The current issue of the Washington City Paper has some really spectacular photographs by one of Washington's best photographers mascarading as a photojournalist: Pilar Vergara.

And still on the same line of thoughts... there's a great photo by someone named Jae Hyun Seok on the front page of the New York Times as part of this article.

The photo shows South Korean troops dismantling a wall of loudspeakers that had been used to broadcast propoganda across the DMZ to North Korea and their mad, Elvis-hairdo'ed leader. The photo brought to mind a striking - antithesis and in-reverse sort of version of the famous Joe Rosenthal photo later immortalized in the USMC War Memorial, which is by the way, one of my favorite memorials in our area.

J.T. Kirkland writes a really good piece about Sally Mann's beautiful show at the Corcoran in Thinking About Art. It is passionate and explosive writing and a refreshing approach to discussing an art show. And if you haven't seen Mann's show - do not miss it!

Call for Artists...

DCAC has a call for artists. The D.C. Arts Center, founded in 1989, is a nonprofit arts space dedicated to promoting the freshest most under-recognized artists in the Washington metropolitan area.

Please send 8-10 slides or a CD of images, along with a resume, artist statement, and a stamped return envelope (for slide return) to:

Karey Kesser, gallery manager
D.C. Arts Center
2438 18th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009

A Visual Arts Commitee made up of selected curators, the gallery manager, and the director of DCAC will work together to review the slides.

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DCAC 13th Annual 1460 Wall Mountables Show
July 16-August 22
Opening Reception: July 16, 7:00pm

1460 Wall Mountables is one of my favorite open art shows in the Washington area and a chance for anyone to exhibit in one of Washington's most respected non profit art spaces!

How does it work? Purchase a 2-foot by 2-foot area in the DCAC gallery and make the best use of it possible by hanging your work, wall sculpture, etc.

The details: Works can be hung on July 14th and 15th from 3:00 to 8:00 and July 16th from 3:00 to 6:00. There are no reservations and spaces are granted on a first come, first serve basis. Anyone who becomes a member will receive three free spaces and up to two more for $5 each.

Current or renewing members receive one free space and up to four more at $5 each. Non-member price is $10 per square, with a maximum of five squares per artists.

Artists must bring all necessary supplies to mount work on wall (i.e. hammers, picture hangers, ect.) Collectors will be on hand to purchase works that are available for sale, and a $100 cash prize will be granted for "Best Use of Space".

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Also...

The Bedrock Bar Seeking Artwork

The Bedrock Bar is a new alternative art space located in the center of DC's pulsating Adam's Morgan neighborhood. In addition to billiards and bar, Bedrock has an exhibit space and is looking for new art to display. If interested, please contact DCAC.

My son Callum gave me this book for Father's Day. Does that kid know his Virgo dad or what!

Jessica Dawson sends a cosa nostra goodbye kiss to Troyer Gallery (which is closing) in today's Galleries column in the Post (halfway through the column).

This is the last paragraph in the review:

"Like much of the work shown at Troyer in recent years, the show is unremarkable. And the same can be said for most all of Troyer's Dupont Circle neighbors. There is a market for the kind of work Troyer, and her colleagues, have sold. Yet Dupont Circle needs more exhibitions that stimulate and advance contemporary art practice. I'm hopeful that Irvine will lead the way."

I have known Jessica Dawson on a professional capacity for several years (ever since she was a freelancer for the Washington City Paper), and I respect her as a writer and as a person. In the past I have both criticized her writing and critical opinions and also applauded it when deserved (in my opinion). This BLOG has ample evidence of both.

At the improbable risk of not ever getting reviewed by her again, let me say that I find it absolutely astounding and depressing that she has used the very little print space that the Washington Post gives for reviewing our area's art galleries to paint "most all of Troyer's Dupont Circle neighbors," with a single negative and undeserved brushstroke.

It is her clear right as a critic to express her opinion about Troyer's last show, and we all know that criticism without teeth is useless.

However.

There are many different art galleries around Dupont Circle. On a month-to-month basis, the more reputable amongst them, manage to present their own individual discourses in the difficult business of offering artwork to the public. And on a month-to-month schedule dealing with the difficult issues of running a type of cultural business in a metropolitan area where the visual fine arts are nowhere near the top of the interest list of any of our area's mainstream media sources, and because of that, our general public. The "chicken and the egg" syndrome is rampant in this last issue; no interest from the media equals no interest (read awareness or knowledge) from the pubic.

Difficult issues that are frustrating and invisible to most people who just "visit" galleries. The goal of a good art gallery is not just to stimulate and advance contemporary art practice. That is an important part of a reputable gallery's business ethic - but it is just a member of a much more difficult and heroic set of goals, which also include paying artists on time and paying the rent, the electricity, the advertising, the catering, etc.

And because most of these galleries are independently owned small businesses, none of them are eligible for grants, which is a proven way for art non-profits to raise financial funds to pay their directors a salary, and also pay their monthly bills, while affording them the luxury of stimulating and advancing contemporary art practice in the eyes of some, without the urgent and delicate balancing act of also trying to sell the work. And that is why a city's cultural tapestry is made up of commercial independent fine arts galleries, non profit art spaces and other alternative art venues such as libraries, restaurants, etc.

But...

The independent fine arts gallery that manages to present art shows that try to advance and stimulate contemporary art practice (and there are many in our area), while at the same time managing to maintain a reputable exhibition program, plus ensuring that the artists get paid (first priority), then the rent, plus all the other expenses, and still survive for a few years, deserves to be recognized as a distinct voice in the cultural tapestry that makes up our area's art scene. Dismissing most of them in one sentence does a huge disservice to that same cultural tapestry.

Slate has a really funny compilation of cartoons inspired by Pres. Clinton's record breaking biography.

Thanks to photographer James W. Bailey for this great tip:

Miss Digital World is the first ever virtual beauty contest, strictly for the most beautiful and intriguing virtual models made using the most advanced 3D graphics tools.

Seeing how Madison Avenue has corrupted our view of what women are supposed to look like (gaunt and with endless legs), it will be interesting to see what "normal" people (although one could make the case that digital geeks are far from normal) come up with to deliver a digital beauty.

You can preview some of the entries here. So far the German entry Erin looks like she can kick anyone's ass.