Last night I attended the opening of the Morrison Hotel Gallery's newest space at 313 Bowery, former home of CBGB's 313 Gallery.
Photographer Steve Joester had the honor of being the first artist displayed in the offspring space of the hallowed address, and with a quick look around the room, I'd have to say the opening was a huge success because it was packed. His work is a mixture of photography and mixed media (see Sex Pistols piece below) which, judging by the works on show, mainly revolves around 70's rock icons the Sex Pistols, Blondie, the Clash, and Bob Marley. Although some prints of Andy Warhol, Neil Young, and a young looking Pink Floyd were also included. Also shown were photos of AC/DC and Judas Priest. One of the more striking images was a Warhol-style print (silk screened?) of a very young Annie Lennox.
As for the space itself, it was empty of it's bar, stage, tables, and the platform that used to run along the right hand wall. The floors were left as is (painted grey), and the walls were given a new sheen of white. It looked great, and I'm happy the decision was made to basically keep it "as is." There is no sign up yet, but if the pictures from the MHG website are to be taken literally, there will be some slight changes to the streetside end of the shop.
While Joester's show is using perhaps 50%-75% of the space, I was told that the next show (by Bob Gruen, opening in late April) will be using the entire space. Get yourself down there & check out Joester's work, and keep going back. I'm encouraged & amazed to see a creative based business actually thriving in the current climate. If you're into music and the arts, places like Morrison Hotel Gallery and it's artists really need to be supported.
Visit Steve Joester's website.
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