Doug and Mike Starn Create Monumental Sculpture for Metropolitan Museum's 2010 Roof Garden Installation

• Big Bambú to Open April 27
• April 27– October 31, 2010 (weather permitting)

American artists Mike and Doug Starn (born 1961) have been invited by The Metropolitan Museum of Art to create a site-specific installation for The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, opening to the public on April 27. The identical twin brothers will present their new work, Big Bambú: You Can't, You Don't, and You Won't Stop, a monumental bamboo structure ultimately measuring 100 feet long by 50 feet wide by 50 feet high in the form of a cresting wave that will bridge realms of sculpture, architecture, and performance. Visitors are meant to witness the creation and evolving incarnations of Big Bambú as it is constructed throughout the spring, summer, and fall by the artists and a team of rock climbers. Set against Central Park and its urban backdrop, the installation Doug + Mike Starn on the Roof: Big Bambú will suggest the complexity and energy of an ever-changing living organism. It will comprise the 13th consecutive single-artist installation for the Cantor Roof Garden.

The exhibition is made possible by Bloomberg.

Additional support is provided by Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon B. Polsky.

The exhibition is also made possible in part by the Jane and Robert Carroll Fund.

Rope provided by Mammut Sports Group, Inc.

Gary Tinterow, Engelhard Chairman of the Department of Nineteenth-Century, Modern, and Contemporary Art, stated: "Although the Starn brothers are best known for their photographs, in fact their abiding interest is in organic systems and structures, as seen in their photographs of trees, leaves, and snow flakes, or here, in Big Bambú. We are intrigued by the possibilities of this ever-evolving structure on our Roof Garden, which, when animated by the team of rock climbers, will become an organic system of its own."

Big Bambú is a continually growing and changing sculpture that will be constructed during the run of the installation from thousands of fresh-cut bamboo poles—a complex network of 5,000 interlocking 30- and 40-foot-long bamboo poles, which will be lashed together with 50 miles of nylon rope. Doug Starn states: "The reason we had to make it so big is to make all of us feel small—or at least to awaken us to the fact that individually we are not so big. Once we're aware of our true stature we can feel a part of something much more vast than we could ever have dreamed of before."

The work will embody a contradictory nature: it is always complete, yet it is always unfinished. Working on the sculpture while the exhibition is open to the public, the artists and teams of rock climbers (six to twenty of whom will be present during different phases of the project) will provide visitors with a rare opportunity to experience their work as it unfolds.

"It is a temporary structure in a sense, but it is a sculpture—not a static sculpture, it's an organism that we are just a part of—helping it to move along," said Mike Starn. "We will be constructing a slice of seascape, like our photographs, a cutaway view of a wave constantly in motion—our growth and change remains invariable, it is constant and unchanged."

This never-resting sculpture will evolve throughout the course of the exhibition: the initial, roughly 30-foot high by 50-foot-wide by 100-foot-long structure will be completed by opening day on April 27; next, the eastern portion of the sculpture will be built up by the artists and rock climbers to an elevation of some 50 feet; and by summer, the western portion of the sculpture will be elevated by the artists and rock climbers to around 40 feet in height. An internal footpath artery system grows within the structure, facilitating the progress of the organism.

The ephemeral state of the work will be documented by the artists in various scale photographs and video.

Born in New Jersey in 1961, the identical twins Doug and Mike Starn work collaboratively and defy categorization, combining traditionally separate disciplines such as sculpture, photography, painting, video, and installation. In spring 2009, the Arts for Transit program of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York City unveiled See it split, see it change, the Starns' first public commission. The work, which is installed permanently at the South Ferry subway station, won the Brendan Gill Prize. Their work has been exhibited internationally and is included in public and private collections worldwide. Their solo exhibitions include Gravity of Light (2004, 2008), Absorption + Transmission (2005, 2006), Behind Your Eye (2004), Sphere of Influence (1994), Mike and Doug Starn: Selected Works 1985-87 (1988), and The Christ Series (1988). The artists live and work in the New York area.

The installation will be featured on the Museum's website at www.metmuseum.org.

Doug + Mike Starn on the Roof: Big Bambú is organized by Anne L. Strauss, Associate Curator of the Department of Nineteenth-Century, Modern, and Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum.

* * *

Special Ticketing to Explore Elevated Pathways
Visitors, in small groups, will have the opportunity to explore the elevated pathway network of Big Bambú during short tours with designated, Museum-trained guides. Visitors will ascend and walk an internal system throughout the dense structure, roughly 20 to 40 feet above the main level of the Roof Garden. Tickets for the special guided tours of the elevated pathways are free with Museum admission and will be available daily on a first-come, first-served basis during Museum public hours. Information may be found at www.metmuseum.org/special/bigbambu. Viewing throughout the main level of the Cantor Roof Garden—both around the periphery of Big Bambú and through its base—will remain free for all visitors with Museum admission.

* * *

A conversation between the artists and Anne Strauss about the creation and evolving nature of Big Bambú will be available beginning April 26 as a cell-phone message at 212-457-8727; as a free Met Podcast episode at www.metmuseum.org/podcast; and as an Audio Guide message.

The Audio Guide is sponsored by Bloomberg.

On September 2, 2010, Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing will kick-off a month-long solo exhibition featuring contemporary Chinese photographer Dong Wensheng's cinematic works.   Hosted in tandem with Fortune Cookie Projects, private art advisors and curators, the exhibit will run through September 26, 2010.  The opening reception will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 2, and the artist will be attending.   Dong Wensheng, a native of Ganyu County in Jiangsu Province, creates mysterious worlds across a variety of media including installations, photography and experimental films.  He uses solemn objects and characters with muted colors and tones to generate his evocative and lush imagery.  Dong's work transports the viewer into a paradoxical world that balances the traditions of the past with a modern aesthetic. He frequently employs elements of Chinese tradition that are powerfully linked to the region of Jiangnan. ABOUT THE SUMMER PALACE Built in 1750, The Summer Palace is a beautiful garden estate dotted with palaces around the contemplative Kunming Lake. It long served the Qing dynasty as an imperial retreat, and was used to escape the summer heat of the Forbidden City. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, from 1736 to 1795, the Summer Palace assumed its current layout, and Empress Dowager Cixi later left her mark by rebuilding it twice. Today the Summer Palace, which covers some 290 hectares, encompasses a variety of palaces, gardens and other classical-style architectural structures and is considered a must-see site for visitors to Beijing. ABOUT AMAN AT SUMMER PALACE, BEIJING Just steps from the East Gate of the Summer Palace grounds, Aman at Summer Palace is housed in a series of dwellings, some of which date back over a century. The original structures were used by guests of the Palace awaiting an audience with Empress Dowager Cixi. Amanresorts is honoured to be granted the opportunity to renew and conserve them, and has shown the utmost respect and sensitivity to their history, original architecture and materials in the restoration process. Opened in October 2008, Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing offer Suites and Rooms which harmoniously blend modern comforts with classic fabrics and finishes that pay homage to traditional Chinese design. The property also offers a variety of dining areas, a comprehensive Spa and a range of recreational facilities. Amanresorts was founded by Adrian Zecha who envisioned a collection of intimate retreats in beautiful surrounds with the unassuming, warm hospitality of a gracious private residence. The first resort, Amanpuri (Place of Peace) in Phuket, Thailand, introduced the concept, and since then, Amanresorts has grown to encompass 23 resorts located in Bhutan, Cambodia, China, France, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Montenegro, Morocco, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Turks & Caicos Islands and the USA.

FENDI AT THE FORUM SHOPS AT CAESARS PALACE ANNOUNCES

CRAZY CARATS COLLECTION

 

Fendi is pleased to announce the introduction of CRAZY CARATS, an elegant yet whimsical timepiece, a masterpiece of innovation, design and Swiss Made ® craftsmanship with a fanciful touch.

The first of its kind, the polished stainless steel case has two crowns; one for adjusting the time, the other for rotating the index gem stones.

CRAZY CARATS has a patented, truly unique mechanism which allows a woman to change the gemstones on her watch simply by turning the crown.  Three different settings for three distinctive gemstone color stories, using diamonds, rubies, sapphires and multi-colored topaz.

Bezels adorned with Top Wesselton VVS quality diamonds is also an option.  Accompanied by a supple polished stainless steel bracelet and FF logo butterfly deployant buckle, CRAZY CARATS by Fendi establishes an unprecedented integration of jewelry and timepiece technology.

ABOUT THE FORUM SHOPS AT CAESARS

The Forum Shops at Caesars opened 283,000 square feet in May 1992 to immediate success.  An August 1997 expansion to 500,000 square feet continued the momentum.  The third phase of The Forum Shops’ growth was a three-level expansion extending from the existing retail, dining and entertainment icon to the famed Las Vegas Strip adding 175,000 square feet, with completion October 2004.  A grand pedestrian plaza entrance on Las Vegas Boulevard further validates The Forum Shops as one of the finest luxury shopping streets in the world.  The Forum Shops is recognized for its unique combination of top retail, dining, entertainment, excellent location and exciting ambiance featuring 150 specialty shops and 15 restaurants.  Additional information may be accessed at www.forumshops.com.

---

                  STARRY STARRY NIGHT ANNUAL GALA

An evening of Mysterious Composers (whodunit and Where) SEPTEMBER 25, 2010

Santa Barbara Club - 1105 Chapala St. - Santa Barbara, California

Fun - Food - Frivolity and Fine Music

805-996-2441 for Reservations. Space limited - Reservations on a First Come First Serve Basis. 

National Art Museum of China - EXIBITION August 30-September 6th

XUESONG - Naturally - Solo Exhibition, 1 Wusi Dajie, East Districk, Beijing China

SUGAR PAPER

I love the unique designs and fine quality of items from Sugar Paper. If you like to send notes, plan wonderfully creative parties, and just appreciate fine quality you will love these beautiful venues.

Sugar Paper has two retail locations in Los Angeles: the original location in Century City and a second in the historic Brentwood Country Mart. Both shops offer custom design services as well as our pre-printed stationery and hand-selected offerings from some of our favorite vendors. Please drop in and say hello.

Sugar Paper, Century City
ring… 310.277.7804
type… hello@sugarpaper.com
visit… 1749 ensley avenue los angeles california 90024
view map

Sugar Paper, Brentwood Country Mart
ring… 310.451.7870
type… hello@sugarpaper.com
visit… 225 26th street, #27, santa monica, california 90402