Thursday, September 06, 2007

Oh oh...

Can a critic be sued when the critic is wrong or makes a mistake that causes a loss of income or reputation?

Apparently so. The Philadelphia Inquirer's food critic Craig LaBan is being sued by a Philly area restaurant for allegedly making a mistake in the review, which then reflected unfavorably upon the restaurant.

Let' be clear, LaBan is not being sued because of his opinion, that's a right guaranteed by the Constitution. He's being sued for libel because he allegedly opined on a steak that he claims he ate at lunchtime when that steak is only served for dinner.

It would be like a gallery suing an art critic because that critic opined on a piece of work that the critic called a watercolor when in fact it was an intaglio etching... I think. By the way, something like that did happen in a major newspaper not too long ago. No one sued but we all sighed behind the critic's back.

Sounds confusing? the current issue of Philadelphia magazine just outed LaBan, who apparently likes to wear disguises when he visits restaurants. The issue has a great article by Steve Volks on the subject that will clarify this confusing issue... I think.

Read that article here.

Ben Tolman

I also first came across the work of Ben Tolman when I curated a huge, obsessive pen and ink by Tolman into "Seven" a couple of years ago.

In 2005, right after "Seven," the WCP profiled this most interesting DC artist (read that profile here) and today Kriston has a highly interesting article in the WCP again detailing a most unusual story about this highly unusual character. Read that here.

Nepotista Declaration: I now own a few of Ben Tolman's pieces.

Sara Pomerance

I first came across the work of Sara Pomerance when I curated her into "Seven" a couple of years ago.

Pomerance is one of the hardest working artists in the region, and some of her work will be at the 2007 Corcoran Alumni exhibition curated by Molly Donovan, curator of modern and contemporary art at the National Gallery of Art, and opening tomorrow, Thursday, September 6, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at the Corcoran's North Atrium.

Also in Washington DC, three of her photographs are also on display at the Parker Gallery. These images were written about as "The real stand out in this crowd," by Kevin Mallema (read the review here).

And in Albuquerque, her newest video "Yellow Cake with Sprinkles," was on display this summer at the John Sommers Gallery, which is part of the UNM art museum.

And oh yeah... Sara is soon moving to NYC... sigh.

Trawick Winners Announced

The usual surprises!

Jo Smail from Baltimore, MD was awarded “Best in Show” with $10,000; Nicholas Wisniewski of Baltimore, MD was named second place and was given $2,000; Bruce Wilhelm of Richmond, VA was bestowed third place and received $1,000 and the “Young Artist” award of $1,000 was given to Kathleen Shafer of Washington, D.C.

The artists who had been selected as Trawick Prize finalists are:

Mary Coble, Washington, D.C.

Mary Early, Washington, D.C.

Suzanna Fields, Richmond, VA

Inga Frick, Washington, D.C.

Jeanine Harkleroad, Chesapeake, VA

Linda Hesh, Alexandria, VA

Baby Martinez, Washington, D.C.

Kathleen Shafer, Washington, D.C.

Jo Smail, Baltimore, MD

Bruce Wilhelm, Richmond, VA

Nicholas F. Wisniewski, Baltimore, MD

The jurors for this year's Trawick are Anne Ellegood, Associate Curator at the Hirschhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden; Amy G. Moorefield, Assistant Director and Curator of Collections for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Anderson Gallery and Rex Stevens, Chair of the General Fine Arts Department at Maryland Institute College of Art. Catriona Fraser, owner of the Fraser Gallery in downtown Bethesda, is the non-voting Chair of The Trawick Prize.

The Trawick Prize is clearly the DC area region's premier fine arts prize and once again kudos to Ms. Trawick! A public opening will be held at Creative Partners Gallery on Friday, September 14, 2007 from 6-9pm in conjunction with the Bethesda Art Walk. Creative Partners Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12-6pm.

Rabbi Series

For your viewing pleasure, and finished just in time for my birthday, as I have done for many years, is a new "series" of works. This year it is the "Rabbi Series," a tiny set of very small drawings, all under two inches or so, of very serious men with very light-headed thoughts.

See it here.

B'day

Today is my birthday.



My grandfathers died in their late 90s, and my father is in his early 80s, so I hope to be around a long assed time as well.

Modern Paints: Uncovering the Choices

Attention painters!

Next week Dr Thomas Learner, the Head of Contemporary Art Research at the Getty Conservation Institute will be delivering a presentation on the subject on Tuesday, September 11, 5:00 p.m. at the McEvoy Auditorium, Donald W Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture (8th & G streets NW in DC).

Numerous types of paints have been used by artists over the last 70 years, including those intended for household or industrial use. In this talk, Tom Learner outlines common classes of “modern paint” and the procedures used to determine which types are present in works of art.

Several well-known paintings will be discussed, including examples by David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, Morris Louis, Jackson Pollock, Bridget Riley and Andy Warhol.

Lecture presented by the Lunder Conservation Center.

If a reader attends, someone should ask the question to confirm or deny the urban legend that the Tate once sued David Hockney when it discovered that Hockney had used house paint to create the painting that the Tate had just spent a small fortune on and was already beginning to fall apart. I'm curious if that story is true.

Freebie

Thanks to a $500,000 gift from Wachovia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art announced yesterday that the Museum will offer free admission to its new Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building through the end of calendar year 2007.

Dana Ellyn

Ellyn is another super hardworking artist. In the remaining days of summer she has an amazing line-up: twogallery shows, two art festivals, a live TV appearance, an article coming in the Washington Post – all coming up in the next 9 days!

Too much to list; check it all out in her website.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Mean, Unfair and Plain Wrong

That's me!

My DC blogsphere colleague Kriston Capps, who just like me every once in a while is very fond of policing other folks' opinions, thinks that I am "mean... unfair... and plain wrong," in my recent rant at Jessica Dawson's inept review of Caitlin Phillips.

And while I respect Capps' right to express his opinions to my response to Dawson's review, I disagree 100% with his insinuation that a critic's interpretation of a body of works, absolves them/us of having a responsibility or need to gather information about an artist's intent; especially if they are preparing to deliver a public question or opinion that suggests that an artist is denigrating herself via that same body of works.

Let's be clear: Critics don't have to ask questions or gather information for every thing, even intent.

But if they're going to make the leap and portray an artist as denigrating herself because of what the images convey to the critic, at the very least they should try to find out what the artist thinks they're conveying or was trying to convey.

It just makes sense to me.

In this case, I think Dawson blew the review, and erred in her (let's assume) interpretation, because she didn't know (or cared to know) the photographer's intent - even if Phillips didn't deliver it very clearly, as could be the case - and although Dawson was keen enough to make a harsh interpretation about the intent, she wasn't curious enough to try to gather the easily available information.

And boo hoo... now I also think that Kriston is just mean, unfair and gets it plain wrong when he interprets that my post is suggesting that critics should go "around asking artists to tell them what to write in their reviews."

Especially since he knows me, and knows well that I would never suggest such an idiotic thing.

That makes two critics who should have asked a question before making such a knuckle-headed leap.

Read Kriston's opinions here.

DC Shorts Film Festival 2007

September 13 – 20, 2007 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema (11th and E Streets)

DC Shorts turns the spotlight on truly independent short films from all over the globe, created by new and established filmmakers in an era when the art of filmmaking is opening to all. They select films from every genre for their competition screenings — with a special focus on films created by metropolitan Washington, DC-based directors and writers. After each screening, filmmakers have the opportunity to speak to the audience as part of a moderated panel.

This year, they will present 89 films and seven live script performances, culled from 14 countries. Once again, their venue will be the Landmark E Street Theatre in DC's Penn Quarter. With new specialty competitions — High Definition Shorts and the Live Script Reading Competition — DC Shorts is growing into one of the most influential film festivals in the country.

For festival and ticket information visit www.dcshorts.com

Interview: John Anderson on Adrian Parsons

Anderson: Several months ago I contacted Adrian Parsons, shortly after he circumcised himself during a performance for the exhibition entitled Supple, at the Warehouse Gallery. He seemed agreeable to answer some questions, either in person or over e-mail. I shot the questions to him and waited for a response. At the beginning of August, he finally got back to me.


Performance artist Adrian Parsons with his foreskin hanging on the wall
Adrian Parsons with his foreskin hanging on the wall

Parsons: Hello, wanted to take some time to separate the act from the hype. So here is the interview way, way post facto.

An earlier piece that I see documented on your blog involved inviting people to pull your mustache out of your face, one hair at a time, until it was gone. What is the basis for this work?

The idea was to take off the genetic predisposition for where my beard and mustache would be, to take the hairs and redistribute them. Once all the hair was off we were to mix it with melted wax and pour that on to the mold, that is, my face. The fact that I could rework a hairline with my hand and not my fathers was a weird, fun one.

Since you began Shrapnel (I am assuming this is the title) by pulling hairs from your face, is the act of auto-circumcision an extension of this previous piece? How do the two relate apart from self-mutilation (or invited mutilation to yourself)?

Both works come across chance and randomization. I was trying to get around my genes in Plucky, to disorder what is predetermined. But Shrapnel takes on the chaos of a suicide bomber, his body is distributed in to the walls of buildings, the skin of people. This kills random people, suddenly the attackers bone, physical matter, are implanted willfully in to another person. I read an account of a journalist who was nearby a suicide bomber and lived. He carries the bone of this guy in his body, his DNA's sitting right there next to his own. It's an incredible "fuck you."

How large was the audience?

30 people or so but it thinned out fast.

I was having video problems and was unable to gauge audience reaction. What was the response to you exposing yourself, removing a pocket knife, and the act of cutting? OR, were you even aware of it?

People were curious, kind of readying themselves, making small talk. Then when I started to rip out some of my beard and place it in to the wall they seemed to get that this was going to be something bloody. After the first cut, there were two responses, leaving the room or whipping out the cell-camera. You hear an ex of mine slip an "ohmygod" out of her mouth.

I would imagine this act required some psyching-up; what prepared you?

A friend said, "how'd you get the balls to cut your dick off?" Since I was going to the hospital right after I couldn't get wasted and I couldn't take vicodin or oxycotin or even smoke. If I'd come in to GW messed up I would've spent the night in the psych ward. Pulling the hair and the skin off my face helped get my adrenalin up, though.

Why a pocket knife? Why not something more medical, or kitchen-oriented?

This was a Swiss army knife that was given to me by my brother-in-law. It's only significance to the piece was that it was sharp. When people ask why I used a "dull, rusty knife" I say it took 5 cuts because it was a really sharp knife, not a dull one.

Looking at the Thinking About Art Interview from last year, you cited Jason Gubbiotti as an influence. And food. I'm going to admit I am having trouble seeing a connection in your (current) work. How is he an influence?

Food makes you go, it's the only thing you get to utterly chemically transform. It's a wonder that you masticate and acid bathe something and get to move, think and have sex because of a bowl of Chex and 1% milk. Every gesture in art is because you've got a calorie to spend.

Gubbiotti's altered canvasses, which aren't as big a deal for him now, are what I was referring too. He's got these gigantic color spaces, very placid, and then they just get completely shorn off by this violent jutting and curving wood. His paint reaches the edge of the canvas the way you might encounter the edge of the earth in some pre-Eratosthenes view of the world.

How's your dick? or have you seen a doctor since the act?

My cock is 100% thanks to Erin Krill, on-call urologist extraordinaire.

Ice Stories

To create her Ice Stories, artist Lisa Sheirer takes photographs of natural landscapes through ice coated windows, and then manipulates them to create abstracted compositions, which then she prints with archival ink onto watercolor paper.

The opening reception for her solo exhibition at Hillyer Art Space in DC is Friday, September 7th, from 6 pm to 8 pm and the exhibition goes through October 25, 2007.

The Fells Point First Friday

Try saying that fast!

This Friday, September 7th is Fells Point’s First Friday Art Walk event in Baltimore.

Don’t miss your last chance to meet the various artists featured in "Moving Beyond Craft: Artists of the Washington Glass School." The exhibition will be on display through Saturday, September 8th at the Patricia Touchet Gallery.

Civilian on Friday

DC's Civilian Art Projects opens its Fall season this coming Friday with the opening of Noelle Tan's solo "from here to the Salton Sea," and and Erick Jackson's "Vlad's Crib." From 7-9PM and the exhibition goes through Oct. 20, 2007.

The Last ArtRomp

ArtRomp XX - the Grand Finale - opens this Friday at the soon-to-close/move Warehouse Gallery in DC. Opening party is 6pm til late. This last show includes work by all the artists who have exhibited in past ArtRomps over the years. Through Sept. 30, 2007.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Smaller and Smaller

As I've noted before, lately I've been drawing in a very small scale - and I showed you this drawing ("A Rabbi, slightly upset because he's just been told that his glasses are very trendy these days").

Below is "Eyes of John Fitzgerald Kennedy," which is is about half an inch high by one inch long.
Eyes of JFK by Campello


"Eyes of John Fitzgerald Kennedy"
Charcoal on Paper, c. 2007 (0.5" x 1")
F. Lennox Campello

It was picked up last weekend by a private collector who was visiting my studio.

New Gallery Opens this Friday

Oerth Gallery, located at 420 S. Washington Street in Old Town Alexandria and owned by sisters Lorraine Oerth Kirstein and Linda Oerth Musselman, has its grand opening this coming Friday from 7-9PM with works by Ross Merrill. Merrill is a popular DC area art teacher, and conducts workshops throughout the United States. He also works as a Conservator at The National Gallery. The paintings will be on display from September 7 to October 28, 2007.

Oerth Gallery
The gallery includes a first floor crafts gallery, a second floor fine arts gallery and a pottery studio. The building itself is an important historic property in Old Town, because it is the only freestanding Victorian building of its kind in Old Town.

Artists interested in portfolio reviews should contact Linda Musselman at 703-836-3784.

DC Gallery Moves

Leigh Conner and Jamie Smith have announced the purchase of 1358-1360 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC as the new location for Conner Contemporary Art and *gogo art projects.

The property, a former auto body shop, is a 12,000 sq. ft. complex with two interior levels as well as an enclosed outdoor area for the exhibition of large-scale sculpture, video projections and installations. Conner Contemporary Art and *gogo art projects will occupy the 6500 sq. ft. ground floor space featuring two exhibition areas and a permanent video/sound room. The 4300 sq. ft. second-floor space is currently being developed.

New Conner location
During the renovation work this fall season, they will be open by appointment Monday through Friday 10am-6pm, while concentrating on participating in art fairs (Pulse London: October 11-14, 2007 and Pulse Miami: December 5-9, 2007).

The new gallery is accessible from the New York Avenue and Union Station Metro stations. On-site parking will be available by reservation and complimentary shuttle service will be provided from Union Station during certain hours.

Monday, September 03, 2007

$100M

Diamond Skull

"Damien Hirst, the U.K.'s wealthiest artist, is selling his diamond skull to an investment group for $100 million, said Frank Dunphy, Hirst's business manager.

The platinum skull, studded with 8,601 diamonds, has been on the market at least since June 3, when it went on show at London's White Cube gallery.

Dunphy, reached by telephone, said the price hadn't been discounted and would be paid in cash, though he wouldn't say over what period, or identify the investment group."
Read the story by Bloomberg's Linda Sandler here. By the way, I think that the title of the "U.K's wealthiest artist" does not belong to Damien Hirst, but to Scottish bad boy painter and worldwide king in the world of posters Jack Vettriano, but I could be wrong.

Scotland is planning to "devolve" from the British union and regain its independence one of these days, but so far, as far as I know, they are still part of the U.K.