Wednesday, May 04, 2005

ENOUGH!

Victor M. Cassidy’s limp write-ups of the Art Fair weekend are on Artnet. He conspicuously missed NOVA, a place he was sure to find some of the things he longed for. The royal WE of Artnet liked a lot of trash, which is to be expected. Artnet usually has the feel of an internet equivalent of to the tastes of Artnews- sometimes cool, but usually blah, and not too interesting, but you might as well look at it anyway, and the auction results are always handy. Well, WE at Art or Idiocy? are dangerous and all edgy with youth. But WE temper it with a sophisticated sense of history and elitism. So that must mean such publications aren’t aimed at US. The final Art Chicago wrap up is here to give closure to the victims and their families.

Also be sure to visit the updated piece on The TOP NON-ART-FAIR Shows to go See. Click on gallery names &c. for helpful links galore.

Contact via the electronic post? artoridiocy@yahoo.com

From walking up and down the Big Top’s hallowed corridors at Art Chicago:

Unfinished thoughts:
    Did the Tribune even cover this weekend other than to say how Donald Young, Rhona Hoffman and Richard Gray where skipping it? (Wow, I didn’t know any galleries from Chicago were cool enough to be at Art Basel, Art Basel Miami, Armory Show & Freize Art Fair) I have noticed them popping up here and there in art magazine ads, but I didn’t know they made the rounds to all the top rung fairs. I guess that’s actually cool that there are some local galleries doing that well and turning their noses up at TBA.

    Did anyone to Chicago Contemporary & Classic? After reading the Artletter, I pretty much decided not to bother. Most people I ran into voiced the same apathy and disinterest.

Profiles on some of the many artists Art or Idiocy? liked:

2 comments:

Cynthia said...

Was also odd he talked about stuff not actually shown at the fair (like the Paxtons at gescheidle gallery, but not at the show). Last year Susan had a cool duckie pond where you could fish for a drawing. I like her gallery a lot, but wasn't impressed by the stuff she chose to exhibit this year.

NOVA was pretty interesting. Wish it could be up all year round, tho. Most of our galleries are getting flabby.

Dan said...

The capper, though, from Cassidy:

Who Won?

With all the publicity about the "art fair" wars, it seems appropriate to ask whether Art Chicago in the Park or Chicago Contemporary & Classic won out. We declare a tie. Art Chicago has better galleries, but it needs improved management, a more commodious space and some of the trimmings that make an art fair memorable. CC&C badly needs better exhibitors. We await the sales reports.

A tie? How diplomatic. And all CC&C needs is better exhibitors. Piece of cake.

For his part, Artner did offer a bit more than just his pre-game criticisms here (scroll past the rehash).