Jonathan Cohen's photos with the keyword: Red Grooms

Red Grooms’ dazzling installation was originally created in 1979 as a working gift shop for the Hudson River Museum. After extensive restoration in 2007 by Tom Burckhardt, this beloved Westchester landmark has been reinstalled in its own gallery. The Bookstore incorporates many of the themes that run through Grooms’ best work: the marriage of art and commerce, the clash of high and low, colorful New York characters, and an inviting three-dimensional space that envelops and transports the viewer. The Bookstore deftly joins into a work of art two of the favorite haunts of New York City book lover – the Isaac Mendoza [second-hand] Book Company, long a fixture of lower Manhattan’s Ann Street and which closed its doors in February, 1990 – and the Pierpont Morgan Library. In terms of materials, The Bookstore was one of a limited number of pieces in which Grooms incorporated vinyl figures. The figures are painted from the inside, a technique inspired by medieval glass-painting techniques, and then are stuffed and sewn. Tens of thousands of visitors passed through The Bookstore, and, embraced by its environment, it inevitably began to suffer ravages caused by its popularity. Accordingly, plans were developed to restore the work and Grooms enthusiastically approved the conservation efforts and changes, which include altering the position of the two entrances to fit the new gallery space, the creation of a central island that incorporated the original vinyl patrons, and the design of a painted floor. Grooms remains cautious of making too many changes to a piece that reflects a vision of New York in the 1970s, already passing into history. "An artist can overwork a thing – you can ruin the delicacy of a past moment very easily …I think it’s better to keep it like it was – primitive in that way."

Red Grooms’ dazzling installation was originally created in 1979 as a working gift shop for the Hudson River Museum. After extensive restoration in 2007 by Tom Burckhardt, this beloved Westchester landmark has been reinstalled in its own gallery. The Bookstore incorporates many of the themes that run through Grooms’ best work: the marriage of art and commerce, the clash of high and low, colorful New York characters, and an inviting three-dimensional space that envelops and transports the viewer. The Bookstore deftly joins into a work of art two of the favorite haunts of New York City book lover – the Isaac Mendoza [second-hand] Book Company, long a fixture of lower Manhattan’s Ann Street and which closed its doors in February, 1990 – and the Pierpont Morgan Library. In terms of materials, The Bookstore was one of a limited number of pieces in which Grooms incorporated vinyl figures. The figures are painted from the inside, a technique inspired by medieval glass-painting techniques, and then are stuffed and sewn. Tens of thousands of visitors passed through The Bookstore, and, embraced by its environment, it inevitably began to suffer ravages caused by its popularity. Accordingly, plans were developed to restore the work and Grooms enthusiastically approved the conservation efforts and changes, which include altering the position of the two entrances to fit the new gallery space, the creation of a central island that incorporated the original vinyl patrons, and the design of a painted floor. Grooms remains cautious of making too many changes to a piece that reflects a vision of New York in the 1970s, already passing into history. "An artist can overwork a thing – you can ruin the delicacy of a past moment very easily …I think it’s better to keep it like it was – primitive in that way."

Red Grooms’ dazzling installation was originally created in 1979 as a working gift shop for the Hudson River Museum. After extensive restoration in 2007 by Tom Burckhardt, this beloved Westchester landmark has been reinstalled in its own gallery. The Bookstore incorporates many of the themes that run through Grooms’ best work: the marriage of art and commerce, the clash of high and low, colorful New York characters, and an inviting three-dimensional space that envelops and transports the viewer. The Bookstore deftly joins into a work of art two of the favorite haunts of New York City book lover – the Isaac Mendoza [second-hand] Book Company, long a fixture of lower Manhattan’s Ann Street and which closed its doors in February, 1990 – and the Pierpont Morgan Library. In terms of materials, The Bookstore was one of a limited number of pieces in which Grooms incorporated vinyl figures. The figures are painted from the inside, a technique inspired by medieval glass-painting techniques, and then are stuffed and sewn. Tens of thousands of visitors passed through The Bookstore, and, embraced by its environment, it inevitably began to suffer ravages caused by its popularity. Accordingly, plans were developed to restore the work and Grooms enthusiastically approved the conservation efforts and changes, which include altering the position of the two entrances to fit the new gallery space, the creation of a central island that incorporated the original vinyl patrons, and the design of a painted floor. Grooms remains cautious of making too many changes to a piece that reflects a vision of New York in the 1970s, already passing into history. "An artist can overwork a thing – you can ruin the delicacy of a past moment very easily …I think it’s better to keep it like it was – primitive in that way."

Seward Johnson is seen at his most ambitious in his tableau entitled "Were You Invited?" This is a take on Renoir’s lively 14-figure scene depicting "The Luncheon of the Boating Party." The sculptures are explicit in their texture and form. And, as with the other works in this series, the sculptor adds exploration of relationships within the boisterous crowd. Johnson hints at certain underlying imbroglios by showing a hand on a knee here, a touch beneath the table there. "At a party full of artists, there has to be something going on," says Johnson. Amid the bottles of champagne, wine and aperitifs are set bowls overflowing with fruit, and platters of French cheeses and foie gras. The characters are equally rich in sensuality and color, with embraces and secrets intermingling with the feast. Beyond the figures Renoir invited to the day’s events, Johnson has created an entire additional table of interlopers. These "crashers" are out of Renoir’s view but in the sculpture you discover them in full party spirit "drinking up all of Renoir’s wine," as Johnson notes. A sly segue is made by the sculptor using Renoir’s top hatted man who is turned away from the viewer. On close inspection it is New York City gallery director Phillip Bruno, who is turned facing a quartet of contemporary artists and brandishing a cane as if to drive them away. This group includes artist Seward Johnson and his friends and fellow sculptors Red Grooms, Bill Barrett and Andrew Pitynski. Surrounded by a table full of empty bottles, the foursome looks to be settled in for the duration with affectionate recognition toward the warning cane. The mood is one of exuberant celebration – perfectly in character with the personalities of the artists depicted.

"Henry Moore in a Sheep Meadow" is a humorous tribute in painted cast bronze to the famed English sculptor, who preferred his sculptures (with their horizontal, organic compositions relating to land masses) placed on sites in the rolling contours of the countryside. Some pieces were installed outside of Moore’s studio amidst herds of grazing sheep. Here Moore has been metamorphosed into a sculpture resembling his own. This work is a fine example of the many artists, sports figures, tradesmen and others that Red Grooms has portrayed with affection, good humour and respect.