I'm going to see the Richard Prince show at the Guggenheim today. Do you think I will meet any Richard Prince junkies that want to score a Second House baggie?
My painting is on Second House!!!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Richard Prince
I'm going to see the Richard Prince show at the Guggenheim today. Do you think I will meet any Richard Prince junkies that want to score a Second House baggie?
My painting is on Second House!!!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Roberta Smith Calls For The Destruction of Amerika
If an artist who conceived a work says that it is unfinished and should not be exhibited, it isn’t — and shouldn’t be. End of story. - Roberta Smith, on B.
Franz Kafka published only a small selection of short stories during his lifetime, and never finished a novel. Prior to his death, he instructed, in writing, his friend (and executor) Max Brod to destroy all of his papers and manuscripts.
Amerika, The Castle, and The Trial are the three unfinished novels that were published after Kafka's death, against his will, along with most of the stories.
RELATED:
Roberta Smith on Tim Rollins and the Kids of Survival's Amerika.
Roberta Smith on Martin Kippenberger's The Happy End of Franz Kafka's 'Amerika'.
(has Roberta written anything yet on Keith Tyson's Large Field Array, at Pace... that comes from the Kippenberger... which comes from the Kafka?)
Roberta Smith references Kafka in reviewing Christoph Buchel, 12/21/2001. Ouch! TOO IRONIC.
Roberta Smith references Kafka in reviewing Luc Tuymans.
Roberta Smith references Kafka in reviewing Ann-Sofi Siden's QM I Think I Will Call Her QM. DAMN, I saw that - and loved it - at Mass Moca!!
Franz Kafka published only a small selection of short stories during his lifetime, and never finished a novel. Prior to his death, he instructed, in writing, his friend (and executor) Max Brod to destroy all of his papers and manuscripts.
Amerika, The Castle, and The Trial are the three unfinished novels that were published after Kafka's death, against his will, along with most of the stories.
RELATED:
Roberta Smith on Tim Rollins and the Kids of Survival's Amerika.
Roberta Smith on Martin Kippenberger's The Happy End of Franz Kafka's 'Amerika'.
(has Roberta written anything yet on Keith Tyson's Large Field Array, at Pace... that comes from the Kippenberger... which comes from the Kafka?)
Roberta Smith references Kafka in reviewing Christoph Buchel, 12/21/2001. Ouch! TOO IRONIC.
Roberta Smith references Kafka in reviewing Luc Tuymans.
Roberta Smith references Kafka in reviewing Ann-Sofi Siden's QM I Think I Will Call Her QM. DAMN, I saw that - and loved it - at Mass Moca!!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
another NYTimes B. correction... plus UPDATES
Hey, the NYTimes has changed the misleading caption in the image from the slideshow I mentioned yesterday. That was the second correction/edit they have had to make to that piece.
(that maybe explains the unusual number of NYTimes hits on my statcounter yesterday?)
Plus -
B. has filed an appeal.
Any more updates on this matter I will make to THIS post. Getting tired of every post on B.
UPDATE - it's on Slate.
UPDATE - Mass Moca is removing the materials... and,
the museum announced today that in conjunction with The Clark Art Institute, it would co-host a symposium devoted to the issues raised by this case. The symposium will be held later this fall.
UPDATE - Geoff Edgers for Boston Globe.
UPDATE - Joe Thompson e-mail to Time.
(that maybe explains the unusual number of NYTimes hits on my statcounter yesterday?)
Plus -
B. has filed an appeal.
Any more updates on this matter I will make to THIS post. Getting tired of every post on B.
UPDATE - it's on Slate.
UPDATE - Mass Moca is removing the materials... and,
the museum announced today that in conjunction with The Clark Art Institute, it would co-host a symposium devoted to the issues raised by this case. The symposium will be held later this fall.
UPDATE - Geoff Edgers for Boston Globe.
UPDATE - Joe Thompson e-mail to Time.
Monday, September 24, 2007
...more. (sorry)
Roberta Smith - well, I had said Roberta's lame article criticizing Mass Moca was "disappointingly redundant", adding zero insight + zero new information, but I hadn't realized exactly how redundant. Did you see the correction printed by the NYTimes? Greg Roach says on his blog -
Cherry picking quotes from old articles and using them out of context is much harder to get away with in the modern age of the internets.
The 9/16 NYTimes (on-line) article was further misleading in including the old slideshow, undated but from an earlier (5/22) feature, with the new article. The third image of the slideshow includes in it's caption "the show will open on Saturday, without Mr. Büchel’s permission or cooperation." Anybody new to this, reading the 9/16 article and clicking through that slideshow, would be misinformed, with any negative impression from the article incorrectly reinforced.
Robert Storr's irrelevance - I'm sorry, Robert Storr. Your affidavit was useless.
Roberta Smith and Robert Storr were two of the three "artworlders", along with Ken Johnson, quoted by Mark Elliott to prove that "the artworld is up in arms". Mark, please take note - three people who live in New York City, none of them artists, two of whom work for the same newspaper, is NOT a representative slice of the artworld.
Yes, there are many artists sympathetic to Buchel, including very good artist Amy Wilson. Earlier I linked to Amy's drawing/paintings made after her visit to Mass Moca, and she has since posted a blog entry expressing her outrage at the decision and hoping for Jenny Holzer to cancel her upcoming show. I mention this because I like the defense made in the comments, and the conversation that follows.
Brent Burket has snapped. Brent works at Creative Time, as does Nato Thompson, the curator of the Buchel show (Nato Thompson left Mass Moca for Creative Time early in 2007). Brent's venom has me wondering how much he is hanging out with Nato, what Nato might be saying, and under what terms Nato left Mass Moca.
UPDATE - Brent volunteers at Creative Time, doesn't work for them, and has little contact with Nato. It is true that he's snapped.
(Weirdly, Nato's current Mike Nelson show for Creative Time sounds like it could be a Christoph Buchel show. Look at these... Mike Nelson 1996, Mike Nelson 2000).
I wonder what Buchel's disclaimer language will say, assuming he adds anything? Maybe Buchel could auction off something, kind of like he did with his Manifesta slot. Like, the disclaimer could say "This is an installation by ____", and he could auction off the space for a name. Maybe Maurizio Cattelan would bid on it, or he could trade a stuffed squirrel for it.
If I had Joe Thompson's ear I would suggest that the best course of action at this point would be to NOT remove the tarps, and to dispose of the materials. There are a lot of smart artists right now that are angry at the museum, in a knee-jerk way, and it would be unwise to further exacerbate any tensions, regardless of principle.
Buchel had abandoned the installation and it was five months past the opening date. The museum had no option but to go to court. Does anybody think that if they had simply called it a loss back in May and removed the materials to a dump Buchel would not have sued? They could not open the gallery, they could not get rid of the stuff... they were at an impasse in which it appeared Buchel would be keeping the installation closed throughout the entire run. They had no option but to go to court and seek a resolution.
UPDATE 9/24: Buchel is appealing.
Cherry picking quotes from old articles and using them out of context is much harder to get away with in the modern age of the internets.
The 9/16 NYTimes (on-line) article was further misleading in including the old slideshow, undated but from an earlier (5/22) feature, with the new article. The third image of the slideshow includes in it's caption "the show will open on Saturday, without Mr. Büchel’s permission or cooperation." Anybody new to this, reading the 9/16 article and clicking through that slideshow, would be misinformed, with any negative impression from the article incorrectly reinforced.
Robert Storr's irrelevance - I'm sorry, Robert Storr. Your affidavit was useless.
Roberta Smith and Robert Storr were two of the three "artworlders", along with Ken Johnson, quoted by Mark Elliott to prove that "the artworld is up in arms". Mark, please take note - three people who live in New York City, none of them artists, two of whom work for the same newspaper, is NOT a representative slice of the artworld.
Yes, there are many artists sympathetic to Buchel, including very good artist Amy Wilson. Earlier I linked to Amy's drawing/paintings made after her visit to Mass Moca, and she has since posted a blog entry expressing her outrage at the decision and hoping for Jenny Holzer to cancel her upcoming show. I mention this because I like the defense made in the comments, and the conversation that follows.
Brent Burket has snapped. Brent works at Creative Time, as does Nato Thompson, the curator of the Buchel show (Nato Thompson left Mass Moca for Creative Time early in 2007). Brent's venom has me wondering how much he is hanging out with Nato, what Nato might be saying, and under what terms Nato left Mass Moca.
UPDATE - Brent volunteers at Creative Time, doesn't work for them, and has little contact with Nato. It is true that he's snapped.
(Weirdly, Nato's current Mike Nelson show for Creative Time sounds like it could be a Christoph Buchel show. Look at these... Mike Nelson 1996, Mike Nelson 2000).
I wonder what Buchel's disclaimer language will say, assuming he adds anything? Maybe Buchel could auction off something, kind of like he did with his Manifesta slot. Like, the disclaimer could say "This is an installation by ____", and he could auction off the space for a name. Maybe Maurizio Cattelan would bid on it, or he could trade a stuffed squirrel for it.
If I had Joe Thompson's ear I would suggest that the best course of action at this point would be to NOT remove the tarps, and to dispose of the materials. There are a lot of smart artists right now that are angry at the museum, in a knee-jerk way, and it would be unwise to further exacerbate any tensions, regardless of principle.
Buchel had abandoned the installation and it was five months past the opening date. The museum had no option but to go to court. Does anybody think that if they had simply called it a loss back in May and removed the materials to a dump Buchel would not have sued? They could not open the gallery, they could not get rid of the stuff... they were at an impasse in which it appeared Buchel would be keeping the installation closed throughout the entire run. They had no option but to go to court and seek a resolution.
UPDATE 9/24: Buchel is appealing.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Christoph Buchel vs. Mass Moca... PART II
Continuing from yesterday with notes taken at the motion hearing (START HeRe for all the stuff before the break) -
After hearing arguments from Mark Elliott (for Buchel) and someone, maybe it was Kurt Wm. Hemr (for Mass Moca), Judge Ponsor called for a fifteen minute break.
40 Minutes Later -
Judge Ponsor returned and ruled that Mass Moca can show the materials, saying "nothing in VARA or in the copyright prohibits Mass Moca from exhibiting the materials assembled in Building 5", and that the museum must include with any exhibition a disclaimer, making no reference to Buchel, that the materials "constitute an unfinished project that does not carry out the installation's original intent."
Buchel has until 5pm Monday to add any language to the disclaimer, after which the museum is free to do what it wants with the materials in Building 5.
Judge Ponsor stated that he is "solidly convinced that VARA does not apply to this situation", and that "even if VARA did apply, that what Mass Moca wishes to do does not constitute a distortion to any work of art created by Mr. Buchel".
MORE from Judge Ponsor, in discussing his ruling -
- (it is a) "large complex installation", which "not only involved, but required, a large degree of lengthy and detailed collaboratation between Mr. Buchel and the museum" - this is "not a situation in which there is a co-authorship" - "an evolving organic construct that was the product of the intent, intelligence, vision, of persons other than Mr. Buchel" - "Mr. Buchel has abandoned the project. He has foresworn it" - "Mass Moca is willing to make it clear Training Ground For Democracy was never finished and should make that proviso explicit if it were to exhibit the materials" - "I doubt that this decision is going to have a great deal of precedential value" - "both parties exhibited a fair amount of naivete"... "very few businessmen that would get involved" in something of this nature without a contract - "I don't think what's going on here represents a distortion" - "after monday the museum will be free to exhibit the materials".
The judge then warned the museum "not to be over comforted by my declaratory relief... it will be scrutinized afresh" in the event of an appeal. Mark Elliott requested a stay, emphasizing possible harm to Buchel's reputation, but the stay was denied.
Judge Ponsor - "the harm to the museum is greater than the harm to the artist here"... "there is no risk to Mr. Buchel's reputation".
Marke Elliott - "we likely will appeal this".
After hearing arguments from Mark Elliott (for Buchel) and someone, maybe it was Kurt Wm. Hemr (for Mass Moca), Judge Ponsor called for a fifteen minute break.
40 Minutes Later -
Judge Ponsor returned and ruled that Mass Moca can show the materials, saying "nothing in VARA or in the copyright prohibits Mass Moca from exhibiting the materials assembled in Building 5", and that the museum must include with any exhibition a disclaimer, making no reference to Buchel, that the materials "constitute an unfinished project that does not carry out the installation's original intent."
Buchel has until 5pm Monday to add any language to the disclaimer, after which the museum is free to do what it wants with the materials in Building 5.
Judge Ponsor stated that he is "solidly convinced that VARA does not apply to this situation", and that "even if VARA did apply, that what Mass Moca wishes to do does not constitute a distortion to any work of art created by Mr. Buchel".
MORE from Judge Ponsor, in discussing his ruling -
- (it is a) "large complex installation", which "not only involved, but required, a large degree of lengthy and detailed collaboratation between Mr. Buchel and the museum" - this is "not a situation in which there is a co-authorship" - "an evolving organic construct that was the product of the intent, intelligence, vision, of persons other than Mr. Buchel" - "Mr. Buchel has abandoned the project. He has foresworn it" - "Mass Moca is willing to make it clear Training Ground For Democracy was never finished and should make that proviso explicit if it were to exhibit the materials" - "I doubt that this decision is going to have a great deal of precedential value" - "both parties exhibited a fair amount of naivete"... "very few businessmen that would get involved" in something of this nature without a contract - "I don't think what's going on here represents a distortion" - "after monday the museum will be free to exhibit the materials".
The judge then warned the museum "not to be over comforted by my declaratory relief... it will be scrutinized afresh" in the event of an appeal. Mark Elliott requested a stay, emphasizing possible harm to Buchel's reputation, but the stay was denied.
Judge Ponsor - "the harm to the museum is greater than the harm to the artist here"... "there is no risk to Mr. Buchel's reputation".
Marke Elliott - "we likely will appeal this".
Friday, September 21, 2007
Christoph Buchel vs. Mass Moca
Buchel lost...
(just got back. more later)
LATER... okay, it is now later. I blew the ending already (the losing of Buchel), but from here on out - after setting up the scene - I'll stick to the order in which things were said.
The Scene - Judge Ponsor... faced by three law-people on the Mass Moca side (from Skadden) and three law-people on the Buchel side (from Silberman). Seated in the spectator area were at minimum seven different reporters taking notes (including Martha Lufkin from The Art Newspaper), three people from Mass Moca (including Joe Thompson), and a handful of other people.
Judge Ponsor spoke first, about his visit to view the Mass Moca space on Tuesday, from 4:30-6:45pm -
Ponsor admitted that he "approached skeptically" and is "not a connoisseur" of contemporary art, but was "extremely moved by this piece of art...", "it is very powerful", "I have never been so powerfully ...(somethinged, maybe he said affected)... by a piece of contemporary art", and "had to take an hour just to settle down" and "woke up in the middle of the night" thinking about it.
Ponsor is "very disappointed that such a powerful piece finds itself embroiled in such legal controversies"... "this controversy doesn't belong here", it is "extremely illsuited to the courtroom". The court "urged counsel to come to an understanding".
Musings/Questions from the Judge, for the Defendant (Buchel) -
- "I ask myself whether VARA applies to an unfinished work" - "Is this situation one in which Buchel can be considered the sole author of this work of art?" - it "was highly collaborative, highly collaborative... the author was not here most of the time when the work was being completed... the museum made many decisions"
Judge Ponsor, in talking about the collaborative aspects of the aborted installation, made note of the motto emblazoned on the crashed police car in the space... Pride Partnership Professionalism - "lots of irony on that police car... did Mr. Buchel choose that? Did the museum choose that?"
- the installation is "more like a piece of architecture... tremendous amount of discussion going on... isn't Mass Moca a co-author?"
Team Silberman Speaks -
Mark Elliott did all the representing... I was surprised because I had expected it to be Donn Zaretsky. Zaretsky was one of the three law-people sitting at the Buchel table, but he never said anything. Okay, I'm just going to share here, because he never responded to my e-mail asking when the court date was, that Zaretsky was by far the scruffiest and worst dressed of anybody in the courtroom. This is just my opinion. He wasn't wearing a zoot suit exactly, but it was pinstriped and baggy, something that called to mind a zoot suit. Maybe he had a gig at a Springfield jazz club that he needed to hustle over to after the motion hearing.
Mark Elliott was okay... he argued forcefully and strenuously and super knows his shit... but, it seemed like a lot of spinning of the wheels. Lots of repetition and hyperbole, saying "the art community is up in arms!", while citing Robert Storr's irrelevant afudayvitt, Roberta Smith, Ken Johnson. I'm SURE that I'm the only one who noticed that no artist's opinions (either way) were presented.
I will interject here that while each of the two sides individually presented his case Judge Ponsor would interrupt with questions and/or comments. Such as -
- recalling his visit, marvelling at how impressive it was and the attention to detail, noting even "a snicker wrapper, which I assume was intentional"
- talking about e-mails between the museum and the artist, "Mr. Buchel at one point wants a better class of trash"
- "artists are okay, they're all right, some of my best friends are artists"
- "the artist stands in a glowing circle in the middle of this process... and... I have a bit of trouble with that"
- "showing this work will do nothing but enhance Mr. Buchel's reputation"
- "and I'm not so sure... at some point I stepped into the process and now I'm part of it.. and we're all here taking part"
- that Kafka had wanted all of his stuff destroyed and the judge is glad it wasn't. Plus a story about a long-ago composer who ordered his wife to burn his stuff, that if the judge had been there he would've taken away the match and said "I'd like to listen to that".
TEAM SKADDEN SPEAKS -
This was a bit worrisome at first. The judge was a great speaker, Elliott less so, and then the Skadden guy (name later. later, maybe Kurt Wm. Hemr) less so. His tone seemed conciliatory, and he was weirdly arguing something I'd thought the judge had already basically expressed an opinion in their favor on.
He was the least dynamic speaker, but I guess he was plodding along at his point, maybe covering a bunch of bases here (in case of appeal) and getting things on the record.
Posner asked "what is with the timidity on the part of the museum", and "why bring it to court?... you want me to go ahead of you with my robe on and say this is okay this is okay?"
Mark Elliott - this is "an absolute heresy in the artworld"
40 minute break...
BREAK HERE so I'll finish with a second post tomorrow. This is enough for now.
UPDATE 9/22/07 - Here is the second part.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
motion hearing, plus... new blog # 2
The Buchel/MassMoca motion hearing (is that supposed to be capitalized? Sergio, are you there?) is scheduled for Friday the 21st, at 2pm -
U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor, in response to the museum's request for a jury trial, ordered an "inspection and photographing of the exhibit site on Aug. 17" and stated that "the court will take a view of the pertinent premises at the facility" on Sept. 18. Lawyers for each party will have a chance to argue any motions on Sept. 21, at which time the judge hopes to rule from the bench on whether the exhibit will be seen or not — or if a jury will decide.
PLUS: Mass Moca has a new blog. Here is the post in which they address some of the Buchel questions. You can leave comments.
Sergio, you know you want to!!!
Um, there has been A LOT of stuff written about this lately. Roberta Smith's piece was disappointingly redundant... nothing new worth reading. Thomas Micchelli's Brooklyn Rail piece is better.
Best new thing I have seen are the drawings of Amy Wilson.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor, in response to the museum's request for a jury trial, ordered an "inspection and photographing of the exhibit site on Aug. 17" and stated that "the court will take a view of the pertinent premises at the facility" on Sept. 18. Lawyers for each party will have a chance to argue any motions on Sept. 21, at which time the judge hopes to rule from the bench on whether the exhibit will be seen or not — or if a jury will decide.
PLUS: Mass Moca has a new blog. Here is the post in which they address some of the Buchel questions. You can leave comments.
Sergio, you know you want to!!!
Um, there has been A LOT of stuff written about this lately. Roberta Smith's piece was disappointingly redundant... nothing new worth reading. Thomas Micchelli's Brooklyn Rail piece is better.
Best new thing I have seen are the drawings of Amy Wilson.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
make you laugh #1
check out the WORLD's FIRST google image search sculpture today. maybe it is different on different computers, but on this computer today it is pretty funny.
this is a fluid sculpture.
this is a fluid sculpture.
ZANISNIK PLUS! *update, meridith pingree update!*
Shows with anaba friends, listed chronologically -
UPDATE!: i forgot Meridith Pingree at the Soap Factory (Minneapolis) through October 21 and Supreme Trading (Brooklyn) until the end of the month!!! Lauren Luloff is also in that Brooklyn show!
Melissa Meyer - Melissa Meyer: Paintings and Works on Paper 1975-2005, at the List Gallery, Swarthmore College. This show has already opened and runs through September 30, after which it will travel to Ringling College of Art and Design, 2/11-3/19.
LOOK.
Tadashi Moriyama and Janice Caswell - are both included in Breaking New Ground: The Power and Variety of Landscapes, curated by Ellyn Murphy, at Iona College, in New Rochelle. This show has already opened and runs through October 11.
Tadashi included my stuff when he was doing the Freeform shows in Philadelphia... and it got reviewed by Roberta. Tadashi was most recently included in a show at Like the Spice, and was mentioned by Brent.
Fiona Ross - a line is a thing that moves in time, at H&F Fine Arts, in Maryland (very close to DC). This show has already opened and runs through October 13.
Fiona is an Art Basel: Stuffy's alumni, all of whom will become HUGE and spread the legend of that landmark exhibition.
Jered Sprecher - Jered has work in Non-Declarative, at The Drawing Center. This show has already opened and runs through October 18.
Bryan Zanisnik - is having his FIRST NYC SOLO SHOW, 80 Year War, opening September 20 at Priska C. Juschka!
This is the third artist I've met - each in a different state - who has gone on to have his/her first NYC solo show at Priska Juschka. I am liking this gallery.
Did I mention this? I saw that Aaron Johnson show at Priska Juschka and when I asked something about the process was *wowed* by the explanation. Not so much the content, but that the gallery person who was explaining went on and on and on, smiling and friendly.... she was REALLY genuinely into it and talking about it, saying he had recently given a lecture in the gallery. She was kind of amazing.
Harry Roseman - 100 Most Popular Colors, opening September 25, at Davis & Langdale Company.
Amie Oliver - Walk the Walk, opening September 28, at Plant Zero (in Richmond).
Rosanna Bruno - is included in The Fluid Field: Abstraction & Reference, curated by Dona Nelson (herself a very interesting painter), October 3-21, at Tyler (in Philadelphia).
Rosanna is showing with Natasha Bowdoin, Angela Dufresne, Anoka Faruqee, Louise Fishman, Deborah Grant, Iva Gueorguieva, Liz Markus, Rebecca Saylor Sack, Tanaya Neal.
- an all lady show, i guess. why? is there a reason? is it a statement? how many all-lady show statements before i am allowed to say "enough/barf"?
plus -
Roger White - has started a new journal - with Dushko Petrovich - called Paper Monument.
(ps - anaba friend is a very loose term. many anaba relationships are imagined)
UPDATE!: i forgot Meridith Pingree at the Soap Factory (Minneapolis) through October 21 and Supreme Trading (Brooklyn) until the end of the month!!! Lauren Luloff is also in that Brooklyn show!
Melissa Meyer - Melissa Meyer: Paintings and Works on Paper 1975-2005, at the List Gallery, Swarthmore College. This show has already opened and runs through September 30, after which it will travel to Ringling College of Art and Design, 2/11-3/19.
LOOK.
Tadashi Moriyama and Janice Caswell - are both included in Breaking New Ground: The Power and Variety of Landscapes, curated by Ellyn Murphy, at Iona College, in New Rochelle. This show has already opened and runs through October 11.
Tadashi included my stuff when he was doing the Freeform shows in Philadelphia... and it got reviewed by Roberta. Tadashi was most recently included in a show at Like the Spice, and was mentioned by Brent.
Fiona Ross - a line is a thing that moves in time, at H&F Fine Arts, in Maryland (very close to DC). This show has already opened and runs through October 13.
Fiona is an Art Basel: Stuffy's alumni, all of whom will become HUGE and spread the legend of that landmark exhibition.
Jered Sprecher - Jered has work in Non-Declarative, at The Drawing Center. This show has already opened and runs through October 18.
Bryan Zanisnik - is having his FIRST NYC SOLO SHOW, 80 Year War, opening September 20 at Priska C. Juschka!
This is the third artist I've met - each in a different state - who has gone on to have his/her first NYC solo show at Priska Juschka. I am liking this gallery.
Did I mention this? I saw that Aaron Johnson show at Priska Juschka and when I asked something about the process was *wowed* by the explanation. Not so much the content, but that the gallery person who was explaining went on and on and on, smiling and friendly.... she was REALLY genuinely into it and talking about it, saying he had recently given a lecture in the gallery. She was kind of amazing.
Harry Roseman - 100 Most Popular Colors, opening September 25, at Davis & Langdale Company.
Amie Oliver - Walk the Walk, opening September 28, at Plant Zero (in Richmond).
Rosanna Bruno - is included in The Fluid Field: Abstraction & Reference, curated by Dona Nelson (herself a very interesting painter), October 3-21, at Tyler (in Philadelphia).
Rosanna is showing with Natasha Bowdoin, Angela Dufresne, Anoka Faruqee, Louise Fishman, Deborah Grant, Iva Gueorguieva, Liz Markus, Rebecca Saylor Sack, Tanaya Neal.
- an all lady show, i guess. why? is there a reason? is it a statement? how many all-lady show statements before i am allowed to say "enough/barf"?
plus -
Roger White - has started a new journal - with Dushko Petrovich - called Paper Monument.
(ps - anaba friend is a very loose term. many anaba relationships are imagined)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Spiritual America/Thierry Goldberg
Spiritual America is Thierry Goldberg (!).
(5 Rivington Street)
I also opened a gallery with the same name Spiritual America in order to exhibit the photograph. This was an off-off West Broadway gallery located at 5 Rivington St., NYC. Not opened to the public, not free and not official. It was not given the keys to the city and I believe hardly recognized. It was in fact a side-show, another frame around the picture, another attraction around the portrait of Brooke Shields. This picture gives good meaning.
- Richard Prince
(5 Rivington Street)
I also opened a gallery with the same name Spiritual America in order to exhibit the photograph. This was an off-off West Broadway gallery located at 5 Rivington St., NYC. Not opened to the public, not free and not official. It was not given the keys to the city and I believe hardly recognized. It was in fact a side-show, another frame around the picture, another attraction around the portrait of Brooke Shields. This picture gives good meaning.
- Richard Prince
painters on painting
More youtube videos of painters talking about painting, with much thanks to Bill Maynes (Gallery?) -
Jake Berthot - FOR VC! watching him not say landscape is like watching Fonzie not say love.
Scott Brodie
Lois Dodd - i am a big fan
Chie Fueki
Stephen Mueller
Alexi Worth - i love his paintings
At the Bill Maynes website there are links to a few more... good antidote to the first installment of the new Artnet feature.
Jake Berthot - FOR VC! watching him not say landscape is like watching Fonzie not say love.
Scott Brodie
Lois Dodd - i am a big fan
Chie Fueki
Stephen Mueller
Alexi Worth - i love his paintings
At the Bill Maynes website there are links to a few more... good antidote to the first installment of the new Artnet feature.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
James Siena
James Siena, at University Art Museum, in Albany. He's downstairs, Judith Linhares is upstairs - both shows are curated by curator/gallerist/poet/publisher Geoffrey Young.
Large (all 60x40 inches), black-and-white works on paper.... not your usual James Siena show. The work pictured above is dated - from left to right - 1996, 1996, 2007, 2007, 1996. Everything in the room is from either 1996 or 2007, with a few from maybe 2005/2006. There is a whole room of them, perhaps thirty.
It's impossible to figure out - without looking at the labels - which stuff is from '96 and what is from '07, but I really tried... thinking maybe the earlier stuff had more verticals and columns, and the newer stuff had more mazes and horizontals included... but that didn't work. Is that a good thing, or not such a good thing? I don't know (but feel like maybe no), and the total effect was unfortunately underwhelming. Much more enjoyed this Siena experienced EXACTLY one year - TO THE DAY - before.
The 1996 drawings were made to accompany Geoffrey Young's book of poetry, Pockets of Wheat. Compressed in reproduction, surrounded by text, formatted on a page... they look great. CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING (?). I think the 2007 drawings were made because the book is being re-issued.
Signarazzi - when I signed the book I saw that the previous visitor (to sign) was painter Alexi Worth... his stuff is awesome. Also, curious and paging back, I saw that Jerry Saltz and Roberta Smith had both signed earlier (Geoffrey Young's publishing company is the one that published Jerry Saltz' book of essays).
PLUS: Judith Linhares will be giving a lecture - Wednesday, September 26, 7pm - at the University Art Museum.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Judith Linhares
Judith Linhares is showing at University Art Museum, in Albany.
Plenty, 2002
As She Is, 2005
The figures, especially the one on the right, made me think of Cezanne. Not just the Bathers paintings... but also his apples and tableclothes, all of the faceting and outlines.
I especially loved the wide boxy structure of the hips of the purply woman on the right, and her awkward legs.
This is kind of like a Christ lowered from the cross picture.
Dipper, 2007
Really liked this one, the fracture and reflection, how the arms are disconnected at the waterline.
Very nice.
Stir, 2004
Most of them have a central pyramidal pile shape, with the female figures splayed around it. Maybe that consistent shape is some kind of anchor, representing something else for her.... it's usually represented as warmth, safety, shelter, offering sustenance, a place to play on or relax under.
(That cabin reminds me of the funny house in Erwin Wurm's video, asking "Am I a house, or am I art?")
UPDATE: Judith Linhares will be giving a lecture - Wednesday, September 26, 7pm - at the University Art Museum.
Plenty, 2002
As She Is, 2005
The figures, especially the one on the right, made me think of Cezanne. Not just the Bathers paintings... but also his apples and tableclothes, all of the faceting and outlines.
I especially loved the wide boxy structure of the hips of the purply woman on the right, and her awkward legs.
This is kind of like a Christ lowered from the cross picture.
Dipper, 2007
Really liked this one, the fracture and reflection, how the arms are disconnected at the waterline.
Very nice.
Stir, 2004
Most of them have a central pyramidal pile shape, with the female figures splayed around it. Maybe that consistent shape is some kind of anchor, representing something else for her.... it's usually represented as warmth, safety, shelter, offering sustenance, a place to play on or relax under.
(That cabin reminds me of the funny house in Erwin Wurm's video, asking "Am I a house, or am I art?")
UPDATE: Judith Linhares will be giving a lecture - Wednesday, September 26, 7pm - at the University Art Museum.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
KAI PLUS
Shows with anaba Friends - a little late, but two shows are opening this weekend (one Friday in Indianapolis, one Saturday in Brooklyn), both of which feature a number of artists "as seen on anaba".
Material Presence, at Marsh Project Gallery, Indianapolis - this show includes Danielle Riede, Eric Sall, and Wendy White.
Danielle on anaba, Eric on anaba here and here (with good comments), Wendy on anaba. I think someone in Indianapolis is maybe reading anaba!!!
Wide Open, at McCaig-Welles, Brooklyn... OPENING is SATURDAY 9/8, 8-11pm!!! - this show is curated by Nick Kuszyk and includes Kai Vierstra, Bonnie Collura, Pat Berran, Drew Liverman, Peter Corrie, Bruce Wilhelm, and Langdon Graves.
Kai on anaba here and here, Pat on anaba, Drew on anaba 6/8/07, 6/7/07, 8/24/06, 11/8/05 (!), Peter on anaba here and here, Bruce... Bruce has been on here so many times he has his own label, click and scroll down to see much Bruce.
Curator Nick is on anaba here 8/24/2006, here 2/23/2006 (this is the BEST), here 9/16/05, here 10/20/04... PLUS I'm wearing a Nick Kuszyk t-shirt in these Philly artblog photos.
GOOD THING - i have stuff by Bruce, Nick, and Peter.
BAD THING - i am not in either of these shows.
Material Presence, at Marsh Project Gallery, Indianapolis - this show includes Danielle Riede, Eric Sall, and Wendy White.
Danielle on anaba, Eric on anaba here and here (with good comments), Wendy on anaba. I think someone in Indianapolis is maybe reading anaba!!!
Wide Open, at McCaig-Welles, Brooklyn... OPENING is SATURDAY 9/8, 8-11pm!!! - this show is curated by Nick Kuszyk and includes Kai Vierstra, Bonnie Collura, Pat Berran, Drew Liverman, Peter Corrie, Bruce Wilhelm, and Langdon Graves.
Kai on anaba here and here, Pat on anaba, Drew on anaba 6/8/07, 6/7/07, 8/24/06, 11/8/05 (!), Peter on anaba here and here, Bruce... Bruce has been on here so many times he has his own label, click and scroll down to see much Bruce.
Curator Nick is on anaba here 8/24/2006, here 2/23/2006 (this is the BEST), here 9/16/05, here 10/20/04... PLUS I'm wearing a Nick Kuszyk t-shirt in these Philly artblog photos.
GOOD THING - i have stuff by Bruce, Nick, and Peter.
BAD THING - i am not in either of these shows.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Richard Hamilton Yellow
Quite Righteously!
Looking at Richard Hamilton. Took this photo from Contessa Nally's blog... she has all the best Venice B. art and fashion pictures (scroll down), and goes to tons of art and fashion shows. Barnaby have you seen it? Scroll through.
(nally took my picture once)
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Robert Storr VS. Nancy Spector?
Robert Storr, in an affadavit written on behalf of Christoph Buchel -
“In my view, under no circumstance should a work of art be shown to the public until the artist has determined that it is finished."
Donn Zaretsky -
“This case presents questions of considerable significance in the art world: Does someone other than the visual artist have the right to decide when that artist’s work is finished or otherwise in a state suitable to be shown to the public?"
Makes me wonder about the Felix Gonzalez-Torres pools that are currently showing at the Venice Biennale. Isn't Storr the Artistic Director?
Gonzalez-Torres died in 1996, before he was ever able to realize the piece... but leaving five sketches for different versions of a work based on various proposal sites. Curator Nancy Spector suggested the piece for Venice 2007 - as "a never-before-realized sculpture"... "a new work, made from a drawing by Mr. Gonzalez-Torres but unrealized in his lifetime" - and made all fabrication and installation decisions.
Christopher Knight -
"Would Gonzalez-Torres choose Carrara marble for this location? Would he alter the pools' dimensions to accommodate this site? Would he display them on brick paving? Would he consider the work site-specific and destroy it after the show?" - It sold.
Blake Gopnik -
"Spector, for instance, has realized the reflecting pools, sketched out by Gonzalez-Torres as needing to be made in "local stone," in cliched white Carrara marble, from quarries hundreds of miles south of Venice. Gonzalez-Torres might have preferred the rose-colored stone, from nearby Verona, that the Venetian empire used for its most showy buildings."
This, the Buchel/MassMoca thing, is all so tangly. Way over my head, and I can barely stand most of them really (especially Sergio). BUT, fascinating... and I have to wonder, reading Storr's affadavit, how that squares with his view of the Gonzalez-Torres(?) sculpture, at the Biennale of which he is Artistic Director.
more from Robert Storr's affadavit -
"In sum, should a presentation be made at the sole discretion of a sponsoring institution, it not only runs counter to the interests of the artist but also to those of the public. Indeed that public is ill-served by the assumption that it will be satisfied by the experience of aesthetically incomplete works while its larger understanding of and sympathy for intrinsically challenging works of contemporary art may in the long term be substantially harmed by the confusion that inevitably arise from being confronted with works that have yet to be fully realized or resolved."
(funniest part in the affadavits - Buchel refers to the museum as Mass Coma. Ouch, that could stick)
“In my view, under no circumstance should a work of art be shown to the public until the artist has determined that it is finished."
Donn Zaretsky -
“This case presents questions of considerable significance in the art world: Does someone other than the visual artist have the right to decide when that artist’s work is finished or otherwise in a state suitable to be shown to the public?"
Makes me wonder about the Felix Gonzalez-Torres pools that are currently showing at the Venice Biennale. Isn't Storr the Artistic Director?
Gonzalez-Torres died in 1996, before he was ever able to realize the piece... but leaving five sketches for different versions of a work based on various proposal sites. Curator Nancy Spector suggested the piece for Venice 2007 - as "a never-before-realized sculpture"... "a new work, made from a drawing by Mr. Gonzalez-Torres but unrealized in his lifetime" - and made all fabrication and installation decisions.
Christopher Knight -
"Would Gonzalez-Torres choose Carrara marble for this location? Would he alter the pools' dimensions to accommodate this site? Would he display them on brick paving? Would he consider the work site-specific and destroy it after the show?" - It sold.
Blake Gopnik -
"Spector, for instance, has realized the reflecting pools, sketched out by Gonzalez-Torres as needing to be made in "local stone," in cliched white Carrara marble, from quarries hundreds of miles south of Venice. Gonzalez-Torres might have preferred the rose-colored stone, from nearby Verona, that the Venetian empire used for its most showy buildings."
This, the Buchel/MassMoca thing, is all so tangly. Way over my head, and I can barely stand most of them really (especially Sergio). BUT, fascinating... and I have to wonder, reading Storr's affadavit, how that squares with his view of the Gonzalez-Torres(?) sculpture, at the Biennale of which he is Artistic Director.
more from Robert Storr's affadavit -
"In sum, should a presentation be made at the sole discretion of a sponsoring institution, it not only runs counter to the interests of the artist but also to those of the public. Indeed that public is ill-served by the assumption that it will be satisfied by the experience of aesthetically incomplete works while its larger understanding of and sympathy for intrinsically challenging works of contemporary art may in the long term be substantially harmed by the confusion that inevitably arise from being confronted with works that have yet to be fully realized or resolved."
(funniest part in the affadavits - Buchel refers to the museum as Mass Coma. Ouch, that could stick)
shocker!
My mom was rowing her little boat in the lake and a lady swam out to admire it, and they recognized each other... my brother and I used to play with her two sons, many summers at the lake. I don't think we've seen each other since I was maybe eleven.
The moms were playing catch up... talking about the boys. One of her sons also became an artist... so I googled him to see if maybe he had any work on-line.
HE'S FAMOUS!!!
The moms were playing catch up... talking about the boys. One of her sons also became an artist... so I googled him to see if maybe he had any work on-line.
HE'S FAMOUS!!!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
google image search sculpture, FOR SALE!!!
FOR SALE - world's FIRST google image search sculpture!!! CliCk hERe to see it better.
We've printed an edition of five... one for printer Judith Baumann, and one for me... with three extras for sale (or maybe trade). Three hundred dollars.
OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY!
Hudson visit
It was a toss-up between the Martin Creed show at Bard, or Asher Durand at the Thomas Cole house.... and we went with Durand/Cole. I'm glad I got to see the very small half-a-barn studio in which Cole painted most of his work... way more humble of a space than I expected, for the Course of the Empire series to have come from. Can't imagine what it was like with all of those big paintings laying around.
And... it turned out that T. Cole's house was only six miles from Hudson, so...
John Davis Gallery - this was the best, with a very cool old concrete(?) grain elevator-like building in the back. He has shows in both spaces.
First Best Thing - seeing two small Brenda Goodman paintings in the John Davis window... I recognized her work from an ArtCritical studio visit. Very happy (to see), 'cause she's seriously GOOD.
Second Best Thing - seeing a small Rosanna Bruno on the wall! She is an internet friend, I interknow her.
Rosanna will have a show here I think in October or November... I forget.
Lisa Krivacka, at Leo Fortuna - this was the other good gallery... I think it's new. This 2007 Krivacka has a seventies Sylvia Sleigh vibe.
Christina Malisoff - not at a gallery, but at Frank Swim's furniture store. Three interesting pieces.
stitchy piece - in an antiques/thrift store... it's all stitching. Tiny construction figures, tiny ladder, tiny stitched brickpiles. There were two more, all sitting on the floor, behind a chair. Don't know who made them...
And... it turned out that T. Cole's house was only six miles from Hudson, so...
John Davis Gallery - this was the best, with a very cool old concrete(?) grain elevator-like building in the back. He has shows in both spaces.
First Best Thing - seeing two small Brenda Goodman paintings in the John Davis window... I recognized her work from an ArtCritical studio visit. Very happy (to see), 'cause she's seriously GOOD.
Second Best Thing - seeing a small Rosanna Bruno on the wall! She is an internet friend, I interknow her.
Rosanna will have a show here I think in October or November... I forget.
Lisa Krivacka, at Leo Fortuna - this was the other good gallery... I think it's new. This 2007 Krivacka has a seventies Sylvia Sleigh vibe.
Christina Malisoff - not at a gallery, but at Frank Swim's furniture store. Three interesting pieces.
stitchy piece - in an antiques/thrift store... it's all stitching. Tiny construction figures, tiny ladder, tiny stitched brickpiles. There were two more, all sitting on the floor, behind a chair. Don't know who made them...