Short (Busy) Week
I've got a hell of tight week for the next few days, as I am flying North to New England on Sunday afternoon and will be away for the next two weeks on a five city swing.
Bad timing for this trip, as I have some really fierce reasons to be home, but such is destiny.
In addition to my normal workload, because Catriona is in Scotland shooting (photos not deer), this week I have to deinstall the current Bethesda Painting Awards show, which ends tomorrow. The show did surprisingly well, with quite a few sales, especially multiple sales by transplanted New Yorker John Aquilino, who actually has a solo opening this coming Sunday at Strathmore. Then on Thursday I have to install the next Bethesda show, which is our annual Summer Group Show (opening is this coming Friday from 6-9PM).
I also got to prepare everything for the opening by the way...
Somewhere in there I got fit in meeting one of the major art collectors in the area, and give him a tour of Seven, as he's specifically interested in discovering some new work by our area artists, and I also have a deadline for the Crier newspapers, as well as a catalog intro essay deadline for an artist in New Orleans (the artist who won the huge Frida Kahlo exhibit that I juried for Art.com), picking up the fair Catriona from the airport as she returns from Scotland, and then deliver and install a ton of Tim Tate's recent sales.
And yet... one makes time for what's really important.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Close call
I have a "to do" list in my house closely approaching the size of a Stephen King novel, and so on Independence Day I decided to tackle a couple of the most immediate ones.
And thus I climbed the roof(s) to clean the gutters and install a gutter gard so I won't have to do this absolutely gross task every few weeks. Can you already see where this is going?
My house has three separate levels of roofs and five gutter lines, so I need one ladder to climb to the first roof, and a second ladder to reach the second level roof.
At the risk of blowing the ending to this story, let me remind you that I've already fallen off this roof once last year, when I was stung by a wasp and lost my balance and managed to fall and somehow not even get a scratch.
Yesterday, as I finished the top roof, and was climbing down to the lower roof, the ladder slipped, and as it did, my legs went in between the ladder steps as ladder and I rolled down the roof. I was able to stop rolling near the edge of the roof, but my lower legs sandwiched between the ladder steps received an immense pressure blow that really F%$&*@ hurt. I sat on the roof top just inhaling the pain and wondering how close death sometimes whizzes by us on a daily basis. Tonite my shin bones have a couple of blood knots on them the size of half a golf ball. I also managed to scrape the top layer of skin off the palm of my hands.
I've been shot at (twice: once in Brooklyn as a teen and once in Lebanon as a Navy officer); I've been in a helicopter crash at sea near Larnaca, Cyprus; I've capsized in a small boat in the Bay of Naples and a second time off Benidorm, Spain; I've fallen off a moving motorcycle in Monterey, California; I've been in a fight with three guys with knives who tried to mug me in a bathroom in Philadelphia; I've been hit by a car (resulting in an eight month stay at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn); and I've been stung by a scorpion in a bed in Virgin Gorda, BVI.
And yet, it's the little, unexpected things like a slipping ladder, that remind you that life should be enjoyed everyday, lest darkness fall at the most unexpected time.
Kirkland on Seven
Thinking About Art has some really good photos from the Seven opening.
See them here.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Shoot and Sue
Photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia is being sued by subject over a long-distance street shot. Read it here.
And loads of interesting comments on the general subject at Your Future is Used.
Bailey... ehr... being Bailey
Congrats to James W. Bailey, whose photograph Man on a Crutch has been published in the current issue of 3rd Floor Magazine, a terrific art/literary publication out of Baltimore. And below Bailey with a guest piece:
"All Ya’ll Yankees Are Warmly Invited to Come on Down South Anytime and See Ya’ Kin and ‘Kindred Spirits’!"
By James W. Bailey
Well, if there were any doubts, rest assured that American culture is up to its ass in alligators now, according to two recent Washington Post articles, "Upscale Tastes Invade Wal-Mart’s Hometown," and "Durand’s ‘Kindred Spirits’ Debuts at National Gallery."
It seems as though little ole Bentonville, Arkansas, the womb of all commercial things trash de blanc, is shedding its redder than redneck-trailer-park-gigantic-satellite-disc-in-the-front-yard-next-to-the-broke-down-pick-up-truck-on-cinder-blocks flyover state reputation as a shopping paradise for NASCAR worshipping Southern Baptist families with 2.1 children and 3.9 Rottweilers in favor of a more impressionable tourist destination as being the Rodeo Drive of the South that caters to upscale diamond-drenched gold-laced hot-springs-spa-relaxed divinely cultured Southerners whose parrot-head mullet-topped men have jettisoned their Jimmy Buffett “Margaritaville” muscle shirts designed for Budweiser induced pot-bellies and whose pregnant-before-13 women have abandoned their starched buffon hairdos and glued-on painted fingernails of Christ on the Cross for the more elevated continental experiences of dining on foreign owned exotic chain restaurant cuisine, buying pimped-out Confederate-glory-themed painted Hummers and, this is the really funny one, perusing and collecting real art in a gin-u-wine brand new “Painter of Light ™” inspired art gallery district!
And what’s inspiring this radical post-TVA electricity modernized hillbilly make-over of a place in the middle of nowhere named Bentonville, Arkansas? It may be the favorite American artists and art-museum-for-American-artists-only-dream of an Arkansan billionaire woman named Alice Walton.
As we have for generations said in Mississippi: “Thank God for Arkansas!”
A lot of strange, weird and funny things have been known to happen in the incestuous isolated coves of the Ozarks, but nothing is funnier in the pretentious liberal world of New York City ivory tower high art than watching the painfully serious inside art players like Michael Kimmelmann of the New York Times spin in a mesmerized panic when they’re facing a cultural crises that involves the collapse of civilization – the fall of the American high art empire in this case being the chance that some of the meaningless jobs and puffed-up reputations of New York City’s finest art elites may have to be exported across the Mississippi River to the gravel dirt road hinterlands of the Razorback State; and, man, are the Artfanistas spinning like a bunch of psychotic tops now that Alice Walton has “stolen” their precious “Kindred Spirits” from right out under their noses as a seed for future planting in the fertile American museum gumbo moonshine soil of Bentonville.
How in the world did this “travesty” happen?
Well, many of us cutting-edge right wing conservative artists (I know, you’re snickering in a foul mood about that phrase because you didn’t know we existed, right? Well, don’t blame us for your ignorance. Try directing that dismayed anger toward ArtForum, Flash Art and Art in America for keeping you in the dark!) have been arguing for quite some time that the next pivotal art movement in the continued hemorrhaging of the cultural divide in America will be the unstoppable rise of the right wing conservative contemporary artist and their concomitant support through a intricate sympathetic web of mega-rich Republican personalities and conservative foundations far removed from the debauched east coast urban liberal cultural mecca of New York City – and not to gloat and rub it in your face, but with the recent wonderful announcement from the Walton Family Foundation that a treasured piece of American art is going to be moved to the founding hometown of Wal-Mart, we finally get to tell you we told you so!
For far too long right wing conservative artists have been virtually ignored, or worse, violently marginalized, by the postmodern art establishment whose ground zero is in Manhattan. We took our hits and we patiently waited for our moment and we studiously drew our inspiration for future success by watching a lot of reality themed television shows like the “Survivor” and listening to far too much AM talk radio. The right wing political and cultural punditry, as exemplified by such good folk as Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc., showed us the righteous path to our glorious victory by demonstrating an amazing level of skill and success at the mass-media level of entertainment.
These people are funny as hell and they're truly entertaining. The left can ridicule them all they want, but we all know that the left WATCHES and LISTENS to them.
Of course, we were as well - and we were also taking great notes.
But the dirty little secret in the world of leftist high art, however, was that for a very long time nobody was watching or listening to the celebrated corral of the usual suspect leftist artists but leftists; and as far as note taking went, it was mostly confined to the shallow recording the pretensions of the vapid.
Some of us out there in the heartland have been predicting the ascendancy of a group of critically reviewed right wing artists that will literally blow the roof off the art world with some high energy C-5 explosive art and draw Americans by the tens of millions into a new cultural mainstream of right wing avant-garde art.
The future is now and forget about stupid rotting sharks in tanks, people!
The Museum of Modern Art will have to change its name, undertake another capital campaign and maybe increase its size by eighty fold this time to accommodate the wild Daytona Beach-spring-break-party-style crowds that will turn out to see great conservative works of art, such as an installation performance piece jointly sponsored by the NRA (National Rifle Association) and the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) in which Ted Nuggent blows the heads off live wild deer with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver with a laser scope in the Red, White and Blue Gallery of the Neo-Right Wing Conservative Museum of No More Bullshit Postmodern Art for Americans Only!
Although New York City (because it let its liberal arrogance induce its failure to see the bright future of American artists who are registered voting Republicans taking the art world by storm) will continue in its rapid decline as being a hot bed for creative artistic energy, at least the red flyover state of Arkansas got the message about where art in America is destined to head and will soon be rivaling the Left Bank of Paris in the early 20th Century as the place for all real artists to be to be seen, heard and discovered.
Hopefully, the Walton Family Foundation sponsored Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will stimulate the fast-track ascendancy of right wing conservative artists into the mainstream of high art experiences; and, prayerfully, that new movement will quickly force disgruntled burned-out visionless leftist artists into underground caverns located among those mysterious coves of the Ozarks where they and their incestuous sycophant postmodern cheerleaders will be compelled to rethink their projects and approaches – similar to what’s happening at the political level in this country right now with the Democratic party.
Eventually, these left wing artists and their obliging art philosophers might return to the real world with a new energy and commitment to engaging a wider spectrum of thought and to delivering it to an earned audience that doesn’t jump up and down in masturbatory celebration of every dumb thing they create – but, honestly, I wouldn’t hold my breath too long hoping for that to happen because the peculiar disease of postmodern leftism in contemporary American art is a terminal condition that devours the minds of its deconstructed creators, as well as ravages the pretentious pedantic thoughts of its hyper-ventilating critical promoters, reductive therapy obsessed approving critics and Xanax zoned-out head-bobbing spiritually zapped ritually depressed fans.
But in the meantime, as a rock solid born-again hard-core right wing conservative artist from Mississippi who’s been empowered by the Holy Spirit to see the aesthetic future light of America, and who’s also extremely jealous and somewhat begrudgingly proud of this aggressive aesthetic action by my déclassé Arkansas brothers and sisters in Christ, I want to let all ya’ll Yankees in New York City know that you’re warmly invited to come on down South anytime to see your kin and “Kindred Spirits”. I’ll have my kin folk in Arkansas leave the front porch light on for you in case you get into town late.
"How ya’ll been doin’, darlin’? Welcome to Wal-Mart’s Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art! Ya’ll don’t forget now to stop by our two-hundred thousand square foot gift shop on the way out."
"‘Mam, we’ve runnin’ a three for one special on ‘Kindred Spirit’ Martex bath towels that ends today! And sir, the Automotive Department of the gift shop just got in yesterday some of those brand new NASCAR Thomas Hart Benton signature series seat covers for the Ford F-350. And ya’ll are especially blessed to be with us this mornin’ ‘cause in just thirty minutes the Reverend Jerry Falwell, one of America’s leading Christian art critics, will be presentin’ a lecture in the St. Ronald Reagan Conference Room #1 entitled, 'Modern Art Paintings That Jesus Would Hate and the Devil Would Love'."
"And please remember in the South we usually close down early in the evening during week days and we’re open till 6:00 pm on Saturdays, so plan your trip accordingly; of course, we’re closed all day on the Lord’s Day, except for Wal-Mart."
James W. Bailey
Experimental Photographer
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Early Seven Reports
Tracy Lee reports on Seven here.
And Alexandra Silverthorne has some Seven favorites.
And Amy Watson has some early observations here.
New Art Blog
Amy Watson has a new DC-based art Blog: The Artery.
Welcome to tbe Blogsphere and please visit The Artery often!
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Art Walk
Where: Located between New York Avenue and H Street, NW at the former Convention Center Site.
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is seeking 14 artists to take part in a thought provoking giant outdoor exhibit entitled Metamorphosis.
The goals of the Exhibit is to bring together 14 diverse individuals to create an unusual and stimulating exhibit that will draw the attention of residents and visitors to this new venue. This is part of the Arts Commission's new downtown public art initiative with the Washington Convention Center to develop an Art Walk for the former Convention Center site, through the DC Creates Public Art Program.
The debut exhibit will showcase the work of 14 artists with visual imagery created around the theme Metamorphosis. This can include but is not limited to artists who work with mixed media, 2-D, fiber, sculpture, glass, light, the written word, etc., and other materials and techniques, which can create texture and depth when transferred into a digital print. The artwork can be color or black & white. The artist's interpretation of the word Metamorphosis is the premise of the exhibition.
Landscape architects Rhodeside & Harwell, Incorporated and the engineering company of David Volkert & Associates have developed a pedestrian friendly parking facility design, which will transform the former Convention Center site into a fashionable place to park. The design incorporates large trees, colorful recycled glass, eco-friendly materials and an Art Walk, which features 14 display units each stretching 24 ft wide x 6'6" ft tall. Integrated lighting features will illuminate the work at night. The Art Walk will be located between New York Avenue and H Streets, NW creating a venue to showcase two and three-dimensional works of art and over the course of three years.
SELECTION PROCESS: A panel representing diverse interests and expertise will review your original digital image proposed and will recommend 14 artists to form the nucleus of the exhibition. The 14 selected images will be printed on to the exhibit panel size measuring 24 ft long x 6'6' high. The images must have the resolution capacity to be enlarged to that size.
Alexandra J MacMaster
Public Art Program Manager
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
410 8th Street, NW 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20016
Direct (202) 724-5617
Fax (202) 727-4135
TDD (202) 727-3148
Non representational opportunity
If you are a non-representational, abstract or minimalist artist, read this.
Opportunity for Photographers
Deadline July 15, 2005.
W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography.
An annual grant of $30,000 is awarded to a photographer whose work follows the tradition of W. Eugene Smith's work as a photographic essayist. Contact:
W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund
c/o International Center of Photography
1133 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
Opportunity for Artists
Deadline July 11, 2005
All visual artists in the U.S. and abroad working in all media are invited to submit to Role Play: The Definition of Self in Society. Artists are encouraged to think broadly in responding to the theme.
The juror is my good friend JW Mahoney, who is an independent curator and Corresponding Editor for Art in America.
Cash awards up to $650. Submission fee: $25 for images of 3 works (slides or JPEG).
For prospectus, e-mail: targetgallery@torpedofactory.org or send SASE to:
Target Gallery
105 North Union Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703/838-4565.
Bethesda Artist Market Returns
Next Sunday, July 10, from 10am-5pm, the Bethesda Artist Market returns to Bethesda Place Plaza, 7700 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda (one block from the Bethesda Metro stop). The event features artwork and fine crafts for sale by nearly 30 regional and local artists working in painting, photography, jewelry, turned wood, blown glass, metalwork and mixed media.
Details here.
Opportunity for Artists
The Maryland State Arts Council's Individual Artist Awards Program is now administered by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. The deadline for applications is July 28. For an application, visit www.midatlanticarts.org or e-mail/call Rebecca Scollan at Rebecca@midatlanticarts.org (or call her at 410-539-6656 ext. 101).
Funding Opportunity
The Carl M.Freeman Foundation launches third Annual Major Grants Cycle.
The Carl M. Freeman Foundation (CMFF) has announced its third annual cycle of major grants; a minimum of $250,000 will be awarded. For the first time, the Foundation has created a $100,000 "Opportunity Grant" to help a past beneficiary expand its work in a significant way with a one-time gift.
In addition, all non-profit groups are eligible for other Major Grants awards. For this program, organizations should submit a simple, two-page preliminary application for the Foundation's consideration by August 1st at 5 p.m. The Board of Trustees will review the preliminary applications and request full applications from semi-finalists in September. Grant recipients will be announced in December. Non-profit organizations interested in applying for grants will find guidelines, deadlines, and the applications online at www.freemanfoundation.org. CMFF donates over one million dollars each year, primarily in Montgomery County, MD and Sussex County, DE.
Withdrawn
As posted here, on June 28, Sen. Tom Coburn withdrew from consideration his floor amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill which would have cut FY 2006 funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) by $5 million each.
It became clear to Sen. Coburn that his amendment had little support for passage, in large part because of the outcry from thousands of art advocates. Assuming the Senate passes its version of the bill, as is expected, both houses will then convene a conference committee the week of July 11 to craft a final bill, reconciling any differences between their separate versions.
DC Art News favors the House version, because it contains a higher funding level for the NEA, and also because it would fully fund the NEA's Challenge America program, which primarily supports arts programs in underserved areas. Therefore, we encourage you to contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to support the House-approved level of $131.3 million, including full funding for Challenge America, during the House-Senate conference.
Contact your elected representatives here.
Breedloves... and Seven opening photos
Those of you who attended the huge opening of Seven last Thursday at the Warehouse, know that one of the highlights of the opening was the magnificent voice of Hisham Breedlove, who delighted the crowd with not only his painted body, but also with his magnificent voice.
Hisham walked around the seven galleries that make up the show, singing a variety of opera solos; and he was spectacular!
Adrienne Mills recorded the Breedlove's transformation in this series of photographs from the opening of Seven. See them here.
More photos from the opening below (all courtesy Adrienne Mills):
Friday, July 01, 2005
Blogger in the news
Canadian art blogger Chris Zeke makes news in his hometown with an interesting (and funny) profile in the Montreal Mirror.
