The View from the Edge of the Universe

Morell & Ballen: NY Times Magazine's One Two Punch

Did you see Sunday's New York Times Magazine?  Abe Morell delivered a stiff upper cut with his behind-the-scenes photos of the Metropolitan Opera, but it was Roger Ballen who dealt the knockout punch with his superlative creeped-out fashion photos featuring Selma Blair.  Perfect for Halloween, Ballen's photos in his signature style are great. perfect. astonishing. stunning.  insert your gushing remark here:  _________________.

My Day with Bill and Howard

The amount I had piled on my plate peaked on October 7th....10 days to finish 30 tax returns, a dinner party  tonight, a panel discussion tomorrow and an open house next week.  Not to mention that the second week of EVERY month is perpetually overbooked.
But October 7 was also the day that I met Bill Owens for the first time.  He was sitting on the panel that I was moderating the next day, but today he and I were making the pilgrimage to Howard Finster's Paradise Garden.  The day was overcast and intermittently rainy.  The foreboding weather echoed my apprehension about the Garden.  This would be the first time I've made the trip since Howard died in 2001 and back then the deterioration was significant and growing.
My stress and apprehension soon faded once we got on the road to Summerville.  Bill was full of stories and gave me a special preview of his upcoming book..sort of an apocalyptic tale in the age of Wal Mart. (It includes a recipe for baby elephant ribs.)
I was relieved to see that the Garden had been stabilized and actually looked better than it had in years.  I always get chills when I go to the Garden and today was no different...it's one of Georgia's treasures and was happy to see that Bill was quite moved as well.  He and I both started snapping away,  Bill taking both photos and mini movies.  It was great to watch such a respected photographer at work.  To see the way he sees. (I stopped taking pictures after a while.) 
A MEGA TREAT:  See a compilation of Bill's photos and movies here.  Bill really went above the call of duty to create this gem!
After leaving the Garden we stopped for Bar B Q in Summerville.  Bill got the pleasure of tasting a distinctly southern treat: deep fried creamed corn.  Yum.  He took pictures of our food.  As a matter of fact, every time I ate with Bill he took pictures of EVERYONE'S food!
It started raining harder on the way back and Bill took the opportunity to make the coolest of cool mini movies (partially included in the compilation above) that consisted of "Blue Orchid" by the White Stripes cranking on the stereo, the windshield wipers pulsing and the rain spattering on the windshield.

Gas to and from Summerville: $30.  My day with Bill and Howard: Priceless.

Is This Ironic or Just Silly?

Photoeye sent me their fall booklist where they announced the upcoming special edition of Helen Levit's new book Slide Show, the first book to feature Levitt's c olor work exclusively. The special edition version of the book also includes a limited edition, signed and numbered print in, you guessed it, black and white!

Dear Uri

Dear Uri:

It was five years ago at this time...Vaknin Schwartz was rocking...New York was noticing...when Carolan called and said that you and she had something to tell me and could I please come over.  I knew it was something good.  Y'all were on a roll.  I entered the gallery from the back (did anyone use the front door?) and you were both there, at the table, smiling.  Carolan broke the news: Kojo Griffin and Chris Verene were both selected for the 2000 Whitney Biennial.  Vaknin Schwartz was making the art world take notice of Atlanta and now this: two artists in the Whitney Biennial!  Its funny that we were all a little disappointed at the time to find out that it was actually four artists from Atlanta to make the Whiteny that year (Ruth Leitman and Robin Bernat were the others).  It became a victory for Atlanta as much as for VS, but it was clear that VS was leading the way. 
Everything seemed possible for Atlanta artists then.  It was like the dot-com boom.  Every Atlanta artist thought they were going to hit it big like Kojo and Chris and they all lined up at your feet.  You were Atlanta's star maker. 

Fast forward five years: its the fall of 2005.  The art world still notices Kojo and Chris and since then Sarah Hobbs, Michael Scoggins and Angela West have gotten some national recognition.  And there is Radcliffe too.  He has a New York dealer.  And that's it.  In five years, Atlanta has managed to get a spread in Blind Spot (West), a solo at Yossi Milo (Hobbs), a NY dealer and MOMA acquisition (Scoggins) and that is about it.  Uri, Atlanta is falling asleep again.  No one is paying attention any more.  We need your help.  You had the magic.  If there is any bad blood between you and the Atlanta art world, it has been forgiven.
Tell me Uri, what would it take to get Atlanta back on the map?  There is a lot of talent here that wants to know.  There is hope though...Atlanta galleries are going to the art fairs...even if its not Basel, its still a fair and thousands of people will see Atlanta dealers and Atlanta artists.  And the High's new curatorial posse seems genuinely interested in what's going on here.   Maybe the spark can be reignited without you.  But with you, it would be so much more fun and success would be a foregone conclusion.

Peace baby,
Erik

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Kelly Vickers who won my Vik Muniz contest with a guess of $128,700.  Her guess was only $2,100 off the $130,800 total.  In contrast, my guess was over $160K off.
Here are the final numbers
Elvis: $60,000
Liz: $48,000
Anthropometries: $22,800

Keith Haring - October's Best Buy

October's best buy comes from the Rubell Family Collection.  I've been looking for an artist's book to feature and this one is a gem.

Against All Odds, published shortly before his death with the collaboration of Don and Mera Rubell, this 56 page hard bound book includes an introduction by Haring, in which he describes his working methods and inspirations, and twenty high quality litho prints of his semi narrative drawings printed on acid free Rivoli paper.  This edition, limited to 2500, is nearly sold out!  To order: call the bookstore (305-573-6033, ask for Paul), or send an email to rubellbookstore@bellsouth.net.

Against All Odds by Keith Haring, 1990
Materials: Hardcover sewn bound acid free Rivoli Paper in a linen bound case
Size: 9 ¼” x 10 ¾” x 10 ¾”
Edition size: 2500
Price: $200.00     Signed:$500.00    A.P. signed: $1000.00

Weekend Update

Sorry folks, I'm on hiatus until October 18th...too much going on...

Here are some tidbits:
1.The Vik Muniz at Phillips sold for $60,000....I was waaaaay off...my readers were closer.

2. There is a fantastic article on the HIgh Museum's new guard in Sundays AJC..which you can read on-line here (free registration required)  Julian Cox looks more like a movie star than a curator in the photo.  Cox goes on to say that he is going to focus on building the High's collection of southern photogs (Eggleston, Christenberry) and with photos depicting the South.  Eventhough I'm a contamporary guy and would like to see that focus highlighted, Cox can't go wrong with his strategy.  Its perfect for the HIgh....who should be regionally focused.

3. Chris Verene, Marcia Wood and I spent the year repositioning Chris.  This is what nine months of planning and perfect execution result in.  Not to mention many many sales.

4. My panel discussion about realism in photography with panelists Amy Arbus, Julian Cox, Bill Owens and Chris Verene went extrememly well over the weekend with most people saying that its one of the better discussion they've seen. I have great audio and we may expand the tape into a multimedia presentation for schools and institutions.

5. Upcoming entries:
- My pilgrimage to Finster's Paradise Gardens with Bill Owens.  (Complete with pix by Bill)
- Photo auction roundup
- The effect of speculation on Vik Muniz's auction market

Vik Contest: My Guess

You're too late to enter my Vik Muniz contest, but I promised I'd post my guess:
Anthropomoetries:  $33,600 Liz : $120,000  Elvis: $144,000  TOTAL: $297,600

Last Day to Enter My Vik Muniz Contest

If you would like to enter my Vik Muniz Contest, entries must be received by 11:59 EST today.

Verene in New York Times

Chris Verene one of a number of artists in The Jewish Identity Project, New American Photography on view now at the Jewish Museum in NYC , is featured in the New York Times review of the exhibition where his photographs are described as "wonderful".  A slide show of some of the shows works is also on view on the Times' website where one of Verene's pictures is featured.  The review also says nice things about Andrea Robbins and Max Becher and Nikki S. Lee.   Marcia Wood Gallery will have a limited number of signed exhibition books available at her gallery on Saturday afternoon and will be taking orders for additional books.