That 70s Art Show

Check out this week’s TimeOut Chicago for my piece on Commemorating 30 Years, 1976 - 1980: Part One at Rhona Hoffman. It is a show definitely worth seeing, especially for all its 70s goodness - Minimailsm. Postminimalism, body art and so forth.

> Rhona Review


Donald Judd • untitled (Wood Block 6R) • 1986

> MORE WORKS (for at least the time being)

Hollywood

In case you haven't heard, they are planning on making a movie about Thomas Kinkade. I think it is Disney. It sounds like something they would do. They are making one of Kinkade's shitty paintings into a shitty movie, presumably, the feel they are going for is "getting fucked by a pixie stick – for your eyes!" In honor of this, Tyler Green over at Modern Art Notes came up with a list of his top five paintings he'd like to see made into movies and encouraged others to as well. I think this is what a meme is.
> meme or whatever

At any rate, Art or Idiocy? has decided to weigh in on this serious topic. You will find our open proposal to Hollywood below. Just Remember, we retain all sorts of rights and intellectual copyrights and stuff. The celebrities mentioned should have to pay us royalties for furthering their careers by invoking them into a high culture context. You can click on the the movie posters to see them in all their box office glory. Enjoy.

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Betrothal of the Arnolfini - Jan van Eyck
I can hear the throaty voice of the dramatic voice over announcer guy already. Scarlett Johansson and David Thewlis are supposed to marry, but Ralph Feines, as Jan van Eyck, steals her heart, and paints himself into the picture.
Soundtrack by The Arcade Fire
Directed by Jane Campion
Tagline: “How Far Would You Go For Love & Art?”
Released in the Fall, you know, for dates.

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Red Brown & Black - Mark Rothko
The Story of Marcus Rothkowicz. Soundtrack with music by Nirvana, Joy Division, Erik Satie, How could him slitting the crooks of his arms and O.D.ing on antidepressants in his studio just after making a big gallery deal not be a dramatic, filmic ending? And putting his arms into the sink so as not to make a mess... Yeah, we better have some tracks from Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation in there too.
Starring Vincent D'Onofrio as Rothko
Taglines: "His Gift Was a Curse" "Based on the True Story of an American Master"

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The Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Fire - Ed Ruscha
Terrorists lay siege to LACMA hoping to use the priceless art to fund a coup in South America. This film will mix the action of Die Hard and the spectacle of Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure. Directed by the idiot that directed the Poseidon remake. Starring Collin Farrell as the Head Terrorist, Harrison Ford as the negotiator who kicks ass, Ice T as the LAPD detective, Jessica Alba as the sexy curator, LL Cool J as the museum guard and Freddy Rodríguez as the conservation lab tech who uses his smarts to sabotage the attackers.
Summer 2007

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Interrogation. - Leon Golub
Set across the globe, this film takes a look at the evil cycle of drugs, war, terrorism, poverty and conservative Republicanism through stark color filters and blasted out lighting effects. See Syriana, Blood Diamond, Hotel Rwanda, Traffic. Starring Don Cheadle, Michael Douglas, Clive Owen, Annette Benning, Geoffrey Rush, George Clooney, Jennifer Connelly, Bencio Del Toro, Heather Graham, Tim Robbins, Penélope Cruz, S. Epatha Merkerson, Josh Hartnett & Allan Arkin in a cameo as Leon Golub.
Released late in the year for an Oscar Bid

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Rave - Martin Maloney
Honeymooners Lucy Lui and Owen Wilson get mixed up in a plot to steal a work of art from the Saatchi Gallery and are forced to impersonate a deadly duo of art thieves. They embark on a madcap adventure to steal Rave by Martin Maloney for an eccentric uber-collector played by Pierce Brosnan. Will Ferrell has a cameo as an insane art expert and Steve Martin plays a number of roles including a French Interpol agent, an LA art snob and Brosnan’s snooty secretary. Jean Reno plays the real art thief they end up running from and Michael Clarke Duncan is slated to be the US Marshal who thinks “all this silliness about a stupid painting is crazy!” before kicking Reno and Wilson’s asses. Tommy Lee Jones has been approached to play the unhinged FBI art thievery agent, but has not signed on as of yet.

Smithsonian Study Group

The Art Newspaper, in an article by Jason Edward Kaufman, reveals details from a confidential report on the future viability of art museums collectively run by the Smithsonian Institution. The report was compiled by a group of “leading US museum directors,” including:

Glenn Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Michael Shapiro, director of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta; John Walsh, director emeritus of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles; James Wood, director and president emeritus of the Art Institute of Chicago and, since February, president and chief executive of the Getty Trust, Michael Conforti, director of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown; Vishakha Desai, president and chief executive of the Asia Society in New York, and Susana Leval, director emerita of El Museo del Barrio in New York.

Jim Wood has been keeping busy in retirement.

The committee was appointed by Ned Rifkin, the undersecretary of the arts, at the Smithsonian in August of 2005. What followed was an 18 month independent investigation. The committee reported its findings to the Smithsonian's “board of regents” in January. The findings are indeed discouraging. Highlights include:

It questions the long-term viability of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York because of “the modest size of audience, limited programs and scope of [the] collection”.

It calls for the “administrative consolidation” of the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The two institutions have overlapping collections and occupy the same recently restored building; the report recommends that one director be placed in charge of both museums.

It also warns that leaks in the storage areas of the Freer and Sackler galleries threaten the collection. Leaks are also identified as a problem at the Hirshhorn Museum.

The Art newspaper, who was able to arrange a viewing of the confidential document, identifies the report’s three major issues:

—the need to make Smithsonian museums “truly excellent”—a goal attainable only through administrative and policy changes, increased funding particularly from the private sector, and a “more cost-effective organizational structure” that would entail “consolidation of some units as well as more shared services”.

—“unrealized potential”—attributable to years of “go-it-alone habits” and lack of cooperation between institutions: for example two museums in Washington, DC recently held Hiroshi Sugimoto exhibitions without any joint programming.

—the report recommends expanding the role of the Smithsonian’s undersecretary for art, a position created in 2004 to oversee the Smithsonian’s art division.

You will recall the report was ordered by undersecretary Ned Rifkin.
The Art Newspaper piece is long and in depth, so you can check it out HERE

IN PRINT

It was a long cold summer that year • Amy Vogel • Knit & crocheted wool • 60" x 60"

Check out this week’s TimeOut Chicago. I review of Thomas Rapai: Nowhere Else to Go and Amy Vogel: U.P. at 40000.

> REVIEW
> 40000000000000

The focus of the issue is Chicago’s rock scene. On the cover is Andrew Bird, who was recently spotted at a 65GRAND opening, and whose recent albums have sported cover art by Jay Ryan. There is a feature on “drone” music. Like all movements or genres in the arts, it is a tag participants are reluctant to accept, and one that people will use anyway because it is easy and seems to fit. At any rate, it is a type of music I am very interested in. It highlights the likes of Lichens, Number None, White/Light and on. Without mentioning him by name, the piece refers to the music series Terrence Hannum curated at the MCA as part of his recent 12x12.

> Everybody Must Get Droned
> (everytitle must get punned) TimeOut Chicago

Pull Out Linzy

From an anynoymous source we just heard that Kalup Linzy pulled out at the last minute from his show scheduled to open Friday at Monique Meloche. Rob Davis & Michael Langlois, also showing, stepped up and filled the whole space. The website now makes no mention of Linzy and only features info on “Robert Davis + Michael Langlois in collaboration with Rashid Johnson Look into the Rays...”

Presumably they continue their sacrament-fueled partying the trio famously did in Berlin earlier this year and commemorated with a full page ARTFORUM ad. As for Linzy there is no speculation as to why it happened. He is still scheduled to speak at the The School of The Art Insitute on March 28. Earlier this spring it was heard that Linzy had been searching for a venue in Chicago, did one deemed "better" or more "high-profile" pop up? It's anyone's guess as to why and how this went down.

Any thoughts or comments?

What Happened to the Art?

People are wondering what happened with the Chicago Reader and its art section. So we contacted them about it. Alison True, the Editor of the Reader, sent us a speedy reply.

ART or IDIOCY:
Everyone has noticed the massive cut of art listings in the last Reader. What happened? Is this the new way art will be "listed" in the Reader. As a reporter on art, of sorts, people have been asking me if I know anything.

Also what happens to Fred Camper? Will he continue to contribute to the Reader?

The Chicago Reader:
In an effort to cut costs (you've probably heard about the financial challenges print media are facing--printing costs, competition from craigslist, etc) we've cut back on what we put into print but continue to offer complete listings on the Web. Our site is a major destination for thousands of Chicagoans, and our listings there will continue to improve as we add to it. We can't be everything to everyone, but we're trying to do whatever we do well.

We'll still be publishing art reviews and artist profiles elsewhere in the paper, and as far as I know Fred will be one of the people writing them.

Thanks for the note,
Alison

> The Chicago Reader
> Reader Art Listings

The High Cost of High Concept

Wow. Nice. MICROMENTAL. ARTFORMAL.

Hot & Humid

We have received news that the Rice building of the Art Institute was closed down today. Lights were cut wherever possible as every attempt was made to reduce the heat and humidity. The problem stemmed from the air conditioning not kicking in at the right time in the morning. This is a problem with the HVAC system, when the building moves from heating to cooling mode as the seasons change. The result was the nightmare scenario of the Ambrose Vollard Cezanne to Picasso show shutting down. Crowded with hundreds of museum-goers the space would have been a sauna. Everything is expected to be back to normal tomorrow.

If you have an art news tip, email Art or Idiocy? HERE

In Print & on the Airwaves

An interview I did with Bad at Sports is featured in their latest episode. We recorded it last October, so the Armory Show I refer to was the 2006 one, and I had yet to begin my relationship with TimeOut Chicago. Which has been one of the best experiences I have had working with a publication.

Speaking of which, the latest TimeOut has a feature on the Francis Bacon show at the Milwaukee Art Museum by Ruth Lopez. And my review of Oli Watt and Andrew Winship at Roots and Culture.

> Bad at S
> Francis B
> Roots and C

> Direct Link to the BAS MP3 (interview appears in second half)

French philosopher Jean Baudrillard Died Tuesday.

He is survived by his Simulacrum.

"News" Items

NEW NEWS (aka RUMORS)
Via our embedded reporter deep in the belly of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago:

Hello Everybody,

Just heard an interesting rumor--that they are going to film the second season
of Art Star here at the 'tute. I never even saw any of the first season...but
how hilarious is that.

http://www.artstar.tv/

It will be almost as awesome as when The Real World was in Wicker Park and hipsters protested it. Yes, protested it. That was before the war started and gave them a greater sense of purpose. It makes sense though, because one of the show's creators, Chris Sperandio, is a sometimes teacher at SAIC. Although he is listed as an executive producer on the show's site, none of the press the show has gotten ever seems to mention him.

Go SAIC. This will be great for them. You know, cos the first season of Art Star was so successful. With all the people who saw it. On that satellite channel. And this will restore credibilty to the institution. Uuuum, moving along...

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OLD NEWS
Item! - Via Artforum.com via The New York Times, we learn that Bob Fitzpatrick, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago will be retiring in 2008. The search is ON! Do YOU have what it takes to run an internationally renowned contemporary art center?

Well, you’re in luck! Art or Idiocy? is excited to announce the launch of The AESTHETE. A reality competition where contestants vie for the coveted roll of Director of the MCA. If you think you can shmooze, network, hobnob and determine the visual aesthetic of a major metropolitan city, and so on, then send a cover letter explaining why, along with your resume, to artoridiocy@gmail.com!

Item! - Did you hear that TWO Picassos were stolen? Gee, I don’t know what to say about that. I hope they get them back.

Item! - Art Chicago and Bridge Art Fair have finally announced their exhibitors. Gee, I don’t know what to say about that. I hope it works out for them.

Item! - Finally, last week stocks the world over fell, slid, crashed or whatever stock lingo word you like. Surprisingly no one has been theorizing about how the long nightmare of a prosperous art market may finally be ending.