A few of my favorites from 2012...

“Keith Haring: 1978-1982” - Brooklyn Museum

When Keith Haring first appeared on the scene in New York and had his first show with Tony Shafrazi in 1981, he was an instant star! The Brooklyn exhibition was special to view as one could see several very early works never seen before in public, including his first video piece “Painting Myself into a Corner”. 

Keith Haring, Painting Myself into a Corner, 1979

“Ai Weiwei: According To What?" - Hirshhorn Museum

Having seen Ai Weiwei's Turbine Hall installation "Sunflower Seeds" at the Tate in 2010, and his film "Never Sorry" earlier in the year, it was fascinating to experience how this multi-faceted artist continues to comment on the political climate in China while sharing his life and his views online, in the media and in the context of this spectacular retrospective.  

Martin Creed’s "Mothers" - MCA Chicago

The first time I saw Martin Creed perform his "Alphabet" song with his "girl band" at the Basel Art Fair for the Bulgari dinner guests several years ago, his extraordinary talent and wit blew me away! I have been a fan ever since. His largest kinetic sculpture ever created to date, "MOTHERS" measures more than 48 feet wide and 20 feet tall, steadily rotating a full 360 degrees like a 1950's roadside motel sign. That's only at the entrance. He continues to awe!

Martin Creed, MOTHERS, 2012

“Wade Guyton OS” – Whitney Museum

When Modern Collections gallery opened in London in 2011, I saw their "Guyton Guyton Walker Walker" exhibition and was intrigued by Guyton's use of the technologies of our time, the desktop computer, scanner and inkjet printer to create his random imperfect paintings.  In the Whitney exhibition, he has created two new giant canvases, stretching up to 50 feet in length using this technique. Also included are his "Fire", “U” and "X" paintings and "U" sculptures. 

Wade Guyton, installation shot, Whitney Musuem, 2012

"Portrait of Paula Cooper” by Rudolf Stingel - Art Basel, June 2012

Paula has always been a heroine of mine as she was one of the first gallerists in Soho along with Leo Castelli. Rudolf Stingel painted a portrait of Paula, based on a 1980's photograph, looking sultry and glamorous with a cigarette in her hand. It was a show stopper at the opening of Art Unlimited as we all greeted Paula in front of it. It measures 11 x 15 feet.

Rudolf Stingel, Portrait of Paula Cooper, 2012

Lucio Fontana - Gagosian

Lucio Fontana devoted his practice to investigating the concept of space and creating a new visual language.  He was a pioneer in the use of new technology, neon, UV light and the new medium, television.  To further his concepts of a third dimension (cutting the canvas), which he began in 1948, Fontana wrote several manifestos and coined the movement "Spazialismo". The works were called "Concetti Spaziali" or "Spacial Concepts".  The Gagosian Gallery mounted the most extraordinary exhibition in New York, which reconstructured six of his "Ambienti Spaziali" showing works from private and public collections, many never seen before!