You know, those four Olafur Eliasson installations of metal frames and pumped up river water surrounding the city? They’re not reallly cutting it for me. Most times I’ve seen them, the water itself has been caught in such wind that they weren’t even technically taking on the shape of waterfalls… more like water sprinklers. Sprinklers spraying over scaffolding that could have been taken directly from the building under construction across the street from my apartment. I say, ignore them and check out one of these… (Just a personal opinion.)

- The Biennial may be over, but Paul McCarthy is making it worthwhile to revisit the Whitney again very soon: the museum is featuring an exhibition of his new and rarely seen work that may make you dizzy — it includes spinning mirrors, rotating walls, projections, and altered spaces.

- This Thursday, Japanese artist Asako Narahashi makes her solo debut stateside with “half awake and half asleep in the water,” a stunning exhibition at Chelsea’s Yossi Milo gallery of oceanic photographs taken with a camera half-submerged in the waters off the coasts of Japan.

- Brazilian artists Os Gemeos (brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo) transform the Deitch Projects gallery into its own cityscape complete with houses, doors, and passageways.

- Should you be vacationing in Miami Beach, take a look at “Thoughts on Democracy” at the Wolfsonian museum at Florida International University, an exhibition featuring the work of 60 contemporary artists, including Elliott Earls’s reinterpretation of Norman Rockwell paintings, cleverly re-imagined for the current political climate.

- And of course, there is our newest featured artist, Lawrence Quigley, whose drawings and paintings exhibit “a deep and abiding affection for the resilience of the sad and beautiful creatures that inhabit them…” at least according to Graham Leggat, Director of the Film Society of San Francisco.

You know the ones – the visitors, that is: they show up every summer along with the heat to seek slumber on your sofa and cultural satisfaction in your city… and it’s fun, having people come and visit, it really is, at first… and then suddenly it’s been 3 weekends in a row of tip-toeing around someone sacked out in your living room and you’ve been to the Empire State Building more times than one of those red tour buses and if you have to wait in one more ridiculous line to see something you have absolutely no interest in you might start screaming and never stop… SO – let’s just avoid all that – take those friendly visitors to see one of these instead:

- Check out “Who’s Afraid of Jasper Jones” at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery for a look at painting stacked upon painting, creating a sort-of installation-like quality engineered by creators gallerist Gavin Brown and artist Urs Fischer.

- Angela Fraleigh’s monumental oil painting and intimate water colors focusing on social constructs of gender, power, and identity — along with some friendly pop culture – are on view at PPOW through July 3.

- Discover sixteen fabulous new artists from Finland at PS1 in “Arctic Hysteria,” a group exhibition featuring outlandish visions of aliens, utopias, animals, and psychedelia. (I’m not sure about the psychedelia, but you never go wrong with aliens.)

- Artist Olafur Eliasson’s four NYC Waterfalls make their official debut around town on June 26 – get a little preview of his test run from the friendly folks at Curbed.

- And then, I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you that the Whitney Biennial closes after this Sunday – if you haven’t been yet, well, get ye to Madison and 75th.

- And, don’t forget our latest Fresh Surface featured artist, Columbian-born Laura Baker, whose intricate painting and collage work manages to make culture shock beautiful.

- If you’re looking for an 80’s-style good time, Brooklyn’s 3rd Ward may have just what you want – no, they may have just what you NEED – with “The Super Thing: NYC goes DEVO,” a group show featuring postcard prints by Mark Mothersbaugh, flower pot hats, and an energy dome-shaped Zen Arcade full of interactive art, and, at tonight’s opening reception, I’m guessing a handful of kids in tight jeans drinking PBR. All of which I can get into. Just be warned: the show is “dedicated to the midwestern heroes of DEVO and showcases art which shares their bold aesthetics, politics and humor.” That’s right – politics. So “Whip it” was political. Who knew?

- It seems the Metropolitan Museum of Art has caught summer superhero fever (which I have in the form of a mild crush on Robert Downey Jr’s “Iron Man”… really, he’s had me since “Less Than Zero”… but I digress) with their latest exhibit, “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy,” which takes a look at the relationship between fashion and the fantastical… Patricia Fields not included.

- And, if you happen to be at the Met with one of the lovely out-of-town guests that flood our fair city over the summer, be sure to take them up to the roof garden for a look at three Jeff Koons sculptures, on public display for the first time. Buy them an overpriced sandwich and show them Central Park from the fanny-pack friendly comfort of a museum rooftop, and you just might be able to talk them out of that trip to the Empire State Building you’ve been dreading like the plague… Just trying to help you out here.

- For a little bit of gallery-style zen, visit Michael Steinberg Fine Art for a look at photographer Rachel Sussman’s calming studies of the oldest continuously living organisms on the planet. Sussman traveled to more than 20 countries and worked with a range of biologists to capture these stunning, large-scale images.

- And then there’s our good ole buddy Jim Saylor, whose architectural photography would look spectacular above your sofa. Just sayin.

- The Zwirner and Wirth gallery on the Upper East Side has returned to 1964 to restage, piece for neon piece, Dan Flavin’s breakthrough exhibition that originally took place at Richard Bellamy’s Green Gallery some 44 years ago. And whether you’re a fan of senor Flavin’s or not, the spot-on recreation of a gallery exhibition that took place before the invention of the cell phone is a pretty fascinating proposition. Yes, I realize the exhibit is over already… but I like the concept too much not to include it here.

- Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson makes his first appearance stateside at where else, the MoMA… and it’s worth forking over the 20 dollar admission fee one more time to check out the way he has completely transformed their third floor using light, mirrors, and natural elements.

- If you’re one of those people who gets over break-ups by listening to Billie Holiday albums, you’ll probably enjoy the jazz photography exhibit of Herman Leonard up at the Morrison Hotel Gallery… he’s 83 and still working; I’m 26 and unemployed… color me impressed.

- And then…. don’t forget about Fresh Surface featured artist Matt Mallams, a photographer from San Diego who excels at surreal, sparsely beautiful imagery.

- Dog lover’s beware: artist Guillermo Vargas “Habacuc” likes to starve a dog to death in the name of art. It’s really quite visceral, in a rather horrifyingly demented way, don’t ya think? You can sign a petition to ban the bastard here - assuming of course, you believe this whole thing is legitimate. I choose to hope it is all a sick joke. Find out the details from the friendly folks at Snopes.

- If you’re favorite art school activity was spending days painting those infernal color scales we were all tortured with at some point, you just might be interested in one of the MoMA’s latest endeavors, Color Chart.

- It’s a “Remake of a Remake” — and not in that weird Michelle Pfeiffer deciding somehow that filming Grease 2 was a good idea kind of way. Video masquerades as photography in this exhibition at the George Adams Gallery, where the collaborative team of artists Leonardo Giacomuzzo and Gilles-Fleur Boutry has produced a two-channel video featuring side -by-side scenes of two figures — one falling from above onto an NYC street, the other silently watching. It’s a voyeuristic dream… err, nightmare.

- “Who knew that the first Louis Vuitton boutique in Brooklyn would touch down smack in the middle of an exhibition in one of the borough’s most venerable art institutions?” asks the New York Times.  Anyone who had heard Takashi Murakami was coming to the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Get your fill of the way-too-trendy animation here. (PS — um, Brooklyn pride!)

- And then…. Take a look at Fresh Surface featured artist Matt Mallams, a photographer from San Diego who excels at surreal, sparsely beautiful imagery.

Hey Everyone! Fresh Surface is taking part in a brand spanking new event called the Brownstoner’s Brooklyn Flea , a flea market geared towards originality in design and art. We will be there this Sunday for it’s debut, so come by our table and check out some of our artist’s hard work in person! The market is being held at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, 357 Clermont Ave., nr. Lafayette Ave., Fort Greene, and it starts at 10 am. You can take the C train straight there from the city, so no excuses people, we hope to see you there!

Flea Circus

Senor Flea is feeling a little discombobulado this week, what with the flea buzz approaching bee-swarm levels. But we would like to take a moment to thank the Academy, as well as the Daily News, the New York Times, the New York Observer, Brooklyn Based, and of course all of the vendors and pals who are turning April 6 into a true flea-for-all.

With all this coverage pushing our interested vendors past the 750 mark, and April 6 a mere 10 days away, our posts here may be a bit sporadic.

So let’s get interactive: See the little guy up there to the right? (Yes, he’s a flea.) We’d like to know what you think of this fella as our mascot, and to be one of our T-shirt and promo designs. Any and all thoughts are welcome.

So, have you been to the Whitney Biennial yet? Proof  of the fact that “we’re living at the end of the American empire,” according to the Village Voice, this latest installment features whole rooms devoted to multipart installations, plenty of the Iraq war (thank you Omer Fast), and an overall them of lowered expectation. The New York Times calls it “a biennial for a recession-bound time.” Newsday calls it a “wasteland.” (Really, is Newsday allowed to judge? Really?) The Washington Post conveniently points out 10 biennially-gifted artists worth, um, not missing. And I point out that pretty much every incarnation of the Whitney Biennial gets critically picked picked picked apart pretty much as soon as it opens its doors. But it’s still worth seeing. Always. - This weekend is your last chance to check out the Biennial installations at Park Avenue Armory — they close Sunday, March 23.

- If you haven’t yet experience a digital media overload, check out “From Fluxus to Media Art” at the Maya Stendhal Gallery, offering a look at the history of media art rooted in the 1960’s.

- Or, say you feel like burning your bra this weekend. PS1 has your estrogen-filled fix with “WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution.” Hairy legs not required.

- And then…. There’s my personal favorite, Fresh Surface featured artists Leanne Miller, whose series of animal themed paintings were inspired by her personal theory of evolution. And they feature some delightful looking birds. Check it out.

Is the extra day really necessary? Really?
Assuming you can handle the windy streets, I promise these exhibitions are heated:

- So I know that the Metropolitan Museum of Art doesn’t exactly specialize in the whole ‘contemporary work” thing we’ve got going here on Fresh Surface, but if you’re looking for a solid, utterly enclosed place to wile away a frozen afternoon, they’ve really pulled together some solid exhibitions this winter – Jasper Johns (not my favorite, but worth seeing of course), Nicolas Poussin (perfectly old world), and Gustave Courbet (he called himself “the most arrogant man in France.” A bold statement.) — All occupy respective wings in this wonderfully cavernous building that’s kind of like your last art history class come to life. Really, I recommend reverting to some old favorites and checking out the paintings you loved as a kid, before you knew there was anything else. (Cause, yes, they’re still good.) Plus, as an extra bonus, the lovely Met ticket cost is, um, really a suggested donation. And, assuming you live in a city and spend a certain amount of your income on museums and cultural happenstance regularly, I figure you’re completely justified in refusing to pay more than the student rate. Even if you just might have stopped technically being a student long ago.

- It’s offical: social networks are taking over your life. Or at least your favorite biennial. New York magazine said so. The latest group of Whitney annointed curators have prepared a group of artists with a “wryly self-aware neo-hippie outlook,” set to momentarilly dominate all “art-talk” in approximately 6 days. Don’t be left out of the conversation.

- Wondering what exactly’s been going on in Woodstock lately? Me either. But I am interested in “Pull Back the Shade,” the latest magnum opus to grace the walls of Yosso Milo on 25th Street. Featuring 12 sparse color photographs by Muzi Quawson focusing on Amanda Jo Williams, a young musician and mother braving life upstate and all the domesticity and apparent alienation that goes along with it, the exhibiton is Miss Muzi’s first in the states.

- And then of course, there’s the Fresh Surface featured artist, photographer Matthew Thompson. We likey.

Check out work by Fresh Surface artists Matthew Thompson, Miriam Castillo, and Jason Adkins at The Beacon Art/Music Benefit Event this Saturday, February 9, from 6 to 10 PM. It’s gonna be upstate-tastic!