The Bichon Frise in Art
Curated by Edward J. Shephard Jr.
September 21 - October 25, 2009. Opening on Sunday September 20th, 4 - 7 p.m. Tea and biscuits will be served. Dogs are welcome.
"This is an exhibition of depictions of the Bichon Frisé in various works of art spanning over 2,000 years. It includes artworks that explicity identify the subjects as Bichons or as ancestors of the breed, as well as other works that I (in my admittedly non-expert judgment) have deemed to be possible depictions of the Bichon Frisé or its ancestors.
The aim of this exhibit is not to be scientifically exact. My aim is to bring together -- for Bichon-lovers everywhere -- many wonderful works of art through which we can trace the development of the modern Bichon Frisé.
Here you will find depictions of dogs that are likely ancestors of the Bichon, as well as works that specifically identify this breed. Of course, it is not always possible to tell when an artist was working from a living-and-breathing model and when he or she was working from memory or imagination. Thus, I have included works where the depiction has decidedly non-Bichon features but the overall impression is that of a Bichon-like dog". - Edward J. Shephard Jr.
http://bingweb.binghamton.edu/~eshephar/bichoninart/bichoninart.html
Fabienne Stephan, who works as the director of Salon 94 Freemans on the Lower East Side, has opened a minuscule space around the corner on Chrystie Street with her husband, Paul-Aymar Mourgue d’Algue, and a friend, Hanne Mugaas. Measuring 6 by 16 feet, the gallery, called Art Since the Summer of ’69, is described by Ms. Stephan as having “the same square footage of a large painting that could be hanging in a big Chelsea gallery.” The next exhibition, opening Sept. 21, will be “The Bichon Frise in Art,” an archive of reproductions of paintings with small white dogs and some contemporary works made in response to them.
“It’s too easy to go around and see exhibitions you don’t like and criticize things,” Ms. Stephan said. “We decided do something that we like.”
