FLAG Art Foundation's June 2012 Show: Tara Donovan, Lynda Benglis, Kiki Smith & Other Great Artists Featured + Fly-Over Food You May Have Missed

Tara Donovan's "FOG" is made from clear drinking straws stacked together. When seeing the work, it is hard to know whether you are looking at a solid, a liquid or a cloud - your eyes simply cannot focus on it, when viewed straight on.

ART

The FLAG Art Foundation
shows works from a different perspective!

 A Lynda Benglis work.

The FLAG Art Foundation's "Watch Your Step" show is a group exhibition of floor and wall works which include art by: Tara Donovan, Polly Apfelbaum, Lynda Benglis, Patricia Cronin, Steven & William Ladd, Richard Long, Michael Phelan, Kiki Smith, Julianne Swartz, Richard Serra, and Corban Walker among others.

Tara Donovan's "FOG" viewed from the side. 

Clear drinking straws, stacked together, create the wall art FOG, by Tara Donovan.

“Watch Your Step” examines the relationship between the artwork, the surfaces of the room (floor or walls) and the viewer. The question asked is, "How does this different point of view, change the art viewing experience? A work of art on the floor shifts one’s perspective from eye-level to ground level. Many works emanate directly from the floor, so "watch-your-step" is a very appropriate warning, while other works use the space between ground and wall, and still other work are attached to the wall surface. These all increased the viewer's perception of each horizontal plane with-in the architecture of the gallery. 

The FLAG Art Foundation defines itself as an exhibition space for contemporary art, made up of three to five professionally-curated shows per year. Each exhibition consists of works by established and emerging international artists.  The gallery is located on the 9th and 10th floors of the Chelsea Arts Tower, located in the heart of New York’s contemporary art district on 25th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues.

Carved Marble, wall & floor work.

Carved Marble, wall & floor work.

FLAG's objective is to encourage the appreciation of contemporary art among a diverse audience and provide a unique educational environment in which visitors can view, contemplate, and engage in active dialogue with artworks. Curators select and borrow from a variety of sources to include a wide range of work for each exhibition. FLAG is also a resource designed to facilitate loans of contemporary artworks from private collectors to museums around the world.

Kiki Smith's "Woman"

The FLAG Art Foundation Gallery
545 WEST 25TH STREET, 9TH FLOOR

NEW YORK, NY 10001

For more information:
email: info@flagartfoundation.org

phone: (212)-206-0220
(photos taken with permission by Jack A. Atkinson © Copyright 2012)

FOOD

Grinnell, Iowa's Frontier Restaurant: 
Jacket Potato with Vegetable Stir-Fry

The dish is exactly what the name says, a baked potato smothered with a veggie stir-fry! Mmmmmm it was vegan heaven! 

I dined on this beautiful and fortifying stir-fry combo, while on a road trip across the US, this past week when I stopped at the Frontier Restaurant in Grinnell, Iowa.

The small town of Grinnell is also the home to one of America's best liberal arts colleges, Grinnell College. (Grinnell, the school, is often ranked in the top 10 of private colleges in the US and recently was tied in the rankings with Smith College.) There is no doubt about it, this place is literally in the-middle-of-nowhere! There is no trace of a large cultural center anywhere close-by, only corn fields for miles in every direction. One of the t-shirts promoting the school, features the slogan "Where in the hell is Grinnell?"

Designed and built by Louis Sullivan, c 1914,
this bank building now serves as Grinnell's Chamber of Commerce
and is located in the historic downtown of Grinnell, IA.

The small town of Grinnell has been progressive and note worthy for some time, with a downtown bank designed by famed Chicago Architect, Louis Sullivan.
(More details about this jewel-like building, in a later issue.)

Recipe:

Jacket Potato Smothered
with Veggie Stir-Fry

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons vegetable broth

2 tablespoons Mirin sweet rice seasoning

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 pound broccoli cut down to about 1/2 inch flowerettes

1/2 pound carrots, cut into a 1/2 inch dice

1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, cut into a 1/2 inch dice

1/2 pound Napa cabbage, cut into a 1/2 inch dice (about 4 cups)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 scallions, sliced into a 1/2 inch pieces

4 russet potatoes with skin on

PREPARATION

Potatoes:

Clean 4 russet potatoes, the poke the skin several times on all sides with a fork to vent the  steam, wrap individually in a paper towel. Microwave for 8 minutes on high, check for doneness by pressing the skin for softness, if needed cook 2 more minutes or until perfectly baked. Leave in the paper towel until ready to serve, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving.

Stir-Fry:

In a small bowl stir together vegetable broth, mirin and teriyaki sauces with the soy sauce until smooth. Set aside.

Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add vegetable and sesame oil and heat until it just begins to smoke. Stir-fry carrots for 3 minutes, add broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender. Add broth mixture to vegetables. Stir-fry vegetables an additional 2 minutes, tossing to mix well. Add scallions and stir to combine. 

Potatoes should be cut both length-wise and across, then flared open.

Serve the stir-fry immediately after cooking, liberally over the baked potatoes.

Serves 4

(Source for recipe was heavily adjusted from several sources including: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vegetable-Stir-Fry-104171#ixzz1z1lexTOs )

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication about the pleasures that the Arts & Food bring to our lives. All rights reserved. Concept & Original Text © Copyright 2012 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. Images © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

ARTISTSwanted.org Occupies Times Square + Paris Bistro Sandwich: Croque Madame

Title: "Jasmine/Never Sorry (for Ai Wei-wei)" Photography by Vicki DaSilva

ART

An event to promote an online art site makes it to a "BIG Screen" in Times Square.

Thirty-five-thousands artists, from all over the globe, submitted art for a shot at having it displayed the evening of June 18, 2012 on a 23 story tall electronic billboard in Times Square in New York. (7pm – 11pm EDST | Broadway between 42nd St & 44th St. New York City, NY, USA) 

The selections were made via online voting. A live webcast of Times Square will allow anyone, anywhere to view the event, virtually: http://www.see.me/june18th/

The Grand Prize Winner is Vicki DaSilva, a substitute teacher in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

See some of her beautiful light works at her website: 

www.vickidasilva.com 

Vicki DaSilva's "Light Paintings" are captured via still photography.

Category Winners: 

Phillip Stearns of New York, USA (Tumblr Pick) 

Lorella Paleni of New York, USA 

(Cut&Paste Pick)  

Rossella Vanon of London, UK

 (Early Entry Award)

David Schlaich of USA 

(Collector’s Award) 

Runner-ups:  

Richelle Gribble of Los Angeles, USA 

Kathy Goodell of New York, USA

CS-Navarrete of Los Angeles, USA

Kris Kuksi of Kansas, USA

Alvaro Montagna of New York, USA

Wai Ng of New York, USA

Margaret Noble of San Francisco, USA!

Benoit Paille of Montreal, Canada 

Kevin Kearns of New York, USA

Kate Shaw of Melbourne, Australia

Lindsey Thoeng of New York, USA 

(Source: Information and photos from the Artists Wanted website. Images © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees. Find out more about Artists Wanted at 

www.artistswanted.org ) 

FOOD

Croque Madame

Broiled Ham and Cheese Sandwich with an Egg on Top!

This classic French bistro sandwich, sans the egg, is called Croque Monsieur.

The dish takes its name from the French word croquer, which mean "to crackle and crunch" in other words "the noises made while cooking, cutting and eating" this delight made with crusty bread.

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

3 tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

12 oz. Gruyère, grated

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

12 ¾"-thick slices pain de mie or Pullman bread, toasted

6 tbsp. Dijon mustard

12 thin slices baked ham

2 tbsp. canola oil

6 eggs

Heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 6–8 minutes. Add ½ cup grated Gruyère and the Parmesan, and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Heat broiler to high. Place 6 slices bread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and spread 1 tbsp. mustard over each. Top with 2 slices ham and remaining Gruyère. Broil until cheese begins to melt, 1–2 minutes. Top with remaining bread slices, then pour a generous amount of béchamel on top of each sandwich. Broil until cheese sauce is bubbling and evenly browned, about 3–4 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Place an egg on top of each sandwich, and serve hot.

Serves 6

(Source: Saveur Magazine Issue #137 )

A microwave version

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 8 eggs
• 4 slices French bread, toasted
• 6 oz. sliced smoked ham
• 1 Tbs. sliced fresh chives

Microwave Directions:

Lightly spray a microwavable plate with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano in an even layer on the plate, forming a 6-inch circle. Microwave at 100% power for 1 minute and 40 seconds. Remove the plate from the microwave. Using a small offset spatula and working around the edges, gently remove the tuile from the plate and transfer to a paper towel to cool.

To make the Mornay sauce, place the 2 Tbs. butter in a 1-quart microwavable glass container about 3 inches high and 7 inches in diameter. Microwave at 100% power until the butter is completely melted, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the flour until fully incorporated. Add the milk and, using an immersion blender, blend for about 20 seconds. Add the Gruyère, salt and nutmeg. Cover the container loosely with plastic wrap and microwave at 100% power for 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from the microwave, uncover and, using the immersion blender, blend until the sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.

Have ready either 4 eight-oz. ceramic ramekins or 4 microwavable coffee mugs about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Place 1/4 tsp. butter in each of 2 ramekins and microwave at 100% power until the butter is melted, about 30 seconds. Crack 1 egg into each of the 2 ramekins, cover loosely with plastic wrap and place each ramekin on the edge of the microwave tray, directly across from each another. Microwave at 100% power until the whites are set but the yolks are still underdone, about 1 minute. If the whites are not set, continue microwaving at 100% power in 10-second increments. Transfer the eggs to a plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat the process with the remaining butter and eggs, rotating between the unused ramekins so they do not become too hot.

To assemble, place 1 piece of toast on each of 4 warmed plates. For each serving, drape one-fourth of the ham over the toast and top with 2 eggs. Spoon the Mornay sauce on and around the eggs. Break the tuile into pieces and lay on and around the eggs. Garnish with the chives and serve immediately. 

Serves 4.

(Microwave Version Courtesy of William Sonoma)

Other versions of the sandwich with additional ingredients are:

• croque provençal (with tomato)
• croque auvergnat (with bleu d'Auvergne cheese)
• croque gagnet (with Gouda cheese and andouille sausage)
• croque norvégien (with smoked salmon instead of ham)
• croque tartiflette (with sliced potatoes and Reblochon cheese)
• croque bolognese (with Bolognese sauce)
• croque señor (with tomato salsa)
• croque Hawaiian (with a slice of pineapple)
• the "Croque McDo" (at McDonald's locations in France)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication about the pleasure that the Arts & Food bring into our lives. All rights reserved. Concept & Original Text © Copyright 2012 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. Images © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.