The View from the Edge of the Universe

The Ice Princes

Takashi Murakami, Glenn Brown and Andreas Gursky all have shows up in NYC now and all have succeeded in removing all the excitement from their art.  Works in all three shows were so slick, so completely over-thought and over-produced that one left feeling as if the three value polish over inspiration.  All three suffer from the same problem although I can't completely explain it.  Its sort of like when a young band loses some of their greatness because they become too good of singers and musicians.   
I love all three of these artists too.  But not this time around.
I'm glad that Jerry Saltz called out Gursky in his New Yorker review.  Oddly enough, the New York Times has reviewed none of these shows.  Their big story on Murakami contained no critique of his paintings, just a celebration of their $1-million price tags.

Next time.....lets hope.

An Art World Find: Magic Eraser

I remember several years ago reading about a prominent NY dealer who was gushing over Sparkle Glass Cleaner as if it were a long lost Picasso.  I am nearly as excited about the Magic Eraser, a Mr. Clean product that works wonders on frames and walls.  I'm sure many of you have plenty of white frames that get scuffed even if you look at them wrong.  No need to fret anymore, Magic Eraser will make those scuffs disappear!.  Or how about those marks on your beautiful white walls where a picture nicked the wall during installation.  Keep the paint in the can!  Magic Eraser will save the day!
All kidding aside, this product rocks.  Get the extra power version though.

Dzama's Golden Ticket

Marcel Dzama has gone positively Willy Wonka with the "The Berlin Years".   Although the publication been out for several years, the comparative value of 10 lucky copies has escalated significantly in that time.  You see, just like Wonka, Dzama placed original drawings randomly into 10 of the copies.  I came across the book at Powells and found the opportunity irresistible. I felt just like Charlie stepping out of the candy store, hurriedly unwrapping his purchase as I walked down Hawthorne tearing away at the wrapping.  My end was the same as his though: no golden ticket.  The second time was a charm for Charlie; maybe a should pick up another copy!

I Met Anna

A very odd thing happened to me recently.  It is a kind of magical experience when you meet someone who is the subject of a well-known photograph.  Imagine running into one of Rineke Dijkstra's swimmers...
The photographer isn't famous yet, but 21-year-old Mike Brodie has certainly garnered a lot of attention as the Polaroid Kidd including a show at Bonni Benrubi and a review in the New Yorker.  Brodie is a modern day hobo, a train rider armed with a camera, a cell phone and a laptop.  I discovered his work at Get This! Gallery in Atlanta where owner Lloyd Benjamin met Brodie on the trains last year.  The image at left "Anna & Horse Pony" was taken in 2006 near Pensacola Florida.

On Wednesday while walking the 5 blocks to my gallery, I was waiting with two young adults to cross the street.  I looked.  And looked again:

"Your name is Anna right?"

yes

"You own a little stuffed unicorn right?"

yes

"You know Mike Brodie don't you?"

yes

And the rest is history........

One Tree Comes Home, Another Leaves

Its been 25 years since I was last in Vancouver BC and my two days here were full of great Canadian photography.  The real purpose of the trip was to return "Tree Stump, Namaimo, BC" back to Roy Arden, the artist who created it 15 years ago.  Incidentally, Roy's new work will be featured in the spring issue of Blind Spot magazine.  I was a bit sentimental thinking about the artwork and its travels over the last 15 years before once again meeting its maker.  Although I didn't get a chance to meet Roy (schedule mix up) I did get a get a peek at a terrific Karin Bubas at Monte Clark Gallery.  On Sunday, Bryan and I took in "Acting the Part - Photography as Theatre" at the Vancouver Art Gallery.  The exhibition featured works from the nineteenth century to present and featured major pieces by contemporary artists Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wall, Bill Viola, Gregory Credwson (sell NOW), Rodney Graham, Scott McFarland and many others.  The catalog is a well-organized history of the use of the staged scene in photography.
Speaking of Rodney Graham, the gallery store has this excellent limited edition print (at right) by Graham available.  The piece priced at $475 CAN  (about $425 US) is in an edition of 500.  It is a stunning print and all you modernist photography lovers out there should take note of its formal beauty as well as its conceptual depth.  I bought one on the spot. Its the tree that's coming back to PDX with me. 

MoCP's 2007 prints are here!

The Museum of Contemporary Photography has released their 2007 prints. There are new works by Ben Gest, Misty Keasler, Sarah Pickering (at left) and Mark Ruwedel.  At $300 per print, they are great choices for beginning collectors.
Another great deal comes from Gallery 51 in Antwerp.  This 1995 William Klein gelatin silver print is printed in an edition of 51 and priced at 500 Euros.

I Guess I'll Take the Former

Its been an interesting transition from collector to dealer in the art world.  Everyone has an opinion.  Two people have posited unique definitions of what an art dealer is.

While Quality Pictures' artist Elizabeth Huey was in Portland organizing Picture Ping Pong, she told me that to her art dealers are "just artists who work on a big scale"

And a dear friend of mine in Atlanta put it this way:
"You are now the whore."

Based on my two months experience, I think its a little of both!

J&L Book Sale w/ Jack Spade

Jason Fulford, publisher of J&L books, all-around cool guy and most importantly a Quality Pictures artist is having a private sale with Jack Spade this weekend in NYC.

Here's the dirt:

We've taken over a beautiful old empty orange townhouse on the east side of Manhattan. In addition to J&L books and prints, there will also be Jack Spade clothing and bags, original Buckminster Fuller serigraphs, bicycles, cookbooks, houseplants, a tarot card reader and drinks by Peroni.

Details are:

Friday and Saturday, September 8-9, 12-9pm

142 East 30th Street (btw Lex and 3rd)

Sounds uber-hip...even by NYC standards. 

You Too Can Be Jack the Dripper

Here.   It's lots of fun.  Click your mouse to change colors.

Portland's 'Affair' Announces Line-up

Quality Pictures' (my soon-to-open gallery) debutante ball will be The Affair at the Jupiter Hotel, Portland's up and coming west coast contemporary art fair to be held Sept 28 - Oct 1.

This year's participants are better than ever and I am thrilled to have a room between Elizabeth Leach of Portland and Inman Gallery of Houston.

Many Atlanta galleries are participating this year as well: Romo, Solomon, Wood, Saltworks and the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center where fair owner Stuart Horodner is now in charge.

Thanks to Stuart by the way for being a BIG supporter of my gallery.  Whatever Atlanta loses from my departure, it will be more than made up by Stuart's arrival.

Here is the full fair list:

Atlanta Contemporary Art Center
Rudolph Projects
Trilliam
Sam Romo
Diverseworks
Jeff Bailey
Modern Culture
Greg Kucera
Lisa Dent
Catherne Mulhern
Heather Marx
Froelick
Gallery 40,000
Laura Reynolds
Newmark
Garde Raile
Lemon Sky Projects
Saltworks
Nathan Larramundy
Solomon Projects
Motel
Catherine Clark
Special Project: Roger Ballen
Moody Gallery
Art Palace
Augen
Western Exhibitions
PDX
Gregory Lind
Elizabeth Leach
Quality Pictures !!!!!!
Inman
Printed Matter
Allston Skirt
James Harris
Pulliam Deffenbaugh
Marcia Wood
67
Platform
Salon