Robin Tierney's Artomatic picks

Robin Tierney is a freelance writer and art critic who writes for a lot of different magazines, newspapers and online outlets, including this one. She responds to my call for AOM favorites and sends the below report, which once again proves that my Billy Artsy critic caricature is imperfect to say the least!

10 works that I enjoyed at Artomatic by artists I’ve never written about before:

* Edward Hahn’s photographs of a wrecked sailing vessel in Oregon, eroded moorings in Ocean City and other images in the series “The Planet Fights Back.”

* Tracey Clarke’s oil painting of The Guide with her telling of new mythology.

* Johanna Mueller’s intricate prints of animals in mythical and mysterious settings that suggests really good fables and dreams.

* Pam Barton’s “I thought you loved me” metal art in her motif jewelry display.

* Lisa Schumaier’s raku-fired, papier mache, mixed media sculpted beings. Eerie and wondrous stories there.

* Deb Jansen’s fiber Homewrecker Dolls $100 per skank accompanied by Catharisis & Karma open letter. Ouch. Oooh. Fury, the great motivator.

* Jenny Walton’s big monotypes that seem to visually articulate some deep thought. Or maybe just random ones. In any case, she snagged a Pyramid Atlantic residency.

* Nabila Isa-Odidi’s acrylic of the little girl in “Yellow Dress.”

* David Alfuth’s funny surreal cut-paper stories. Go on be snarky...some folks like reality TV; I like things that tell stories.

* Noisebots by Elliot Williams. Artful, amusing science projects/audio sculptures. Photocells respond to light. Did you move the mic around? Flip the switch? Go back and check ‘em out. Nice view of the new stadium from there too.

And while not exactly enjoyable, Antomatic by Rebecca and Eric Gordon calls attention to the plight of the bumble bee. The world is losing the bees pollinate the crops that feed us. This easy-to-miss multimedia installation prompts thought. A good addition to the sensory arcade that makes Artomatic worth multiple visits. Go.

Less bucks?

Journalists like to think of their work in moral or even sacred terms. With each new layoff or paper closing, they tell themselves that no business model could adequately compensate the holy work of enriching democratic society, speaking truth to power, and comforting the afflicted.

Actually, journalists deserve low pay.

Wages are compensation for value creation. And journalists simply aren't creating much value these days.

Until they come to grips with that issue, no amount of blogging, twittering, or micropayments is going to solve their failing business models.

Read the CSM article here.

Opportunities for Publication panel

This weekend I'll be participating in a closed discussion panel titled "Opportunities for Publication" as part of the 2009 International Arts Journalism Institute in the Visual Arts, a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. State Department and hosted by American University.

The panel is moderated by Michael Wilkerson, who is the Director, Program in Arts Management at American University.

The other two panelists are András Szántó, one of the founding members of Art World Salon and the one and only Culturegrrl, Lee Rosenbaum.

TV on AOM

DC's Channel 8 does a piece on Artomatic:

Gopnik on the Venice Biennale

As always, the Biennale is certain to set out plenty of junk. And a handful of gems.

Sounds a lot like Artomatic, doesn't it? Anyway, read this really excellent article by the Washington Post's Chief Art Critic here.

Break a leg!

Put on your poodle skirt, bellbottoms, hot pants, miniskirt, or granny dress. Just don't miss my baby daughter Elise Campello in "Sixties Chicks," a musical celebration of the women who reflected and influenced a decade of transformation through the power of rock'n'roll.

Opening night is tonight and it is sold out! Details here.

That's Elise to the left, with Melissa Fleming in the background.

Pat Goslee's Top 20

DC artist Pat Goslee responds to my call for Top 10 Artomatic artists and she sends a list of 20 artists who interest her and about whom she never heard of before and discovered at AOM:

Christin Boggs

Rachel Thern

Megan Van Wagoner -- damn fine installation, fine fine artist, fine fine designer.

David D'Orio - (Executive Director of DC Glass Works) I had never heard of him before.

m. gert barkovic

Michelle Soy Sauce Chin

Richard J Bailey - my favorite installation that I can't capture with my camera so y'all just have to go back and experience it for yourself if you missed this

Alex Goldschmidt - lots of bargains @ $25

Megan Rall - lushishly liminal

Lizbeth Kaufman

Matty Burns (Hickling) Danny: The Astronaut Deer

Shawn Behling -- all pieces cost no more than the equivalent of minimum wage for time spent on the piece.

Susan Chapin

Christian Tribastone

Jessica Van Brakle

PRANG

Corwin Levi

Sean Welker

Yelena Rodina

Kate Foley -- she really did a nice job with a unique display system for her photographs

Meinir Wyn Jones (Sunderland UK artist)


By Lizbeth Kaufman; she says:

The work I am exhibiting at Artomatic are photographs I've taken over the past year and a half. Originally the photographs had nothing to do with each other. But as I arranged them for this show I realized that they come together into some kind of evidence, like snapshots from the scene of a crime.

I grew up in New York City, and I graduated from Yale University in 2008 where I studied Chinese and Photography. I now live and work in Washington DC.

Too bad Lizbeth Kaufman doesnt seem to have a website; she uses a 4x5 view camera... strange and beautiful takes. That is what struck me -- these disparate images were weird, part of some unknown whole.

- Pat