James Kalm makes a pilgrimage to west Chelsea and takes in a viewing of recent paintings by New York icon Ron Gorchov. In a career that spans nearly fifty years, Gorchov has perused his vision of pure painting. With his unique touch and innovative intuition the artist has developed an unmistakable form that combines the pictorial with the sculptural. His saddle shaped canvases transcend the novelty of the gimmick and miraculously acquire a universal correctness that is timeless in its elegance.
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James Kalm is still reeling from the crash and burn of his old computer. This video marks the beginning of new level of half-assed production in HD. 
James Kalm pedals up to the opening of Inka Essenhighs most recent selection of paintings, The Old New Age. In these works the artist has concentrated on developing a sharp focus depiction of the natural landscape that surrounds her summer studio in Maine. Mingling a fantastic Surrealism with the romantic sublime, forest maddens and spirits in the mist appear to observant viewers. Includes an interview with Inka Essenhigh
James Kalm ignores the sweltering heat wave to visit this astounding exhibition of works by legendary San Francisco artist Jess. Since rejecting a career in nuclear physics to pursue his unique vision of art, Jess (Burgess Collins, 1923-2004) has created one of the most influential reputations on the West Coast. With an independence of thought, Jess evolved an unmistakable painting style, as well as carried the tradition of collage to new heights of richness and complexity. This is the first New York gallery show in over twenty years and the first in-depth presentation of the work since the Whitney’s “Grand Collage” retrospective in 1994.
James Kalm slips in and records a walk through of this exhibition by Gerhard Richter before he is bounced from the gallery. Richter is undoubtedly one of the most highly regarded painters of his generation and the current Godfather of the German Conceptual painting tradition. This show features works created since 2005 and debuts a series of large near monochromatic light gray paintings that represent an approach to Minimalism that further complicates the artists duel approach to his subjects. A room filling multi-panel piece Sinbad uses a technique of poured paint on the back of clear plastic panels and delivers a decorative impact that much previous work avoided.
James Kalm slips in for a tour of the recent paintings of Isaac Abrams. Reluctantly Kalm admits to being involved with the psychedelic, hippy scene in the late 60’s. It was surprising though to see the paintings of Isaac Abrams at the “Summer of Love” exhibition at the Whitney Museum. This show presents Abrams’ latest efforts and bares testament to his continued practice and mastery in the pursuit of his unique visionary abstraction. A brief sneak peek of Alex Grey’s Chapel of Sacred Mirrors is thrown in for good measure.
James Kalm is proud to bring viewers this glimpse of Thornton Willis’ “Painting: 40 Years”. Since arriving in New York in the early 60s, Willis has been an integral presence on the avant-garde painting scene. Beginning with the early developments in Soho, his practice has evolved from process based technique, through his acclaimed “Wedge” series, to his current theme of cubistic abstraction. This exhibition presents a “mini-retrospective” and provides the public with an overview of one of New York’s exceptional abstract painters.
James Kalm once again goes undercover to bring viewers unauthorized video of Cy Twombly’s latest exhibition of paintings, “Blooming: A Scattering of Blossoms and Other Things”. With this collection of recent paintings Twombly has encouraged his most lyrical expressions. With a poetic sense influenced by the elegant simplicity of haiku, these pieces have a reduced color spectrum and a basic repeated form manifest as bursts of blooming blossoms. Despite having lived in Europe for the last fifty years, Twombly still holds a major place in postwar American painting. These works bare witness to his continuing vigor as a major influence among young artists.
James Kalm is accompanied by Kate for a visit to Peter Dobills four hour endurance piece titled Receiver. With a list of individual actions and videos included in group shows locally Ab Uno is the first comprehensive overview tracing the arc of Dobills performance career. In Receiver, the artist is suspended in a pool of milk, while a bowl placed overhead drips a continuous stream of milk into his nose. By constructing extravagant sets in which to carry out his actions, Dobill seeks to add a visual component to the performances. Also featuring a clip of Hanging one of the artists first pieces. Includes interviews with artist Peter Dobill, and Ben Abbot, Director of Nurture Art,
James Kalm documents the genesis of the Blogger Show. The art world media which has dictated the canon, and limited the inclusion of artists into society’s consciousness is being challenged. With this exhibition, curated and organized by John Morris, the on-line art blogging community is asserting itself as a vital new force. Over thirty artists, who also host blog-sites exploring a vast spectrum of creative activities, come together for this celebration. Featuring comments from various bloggers regarding a series of recent mainstream articles, particularly Charlie Finch’s “A Not-So-Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy”. Including interviews with John Morris, Stephanie Lee Jackson, Chris Rywalt, Libby Rosof, Bill Gusky and Nancy Baker.