tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162351322024-03-13T04:14:01.803-07:00Art Fag CityPaddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comBlogger466125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-61061063729321857052007-04-11T16:52:00.000-07:002008-11-15T05:57:16.454-08:00Updating RSS Feeds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lbqfd3xHLc4/Rh1-Xaj6gxI/AAAAAAAAAAU/n7JE7-ghLVI/s1600-h/Untitled-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lbqfd3xHLc4/Rh1-Xaj6gxI/AAAAAAAAAAU/n7JE7-ghLVI/s400/Untitled-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052333297711612690" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Olav Westphalen</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Extremely site-unspecific sculpture</span>, 2000<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Image via: Public Art Fund</span><br /><br />If you're reading this message, chances are you haven't updated my new RSS feed to your newsreader. To do so just follow <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArtFagCity">this link</a>, and in about two seconds you'll be set up! Those who have missed a few of the latests posts will be sore indeed: From the loins of youtube, <a href="http://www.artfagcity.com/2007/04/09/is-dry-humping-work-safe/">Making Vindaloo</a>, a soft core bollywood music video, and <a href="http://www.artfagcity.com/2007/04/11/reviewing-the-reviews-selling-himself-and-prints-too-at-the-nytimes/">my the latest <span style="font-style:italic;">Reviewing the Reviews</span>, whidh discusses the New York Times piece <span style="font-style:italic;">Selling Himself and Prints Too</span></a>. It's a lot to do at once, but I'll hazard a guess and say I think my readers can handle dry humping and the NYTimes at once. <br /><br />Also note that I'll be closing this blog down shortly so all links here will simply redirect to <a href="http://www.artfagcity.com">Art Fag City.</a>Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-69569787839293694472007-03-19T07:00:00.000-07:002008-11-15T05:57:16.632-08:00Art Fag City Has A New Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lbqfd3xHLc4/Rf4fVNohhVI/AAAAAAAAAAM/y9_v6Iv9Xy8/s1600-h/Untitled-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lbqfd3xHLc4/Rf4fVNohhVI/AAAAAAAAAAM/y9_v6Iv9Xy8/s400/Untitled-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043503081998878034" /></a><br />Today we move to our new home and due to a bit of poor planning on our part some of you have to move with us. Specifically I am speaking to maybe 100 readers who subscribe to our current rss, as I did not set up a portable feed when I began blogging a year and a half ago. Don't worry though the change should take all of two seconds: simply add <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArtFagCity">this link</a> to your reader, remove the blogspot rss feed, and you're done. For the rest of you surfers, the typing my updated url couldn't be easier: <a href="http://www.artfagcity.com">www.artfagcity.com</a>. Come check out the new digs!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE:</span> Please be advised that in a week or two this blog will disappear, which means any links leading to specific articles on this site will no longer work. For those of you who list reviews I've written of your work on your resume, simply remove "blogspot" from the url address, and the link will work.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-63422069147593596612007-03-16T10:19:00.000-07:002007-03-16T07:27:12.259-07:00The Making of the Doctor Who Soundtrack<div style="text-align: center;"><object width="400" height="329"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zDxFqw36KQ0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zDxFqw36KQ0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="329"></embed></object></div><br /><br />This video comes to you via the delicious feed of <a href="http://del.icio.us/WIZARDISHUNGRY">Wizard is Hungry</a>, who currently has a great <a href="http://wizardishungry.com/blog/_/2007/03/digpog_wizardishungrycom.gif">digital pog</a> on the front page of his <a href="http://wizardishungry.com/blog/">blog</a>. Naturally this find led me to seek free mp3s of the Doctor Who soundtrack, though predictably the best I could come up with was <a href="http://www.web2txt.co.uk/dr_who-polyphonic-ringtones.html">this two dollar ringtone</a>.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-7024712188543097712007-03-15T18:00:00.000-07:002007-03-15T15:03:05.320-07:00House CleaningIt's official: The Art Fag City relaunch is slated for Monday morning. Following <a href="http://www.artsjournal.com/man/2007/03/housekeeping_note_1.html">Tyler Green's request</a> for updated or omitted urls, please also send them along to artfagcity[AT]gmail.com with the subject title blogroll. Sunday night marks our deadline as well.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-24693703010275335352007-03-15T13:47:00.000-07:002007-03-15T14:19:40.838-07:00Artworld Salon Meet Art Fag City<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/422232250_1a7f6070ab.jpg?v=0" height="137" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Screengrab AFC</span><br /></div><br /><br />I haven't visited any blog over the last week without seeing a link to <a href="http://www.artworldsalon.com/blog/">Artworld Salon</a>, the newest Internet site run by art news journalists. The most weighty of those links (due only to readership numbers) comes from Walter Robinson at <a href="http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/reviews/robinson/robinson3-9-07.asp">Artnet</a>, who calls the site "the new blog for art world insiders", undoubtedly aware of the it because author Marc Spiegler writes for him occasionally. <br /><br />Now, generally I find the print world in html form to be a fairly limited representation of the Internet, and while Artworld Salon has some good moments, (I liked their post on <a href="http://www.artworldsalon.com/blog/2007/03/07/exhibition-catalogs-time-for-a-serious-rethink/">exhibition catalogs</a> for example) as <a href="http://anaba.blogspot.com/2007/03/artreview-blog-vs-artworld-salon.html">Anaba</a> points out their general lack of web savvy leads to a lot of ignorant commentary on the subject. Witness <a href="http://www.artworldsalon.com/blog/2007/01/22/artreview-please-be-my-friend/">Marc Spiegler's and Ian Charles Stewart's</a> comments on <a href="http://blog.myspace.com/artreview">ArtReview's myspace blog</a>. <br /><br /><blockquote>My view is that the MySpace product looks amateurish, functions poorly and may be rejected by the MySpace community for invading their space under false pretences. (Ian Charles Stewart)<br /><br />I’m not a MySpacer, but I’d hazard a guess that at this point they are pretty used to people hijacking their “community” for commercial purposes. And the magazine seems to have plenty of friends, including Hans Ulrich Obrist (or an e-impostor - judge for yourself here.) (Marc Spiegler) </blockquote><br /><br />Has Ian Charles Stewart even been on myspace? What false pretenses does he think <a href="http://www.uploadlibrary.com/artreviewdigital/index.html">ArtReview</a> has? If you don't have a myspace account it may be tough to grasp why people use it, but I would think that at this point most people have the basic understanding that users seek to increase their professional visibility as opposed to simply meeting friends and seeking a quick lay (in fairness Stewart does give artreview's myspace blog credit as a PR device, though the comments above would seem to contradict that sentiment.) I frequently cite the fantastic <a href="http://www.2ndcannons.com/">2nd Cannons</a>, a publishing company located in LA, as a great example of the effectiveness of myspace networking tools, as I would have never found them as early as I did without the help of myspace. As press, I would think the folks at Artworld Salon would have particular interest in the tool as it can be used to find stories nobody else has. Myspace performs inconsistently on this level, but for this reason alone you simply can't dismiss it. <br /><br />Following this thread, Marc Spiegler goes on to condemn ArtReview for the design of their myspace page, saying, "Design wise, I’d say Art Review needs to take a look at how their MySpace page looks on a laptop. Right now, it requires all sorts of lateral scrolling and their logo is consistently covered up by random ads, including one for “THE BEST MODEL SITES!” <br /><br />The level of snobbish condescension in this comment demands an annoyed retort from us, because while nobody's going to defend myspace for its design - it clearly sucks - you can't dismiss the value of a web tool on aesthetics alone. Ebay looks like ass, people still manage to sell $20,000 Warhol prints on the site, and it doesn't effect the price of the print. Why should ArtReview be taken any less seriously because it decides to place more stalk in social networking and lump a cookie cutter design? What's more, Artworld Salon is in no position to be commenting on website design, as they are working with one of the more uninspired blog templates on the web. I'm not a fan of the flash masthead as the slow fade in logo seems unnecessary, and the font Western-meets-computer-age renders two perfectly good styles horribly inelegant as one. <br /><br />Spiegler's comments however, seem to have less to do with design than a general disdain for the mixing commercial products with art. Those who find the site off putting for its snootiness will certainly find ample reasons to feel this way as this philosophy frequently rears its head on the blog. <a href="http://www.artworldsalon.com/blog/2007/03/11/art-meets-fashion-round-mdccxviii/">Author András Szántó</a> for example, recently complained about a J. Crew ad featuring student art in the background, and an unrealistic depiction of clean artists in a studio. Personally, I find it refreshing that representations of artists have progressed to the point that we don't all have to look as though we've just come out of some art battlefield. The glamorization of the artist may not be entirely positive, but I'll take that over having to sleep on a futon the rest of my life because I can't afford anything better. <br /><br />Ultimately the reason I find the upturned nose of some within the "fine art" establishment so distasteful, lies in the fact that old fashioned ideas about how art should function, are almost always connected with the kind of lifestyle an artist should maintain. The price you have to pay to maintain that kind of life is unnecessary and frankly much too high. <br /><br />Additional note: As <a href="http://anaba.blogspot.com/2007/03/artreview-blog-vs-artworld-salon.html">anaba</a> also observes it bears reflection that the artreview blog pretty much exclusively talks about art. This, to my mind, is the most important aspect of any websites in this field. By any standards, very little examination of art itself actually goes on at Artworld Salon.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-52870563957628983522007-03-14T07:09:00.000-07:002007-03-14T01:13:00.440-07:00Art Since 1960 (According to the Internet)Internet nerd that I am, I actually recorded some of last Thursday's lecture by Hanne Mugaas + Cory Arcangel titled <a href="http://www.hanne-mugaas.com/artblog/2007/03/art_since_1960_according_to_th.html">Art Since 1960 (According to the Internet.</a>) Count yourself lucky for not having to listen to that file though, as the documentation of two people surfing the web doesn't exactly translate well into aural sensation. Somewhat predictably, in lieu of this media I've chosen merely to summarize the most important point I got out of the lecture: There is less and less difference between canonical art works and any other cultural products on the web. <br /><br />Countless examples reinforcing this point followed, most of which were at the very least entertaining, and often much more than that. The best video comparison cited came from a post Arcangel had curated on Hanne's blog early this January. <br /><br /><object width="400" height="329"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ukqmt3iRwX0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ukqmt3iRwX0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="400" height="329"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aD7IcMHzphA"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aD7IcMHzphA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Don't let the length of the second video confuse you, as the relevant comparison of falling figures happens in the first few seconds of the video.</span> <br /><br />On some level, you either buy work such as this as a valid investigation of how art and culture merge on the web or you don't, but for those who are wondering why they just bothered watching those videos, I have to grant that it's not a bad question. That said, it's also unanswerable. Nobody knows precisely what this leveling of fields means for art or art history, which is why we have to pay really close attention to what's being made. If, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gid5qVh1hQM&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ehanne%2Dmugaas%2Ecom%2Fmy%5Fwork%2F1%5Fart%5Fsince%5F1960%5Faccording%5Fto%2F">as Warhol suggests,</a> there really is little difference between the art of Jasper Johns and his lunches, then we at least need to be able to at least identify it. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Following the surfing talk, Hanne Mugaas + Cory Arcangel posted an <a href="http://www.hanne-mugaas.com/my_work/1_art_since_1960_according_to/">intimidating list of links</a> (with no anchors so lazy surfers such as myself complain about having to copy and paste these urls into their browser.) I recommend following as many as you can.</span>Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-68967974577980511232007-03-13T07:15:00.000-07:002007-03-13T00:29:09.807-07:00Wearing Your Heart Around Your NeckWe're still very busy around here, so the five million stories we're supposed to be reporting on will have to wait. In the meantime I encourage you to consider <a href="http://modblog.bmezine.com/2006/12/07/the-blood-scarf/">The Blood Scarf</a>. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/186/419772573_6f845fb907.jpg?v=0" height="304" width="242"></div><br /><br />The long awaited fusion between the body mod crowd and <a href="http://www.makezine.com/blog/">Make Magazine</a> geeks is upon us.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-10875889527189923422007-03-12T09:00:00.000-07:002007-03-12T06:39:09.640-07:00Art Fag City at the Reeler: Meme: Romanticism<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/418528131_befc6b0230.jpg?v=0" height="171" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Carlo Zanni, The Possible Ties Between Illness and Success. Film still. Photos <a href="http://www.thepossibleties.com/">EFA</a></span><br /></div><br /><br />Perhaps in loose keeping with the theme of memes, my article for <a href="http://www.thereeler.com">The Reeler</a> can be read on not one but two sites. Of course for the full version of the piece below, you'll have to click through to his site, a worth while use of your reading time to be sure. <br /><br /><blockquote>I have to admit I find the now-popular intellectual act of turning one's nose up at the overly highbrow while championing mass culture a bottomless pit of good conversation. Three years ago, for example, it would have been hard to sell anyone on the idea that you could find more substance in Internet chain letters and memes than such life-changing intelligence as the kinkiest place you’ve had sex. Web geeks, however, would have told you well before then that the phenomenon held more significance. And while the idea of a meme as information exchange may not sound so radical today with the ubiquity of Internet use joining hacker culture to the mainstream, for this same reason <span style="font-style:italic;">Meme: Romanticism</span>, a<a href="http://efa1.org/EFAGallery/?Page=EFAGallery-Home">n exhibition currently on view at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts</a>, makes an especially timely appearance; even if you’re not familiar with the practice's terminology and techniques you’ve probably experienced enough viral media by 2007 to have a basic understanding of the concept.<br /><br />Now I know this seems like a bold statement to be issuing in mid-March, but I’ll be surprised if I see a better exhibition this year. Though not all the work in this show is Web-based – some works are purely video, others are photographic stills - the pieces share technological aesthetics that together represent a new school of contemporary filmmakers and artists whose art parallels the age of Romanticism. Similarly defined by a reaction to the trumpeting of reason -- often by simply working against the objective and disinterested biases of technology -- Meme: Romanticism not only stresses emotion as the source of aesthetic experience, but defines this experience as paradoxically continuous, contagious and fleeting. </blockquote><br /><br />To read more click <a href="http://www.thereeler.com/features/meme_of_the_crop.php">here</a>.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-46958689295853924552007-03-08T11:24:00.000-08:002007-03-08T14:33:58.550-08:00Posting Notice<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/414680193_bfb9752592.jpg?v=0" height="386" width="382"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Photo copyright <a href="http://www.neilrough.com/">Neil Rough</a></span><br /></div><br /><br />I think God is punishing Christians by keeping the technical knowledge from their faith that would allow them to create embeddable videos without an automatic start function. I've removed the video from the post below because having it run every time I loaded my web page it annoyed the fuck out of me. <br /><br />In other news, deadlines are pending so you won't see much on the site today. In the meantime enjoy the work of <a href="http://www.neilrough.com/">Neil Rough</a>.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-22861609420895799122007-03-07T14:30:00.000-08:002007-03-08T08:18:28.092-08:00Bananas and the Most Important Women Artists of the Century<a href="http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c5280214e0486b273a5f">The Atheist's Nightmare</a>, an argument that design of banana is a testament to God's existence showed up on the Christian answer to YouTube recently, <a href="http://www.godtube.com">GodTube</a>. Representing what has to be the greatest waste of breath I have seen in a long time, (and thereby naturally appealing to us,) the infomercial like video explains the genius of God's banana. "The maker of the banana, Almighty God, has made it with a non-slip surface" and "as with soda can makers they place a tab at the top, so God has placed a tab at the top." Youtube hosts a rather <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLqQttJinjo">predictable response</a>, though I notice that remarkably no one has made reference to the fifteen different sexual jokes that immediately pop to mind when watching this. <br /><br />Link via <a href="http://grammarpolice.net/archives/001234.php">Kriston Capps</a> et al.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/413877930_89462310a4.jpg?v=0" height="372" width="250"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >It's always annoyed me that posters of this Bellmer inspired series are not available. Copyright Cindy Sherman.</span><br /></div><br />In a tenuously related search, the <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w12928">National Bureau of Economic Research</a> concludes based on the number of times an artist has their work reproduced in textbooks that history judges Cindy Sherman to be the greatest woman artist of the twentieth century, followed in order by Georgia O'Keeffe, Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, and Frida Kahlo. I'm fascinated by the methods used to draw these conclusions, particularly as they seem to have no bearing on reality. Rather than <a href="http://www.felixsalmon.com/000711.html">take on the discussion</a> of who should be on this list and in what order though, I would note that photography reproduces better than any other medium, and probably has some effect on the choice of image that are reproduced in textbooks. So beware <a href="http://www.marisaolson.com/">Marisa Olson</a>: if you start making scads of animated gifs studies like this will screw you out of your rightful place in art history.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-12082958094305324922007-03-06T07:00:00.000-08:002007-03-07T09:40:48.259-08:00Massive Links! Art Pics Edition<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/412259853_c582b7e965.jpg?v=0" height="300" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Copyright David Shrigley</span><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.davidshrigley.com/">David Shrigley's</a> faux naive style of art making isn't always my thing, but you can't go wrong tucking weiners into bed. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/artfagcity/vput.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Via <a href="http://nastynets.com/?p=474#respond">Nasty Nets</a></span><br /></div><br /><br />Putin scratches. A top gif, if there ever was one. The full thread <a href="http://wunder-bar.livejournal.com/241277.html?thread=5365629#t5365629">here</a>.<br /><br />Related:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="400" height="329"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fR0oQwrlZD8"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fR0oQwrlZD8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Via <a href="http://www.hanne-mugaas.com/artblog/2007/02/the_dancehall_priest.html">Hanne's Art Blog</a></span></div><br /><br />The Dancehall Priest.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-55621737118058192092007-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:002007-03-04T22:08:55.040-08:00All Data Is Created Equal<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/168/410893625_eec1341d8c.jpg?v=0" height="208" width="228"> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Cory Arcangel</span><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.beigerecords.com/cory/">Cory Arcangel</a> uttered the title of this post many years ago, and it still surprises me that the quote hasn't circulated more. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Arcangel">Wikipedia</a> surely fails us today, as I notice the entry sorely lacks these words.<br /><br />In other news, posting will be lighter than normal this week, as we prepare to relaunch Art Fag City. Thankfully the day draws near when you no longer have to read about what a piece of shit I think blogger is.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-2001708596468333852007-03-02T07:40:00.000-08:002007-03-02T04:04:58.465-08:00Brand Expands Product Line to Customizable MP3's Which Play The Sound of The Earth's Surface<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/157/407554006_111b0ca12a.jpg?v=0" height="74" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Screengrab AFC</span><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">G-Player</span>, a device conceived by artist Jens Brand "plays the world in the same way a record player plays the earth", by combining a topographic database that contains the altitudes of the surface of the planet, and a dynamic database that calculates the orbits of any public-use satellite. The result? A lot of silence. The earth's surface consists primarily of water, which reads as zero altitude and no translatable sound to the <span style="font-weight:bold;">G-Player</span>. <br /><br />I rather like this aspect of the work, but Brand's ever expanding line of <a href="http://www.g-turns.com">G-based products</a> address the concerns of customer from a variety of angles. As such, he now offers <span style="font-weight:bold;">G-BEE</span> (The Global Bee Liner), which allows you to choose two spots on the planet to create your own personal track (choosing a route over land will create a set of unique sounds.) Similarily <span style="font-weight:bold;">G-One</span> gives you the chance to choose from a variety of satellites and have your own mp3 made (vinyl coming soon.) <br /><br />Brand's site launches March 3rd, at which point you can purchase your own track at a cost 5 euros per 5 minute. However, the artist has extended a special offer to Art Fag City readers, as between 7pm to Midnight March 2nd, these items will be <a href="http://www.g-turns.com">available for free</a> (according to the artist, paypal connections will not be running during this time.) I suggest checking in early though, as I suspect these are Central European times. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Note: The website does not launch until tonight, so the link I've provided will not work until then.</span><br /><br />Related: <a href="http://www.thereeler.com/features/the_little_diva_that_couldnt.php">The Little DiVA that Couldn't at The Reeler</a>.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-47896279601041843742007-03-02T07:10:00.000-08:002007-03-02T03:53:37.410-08:00Welcome Back Choire!<a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/03012007/gossip/pagesix/gawker_benches_party_slob_pagesix_.htm">Via Page Six</a>: Gawker reassigns editorial assistant Heather Snodgrass to "internal research" for inappropriate behavior at events and happenings. It's a brand new year with Managing Editor Choire Sicha on board.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-39690641785049002772007-03-01T14:12:00.000-08:002007-03-05T23:28:01.077-08:00The New Yorker Conference: New Speakers, The Same Problems<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/179/407030277_fbe83d0cd8.jpg?v=0" height="94" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Screengrab AFC</span><br /></div><br /><br />Why aren't people bored with making old news? Running May 6th-7th, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/promo/conference/index.html">The New Yorker Conference</a> describes itself as a "dynamic conference...of new ideas, forward thinking and eye-opening innovation," currently defining these words with a list of 24 speakers only 3 of which are women. I don't believe that women contribute only 12.5 of "forward thinking" ideas, and I doubt The New Yorker shares this sentiment either, but their current list of panelists certainly suggests this. <br /><br />Having spent some time myself as a curator, and on various review boards, I can tell you that almost without thinking about it, you can find ways to account for the poor representation of women. For example, I commonly hear, "we invited an almost equal proportion of men and women to this conference," a line that quells the worries of many when faced with depressing statistics. However, anyone who has been on a selection panel knows that the names you start with are rarely the same as the ones you end up with, so unless conference organizers make equal gender representation a priority it's simply not going to happen.<br /><br />I say this not because I believe there are less talented women than men working today, but because as individuals we have to work with the awareness that our inherent cultural biases lead us to trumpet male performance over that of females. I'm not going to bother providing lists of statistics we're all aware of, particularly since this sort of thing leads to comments like "your assertions maybe correct, but you'll need real evidence to support it not just a headcount." but I will cite the following example to support this statement: Personism's List of <a href="http://www.personism.com/2006/10/11/list-of-women-speakers-for-your-conference/">Women Speakers for Your Conferences</a>, has been linked to on several occasions by Internet celebrities such as <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Kottke.org</a>, and <a href="http://www.designobserver.org">the Design Observer</a>, in addition to heavy weights such as <a href="http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/">We Make Money Not Art</a>, <a href="http://www.artsjournal.com/man">Modern Art Notes</a>, <a href="http://designsponge.blogspot.com/">Design Sponge</a>, <a href="http://blogher.org/node/16071">blogher</a>, and yet, despite all this coverage, The New Yorker conference planners either didn't know about it, or didn't use it. Now, granted, CNN has not yet linked to the post, but it would seem to be me that largest indicators that these biases exist, reveal themselves when the resources available to correct the problem don't remain in our consciousness long enough for them to be used. The New Yorker has some time to fix this problem - let's make sure they do it. <br /><br />Related: <br /><a href="http://artfagcity.blogspot.com/2006/10/tokion-debate-in-stasis.html">The Tokion Conference Gender Debate</a> (outgoing links to all key players within this post)<br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_mallick/20070223.html">CBC News: Where are all the women writers</a>? "When it comes to the magazine business, why is Harper's so bizarre about women writers?"<br /><a href="http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/sackler_center/">The Brooklyn Museum's Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art</a> now has <a href="http://eascfa.blogspot.com/">a blog</a>.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-20205785429379465782007-02-28T14:32:00.000-08:002007-02-28T17:33:49.329-08:00AFC New York Art Fair Ratings<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/136/406001141_1c7a9eae97.jpg?v=0" height="300" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" > <span style="font-weight:bold;">Paul Pfeiffer</span>, Morning After the Deluge, 2001, Video Projection loop<br />Image copyright <a href="http://www.thomasdane.com/">Thomas Dane Gallery</a></span></span><br /></div><br /><br />I have a number of "final" observations about the art fairs before we get to our final ratings, but given the amount of coverage we've already published on this blog I'll be very brief. First, I assume this comes as a surprise to no one, but the exposure of New Media art over the last weekend seems to be limited to animated films and <a href="http://www.makezine.com/blog/">Make-like</a> projects. This kind of art is okay, but it represents a limited vision at best of the medium. I noticed <a href="http://www.rhizome.org">Rhizome</a> did not participate in any fairs this year, a decision I have to commend them for because at present there are no venues that adequately address the specific requirements of the medium. In theory, DiVA, who's focus lays primarily in digital and video art would fill this void, but their exhibitors performed poorly this year, and their choice of local continues to be a problem. If Scope threw out their curatorial programming in exchange for a few good New Media pieces, they might become a more viable venue, but as long as <a href="http://artfagcity.blogspot.com/2007/02/scope-fair-suffers-from-narrow-aisles.html">Gabe Martinez</a> is suffering the cold in the name of art, there's really no point in institutional participation. <br /><br />Also not surprising but noteworthy none the less; while I have certainly seen good and bad art addressing the Iraq war, I find it slightly disturbing to observe that almost all of it has been filtered out for this occasion. I understand that collectors may not want to have this kind of work on their walls, but given the amount of bad transgressive art that made its way into the fairs you'd think there might be at least some market for these pieces. <br /><br />Regardless of all of this, the fairs remain a good way to see a lot of art in a small amount of time. Assuming you don't lose site of the fact that painting and photography represent only a portion of the field of art making, you'll be fine. Keeping this in mind, here are this years art fair ratings listed from best to worst. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />1. <a href="http://www.pulse-art.com">Pulse</a></span><br />Clinching the number one position for the second year running, Pulse offers virtually everything you would desire in a fair. Good art, good viewing conditions, and tasty beer. <a href="http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/02/photos_from_pul.html">Make blog</a> has an excellent <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmtorrone/tags/pulsenewyork/">flickr set</a> of this fair.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. <a href="http://www.artdealers.org/">The ADAA Art Show</a> (Art Dealers Association of America)</span><br />Observe unparalleled quality in art at the ADAA art fair (notwithstanding emerging artists.) It also wins the top prize for best lit booths. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. <a href="http://www.laartfair.com/">LA Art</a></span><br />Ultimately having the space to view art trumps what fairs like the Armory have to offer; primarily size. Also, the work exhibited was very strong.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4. <a href="http://www.thearmoryshow.com/">The Armory</a></span><br />Well, it's big. Good for trend spotting. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5. <a href="http://www.scope-art.com/">Scope</a></span><br />Probably the fair with the biggest heart. But I hate art-with-its-heart-in-the-right-place. It's almost always bad.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6. <a href="http://www.reddotfair.com/">Red Dot</a></span><br />Featuring the smallest hotel rooms I've seen in my 7 years of art fair attendance Red Dot boasts the title of largest temporary storage space for bad paintings. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">7. <a href="http://www.divafair.com/">DiVA</a></span><br />A lot of bad art featured in obscure locals. Sadly, it's generally not worth your time.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />8. <a href="http://www.fountainexhibit.com/ny2007/index.htm">Fountain</a></span><br />Too small to evaluate on the same terms as the others, though it does provide an unexpected mix of coffee shop art and conceptual art. See <a href="http://www.mtaa.net/mtaaRR/news/twhid/the_nyc_fairs.html">t.whid</a> for more on this fair.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-45423790072153785622007-02-28T10:45:00.000-08:002007-02-28T19:17:16.256-08:00Comic Con and The Art Fairs<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/146/405520000_7589273432.jpg?v=0" height="300" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Comic Con at the Javits Center. Photo: AFC </span></span><br /></div><br /><br />As a counter point to New York art fairs this weekend I also visited <a href="http://www.nycomiccon.com/App/homepage.cfm?moduleid=2577&appname=100453&campaignid=42919&iUserCampaignID=28609603">Comic Con</a> at the Javits Center. Talk about a totally different fan base - trophy wives with breast implants meet the Comic Con corset wearing crowd. Both are equally scary representations of their respective demographics. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/143/405506086_1d570050e5.jpg?v=0" height="400" width="300"><br /><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:78%;">Detail from the corset stand. Photo AFC.</span></div><br /><br />For the most part though, I found the differences in approach to be a welcome change of pace. For example, probably my favorite aspect of comic-con represents one of the more taboo artist activities at a fair: all the comic book artists were compulsively drawing at their booths. The fine art world tends to find this tacky, and while I suspect this comes from an obvious connection to street vendor art, it's an idea I wish we'd put behind us. Not that I think artists are lining up to draw in their dealer's booths, but it'd be nice to know you wouldn't be laughed out of town if you did. <br /><br />The only other major contrast in the respective fair cultures that isn't so obvious it's not worth noting lies in the fact that the Comic Con artists man their own booths, so if you ask them what they've seen they're likely to list off a number of good fast food delivery options in the neighborhood. Fine artists thankfully prove to be better resource than this as there is an unspoken understanding that your value as an artist is in part determined by your ability to spot talent within the profession. As such, ask the best artist you know what work they thought stood out at the fairs, and you'll get the best answers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/136/405767889_081766347e.jpg?v=0" height="195" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:78%;">Left: Syncopated Comics, Photo AFC Right: NYCMech's Andy MacDonald, Photo NYCMech</span></div><br />Speaking of bests, my favorite booths during the day came from <a href="http://syncopatedjottings.blogspot.com/">Brendan Burford</a>, who writes the skillfully crafted narratives at <a href="http://www.syncopatedcomics.com/index.html">Syncopated Comics</a> and Andy MacDonald at <a href="http://www.nycmech.com/mechsite_black.swf">NYCMech</a> (I am particularly taken with his armored duck.) As far as deep prose explaining the work, this is about as much as you're going to get today as I have a number of other posts sitting in the queue to attend to, however, the nice thing about comic book artists is that they tend to have exhaustive websites. Good luck keeping your websurfing hours down.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-1741763399332431012007-02-27T17:21:00.000-08:002007-02-28T08:21:20.932-08:00The Best Website Hack of 2007: MoMA ecards Take a Hit<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/134/405031118_510df0b4bd.jpg?v=0" height="148" width="358"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ><br />Screen grab AFC</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://moma.org/ecards/pickup_ecard.php?collect_code=21559610923">This</a> may well be my favorite web project this year: A hacker taking the voice of Jenny Holzer sends a selection of truisms to MoMA president Glenn Lowry in the form of a <a href="http://moma.org/ecards/pickup_ecard.php?collect_code=21559610923">MoMA ecard</a>. I can't imagine Lowry, who just last week was reported by <a href="http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F60F1FFF3F5A0C758DDDAB0894DF404482">the Times</a> to have received an undisclosed 5.35 million dollars in addition to his regular pay check will be pleased to have such a viral form of media propagating across the net with his letterhead on it. Any bets on how long the card will remain on the site? UPDATE: <span style="font-style:italic;">The Jenny Holzer ecard disappeared even before this post went up, as <a href="http://www.artsjournal.com/man/2007/02/todays_funniest_thing_ever.html">Tyler Green</a> linked to it shortly before I did. The letter itself disappeared around 9:15 pm)</span><br /><br />The letter transcribed below for your convenience. <br /><br /><br /><blockquote>From: Jenny Holzer<br /><br />Dear Glenn,<br /><br />It's been a while since we've talked. I miss you. We'll have to do lunch next time you're downtown.<br /><br />Just because we haven't spoken lately doesn't mean that you haven't been on my mind. I mean, it's been impossible not to think of you recently--what with all that pesky news coverage about trustees and tax forms and influence and whatnot. (Don't worry; it's not that bad. Even though it was on page 1 of the Times, it was below the fold. Hardly anyone looks down there.)<br /><br />Anyway, I just wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you that you're still tops in my book and that you're frequently in my thoughts. I was actually thinking about you while I made this little e-card for your marketing department. I guess that means that you've become my muse! Thanks for the inspiration. I hope you enjoy the piece.<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />Jenny</blockquote>Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-71946386480761580982007-02-27T16:30:00.000-08:002007-03-07T09:40:32.477-08:00DiVA New York Flounders<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/405000273_fbb35ed549.jpg?v=0" height="300" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Blurry photo courtesy of yours truly </span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.divafair.com/gallerymiami06.php">DiVA Miami</a> and <a href="http://www.divafair.com">DiVA New York</a> share the same banner font, but this and their consistently poor choice of location mark the only unifying forces between the two fairs. To their credit, the video and digital art fair managed to produce a giant sign nobody could miss that hung from the side of the front wall of Embassy Suites Hotel in Battery park this year, but having to cross the West Side Highway to get to a venue earns them no points in my books. I'd rather truck out to Williamsburg than suffer the "convenience" of Manhattan's Battery Park. <br /><br />Now, probably the best indicator of the running success of most fairs comes in the form of returning exhibitors (<a href="http://www.pulse-art.com">Pulse</a> being the obvious exception to this rule since Impulse ensures a spot for new galleries each year,) so DiVA organizers have to be worried. Of the roughly 16 participating galleries participating in New York, (not including those in the Chelsea containers), only three, <a href="http://www.walshgallery.com/">Walsh Gallery</a>, <a href="http://www.ntartgallery.com/">nt art gallery</a>, and <a href="http://www.changsgallery.com.tw/">Galerie Grand Siecle</a>, also toughed it out in Miami. This, in combination with the fact that this years exhibitors number slightly more than half those who participated last year in New York, do not bode well for the fair.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/404939327_be8ae2b338.jpg?v=0" height="400" width="297"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Photo copyright Troy Abbott</span></span><br /></div><br /><br />I don't want to sound overly dramatic, but it's really heartbreaking to see the venue flounder like this because it leaves the impression that video and digital art either have no place in the market or simply aren't making work that's interesting enough to warrant a full fair, neither of which is true. Most of the work featured at DiVA is too bad to even pick on, while other pieces simply inspire apathy. As if knowing I was already irritable, <a href="http://www.alpgalleries.com/index_en.htm">ALP Galleries</a> inspired visible annoyance, as when I asked them what purpose the chipboard in <a href="http://www.interactivearts.com/troyabbott/work2.html">Troy Abbott</a>'s birdcage served (since most of the wires appeared to be disconnected) and I was informed that it was a secret of the artist and that my hands, which were no less than 12 inches away shouldn't touch the art. I don't know why you'd bother exhibiting the art if you don't want to talk about it and it's so fragile even an Art Fag City glance might break it, but to each his own.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/136/404994273_1529893e93.jpg?v=0" height="288" width="400"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-weight:bold;">Interno3</span>, Sky Tape #3, Photo via DiVA Catalogue</span></span><br /></div><br /><br />The only exception to a unilaterally bad group of exhibiting artists came from Interno3 at <a href="http://www.ntartgallery.com/">nt art gallery</a> from Italy. <span style="font-style:italic;">Sky Tape #3</span> for example provides a much needed break from the fetishized painted surfaces at the armory, by using the equipment itself as the aesthetic object. Just how sexy are these arrangements of metal boxes? Not at all, which is what I like about it. I find it incredibly refreshing to look at art that resists dressing up these objects in art-wear (although I actually like these works, <a href="http://www.thomasdane.com/pfeiffer_window.php?6">Paul Pfieffer's approach to presentation</a> provides a good point of comparison) and simply works with the equipment for what it is. Meanwhile, the video of clouds itself presents a beautiful contrast to the hard edges of technology. I suppose you could draw rather superficial connections between imagination and the innovation it took to recreate moving images et al, but I think sometimes it's better to just enjoy the aesthetic arrangement of objects as is and let the rest of that sort of crap go. I like the boxes, I like the clouds, and that satisfies me just fine.<br /><br />Related: <a href="http://www.thereeler.com/features/the_little_diva_that_couldnt.php">Diva Miami</a>Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-68555564445512568552007-02-27T07:48:00.000-08:002007-02-27T10:10:42.729-08:00If You Build It They Will Come<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/148/404400530_e6cceda91d.jpg?v=0" height="300" width="400"> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >The ceiling of the Javits Center. Photo AFC</span></span><br /></div><br /><br />Why aren't the New York art fairs in the <a href="http://www.javitscenter.com/">Javits Center</a>? I can't vouch for the accuracy of statements made on the Craigslist list discussion boards, but <a href="http://forums.boston.craigslist.org/?act=Q&ID=58703396">this forum in Boston</a> tells me the Armory had to shut down for two hours (presumably Saturday) due to crowds. Even if this proves not to be the case, the Armory clearly suffered for having a reduced space, and visitors don't necessarily want to be running all over the city to look at art. New York doesn't rival Miami, but it might have a fighting chance if it were in a space large enough to accommodate the number of exhibitors wishing to participate. As they say, "If you build it they will come."...because what we really need in this town are more trophy wives.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-45836407962933776092007-02-26T00:20:00.000-08:002007-02-26T21:08:52.713-08:00L.A. Art Doesn't Look Like A Fair<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/172/402546979_7761ce7092.jpg?v=0" height="300" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >LA Art Fair installation view. Photo AFC</span><br /></div><br />Alright, screw those L.A. galleries and their <a href="http://www.laartfair.com/">exclusive fairs</a> for putting together one of the best events in the city and keeping New York galleries out. Pleasantly, they don't seem to have anything against New York artists as I observed the work of several on display, so I guess only dealers get to whine about this.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/402949712_d65b6af177.jpg?v=0" height="173" width="400" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Left: <span style="font-weight: bold;">V</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">ictoria Gitman</span><span style="font-style: italic;">, Graphite on mylar, Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Photo AFC. Right: A jpeg that will give you better idea of what the series looks like via </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.davidnolangallery.com/artists/gitman/index_005.shtml">David Nolan Gallery</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.<br /><br /></span></span></div>The best thing about the L.A. Art fair is that it doesn't look like an art fair. In fact, often times it looks more like a museum space; There is plenty of room to walk around and view the art, the walls aren't over hung, and the quality of the art exceeds that of most fairs. An excellent example of some of the more precious works at the fair comes from Victoria Gitman at Daniel Weinberg Gallery. For those who take interest in what's selling and what's not, the work had already sold by the time I saw it Saturday afternoon. I'm not sure that says anything about the work however past the point that its a salable object.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/402985798_1dcd3ee442.jpg?v=0" height="333" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Left: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Goetz Diergarten</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Fassaden IX</span>, 1997, at <a href="http://www.rosegallery.net/">Rose Gallery,</a> Right: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Russell Crotty</span>, Sandstone Formation with Wildfire Diffusion, 2007 at<a href="http://www.shoshanawayne.com/"> Shoshana Wayne Gallery</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo AFC<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">Amongst my other picks in this show the work of Goetz Diergarten at Rose Gallery, and Russell Crotty at Shoshana Wayne stood out. Interestingly, in looking up additional work by Diergarten, I ran across a post written by <a href="http://www.jmcolberg.com/weblog/archives/000700.html">Joerg Colberg at Conscenstious</a> several years ago condemning the fact that he won a Hasselblad Foundation grant for work that looks too similar to that of his teacher <a href="http://www.artnet.com/artist/2179/bernd-and-hilla-becher.html">Bernd Becher</a>. I see the formal similarities but frankly I'm not sure why I should be bothered by the influence since as far as I can tell, the award does not signify Diergarten's overshadowing of his uber famous professor. Of course, if anyone thinks the work is so derivative it deserves no attention feel free to write me and explain why.<br /><br />On the subject of Russell Crotty whose art is also pictured above, it took me all of two seconds to identify his work as <a href="http://www.crggallery.com/index.php?a=exhibitions&b=61&c=installation&d=6">CRG Gallery</a> launched a stunning exhibition of his oversized books of last May. Crotty's globe lacks the monstrous size of some of his book work and maps, which seems appropriate given the purpose of the object. The globe has all the handmade charm of old timey maps you might find at the New York Public Library, which tends to just endear it more to me.<br /><br />Unfortunately, as far as closings go I'm afraid I don't have much for this post. You can look forward to a full report on DiVA Tuesday, as well as a wrap up of the fairs (including comic-con.) However I'm down for the count Monday. There's only so much art fair blogging a person can do, and it's clear I've reached my limit.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div></div>Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-34576668106084237432007-02-25T20:15:00.000-08:002007-02-25T22:38:22.458-08:00The ADAA Trumps The Armory (Even Though ADAA President Roland Augustine Says It's Not a Competition*)<span id="ArticleBodySpan" class="ArticleBody">Uttering words I couldn't agree with less, dealer <a href="http://www.paulkasmingallery.com/">Paul Kasmin</a> expresses his thoughts on the fairs </span><span id="ArticleBodySpan" class="ArticleBody">to <a href="http://www.artinfo.com/News/Article.aspx?a=28324&c=221">ArtInfo</a></span><span id="ArticleBodySpan" class="ArticleBody">. "The [<a href="http://www.artdealers.org/artshow/index.html">ADAA</a>] fair uptown is now the one that’s going to have to find its way again. [<a href="http://www.thearmoryshow.com/">The Armory Show</a> is] bright, colorful and noisy, while uptown they’ve got smaller, quieter pictures and, to be honest, they’re looking a little too quiet."<br /><br /></span><br /> <div style="text-align: center;" class="code"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/402770760_927add810f.jpg?v=0" height="300" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://mariangoodman.com/mg/nyc.html">Marian Goodman's</a> Booth at the ADAA</span><br /></div><br /><span id="ArticleBodySpan" class="ArticleBody">Now, I'm not an exhibitor so I can't speak to sales, but having attended both of these fairs two years running, I can tell you that this year's ADAA show not only far out weighs the last, but exceeds the quality of the Armory by a level of magnitude. Without a doubt, the best work I've seen this week was exhibited at the ADAA fair, (a sentiment that appears to be in contradiction to my post on <a href="http://artfagcity.blogspot.com/2007/02/pulse-comes-out-on-top.html">Pulse</a>, but let's keep in mind that this blog focuses on emerging art, and thus displays a bias.)</span><span chatindex="425C44F72EED1BCC89"> As is the case with the secondary market, there are times when there are better works of art available on the market than others, so certainly that plays into the success of the fair, but not entirely, as many members deal in the primary market, and further,</span><span chatindex="425C44F72EED1BCC89"> a good show is always determined by a lot more than who has what. </span><span chatindex="425C44F72EED1BCC89"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/402754084_2d38335cb8.jpg?v=0" height="153" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jim Hodges</span> at <a href="http://www.crggallery.com/">CRG Gallery</a>. Left: Detail, Right: Installation view.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" > Photo AFC</span><br /></div><span chatindex="425C44F72EED1BCC89"><br />In the case of the ADAA, sometime between this year and last, their members really improved the look of their booths, which for me marks the most interesting aspect of the fair phenomenon - the developing aesthetics of exhibition design. <a href="http://www.crggallery.com/">CRG gallery</a> for example, treated their booth as though it were the same as their chelsea space, and custom designed a plinth to display the sculptures of Jim Hodges.</span> The work couldn't have been exhibited successfully without the lift, and even though Hodges work has never bowled me over, I had to admit that his chain cobwebs appealed more to me both as a material of gay culture, and as an object of beauty than they ever had previously.<br /><br />And this to my mind indicates that the closer these booths come to approximating exhibition spaces the better. I suppose on some level it's all personal taste. I've never been the kind of shopper who likes rooting around in a bin to find the item I'm looking for, so it stands to reason that I wouldn't be overly interested in walking around a giant art fair filled with crap, in the hopes of finding a needle in the haystack. Simply hang the art well, curate it carefully, and you'll have my attention.<br /><br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/402741043_73521edeaf.jpg?v=0" height="400" width="289" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anish Kapoor</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Untitled</span>, 2006<br />Mirrored plexiglass, 69 x 69 aperture<br />87 x 81 x 21 overall<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo: AFC </span></span><br /></div><br />In any event, for those who just want to know what I liked in the show, I will say that I particularly enjoyed the Anish Kapoor at <a href="http://www.gladstonegallery.com/">Gladstone Gallery</a>. Having the outward appearance of a sheet of plastic produced at <a href="http://www.canalplasticscenter.com/">Canal Plastics</a>, this sculpture actually sits 21 inches into the wall, and reflects the sound of your voice back to you. For me the experience was fairly disorienting as you sound as though you are elsewhere, though I asked one of the salesmen at Gladstone if he had this trouble, and he assured me he found it a pleasure to work beside the piece all day. What a surprise.<br /><br />Related: <a href="http://bloggy.com/mt/archives/006075.html">Bloggy</a>, <a href="http://jameswagner.com/mt_archives/006076.html">James Wagner</a><br /><br /><br />*<a href="http://www.artdealers.org/press/press.release01.html">Roland Augustine</a> opined that the Armory and the ADAA were not in competition during his opening remarks to the press last Thursday at the Armory fair.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-65080106470974675482007-02-25T16:45:00.000-08:002007-02-25T13:51:36.129-08:00Red Dot: Not That Great<a href="http://www.reddotfair.com/">The Red Dot Fair</a> wins points with me for having identified their building well. I'm not someone who works with a stellar sense of direction, so things like giant signs advertising the location of the fair go over well with me. As far as the quality of the sales event, I've seen better, I've seen <a href="http://artfagcity.blogspot.com/2006/12/bridge-art-fair-and-flow.html">Bridge Miami</a>, and at least it improves upon that.<br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;" class="code"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/402492644_5d840a7b3f.jpg?v=0" height="384" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Markus Linnenbrink</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Runthevoodoodown</span>, 2006, Epoxy Resin on Wood 20.25 x 20 inches at <a href="http://www.royboydgallery.com/index.HTM">Roy Boyd Gallery</a></span><br /></div><br />The biggest complaint I have about this fair stems from the fact that there's more painting than you can shake a stick at, and most of it isn't any good. I gave up counting the number of artists in Red Dot who thought that every surface should be coated in Resin. A clear shiny surface appeals to me just as much as the next person, but viewing five hundred permutations of the technique just turns the work into Crate and Barrel art. Speaking of which, table cloth inspired canvases that feature stripes of paint dripping off the canvas seemed to be particularly popular. I observed no less than six galleries selling nearly identical work by different artists, none of it compelling in any way.<br /><br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;" class="code"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/402476787_c5d60c01e6.jpg?v=0" height="193" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Left: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dave Choi</span>, Hogar Collection, Right: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thomas Doyle</span>, Pentimenti Gallery</span></span><br /></div><br /><br />The few sculptural works at the fair tended to stand out, though again, most of it fell flat. Dave Choi's hilarious sculpture at <a href="http://www.hogarcollection.com/">Hogar Collection</a> stood out as a clear winner, as did the work of Thomas Doyle, at the Philadelphia Gallery, <a href="http://www.pentimenti.com/splash.php">Pentimenti</a>. I particularly enjoy the use of the text "I'M NOT OKAY WITH THIS" on the billboard within one of Doyle's domes, because while there are any number of interpretations of that sentiment, the idea that those within domes might not be all that cool with their placement adds a dimension to the piece that wouldn't otherwise be there. <br /><br />Unfortunately, other than this, I don't have any deep thoughts on Red Dot. It's a poor to mediocre fair that with only a few exceptions inspires little discussion.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-3250769566093961372007-02-25T11:00:00.000-08:002007-02-27T08:39:27.326-08:00Pulse Comes out on TopIt's pretty easy to endlessly compare the various fairs to Miami, but a lot of time it's a pointless endeavor because the participating galleries and spaces are so different. Of the sixty plus galleries that are participating in Pulse New York for example, roughly twenty of those were not in Miami. In addition to this the location is completely different, the Miami fair suffering from a railroad like layout. Nothing kills an art viewing experience faster than having to walk through it as though it were a terminal.<br /><br />Any number of qualities explain the success of Pulse, which for the second year running wins our Best in Show Award. Exhibitors light their booths well, the floor plan provides ample corridor space so a viewer can actually view the work, and most importantly the art on display is largely excellent. The fact that I have about twice the number of notes for this fair than any other is a fairly good indicator of just how much more successful it has become.<br /><br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;" class="code"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/401580704_d83238f736.jpg?v=0" height="400" width="300" /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Jennifer Coates</span><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Clipper</span><span style="font-size:78%;">, 2007 at <a href="http://www.feigencontemporary.com/artists/jennifer_coates/">Kinz, Tillou & Feigen</a></span><br /></div><br />Don't get me wrong, it seems all fairs are plagued with at least a few completely decorative works worth little time, (Fred Tomaselli's wallpaper in the case of Pulse,) but this one seemed to exhibit less. For example, <a href="http://www.feigencontemporary.com/">Kinz Tillou & Feigen</a> have a great Jennifer Coates painting hanging in their booth titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Clipper</span> which sits somewhere between abstraction and landscape painting. If there's great intellectual thought behind this work I've missed it, though I'm not overly concerned. I don't know why the little tiles of color make clouds, I'm just happy they do. Also, I'm partial to the thought that color might need to be cradled and released, such as the mist in this painting suggests.<br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;" class="code"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/146/401574421_f9115f5d3e.jpg?v=0" height="278" width="400" /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oliver Boberg</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Seite 5 / Page 5</span>, 2006, Lambda print, edition of 5 + 2 AP, 69 x 105 inches at DCKT Contemporary<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I also thought the work of Oliver Boberg at<a href="http://www.dcktcontemporary.com/"> DCKT contemporary</a> wasn't bad. There seem to be a few artists like Boberg who construct models and then photograph them, Thomas Demand and Gregory Crewdson most notably, but I rather like that the juxtaposition of images enriches the meaning of the work. There's a real sense of loneliness in these shots - abandoned spaces that may still function as architectural forms - their use value long past exhausted. The point of creating all these fictionalized places as opposed to simply going out and finding them remains slightly unclear to me, but since all of them are devoid of people, it would seem there may be at least one practical reason for the complicated set up.<br /><br /></span><br /> <div style="text-align: center;" class="code"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/401635240_32048d2a36.jpg?v=0" height="188" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andy Diaz Hope</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Merry Go Round</span>, 2006, </span><span style="font-size:78%;">Catherine Clarke Gallery</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />DKCT's neighbors <a href="http://www.cclarkgallery.com/">Catherine Clarke Gallery</a> feature pill landscapes which to my mind represent the worst that digital technologies bring us. Just because we have the ability to print on anything doesn't mean we should. [Editors note: A tipster informs me the artist cuts up multiple copies of the same photograph and hand-rolls individual bits in the pill capsules until they lined up, forming the final image. I don't think it makes the piece much better, but the original description was inaccurate]<span style="font-style:italic;">Merry Go Round</span> feels gimmicky and devoid of substance. <a href="http://www.aabronson.com/art/gi.org/works/latephoto.htm">General Idea</a> worked with pills years ago, but better. So did Damien Hirst, but I'm not what you call a fan.<br /><br /></span><br /> <div style="text-align: center;" class="code"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/401649312_881c4d598d.jpg?v=0" height="200" width="350" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Left: <span style="font-weight: bold;">D'nell Larson</span>, (installation), Right: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Heather Cantrell</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Finally, one of my favorite spaces this year, <a href="http://www.sixspace.com/">sixspace</a>, lands in the Impulse section of the fair, which is open to all galleries wishing to propose a project, (Pulse culls its exhibitors by invitation.) The curatorial statement will tell you this exhibition is bring artists together who deal with "relating" and "relationships", but that thread as a thematic seems weak to me as virtually any artist can meet those perimeters. Mostly I'm interested in the fact that someone thought to put these two images together and made it work. I suppose on a formal level white beards and white snow connect the two but they really are quite desperate pieces. Portraiture and abstract Ivy forms are the result and I like it.<br /><br />Look forward to more fair coverage later in the day, in addition to some discussion of this years comic book convention!<br /></span></div></div><div id="SecondaryColumn"> </div>Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16235132.post-77920566147059754792007-02-24T11:58:00.000-08:002007-02-24T20:48:53.629-08:00Scope Fair Suffers From Narrow Aisles"Scope sucks. As an artist I found it depressing" said one attendee I over heard at <a href="http://www.pulse-art.com/">Pulse</a> yesterday. He's not wrong, but it may be a less charitable than warranted given <a href="http://www.scope-art.com/">Scope's</a> new and improved home. Now at Lincoln Center's Damrosh Park the fair makes a valiant effort at shedding the broken elevator, shoddy floor, walls in danger of falling over look. What's more, their exhibitors seem to have taken a much needed art installation 101 course because the spaces are almost all hung well. Finally, the art can shine!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/143/400844484_af5dee2316.jpg?v=0" height="300" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Gabriel Martinez outside Scope's front entrance</span></span><br /></div><br />Not so fast. Sadly, Scope's Achilles heel of presentation and poor curatorial efforts continue to be a problem for them. The aisles between booths are too small, there is no place to sit if you get tired of looking at art and most annoying of all, there's performance artist Gabriel Martinez "blowing my mind" in the front foray wearing an Andy Warhol inspired silver suit and pretending to be dead or dying for having carried so much art to the fair. The environment still provides far too little for their exhibitors.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/400859243_50e630c7b3.jpg?v=0" height="164" width="400" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span>Left: At Yancey Richardson</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Lisa Kereszi</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Gael dressing, State Palace Theater, New Orleans, LA</span>, 2000, Chromogenic Print, Right: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Steinar Jakobsen's</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Look Back in Puzzlement</span>, at Galleri K<br /><br /></span></div>While no art stood out in this fair, it warrants observation that the most successful booths at Scope were hosted by the galleries specializing in photography. <a href="http://www.yanceyrichardson.com/content.php?mode=current">Yancey Richardson</a> (booth 57), <a href="http://www.yossimilo.com/">Yossi Milo</a> (booth 71), and <a href="http://www.andreameislin.com/">Andrea Meislin Gallery</a> (booth 69), all put together spaces that looked something similar to what you might see in their Chelsea homes. <a href="http://www.gallerik.com/">Galleri K</a> (booth 30) from Oslo exhibited the one of maybe two solo shows at Scope this year, and though Steinar Jakobsen's uniformly sized paintings hung in a grid format feels like a contrivance, the booth still looked better than most.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/400849809_4b085b9a27.jpg?v=0" height="300" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Othergallery.com (Booth 15)</span></span><br /></div>Finally, <a href="http://www.othergallery.com/">othergallery.com</a> may not have been the best exhibitor at Scope this year, but the virtual gallery turned fair exhibitors deserve a shout out for showcasing new talent from Winnipeg. Paul Butler, the gallery director, explained that his online presence and fair participation provided a way for artists in the small community to gain exposure they might not get otherwise. A news flash to all of us I'm sure, but apparently the negative temperatures in Winnipeg don't draw great crowds of tourists.Paddy Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647740233173220840noreply@blogger.com