Christopher dug a deep pit, through a concrete floor, inside a small cinderblock building. A narrow ante-chamber on a raised platform was constructed from plywood, around the corner of which the plywood flooring becomes a curved ramp directing your eye and body toward the black hole.
The NYMag review, by Jerry Saltz, refers to Fischer's piece as "a Herculean project". It looks cool... but with a backhoe, a $250,000 budget, and a team of assistants.... whatever. Herculean it isn't. Chris did everything by himself, it was a fantastic piece.
Chris building entry, stage, and ramp.
Chris digging pit.
RELATED: Christopher doesn't have any website that I can find.... but you can see another one of his installations here, documented by Michael Lease. MORE: a video.
PLUS: JERRY SALTZ DATA REPORT
I am a guy, so I can point and laugh at Jerry Saltz writing yet another feature decrying gender disparity followed by yet another review of a male artist. Jerry has written twenty-six reviews of individual artists so far this year, only seven of which have been reviews of women artists.
MoMA is a museum, and it's asking a lot to go back and revise history, unfair as it may be, but Jerry is writing new history NOW. If I were a girl I guess I would have no option but to put on a gorilla mask and wheatpaste a poster somewhere. I don't think you can expect much more than 25% representation anytime soon, if Jerry is supposedly your champion.
RELATED: Art Candy hasn't been updated yet, so it still stands at 59 men to 16 women.
Great post. Again!
ReplyDeleteDo women art critics review more women then men? If so is that wrong? Do men network more through men then women? Is the men to women art review ratio a problem that could be solved by having more women art critics published? If so then it might be important to get more women into positions that they can hire art critics. Am I an idiot? lol
ReplyDeletepaddy - thanks!
ReplyDeletebruce - is that really you? did you just say lol?
i just checked six months of roberta smith. it was surprising.
It is me and I do say lol the same as I wear southwestern art t-shirts, it fools the best of them Martin. I am interested in what you found.
ReplyDeleteFemale Artist: Do you think about gender when you're putting together a show?
ReplyDeleteFemale dealer #1: I never pay attention to the gender, just the art.
Female Dealer #2: You're kidding! You have to think about the gender. You'll find good art, but you have to think about the gender.
Female Dealer #1: I never thought avout it before, but I get it. I will.
Female Artist: Thank you.
This exchange actually took place. Not quite verbatim, but it's the essence of the conversation. Progress happens slowly, sometimes surprisingly so.