Art Chicago SOLD

The latest development in the Art Chicago saga is that it Thomas Blackman has sold his business to the Merchandise Mart. The deal was made Friday night but it is not clear if the whole TBA was liquidated, or just the Art Chicago project.

The Mart now own the show, but the monies owed to TBA by galleries for booths and so on are still Blackman's. People have commented this is good because he is easier to pay back than a bottom line businessman. This grace also may be the cause of TBA's money woes, though.

Also in question is what is to become off all the walls and lights TBA owns and makes revenue from renting out to other fairs accross the country.

SEE THESE SHOWS

We can get back to dissecting Art Chicago later, for now let's move on

Here is a break down of all the good art and art events worth seeing this weekend:

David Coyle • Gargoyle • at 40000

ON VIEW

David Coyle
Blood on Your Saddle
40000
1001 N Winchester (on Augusta near Damen)
Friday and Saturday 1 - 6p
Along with Howard Fonda and Nevin Tomlinson, Coyle is part of a zeitgeisty urge to make good painting (along with other media) in Chicago. Their practices are different, but related. All are working in the environment of "what painting is now" but have begun to stake their own claims and visual idioms. Blood on Your Saddle is an absolute must see.
WEBSITE


Margot Bergman 
Wonderland & Other Reveries
Corbett Vs. Dempsey
1120 N. Ashland
Friday and Saturday 11 - 4p
We got a nice sneak peak at the opening of the previous show (Robert Amft, which was also excellent). Bergman has been working for a while and has two modes of painting that have clashed in this show. One is a dada meats Agnes Martin style where she acquires abondoned paintings at thrifts stores and turns them into faces. But the process of living with them, sometimes for years, and waiting for a moment of clarity is in touch with poetic Minimalism. When the image reveals itself a few deft brushtrokes bring it out. The other style is wild and crazy. Loose and violent, but also lighthearted and funny. These paintings come out of nowhere, but click right-on with a lot of what is going on in contemporary art.

When others are continually jawing of honoring and supporting Chicago art history while constantly changes plans, Corbett Vs. Dempsey has been putting on amazing shows and producing catalogues with essays and reproductions. In essence doing, instead of dreaming.
WEBSITE

State & Lake
Gescheidle
A Contemporary Arts Council exhibition curated by the super awesome Annie Morse
118 N Peoria
Friday & Sat 11 - 5
The show is one of the best seen at the space. And one of the few standout shows seen anywhere else recently. Particularly of note is Mike Wolf’s tarpaulin lean to. Half a hobo shanty under the el, half a Polke/stockholder like painting object. Behind you will find a secret stash of zines, maybe. All the work in this show is great, and goes together well.


Jason Lazarus
12 x 12
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E Chicago
Fri - Sun 10 - 5
Bookstore till 6, yay
Burning down the MCA with his special eye for photographic images
WEBSITE


Yes, Art or Idiocy? is plugging an Erik Wenzel show, but we are coming right out and saying it, as opposed to acting like there is no funny business (SEE certain parts of Newcity)



Erik Wenzel
BUT I’D RATHER HAVE A BOWL OF PAINTING IS DEAD
Butcher Shop Dogmatic
1319 W Lake FLR 3
Sat Noon - 6p & Appointment
This guy is fucking brilliant. Put down whatever shit you were about to purchase and high tail it over to Dog Matic. He is top special, we tell you.
WEBSITE

Opening Friday

Matt Siber
Peter Miller
118 N Peoria
6 - 9 p
Siber is part of the circle of photographers that includes Jon Gittelson, Jason Lazarus, Jason Salavon and Brian Ulrich. Siber has been doing diptychs where an image full of text (from signs, billboards and so on) has had all the words removed, and only the colored shapes remain. Next to this are white images, equally large, with only the missing texts from the original image. His work has been moving in new directions. Recent pieces are hovering light up signs that are visible from the highway. Only now are alien, pop art spaceships menacing us with their beautiful colors. Also is a project of the famous Brangelina as they tour France in the form of street adverstising. It seems like Siber is expanding in new and interesting directions.
WEBSITE
Jon Gittelson's Car Project show just closed at Peter Miller. It was written up everywhere, but no one got the most important punch. Looking at the car cover made of club flyers, and the flawlessly printed beautifully odd images of it parked in front of clubs was a great experience. But lacking was Gittelson's conceptual, brilliant gesture usually seen. Upon grabbing cards for the show, that special move became clear: they were printed by the same company that did the club flyers. The company that will give you a deal on the glossy pieces of manufactured trash if you opt to let them advertise their printing services on the back of your card. Side one: Gittelson's well designed ad for the Car Project show. Side two: MEGA CARD DEAL BLOW OUT! ADVERTISE YOUR CLUB FOR $$$CHEAP$$$!!!!
THE GIT


Thomas Kapsalis & Kenneth Nack: Parallels and Tangents
Betty Rymer Gallery
280 S Columbus

Discussion with the artists 4:15 p.m.
Opening reception: Friday, April 28, 5 – 7 p.m.

Curated by John Corbett of Corbett VS Dempsey.
WEBSITE

The Hot Saturday Night

Crawlfest
It’s not a pub-crawl, and its not an art walk, it’s both. And it’s better
Humboldt Park Artist-Run-Apartment-Spaces-Zones-of-Curation
7p – 1a
Get all the info here at the sexy mad website built by master Erik Brown

In brief
Von Zweck 6 - 9
COMA 7 - 10
artLedge 7 - 11
NWestern Ave 9.30 - 1a

Again, a shameless plug: NO, it has shame. That is why you're being told. See more sweet art by Erik Wenzel artLedge.

FINALLY

nova art fair 2006
City Suites Hotel, Belmont El Stop
Fri & Sat Noon - 8
Sun Noon - 6
Parties abound, projects and installations are up all over the neighborhood. Sometimes not having a disaster means you’re looked over. So don't miss this.
WEBSITE


Art Chicago in the Park in the Mart
Merchandise Mart, and El Stop
Buy Tix FLR 1, Show FLR 8
Fri & Sat 11 - 8
Sun 11 - 5
Mon 11 - 3
WEBSITE

Nice.

Jason Lazarus, who is the highly recommended 12x12 at the MCA sent us this photo of one of the empty tents. Below you will find info on the New Art Chicago in the Park/Mart and another nice Lazarus photo.



Its official. We called the general info line at the Mart and got the skinny:

April 28 - May 1

Merchandise Mart

Fri 11-8
Sat 11-6
Sun 11-5
Mon 11-3

Buy tickets on the 1st FLR, show on 8th FLR

Now that this is sorted out, look here for all the art events to go to instead of ArtChicago. For instance, be sure to visit Erik Wenzel's show at Butcher Shop Dogmatic INFO



++++++++++++++++ + + + + + + + + + + + +
Rumours started this morning that the city may have bailed it out. That is not confirmed. But the official word is that it is at the Merchandise Mart. A number of sources confirm, and TBA has even posted it on the website. Thanks to everyone whose kept us up to date on this story.

Art Chicago 2006 is on!

Art Chicago in the Park announces a change in venue from Butler Field to the historic Chicago Merchandise Mart located at 350 N. Orleans, Chicago, IL 60654. With the generous assistance of the Merchandise Mart Properties, Art Chicago has been given the opportunity to mount its International Exposition of 104 dealers in one of its massive exhibition halls.

The fair was forced to relocate due to a series of related installation delays. Although we looked forward to returning to the Park, the time was too short for us to successfully mitigate the problems. We approached the Merchandise Mart recently as we were seeking alternative locations to Butler Field should these problems become intractable.

Sincerely,
Thomas Blackman Associates, Inc.

104 galleries of the original 125. Not too bad. We'll let you know as we get more info.

WBBM

Edward Winkleman

BREAKING NEWS

Be sure to check the comments section, as people have been posting updates as they hear them. As of 5:30pm 4/25/6, the Art Chicago press agent had no news on the future of the fair. Whether or not the fair is moving is unclear. Whether or not it is even taking place is unclear.

Hopefully something can be worked out. Rumours abound. Some theorize the city may step in, since the fair is such a tourist/moneymaking event. The story repeatedly being kicked around is that there is a labor dispute and the union has not been paid. Therefore the tent cannot be completed. Thus there has been a discussion that a new venue is being sought. A Tribune story from 12:45pm stated trucks filled with art arrived today only to find the tent with no erected walls and floor. One art mover was told there would be a new location, but not what that location might be.

Trib Story

==================================


Artnet has this to say:

"ART CHICAGO IN TROUBLE
Two things seem certain about this year’s installment of Art Chicago in the Park, slated to run Apr. 28-May 1, 2006, with a gala preview on Thursday, Apr. 27 -- it’s not opening on Thursday and it’s not going to be in the park. Thomas Blackman Associates was expecting some 125 galleries for the show -- and had collected $1 million in advance fees, according to one source -- but unspecified financial difficulties have thrown the fair off course. As we go to press, Art Chicago is exploring its options, and hopes to find a new backer for the fair and a new site, which could conceivably be Navy Pier. "Five hundred teamsters could put it up in a day for $350,000," said one Chicago observer. Stay tuned."

==================================
MONDAY NITE/TUESDAY MORNING: At this late hour it seems the worst has been confirmed. Art Chicago in the Park 2006 is not to be.

This is unthinkable. Art or Idiocy? can only offer our sympathy to all the dealers, galleries, artists, travelers and collectors affected by this. Especially Thomas Blackman and Associates. No matter what bad blood one has, it would be hard to not feel at least a little empathy. One can only hope that by some miracle the show goes on.

It is now Nova or nothing. Hopefully there will be a silver lining to this decidedly dark spring.

Hit the Change of Venue Button

Art or Idiocy? has just received word that Art Chicago in the Park MAY be changing venues at the last minute. Is this true?! Has anyone else heard about this? Please feel free to post in the comments if you have any insight.

Postmodernism Victorious Once Again!

This week Chicago’s Soldier Field lost its landmark status due to the recent massive, insane and crazy renovations (2003, Wood & Zapata). The New Soldier Field is, to say the least, a perfect example of Postmodern architecture. Although 2003 may be a bit late. Better still if it is Revivalist Postmodern. It is odd that such a drastic and weird project would have gotten the go ahead at the home of Da Bears. But it did, and it is awesome. Art or Idiocy? isn’t much for architecture, but buildings like this command our attention. It is raw, it is crude, it is contemporary style vs oldschool classical architecture. It is new on top of the old, and both sides showing. It is messy and confrontational.

No, it wasn’t built in ancient Greece, it was built originally in the 1920s (1922 - 1928, Holibird and Roche). It is called Neoclassical. Which means the architects designing it in 1919 were just reviving older styles. So it is kind of erroneous to complain about the originality of the original.

This is another example of people hating new things and change. People are against Soldier Field getting a makeover, but totally fine with all the other old buildings in the city forcing out tenants and being demolished for condos. Who the fuck is going to live in all these condos anyway? Tearing down neighborhoods and pricing out middle income families is just progress. Messing with Soldier Field is defaming the Bears, and History and America and cetera.

It is good that Chicago continues to make controversial and bold designs about architecture here. Chicago is a landmark for architecture, and it is because of risky moves. That is why Chicago has Mies van der Rohe, the Sears Tower, the Thompson Center, Millennium Park and the new Modern Wing at the Art Institute.

It is also funny, because this all adds up to a triumph of Postmodernity. Postmodernism rejects and deconstructs history. The architects came in and deconstructed the stadium. Within the framework of its historic Doric column colonnades, Soldier Field’s guts were replaced by a modern flying saucer. This is a juxtaposition that Pomo is all about. It is literally destroyed and re-whaterver-ng history to not use a historic motif, but to actually us a historic building. The old Soldier Field was Modernist. Built in the era of industry and the rise of modernity, its design came from ancient Greek and Roman stadiums. So Modernist.

So it is wonderfully Postmodern for a new building to come right in on top of it. And in the process leave a shell of the old, but strip it is a piece of history. The old building was designated historic, for being a time capsule to a moment that is hazily remembered romantically. But it is just old. And not even that old, since it was less than a hundred years old. And as mentioned above, the stadium took its inspiration from the ancient past. So where does originality begin? God, this is getting so 1997.

Here you can find a Flash timeline of the stadium

Chicago Tribune story on the new architects Brains behind new design of Soldier Field

Pathetic

No sooner than Google honored Miro, did the artist's family and the Artists Rights Society complain of copyright infringement. So Google dropped it, as Eyeteeth reports. You can't blaim Google for taking it down, it was a one day thing, and not worth the trouble. But you can blame Miro's family, and ARS for being fucking babies. It's not like Google was mocking Miro. In fact, Google was doing the artist a huge favor and honor, directing millions, billions, of hits in his direction. That plus the logo was in Miro style. As far as Art or idiocy? is aware, and we've checked our extensive files, Joan Miro never did a painting of the Google logo.

If the case against Google was vallid, than all the artists who are aping older artists' styles are fucking dust. Especially since, oh say, Sarah Nesbitt's Peter Doig knockoffs at Kavi Ghupta, are competing in the same market, the contemporary gallery market. And Google was not competing with actual Miro paintings. We could be wrong, but the Joan Miro Estate does not have a search engine, nor is Miro known for having designed logos.

Doing our intrepid online art research, Art or Idiocy? noticed a novel logo for Google. It looks a lot like Joan Miro style. If you click on it, it takes you to the Google results for Miro. Weird. What is also weird and cool is that Miro's dates are 1893 - 1983. But why Miro? Is it is birhtday? What is the signifficance of doing this? During the Olympics Google has a special logo. So Google does this from time to time. But why Miro? Today is his Birthday. Artist tied to Surrealism born on 4/20, dude. It is wonderful an artist is getting play. Miro, some of his stuff is campy. But some is pretty out there, clever, and amazing too. Violence, disharmony and unique materials are as much a part of his work as smooth poetic abstractions.

You can learn about all of Google's special logos of the past HERE

Some News

Alan “Happenings” Kaprow has died.

Via Artforum via the AP.

Funeral organizers are planning on using a VW slugbug as a hearse and smearing jelly on the coffin, to be licked off, and/or wiped with bread when Mr. Kaprow is interred.

Local Boy Makes Good

Source (italics): Artforum & Artnet
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced its 2006 fellows, 187 artists, scholars, and scientists who receive awards totaling $7,500,000 (an average of more than $40,000 each [wow, that’s like a year’s salary for someone in middle management]), who are selected on the basis of their "distinguished achievement in the past and exceptional promise for future accomplishment."

Winners in the visual arts included local heroTony Tasset. When asked how it felt to be a Guggenheim fellow, Tasset only said, “I am so excited that I peed in my pants!”

All of Chicago is aflutter! Will Tasset be the next star UIC will lose? Don’t worry though, they’ll keep making him a name tag, and calling his name expectantly at events for a while after he is gone if he were to go.

In the true spirit of the democratized art world, the majority of Guggenheim fellows are a wide cross section of artists from all over our vast nation. Some as far away as Long Island City.

Tasset seen channeling the spirit of Neil Young...
and Jack Black in one of his photos. Nice.

Picasso Wept

Robert MappleThorpe • American Flag • 1977
An example of good use of the Flag in a work of art.

Art or Idiocy? has been compiling notes from a recent visit to New York.  Here we have a list of what is going on style or themewize in art today.  The results have been gleaned from the Armory Show, ~Scope, the Whitney Biennial and galleries in Chelsea and Brooklyn.  As  you will see, a lot of these trends, devices and or crutches are ubiquitous.  Not just in New York, America, but perhaps even internationally.  Certainly we see some of this in Chicago.  So you could look at it as good that we are rocking the tropes everyone else. 

Today we look at the first category, and the most prevalent.

#1 War

a. Bush’s head – more leftist artists plaster his face everywhere than anyone else does anywhere.

b. Military Equipment – tanks, guns, and aircraft.  Since it is art, we assume the message is antiwar, anti-Bush, anti-patriotism and on.  But really there is no comment or content at all.  Most of the time it is deadpan and photo-based.  Not photographic, because that requires more effort.  But really, what does this do? In this style people are usually absent. Is this some comment on losing touch with our humanity in war? It is probably because squarish things like tanks and bazookas are easier to draw than people are.

c. Beating war to death[sic] – Using extremely over-the-top and trite methods, tropes and gags.  There was loads of art with fake blood and American flags and camouflage.  Sex is also a big part of it, like phallic missiles, or religious and political figures engaged in sodomy. That is interesting, because in the “political” artist’s arsenal sodomy, and any sex, is used as an easy offense or scare tactic.

Much of this art then adds up to laziness. This style is in place of actually having ideas, or opinions of one’s own. It is codes and icons, speaking to cool young people who know the codes, and also trying to piss off conservatives. It is so confusing because you never know when people are being ironic or not. It is best to assume they are always being ironic. Which is ironic because none of what they are doing is really irony, it is just the opposite of what they mean to say. So it is like “opposite day” back in elementary school when kids try to trick eachother. This also fits because it is an art student style to be really obvious and ironic. And not actually know what you are saying but to say it anyway, with an American flag, with blood on it, and a dick in there somewhere too.

This art is really about youthful ideals gone horribly wrong. It is the product of White kids that are privileged enough to choose to live like bohemians. All the hating of the Bush and the War and America probably has a lot more to do with hating parents and growing up. This art also detracts from anyone with a liberal point of view making an intelligent point. Sort of like Jeanine Garafalo getting involved in the 2004 election.

No one is has really made a career out of this style yet. You could say Thomas Hirschhorn has, but that isn’t really correct. He may be sloppy and all that, but he makes work that some how rises above the sum of its parts. He’s not spectacular, but he is interesting, and he makes stuff that is worth thinking about. Hirschhorn is also a source of inspiration for extreme political artists. But they don’t get it. It is not as simple as
Angst + Trash + Found Images of War and Sex = Groundbreaking Work of Art

The other problem, of course, is what happens when peace breaks out? You won’t have anything to make art about anymore. Admittedly, we will probably be in Iraq another 10 years. But can you really survive on making bloody American Flags. Oh, and oil. I forgot that. You need some black acrylic paint to be oil. Ultimately, this art is flawed from the beginning, because it is way too topical and dated. It is like looking at political cartoons from the 1990s. Really badly drawn, and unfunny political cartoons. Yeah, it is sort of recent, but what does it have to do with now?


Pablo Picasso • Guernica(detail) • 1937 • (click for full image)

That’s why stuff like Guernica is so great. It takes a really specific thing- the bombing of a specific town, in a specific war- and makes it about universal issues. Death, cruelty, sorrow and on. It also makes it aesthetic, but not in a way that diminishes the message. Political art is not doing that now at all. And it certainly wasn’t doing it at the fairs.

Or the Whitney Biennial.
The Biennial was totally in your face and political. And it had all those categories of political war art gushing out of every orifice. But here is the real disservice and travesty:

Critical Art Ensemble. CAE has been making intelligent, well executed work about myriad political topics for years. It also is the only group that puts its money where its mouth is. CAE has faced all sorts of real persecution and prosecution and still continues on. But where did the brilliant curators put CAE in the Biennial? Next to the bathroom, literally. There was a little corner corridor that led to the toilets. And there were three TVs with headphones of CAE work. Not in a screening room, or anything like that.

Apparently making a tanning bed of oil drums is more important. Well, it is. Political posturing is much much more important than actually doing something. At least to the art establishment.

That is why Rirkrit Taravanija worked with Mark di Suvero to create Peace Tower, based on di Suvero’s Artists’ Tower of Protest of 1966. If Peace Tower is as effective against the War in Iraq as the 1966 version as against the Vietnam War, we can expect the last of out troops to return in about 2012. Is this an Onion article?
ARTISTS LAUNCH ATTACK ON WAR WITH TOWER OF PEACE. WAR EXPECTED TO SURRENDER WITHIN DAYS.

Tower of Protest featured the 1960s version of crap political art, which is supposed to be better because that was the origin of White American Youth war art. And it was the 60s and lots of artists think that the 60s were automatically better. But it probably was really really bad. But Artforum liked it. And they like Peace Tower, because Artforum likes empty gestures as much as the rest of America. The only difference between a yellow "Support Our Troops" ribbon and a metal scaffold of peace is which side you think you’re on.

Peace Tower has trademark art by trademark politicos like Sam Durant strapped to it. So that is someone making a living off of political art. And it is the most disgusting way, because Sam Durant samples Blacks marching for equal rights as readymade. And then he doesn’t say anything about it. We are supposed to do all the thinking, and come up with brilliant interpretations. And then maybe fax them to his gallery so they can put it in a press release. Art like Durant’s is no better than Bush citing 9/11 for his agenda. It is all posturing.

Dude, Are You on MySpace?!?

If only Andy and Joseph Beuys were around to see the awesome power of MySpace...

If you are on myspace, you should invite Art or Idiocy? to be your friend, totally. For real. You will get announcements about new posts, interesting art news, and info on art exhibitions worth seeing. It will rock. You're a cool art person, right? Well then get your ass over to myspace. We already have some luminaries of the Chicago art scene and TWO Andy Warhols.

http://www.myspace.com/artoridiocy

PS: if you are wondering what the main trends in art today are... Say you want to cash in and start making art a certain way that fits in with what is going on... Art or Idiocy? is preparing a list of what everyone is doing. So either get ready to start doing what everyone is doing, only slighty different. Or taking it just a bit further. OR see what everyone is doing and then do the exact opposite in hopes that that is the next new thing, or that you will stand out in a good way. So just sit tight. And be Art orIdiocy?s friend!