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.

Bitter Old Man or Enlightened Coot?

Last week I had the pleasure of hearing Duane Micheals speak at the Strand in NYC.  At 75, he pretty much calls it like it is.  He has a new book out, Foto Follies, a biting satire on the money-fueled photography world.

Here are several of Michals' comments:

"I've always relied on the kindness of ideas"

"Everything you think makes sense doesn't.  Get out of the fuckin' box."

"My gift to you is that I'm not you"

"As long as you believe in consensus reality, you will never experience true reality"

"What I cheap joint, I have to do my own slides" .... and .... "Jesus, what do I have to do to get fucked around here"

"You are the alpha, the omega. You are the event"

"You affect what you see through the participation of your observations"

"Have you ever thought about the not-nowness of now?"

"I love to photograph what cannot be seen"

"Reality is not a set of observable facts walking down the street."

"Photography is not about looking, its about feeling"

"Can you imagine defining your life so narrowly that Nirvana is sex with 72 virgins"

"Someone just paid $3 million for a Gursky. $2.5 million I can see, but 3?"

"You should always be a beginner"

"I love ideas I've never thought of before"

Evidence Redux

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!