Kostabi Documentary

His career collapsed after the art market went bust in 1990; in 1993 his publicist and close friend, Andrew Behrman, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud after selling fake paintings bearing Mr. Kostabi’s signature. That incident raises an intriguing question: What is the difference between an original and a forgery, if the original wasn’t executed by the artist whose name was signed to the canvas but by a crew of factory workers? Mr. Kostabi had already placed ads selling “original forgeries by the world’s greatest con artist.”

Read the NYT's review of the new documentary on Mark Kostabi here.

Getting ready for Miami

In the last day and a half I finished, matted and framed four large drawings for the Miami art fairs this coming December. The big ones go to Mayer Fine Art. Last year I sold about six or seven of these in Miami through MFA.

Then I gotta check on the status and maybe do some new ones of the tiny drawings that I love to do (one to three inches in size) and that seem to sell so well at the art fairs, and send a whole bunch of them to Projects Gallery.

Both these hardworking galleries will be in Miami for the art fairs. If you want some free passes to some of the fairs, drop me an email.

I noticed that the number of DMV galleries doing the Miami art fairs have decreased substantially this year, while the number of DMV non-profits are realizing what commercial galleries have known for years: you got to do the art fairs if you want to move artwork, be noticed by curators and museums and do a lot of hard work on behalf of artists.

Heard on Univision

While watching the red carpet pre-show to the Latin Grammys, the guy who is the master of ceremonies (I think his name is Eugenio Derbez... this guy) confesses to interviewer Raul from El Gordo y La Flaca that one of his jokes about the Arizona law had been censured from the show.

El Gordo insisted on hearing the joke; he stated that this was the preview to the show, and thus it would be OK.

MC dude says: "You know, that new Arizona law against illegal aliens has sent most of them packing away from the state."

El Gordo looks at him.

"So they all went back to where they came from... L.A."

El Gordo says, "hurry, the show is about to start!"

Thank you!


To all US veterans, both those who have served and those who are serving in all corners of the planet while we're home with our families. A well-deserved thank you to all the soldiers, sailors, airmen/women, Marines and Coasties.

Below is Petty Officer Third Class Lenny Campello back in 1975!


And then Lieutenant Commander Lenny Campello back in 1992!

Gopnik on FotoWeek awards

The WaPo's chief art critic, Blake Gopnik, succumbs once again to the art critic's maxim: "it's gotta be 'new' to be good":

Overall, the FotoWeek awards are a terrible disappointment. You've seen almost all their pictures many times before, in almost any publication you could name. The shot by Ansett, a commercial photographer from England, is one of the few that demands, and repays, closer looking.

Read his take on an excellent Richard Ansett photo which is part of the FotoWeek DC International Awards, now on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

I understand and to a point agree with Blake when he tells us that we have "seen almost all their pictures many times before, in almost any publication you could name." I figure that by now I've been looking at artwork seriously for around 30-35 years. In that time both Blake and I have seen our share of gorgeous landscapes, multi-colored leaves in a stream, that same stream shot so that the water is frozen in one instant of time, or caught over many minutes of time; breath-taking sunsets and sunrises; close-ups ad nauseam of architectural details (perhaps ad infinitum actually) and parts of the body; the body itself in a million interpretations, etc.

But, unlike Blake, I never seem to grow tired of a really good take on the human nude, or an exceptional take on the landscape, or an intelligent view of something tried many times over (such as this brilliant photo by Marissa Long).

And while we agree on some really exceptional takes, such as Richard Ansett's photo or the even better photo by Jenny Yang, we also disagree violently on what I call "Seinfeldism" or essentially, photography about nothing, such as this yawning snap by Raul Flores. It's a snap of nothing that means nothing, records nothing and whose main contribution to modern photography is nothingness.

But then again, I sort of "read" Gopnik as more of a Seinfeldian (at least when it comes to photography), and it is fun to see when we do come together on art and when he (and/or the art he likes) leaves me yawning.

But I do like and applaud his exploration of FotoWeek DC. Go Blake!

Carlin Quotes

"The future will soon be a thing of the past."

- George Carlin

Residencies at Arlington Arts Center

AAC is pleased to announce the availability of seven studios in its Resident Artist Program,

Part of AAC's mission is to provide subsidized studio space for emerging artists in the DC metropolitan area; two-year leases may be renewed, but cannot exceed 6 years. The terms for eight Resident Artists have come to an end. We regret having to say goodbye to them, but we are excited to welcome new artists to the AAC community.

Anne Goodyear will head the review panel.

After applications are submitted-the deadline is December 3-they are reviewed by a distinguished panel of arts professionals. Ms. Goodyear is Curator of Prints and Drawings at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. Notification will be by December 13.

To apply: Vist AAC's website and Studios page where you can learn more about the program and download the Description and Application forms.