Ribs and Meatballs in tomato sauce $16

LASAGNA DI CARNE Traditional Meat Lasagna $14

TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE Homemade Pasta with Bolognese sauce $15

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA Spaghetti with Eggs, Pancetta and Parmigiano cheese $15

RIGATONI ALLA NORMA Pasta with Eggplant and Ricotta cheese in Tomato sauce $15

Le Pizza       Pie sizes: 12 inches / 16 inches

1. BUFALA Tomato sauce, bufala mozzarella, basil $17 / $21

2. NAPOLETANA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, anchovies, basil $18 / $23

3. CAMPANA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, cherry tomato, shaved parmigiano, basil $15 / $23

4. FUNGHI Tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, basil $18 / $23

5. ARUGOLA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, proscuito, shaved parmigiano, arugola $20 / $25

6. SALSICCIA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, sausage, basil $18 / $23

7. TARTUFATA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, truffle, pâté, basil $18 / $23

8. CALZONE Tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, mushrooms, spicy salami, ham, basil $19 / $24

9. DIAVOLA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy salami, basil $18 / $23

10. 4 STAGIONI Tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, ham, olives, artichokes, basil $19 / $24

11. BRUTTA MA BUONA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, sausage, olives, basil $19 / $24

12. MARTHA Mozzarella, prosciutto, truffle pâté, basil (no tomato sauce) $20 / $25

13. PICCANTE Tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, git cherry pepper, basil $20 / $25

14. 4 FORMAGGI Mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta, parmigiano, basil (no tomatoe sauce) $19 / $24

15. ORTOLANA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, basil $19 / $24

16. MICHELE Mozzarella, prosciutto, funghi and truffle pâté (no tomato sauce) $19 / $24

17. SALSICCIA E BROCCOLI Mozzarella, sausage, broccoli rabe, basilco (no tomato sauce) $18 / $23

18. SPECK Tomato sauce, mozzarella, speck, shaved, parmigiano, balsamic basil $20 / $25

19. EST Tomato sauce, mozzarella ricotta, spicy salame and basil $18 / $23

20. AGLIETTA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmigiano, roasted garlic and basil $18 / $22

La Quadrata

Old Fashion SQUARE PIZZA with choice of buffala or marinara (tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, basil) $17 / $22

'A Frusta

QUARTIERI Mozzarella, salsccia e broccoli rabe $15 / $21

SCAMPIA Mozzarella, ham, funghi $15 / $21

VIA ROMA Eggplant Parmigiana $15 / $21

Pizza Cono

CONO ANDRES Mozzarella, Mixed Green Olives, Cherry Tomatoes $11

CONO LUZZO Mozzarella, prosciutto, arugola, shaved parmigiano $11

Pizza Fritta

FRIED PIZZA stuffed with Mozzarella, Ricotta Cheese, Tomato Sauce, Ham and Black Pepper $17

Until later,

Jack

© ARTS&FOOD,(ARTSnFOOD.blogspot.com) All rights reserved, © Copyright Jack A. Atkinson 2011 Under All International, Digital, Intellectual Property and Copyright Laws. Images © Copyright individual Creators, Lenders or Fabricators.