The beginning of September is always a busy time for Art Advisory Services as galleries and non-profit spaces open their fall exhibitions. Thea, Suzanne and Rob spent an afternoon in Chelsea taking in the current shows.  Of particular note is “Tony Smith: Source” at Matthew Marks, the installation of which — a single large scale sculpture and a painting — is impeccable and informative about the artist’s work.  Also at Matthew Marks was a tiny but riveting show of Tony Smith and Jackson Pollock, which made one wonder where Pollock would have gone had he lived longer, and a breathtaking exhibition by Robert Adams, one of the most remarkable photographers of our time. We also stopped in to see Ai Weiwei’s “Fairytale” chairs from Documenta 12 at Carolina Nitsch, took a brief break to watch Kris Perry and friends perform at Family Business.

Over the weekend, Thea and Rob attended the Bernadette Corporation opening at Artists Space along with dealers Martin McGeown (Cabinet), Fernando Mesta (House of Gaga) and the newly appointed Whitney curator, Jay Sanders, to name a few.  Stefan Kalmár, the director, always brings the best and the brightest, and this show is no exception.

Thea and Ashley also made a trip to Brooklyn for a studio visit with the artist Blake Rayne, where they were able to preview a new series of paintings that will be shown in London during Frieze this October.  The visit made us wonder if there is a possible book project with Blake in sight!

And late Wednesday, Thea had a moment to attend a live performance by Andrea Fraser at MoMA, which was a very special experience indeed. The performance/discussion addressed the emancipation (or not) of women, and the exhibition reflected the remarkable curatorial prowess of MoMA curator Sabine Breitwieser.