Comments on: Exhibition: Michael Krondl “Fall”

By: Becca B.

Becca B. — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:50:19 +0000

With stores and Chelsea Galleries I always find myself feeling oddly ashamed when i get disinterested and leave after a short amount of time, when visiting “fall” i felt the same sort of embarassment, but i couldn’t help myself, how long can you look at a digital waterfall?
Well about as long as you can look at a video of a fireplace and feel transported to some kind of idealistic rustic home. I’m constantly kicking myself about having such a finite understanding of technology, as I wonder if better skills in it would change my art for the better. However if this is what the technology can do to the Hudson River School, I’m less interested in incoporating it into my own art. In New York we seem to constantly try to reproduce nature that we can experience indoors or in the confines of the city, so much money is spent doing so, when its so unnecessary. Nature is close enough, just a train ride away. Perhaps less. We’re at the point where environmental art should change nature not simply mimic.

By: Amanda P.

Amanda P. — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 20:36:39 +0000

It seems that my trek to Chelsea always takes place on the most miserable of days, ones that are windy, rainy, and dark. The winds from the Hudson whip around the corners reminding me of sublime nature of weather and nature itself, yet as I was confronted by the Krondlâ€™s large canvas upon entering the gallery I felt no similar feeling. Despite its massive size and reference to mighty gushing waterfalls, it lacked power itself. The image was flat and was more reminiscent of an Ikea poster. Perhaps the artist wanted to create this sensation; however, most are already aware that a mere photographic representation of nature robs one of any transcendent experience. There is no sound, no wind, no natural light. Overall, I feel the press release image was misleading. Before going I was actually excited; the waterfall looked amazing and appeared life-like. When looking at the smaller image, I was reminded of actual water with mist and rushing noises. It made me think about Niagra Falls, but in the gallery setting my mind suddenly forget this imagery. While the press release says that the two artists were â€œworking with different visual cues to imply soundâ€ my mind mainly played music due to the Prince photographs. I left the room with â€œRaspberry Beretâ€ stuck in my head, which definitely speaks to strength of song and manmade sound.

By: kelseyensor

kelseyensor — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:14:03 +0000

Currently on view at the Black and White Gallery is an installation by the Czech-born artist Michael Krondl, in which Krondl has taken an awe inspiring image of a gushing waterfall and installed it into the gallery space. Like visiting Niagara Falls, rarely does an individual have the ability to encounter the planet like this. On the other hand though, this image is an extremely zoomed in digital print on vinyl. Maybe this is where the phrase â€œFrankenstein-like stepchild of the Hudson River Schoolâ€ has come from in the press release. But I think also Iâ€™m too unfamiliar with this artist to know if his choice of materials are in any way a subversion on his subject matter and or part of an intelligent design. The press release also refers to the deadliness of nature, the possibility that if the waterfall were real it would exit the gallery and join the Hudson, ironic being from the Hudson, and also that the water table is rising and threatening to drown Manhattan. I know global warming has seemed to have grown into the buzz word as of late, but as environmentally conscious as society is, I didnâ€™t really gain the impression that this as being of anyone of such things or with environmental awareness as the founding intention. Any picturesque imagery of nature spawns the interest at heart to keep such imagery available, but isnâ€™t it the mediated imagery and our already strained ties with nature that got us here in the first place? I feel as though we need to redefine our situation with nature and therefore must also seek other means of intervention in society to bring about this message.