Adele Morse at New Sensations
By caryn | October 16, 2008
Went to the opening of the Saatchi/Channel 4 “New Sensations” exhibition at Brick Lane Tuesday night and was quite taken by shortlisted artist Adele Morse’s Home sweet Home. The installation is very creepy, other worldly, fantastical - blood-stained towels, dirty sleeping blanket in the corner, jarred and dried animals, knives, and heads of animal-woman hanging on the outside. Who exactly lives here and do I really want to know? Reminded me of Marnie Weber’s theatrically rich and bizzare other-worldly work.
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Roger Hiorns’ “Seizure”
By caryn | October 15, 2008
Perhaps if I hadn’t heard so much previous discussion about Roger Hiorns’ Seizure installation (part of Art Angel) that literally transforms a dilapidated and unused council flat in Elephant and Castle I would have been more affected by it. It’s been related to ruins or a mausoleum in recent talks but really it’s an uber cool blue crystalized cave, small and oddly lit, that would be akin to Planet Krypton if it weren’t green. The location is absolutely key: I would imagine most of the art world in general doesn’t traverse the Elephant and Castle area too frequently but there they were, queuing and gearing up for the experience (one has to put on Wellies and rubber gloves to enter the piece). Oddly enough, though I don’t have much to say about it I recommend it…it’s fun. I just don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing in art anymore.
More pics after the jump…
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Belmont Mill Residency Event
By caryn | October 15, 2008
Karin Weiner is one of my favorite artists I have the pleasure of working/worked with, not to mention of my favorite people, has been in Ireland for the past three months on an artist residency at the Belmont Mill. If you’re anywhere near the area, be sure to check it out what she’s been up to…
KARIN WEINER
JUSTIN WALDSTEIN
LAURA FITZGERALD
EOIN O’CONNAILLThe four artists will be showing in various locations around the mill complex. They were accepted for a 3 month residency and bursary award at the mill for 2008 and the work is a culmination of that experience.
Opening Reception Saturday Oct. 18 2008 from 2pm to 5pm
Tea and Snacks will be sold to benefit the Simon Charity for the Homeless
Bar B Q and Party to follow starting at 6pm
BYOB and meats for the grill
Besides the exhibition the artists studios and other workshops in the complex will be open.
There will also be some organized activities for children during the day.Please come by!
For more information and directions check the website www.belmontmill.com
The mill is located in Belmont in County Offaly just north of the Brosna River Bridge
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Three Links as We Enter London Fair Week
By caryn | October 15, 2008
- The Wall Street Journal adopts the Chicken Little “the sky is falling stance” in regards to the market decline in the punningly titled “London’s Frieze Prepares for a Chill: Artists, Dealers Fret While Smaller Fairs Bow Out in Wake of Economic Crisis.” It’s a completely valid stance albeit one that was absolutely relevant in the art world this time last year. Meaning, the crunch galleries are feeling isn’t a new thing.
- Another really “not quite new” topic of the further melding of private/commercial/public sectors in art is addressed in the Guardian’s “What price the rise of private art?” Our lines in the art world have always been blurred - it’s a bit like the wild west - but now it’s the ickiness of certain involvements should raise some eyebrows. The following question, one that had really be relevant for years now, is key:
What does all this mean for our museums, which are now in direct competition not just with collectors, but with private museums, commercial galleries and even auction houses when it comes to contemporary art?….
Museums are and must remain the crucial arena for judgment, long learning and critical discrimination, for an approach to art free of the pressures of the market. Susan May quoted something Olafur Eliasson said when they were working on the Turbine Hall project: ‘Museums are radical, meaning they have the capacity to challenge ideas beyond capitalist influence.’
It is a point Gregor Muir makes too. ‘In a sense, there is nothing sadder than standing at the bar and hearing that the Basel Art Fair, which turns over millions, is better than the public Venice Biennale. Museums have moral responsibilities that commerce does not. This country should really keep its talent in the public sector.’
- And then I’m throwing in this link to Doug Harvey’s LA Weekly review on Martin Kippenberger at MOCA because Harvey is just one of the best art writers around…
Martin Kippenberger seems to have been a bit of an asshole. I’m not making a judgment, just an observation. Some of my best friends are assholes. I never actually met Kippenberger during his fabled L.A. sojourns in the early ’90s, but, given his epic drinking and insatiable anti-authoritarianism, we probably wouldn’t have found much to argue about.
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Old Friends
By caryn | October 8, 2008
On my first official day of school I walked by one of the numerous bulletin boards to see a photograph used by one of my artists, Glen E. Friedman. GEF was actually my very first artist - he opened my gallery in Chicago (1999) and Los Angeles (2002) where I showed a large version of the image in the flyer of The Make-Up. A very bizarre and familiar image to unexpectedly confront me, was like seeing old friends in an unfamiliar place.
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A Show as Part of Auction Promo
By caryn | September 30, 2008
I became a member of the Tate today and upon opening my new members-only Tate Magazine the card pictured above fell out. The image is not great but it’s a card for a Francis Bacon painting (from Bacon’s estate) that is featured in the upcoming Christie’s New York auction. Francis Bacon is Tate Britain’s current show. Blurred boundaries.
More on the show in an upcoming post in a bit.
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Turning Culture Shock into Cultural Fun
By caryn | September 23, 2008
It’s officially official, I am an enrolled student at Goldsmiths. I even have the student ID with bad picture to prove it! Yesterday was the first of what seems to be a long series of preparatory sessions until my lectures begin on October 6. I’ll admit I felt a little old, a more experienced Londoner than most of the newbies, and had a crash-course in remembering what it’s like to be a student again. It has been a *cough* decade *cough* since I completed undergrad. In fact when, in my international orientation, the phrase “turning culture shock into cultural fun” was uttered I snickered in my corner seat in the back of the lecture hall just like I did as the young cynical punk girl from my University of Florida days. Good to know some things never change.
Cynicism aside, I’m glad it’s all finally happening, though sometimes I can hardly believe it. I’ve already been in London for four weeks and that’s been enough time to think to much and produce some self doubt but now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (or is it the beginning?), I’m getting jazzed. I’m ready to be challenged, write more, make up my mind only to change it again, explore this passion of working with artists, and to come out of it working somewhere I love. We’ll see what next week brings - meeting with my MFA Curating class on the 29th!
Video: The Jam “Art School” - thanks Jason!!!
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Podcast series: What Do Curator’s Want?
By caryn | September 19, 2008
There is an organization in Los Angeles called Side Street Art Projects that I adore - they do incredible programming that is geared towards benefiting artists, artist programs, and even galleries. Just go to their site to see the amazing things they do and why they are an invaluable resource to LA.
Anyway, the reason why I’m writing about it here is because today launches their podcast series addressing the universal question - What Do Curator’s Want?. Their debut is with Lisa Melandri who is the Deputy Director for Exhibitions & Programs at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. The series runs through November 11 and includes Los Angeles-based curators and gallerists such as Lorraine Molina, Tyler Stallings, Aimee Chang, and Jeff Poe.
This info isn’t city-specific so take advantage of technology and listen to it here.
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The Mona Lisa Curse
By caryn | September 19, 2008
There really couldn’t be a better time for Robert Hughes’ “The Mona Lisa Curse” to air on Channel 4 than now. With the Hirst auction explosion, the severe down-turn of the stock market, galleries closing but prices still rising, Hughes’ examination of the problems related to the commodification of art is poignant (and something recently discussed here).
Robert Hughes in the Telegraph:
“Instead of being the common property of humankind the way a book is, art becomes the particular property of somebody who can afford it,” Hughes says. “And when you have some Russian squillionaire who started buying art three minutes ago but has the GNP of Georgia in his pocket, how can museums compete? They can’t – which causes great social harm. Suppose that every worthwhile book in the world cost $1million ¬– imagine what a catastrophic effect on culture that would have.”
“Mona Lisa Curse” airs Sunday, September 21, at 6:30pm on Channel 4. For those of you outside of the UK I’ll see what streaming site I can find for you.
Image: Invader
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East of Eden
By caryn | September 18, 2008
Just a quick “shout out” to my friend Mike from Junc Gallery and abLA contributer who’s involved in the East of Eden that opens this Friday at the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery in Barnsdall Park. East of Eden is multi-gallery exhibition of galleries and artists who draw inspiration from the east side of Los Angeles, including Silver Lake, my former home and life-long favorite place in L.A.
Much success wishes from across the pond!
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