No. 63: Bill Powers
Romeo & Juliet by LA Dance Project, a writing practice, Lost in Translation, Country General Store, and The Benjamin.
Bill Powers is an art dealer and the owner of Half Gallery. Before founding the gallery on New York’s Upper East Side in 2008, Bill wrote for Purple, MUSE, and ARTnews and contributed to The New York Times for over 15 years. Since then, he’s moved the gallery downtown to the East Village and opened a Los Angeles location in his Hollywood Hills home. The Greek Revival-style house that belonged to the first female director, Dorothy Arzner, in the 30’s and 40s sits just above “Melrose Hill” — where several galleries have opened in the past few years — with a special view of the city. Not only has Bill introduced me to the work of Leonard Baby and Emily Ferguson, but he always has stories to share, people to tell you about, and places to recommend. I caught up with Bill before he left for New York this week to prepare for Ian Felice and Meghann Stephenson’s shows at his gallery, which open on November 20. From Bill —
I. a film (or two)
I recently saw "Lost in Translation" and “In the Mood for Love” at The Vista. Both movies feature a man whispering at the end where we can’t hear exactly what they’re saying. I googled to find out what Bill Murray utters sotto voce to Scarlett Johansson. Someone on YouTube theorized it’s, "I have to be leaving, but I won't let that come between us. OK?” I met Charlie Brown and Kunichi Nomura on separate trips to Tokyo, Kunichi was later the voice of the mayor in Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs.”
II. a ballet
"Romeo & Juliet" made its American debut last month at The Wallis. Choreographed by Benjamin Millepied of “Black Swan” fame, this iteration includes live video feeds and revolving leads so it might be lesbian lovers one night and an interracial couple the next performance. They break the fourth wall in ways that make you question where does cinema end and real life begin.
III. a writing practice
I always limit my entries to one page whether it’s recounting a memory or writing down today’s events. My art memoir “Glissando” was released by Junior Publishing in September. Copies are for sale at Arcana Books in LA and Mast Books in NYC or online at junior.pub
In the entry I post here from last weekend I talk about Henry Taylor running around with his friend Danny Fox. Danny’s show ‘The Rain It Raineth Every Day’ opens tomorrow at Henry Taylor's studio in Chinatown.
IV. a store
Why wouldn’t all your western needs be met in The Valley? From authentic rodeo garb to wrangler tops for kids, Country General Store has everything. I got my Stetson there. In this picture I’m wearing it at Andrea Zittel’s Joshua Tree art residency. You can go on AZ West and support it by buying their ceramics and textiles. They make great gifts.
V. a restaurant
The Benjamin on Melrose is my favorite new spot in LA. It opened this summer and remains a staple in my culinary itinerary. I met Ben Hundreds years ago through his clothing brand The Hundreds when they made a limited edition Anna Weyant scarf.
BULLETIN
Los Angeles
On view: Danny Fox’s The Rain It Raineth Every Day opens tomorrow at Henry Taylor’s studio. William Eggleston’s The Last Dyes and Walter Price’s Pearl Lines open Saturday at David Zwirner. Kenny Rivero’s Posthumously Speaking: Dear Dear Summer Some Are opens Saturday at Morán Morán. Lily Kwong’s Subterrestrial and Solis opens Saturday at Night Gallery. Joe Brainard at Chris Sharp. Sarah Lee’s Quiet Days opens Saturday at Anat Ebgi. Isabelle Albuquerque at the Robert Therrien Studio. Candida Höfer’s Europa/America at Sean Kelly. Michael Bala’s Eye Comfort at Overduin & Co. Maren Karlson’s Staub (Holes) opens tomorrow at Hannah Hoffman. Chase Hall’s Halfrican and Ruby Neri’s Staircase at David Kordansky. Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form opens tomorrow at Lisson. Sabine Moritz’s Frost at Gagosian. Jacob Littlejohn’s Fata Morgana and Jeremy Frey’s Unbound at Karma. Loie Hollowell’s Overview Effect at Pace. Anke Weyer’s Haricots Verts and Michael Bauer’s Propelled into the Past ad Oozing from His Glads at Megan Mulrooney. Group show Blue Dream featuring works from Katherine Bradford, Caroline Absher, Aaron Michael Skolnick and more. Beatrice Arraes’ Jogo de Mesa (Tale Game) at Sea View. Christy Matson’s Index Color at Philip Martin. Uri Aran’s House at Matthew Brown. Kaifan Wang’s One Piece at Blum. Patricia Iglesias Peco’s Las Plantas de Ese Jardín Conservaban en la Sombra Sus Colores at François Ghebaly. Kikuo Saito’s Color Plays at James Fuentes. Olafur Eliasson: OPEN at MOCA. Group show L.A. Story featuring Ed Ruscha, Florian-Maier-Aichen, David Hockney, and more at Hauser & Wirth.
New York
On view: Group show In Praise of Shadows at Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery. Alvin Armstrong’s Tiebreaker at Anna Zorina. Nicholas Sullivan’s Chrysler and Tomascz Kowalski’s Coil at Clearing. Noah Davis’ Ancient Reign at David Zwirner. Kinship, an exhibition of work by Irving Penn curated by Hank Willis Thomas at Pace Gallery. Precious Strength: Maria Pergay Across the Decades at Demisch Danant. Jesse Zuo’s My Safe Place: Warmth of the Light and Shadow at Latitude. Henni Alftan’s Stop Making Sense at Karma. Vital Images, an exhibition of late paintings, works on paper, and sculpture by Adolph Gottlieb at Pace. Fernanda Galväo’s From Where I Am, I Am Already Gone at Lyles & King. Sucking Salt & revisions present Modeling Ecologies: Take Care with works by Deborah Anzinger, Ibiyanε, Gwladys Gambie, Shani Strand, Zenobia curated by Sienna Fekete at Entrance. Jim Hodges’ Ceremony at Gladstone. Francis Alys’ The Gibraltar Projects and Richard Serra’s Every Which Way at David Zwirner. Pam Evelyn’s Frame of Mind at Pace. Jadé Fadojutimi’s Dwelve: A Goosebump in Memory at Gagosian. Alex Katz and Matthew Barney’s The Bitch at O’Flaherty’s. Francesco Cima’s Vedrai, Vedrai at Amanita. c. 1987 at Raisonne New York. Group show Resting Point with works by Mason Saltarrelli, Merrick Adams, and Kimia Ferdowsi Kline at Turn. The Newspaper Ecritures, 2011-23 by Park Seo-Bo — the final body of work created by the artist before his passing — at White Cube. Robert Irwin & Larry Bell’s The 60’s at 125 Newbery. Jeff Wall at Gagosian. Brooke Hsu’s The Oklahoma Nature Theater at Gladstone. Group show The Lady and the Unicorn: New Tapestry at Salon94. Jane Dickson’s Shifting Landscapes and Edges of Ailey at The Whitney. Marian Goodman' innagural show Your Patience is Appreciated at its new Tribeca headquarters featuring works from Chantal Akerman, Tacita Dean, Matt Saunders and many others. Ouattara Watts’ ‘90s Paintings, Peter McGough’s Alphabet, and Carole Vanderlinden at Karma. Henry Taylor’s no title, Annie Liebovitz’s Steam of Consciousness, and Lorna Simpson’s Earth & Sky at Hauser & Wirth. Mai-Thu Perret’s Underworld at David Kordansky. Olafur Eliasson’s Your Psychoacoustic Light Ensemble at Tanya Bonakdar. Lorenzo Amos’ No Regrets Because You’re My Sunshine at Gratin. Daniel Um’s Apple of My Eye at The Hole. Cecily Brown’s The 5 Senses at Paula Cooper. Jammie Hoolmes’ Morning Thoughts at Marianne Boesky. Samantha Joy Groff’s Prophecy of the End at Nicodim.
Affection Archives is a weekly look into the archives of yours truly (Arielle Eshel) and people I admire. Follow on Instagram @AffectionArchives.