Sympathy for the art gallery

claytoncubitt:

My flash glinting off a glossy art nude print by Rasmus Mogensen, Gormann Strasse, Berlin

claytoncubitt:

Nam June Pak, ‘Zen For TV 1963/1990’, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin

thejogging:

CLEAN, 2009

Digital Image

•º•

jennilee:

public sex acts - david horvitz

jennilee:

I’m a fan of David

nevver:

Warhol illustration, 1948

Never seen this one before.

Fantastic rant by hydeordie:

Annie Lapin Land Gods 2007

I always enjoy getting invitations in the mail to different openings.  The invitation always reveals a lot, did they care about the layout? What kind of card stock? What kind of printing job, and so on.  However, sometimes I get something in the mail and I have to take a step back and say, they must have been drunk, or on drugs to think this was a good idea. Courtesy of Honor Fraser, that happened today.

The group exhibition that opens on July 11, highlighting significant women artists straight out of the Los Angeles art scene, curated by Emma Gray, is titled “Bitch Is The New Black”. I see the play on the fashion saying, but how does this “reimagination” of it apply to these talented and accomplished female artists.

Immediately it reads backwards, catchy, but backwards.  So before I get all judey-wudgy on the gallery, I decide to go look at the press release online to see if it will shine light on this decision.  They start talking about how all of these women describe themselves as some sort of feminist; terms like “angry feminist”, “self-destructive feminist” and “post-feminist” are thrown around.  I can understand this, these incredibly talented women referencing their experience as women in society not only has a direct effect on their work but on their identities as well.  I see the tie in.

But the title!! Where is this coming from?  Oh, it’s supposed to be funny? They reference Saturday Night Live:

The title of the exhibition, an incredibly glib fashion term, was repurposed from a snippet of dialogue from Saturday Night Live that was broadcast during the 2008 presidential election. Tina Fey celebrates the idea of a woman president as a “bitch,” reasoning that “bitches get stuff done.” A few episodes later her cast mate Tracy Morgan rebutted Fey’s statement by saying: “Bitch may be the new black. But black is the new president, bitch!”

…Am I the only one that is curious to the link between skits on SNL about the presidential races and an exhibition about mid-career female artists based in Los Angeles? Oh, the press release goes on to explain this:

Most importantly, the title asserts the artists’ shared independent streak. “Bitch Is The New Black” isn’t re-envisioning a new collective feminist consciousness; it is about celebrating talented artists in the city of Los Angeles who happen to be women –- with attitude.

So, let me get this straight, this doesn’t have to do with the feminist consciousness, although you stressed it so much in the beginning of the statement, the title is in reference to their “shared independent streak”? These women, Catherine Opie, Annie Lapin, Andrea Bowers, are “bitches” because they are independent? Because they struck out on their own, but while doing this remained associated with the female pursuasion, you felt it was appropriate to not only label the “bitches” but put to associate them with an “incredibly glib fashion term”? Wow.  Just wow.  I guess they say one step forward and two steps back for a reason right?

I don’t know who this Emma Gray woman is.  I know she’s British, that’s about it, but the fact that she just lumped together 14 of Los Angeles’ most prominent female artists under the term “bitch” in one fell swoop because they are all “independent” really puts this woman on my bad list.

Maybe I should be nicer, maybe Ms. Gray can’t think of a better or more apropos name than this one for the exhibition.  Maybe she doesn’t realize the consequences of her actions.  Even worse, maybe she doesn’t even understand how this is offensive and juvenile.  I’m afraid it is option C and that makes me the most sad.

Should win this. And who cares what is the new black anyway. And, well, what she said.

standardgrey:

Of all the things going the way of the Internet these days, one is the gallery exhibition announcement card. For decades this useful bit of art-world indicator has been an indispensable constant creatively deployed by artists, avidly cherished by the ephemera-obsessed and devotedly archived by museums.

[…]

In most cases environmental concerns shield a certain, shall we say, cost-cutting desperation. “Sculpture Center is Going Paperless.” “Francesca Kaufmann is Going Paperless.” “Going Green” (from P.P.O.W.). “New Going Green Museum.” “Save Our Planet!” (from Gavin Brown).

Sometimes you wish they’d just come clean: “We’re eliminating paper announcements and saving $$$ in annual costs for paper, design, printing and postage!” Transparency would make the end easier to take…

Read more…

(via ART & DESIGN - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com)

This is so unfortunate; ever since starting as a designer these seemed to me like the most fun to design. And now I’ll never. Oh well, there’s always gallery sites and identities.

zehnuhr:

On 1 July at Christie’s will be an auction of a series of nude photos of Kate Moss by photographer Chuck Close. Taken in 2003, the photos are estimated at about $11,500 to $16,000 but could easily go much higher.

nevver:

Warhol Illustration, 1951

fette:

Douglas Gordon. Via.

He is still in my brains.