“We’ve got about 2000 people here”, the fire marshal said into his walkie while attempting to turn chaos into organized chaos at Ryan McGinley’s opening for Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere at Team Gallery last night. Forced to make my way out of the body-heat steam room that Team inevitably turned into, I looked back to see Ryan jokingly blow a kiss with both hands Evita-style to the crowd sprawled over all of Grand Street- clearly aware of the ridiculousness of such a remarkable turn out as he stood behind the window of Team, his temporary Pope-mobile of sorts.

McGinley’s last New York show, nearly two years ago at Team for his series I Know Where the Summer Goes drew a somewhat irregularly large turnout, but last night’s attendance was a bonafied all-school assembly of Downtown New York. Not your average art-world denizens, the crowd was a free for all of those who aren’t all necessarily interested in what’s new around the Chelsea or SoHo Gallery circuit – just about what’s new with Ryan. Lucky, then, that such a remarkable turn out allowed his fans to become better acquainted with a lesser-known chapter of his oeuvre: black and white portraiture. Gone were the firework halos and summertime romps in Big Sky country. Here were two-years worth of in-studio portraits (some of which you may have seen in Vice), covering a wall floor to ceiling. Check out Everyone Knows This is Nowhere March 18th – April 17th, in case you were one of the few who missed it on opening night.

Team Gallery
83 Grand Street (between Wooster and Greene streets)
212-279-9219
teamgal.com

FILED UNDER: RYAN MCGINLEY , team gallery , everyone knows this is nowhere