I was just in New Orleans in a futile attempt to view all the art at the myriad Prospect.1 venues. I'm working on a piece for ArtSlant, and will be posting from my seemingly endless stream of photos on Flickr, so stay tuned.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: • This could easily surpass the Whitney Biennial in the coming years. • If you are a famous video artist today, you are making elaborate works requiring huge casts and crews, hoping to conquer cinema. AND: • Every time I go to New Orleans I wish I'd planned to stay at least two more days. • Maybe art and culture do serve a unique purpose and can contribute to the greater good.
I have culled through all the year's events, mostly in art and culture, and generated a list of the best for cultural worker Britton Bertran. It's not perfect, I forgot to mention The Dark Knight, which makes Tim Burton's Batmen look like quaint and campy. But it is a solid rundown from my perspective. Bertran has been inviting loads of people to contribute, all are worth checking out: Eric May of Roots & Culture; Jackie Terrassa from the MCA; Stevie Greco of Donald Young and the Chicago Indie Rock organizing scene; Anthony Elms of White Walls, Gallery 400 and countless other art activities; and the list goes on, so have a look around.
Patrick W. Welch • The End is Nice • 2008 • enamel & acrylic on panel • 3 x 5 inches • gescheidle projects
This may the last chance for a long while to see the work of an extraordinary artist who passed away a few months ago. This is particularly a special opportunity to see the work as a solid and coherent whole.
Patrick W. Welch: Art Legend, Miniature Paintings 1997-2007 Closing Reception Sunday, December 21, 2008 11A – 2P 1407 E 54th PL, Chicago 773.363.5935
Patrick W. Welch • Me and You • 2008 • enamel & acrylic on panel • gescheidle projects Another exhibition on view to be sure and stop by before it closes, is sadly the work of another friend who passed on this year. The exhibition of photographic works of Daniel Johnson closes this Saturday at 65GRAND
Daniel Johnson: Sweet Dreams and Garbage Friday & Saturday, December 19 & 20, 2008 12NOON - 5:30P 1378 W Grand (entrance on Noble)
I want to note I am promoting these shows because I believe in the art of both Welch and Johnson. These artists’ created strong bodies of work — productions tragically cut short — that deserve as wide an audience possible. Of course they are friends and I want to preserve their memory, but the art itself is worth the attention regardless of the biographical aspects.
The Art Newspaper has daily editions for Art Basel Miam... and videos too. The young couple adorably smooching in the background between the old collectors being interviewed is kind of funny. >Art|Basel|Miami|39|Beach|08
My interview with Matt Stolle is up on ArtSlant. It's an engaging conversation where we discuss Ad Reinhardt, systemic painting, the project or projects of post Abstract Expressionist modernist painting and the apparent return to or reappraisal thereof by a growing number of younger artists, monochromes, The Monochrome and signs that won't signify— Pretty heavy shit.
I recently stumbled upon this video that Brad Troemel posted on his blog. It was directed by Tony Kaye, who directed American History X; it stars Sienna Miller and the art direction was done by Damien Hirst. It is by far one of the worst examples of human expression I have ever seen and I can’t recommend it enough. Ever since I saw it I have been telling everyone to watch it.
Confused as to what I thought, a friend asked, “so is it good? Or is it so bad it’s good?” “No,” I replied, “it’s terrible, but the joy you will get from the hate it brings out in you is like an addiction.” And it’s true. The video clocks in at seven minutes and forty seconds, but it goes by fast. There are videos I like that are half as long that I get bored watching. See the Light by The Hours is so pretentious, self-important, vain, clichéd and unimaginative that it is farcical. Farcical on a level rarely attained. This is achieved by the whole-hearted commitment on the part of all the key participants, the director, the actress, the art director and the band whose song it’s a video for.
The best parodies are things that are parodies of themselves. The most satisfying and devious laughter is at something that doesn’t realize in the slightest how funny it is. There are any number of scenes in popular comedy that play out the way successful, shallow and self-absorbed celebrities horribly fail at being serious artists, but this is better. Because this video is literally an attempt, a successful one it feels, at making a work of depth and substance. The humor comes from watching it; from the viewer seeing it’s absurdity and humor, and the piece itself carrying on as though it is a heart breaking work of staggering genius.
