Archives for 2006

Tiravanija and deSuvero, etc.: Peace Tower, 2006 Better Than An Art Fair; Faster, Bigger, Darker What is there left to say? The Whitney Biennial (through May 28) always has enough for everybody ... to hate. I, however, being of an infuriatingly sunny disposition, always find something to love. Two innovations this time are of note. The Biennial has a title: "Day for Night," after Francois Trouffaut's film (not his best) L'Nuit Americaine. "Day for night," translated into French as "American … [Read more...]

Dean MacGregor: Sleeping Project (at the Guggenheim), 2005 Call It Sleep Add up the hours of sleep. That's a lot of down time. Or is it? Healing, sorting, rebuilding those synapses. Getting ready to roll. I think I'll take a nap. And dreams, those letters that demand interpretation also need to be counted. Of course, sleep itself is a symbol. Sleep as an art subject is rare, but Dean MacGregor may win the prize. As part of an ongoing series of sleepovers, on October 27, 2005 -- as recently … [Read more...]

Andrea Zittel: Escape Vehicle "Sometimes if you can't change a situation, you just have to change the way you think about a situation."                                  The Things I Know for Sure, Andrea Zittel.            'Please Do Not Touch or Enter Artwork' (Sign at the New … [Read more...]

Thomas Eakins, Swimming, 1883-1885                                                                     Thomas Eakins: Untitled Photograph (students posing nude), … [Read more...]

Carolee Schneemann: Meat Joy, 1964 A Living Legend Performance Art - that is, Performances, Events, Happenings, nonmatrixed artists' theater (in Michael Kirby's excellent term) - are not plays, dances, or operas, although they may partake of some characteristics of these, particularly in that they occur in time with a person or persons as the presenter(s). Like plays, dances, or operas, performances are very difficult to write about. There is usually not a script or much of one and, to recast … [Read more...]

Superflex: Guarana Power (display of Guarana soda) Riffs on a Global Groove I was in Tennessee just recently to give a little talk at the brand new Art Gallery of Knoxville, where until the end of the month there’s an exhibition called “Global Groove (Nation Building As Art).” It was curated by director Chris Molinsky. Molinsky, Leslie Starritt, and Bryan McCullough (all recent graduates of the Art Institute of Chicago) are cofounders of this bright new space, which opened in November. My theme, … [Read more...]

Robert Rauschenberg: Monogram, 1955-59 The Poetry of Things If you have never seen Robert Rauschenberg's iconic Bed (1955), Canyon (1959), or the free-standing Monogram (1955-59),or have some pressing need to see them together amid a number of lesser Combines, then you had better visit the current exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (until April 2). You had also better see the exhibition if you really want to challenge yourself with questions of connoisseurship, art history and art … [Read more...]