Jaw. Drop Theyself.

I wasn't familiar with Nicola Tyson before Saturday so her show at Friedrich Petzel took me by surprise. I had trouble leaving the buiding. I tried once, but didn't make it past the front desk before I turned about to take another walkthrough. I was able to finally tear myself away, but after seeing a few more galleries I had to go in one more time. My jaw could not have been more familiar with the floor. I'm betting that this will be one of the best painting shows I see all year. Not to be missed.

Ike Is Hot.

The David Humphrey and Jeff Gauntt show at Sikemma Jenkins & Co. kills. Serious wonderment, kids. Thoroughly enjoyed the Gauntt, but the Humphrey is what really put a hurtin' on me.

This first one is especially unfair. I think that those critters might actually be alive or something.

David Humphrey

Project Yourself.

Just received the latest issue of The Sound Projector from Aquarius Records in San Francisco. The Sound Projector's focus is on music and sound art that is way off the beaten path. Actually, it's about work that's not even on the path off the beaten one. In the middle of all the reviews of porch light sound recordings and features on such hitmakers as Shadowbug 4 and the Climax Golden Twins (Two personal faves of mine. Seriously.) might be a long article dissecting the symbology of Blue Oyster Cult's early album covers and songs. Even better though--in a totally Dada move--they sometimes have a short section where they do straightforward reviews of the latest records by Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, and Jojo. Too much.

It bums me down that I can't buy this bit of wonder in the city. It seems like something that Other Music (for the music and sound art) or Printed Matter (for the sound art and the folk illustrations) would be carrying.

How spoiled am I?

Seriously, anybody interested in the odd and the lovely should buy The Sound Projector regularly. Ed Pinsent is the publisher, editor, writer, illustrator, designer, and a number of other invisible things. There are other people involved in the art and the writing, but Pinsent is the main man. The following illustrations are all his, with color he added after the fact. The color scheme of the 'zine is just red, black, and white. I couldn't find the really zany obsessive stuff online, but this'll do.

Propeller Head

Masonna

Sexual Ironist

This Heat

Yabby You

Merzbow

No Space Between.

A special treat for Krixfort. Pics from Robert Schatz's opening at Cedar Crest College in Allentown. My goodness. Actually, his goodness. Our pleasure.
Acrylic on music paper.






Photos taken by William Strzempek

2005 Top Ten

The Fall Fall Heads Roll
Drunken master.

Sorry.

I'm tired of looking at Britney. Here's something much better to look at from my visit to MoMA this Sunday. The Wojnarowicz hanging in Take Two. Worlds and Views: Contemporary Art from the Collection . A good example of why I became such a fan of his this year. One of the highlights of my art year was seeing his Magic Box
during a tour of the Fales Library Collection.

Warhol: The Verb.

This was too good not to post. Nightline did a piece on Pharrell tonight. Chris Connelly asked him about his production work on Britney's I'm a Slave 4 U and Pharrell said, "I warholled it. It was still Britney. I just added colors to it." Brilliant.

If I Had A Hammer.

Warhol all redded out in Take Two. Worlds and Views: Contemporary Art from the Collection at MoMA.

Some Excellent News From My Favorite Gallery I've Never Actually Visited

Received an email from Hanna at Little Cakes Little Gallery yesterday. They will be reopening in the Fall. Congrats to Hanna and David. I'm sure that this is going to mean a lot of hard work for them, but on a totally selfish note this will lead to much fun for the rest of us. Here's a link to a very nice article on Little Cakes in the new ANP Quarterly.

God Bless Andy. God Bless The Mud Puppies.

Just came across this item on Artnet. I'm especially happy about the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum . . .

ARTS GRANTS FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS
In response to the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts has approved grants totaling $750,000 for artists and visual arts organizations in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Recipients are the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans ($100,000), the KAT fund for visual artists at the Contemporary Art Museum, Houstonn ($100,000), the Craft Emergency Fund ($50,000), the Louisiana Cultural Foundation ($100,000), the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council studio and stipend program for 14 artists displaced by the storms ($50,000), the Mississippi Arts Council ($50,000), the New Orleans Museum of Art ($200,000) and the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum in Biloxi (in honor of the late David Whitney) ($100,000). The funds for the New Orleans CAC and the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum are to rehire staff, and the grant to the New Orleans Museum is to rehire staff and for 2006 programming featuring New Orleans artists.

2005 Top Ten

Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier, Red Hook
One of the most peaceful spots in the city, especially on a very surreal Monday afternoon. Simple as that. And a great view to boot. (And as a bonus, Baked is on the way there.)

Elizabeth Murray at MoMA
I didn't like this show, but it led to some of the best conversations about art that I had all year. That was especially true with the female painters I talked to who were introduced to Murray's work when they were in school. Credit where it's due, y'all.

Milan Kundera Life Is Elsewhere
Excellent abuse of the novel's form. Big ups to Yael for the tip!

Jeremy Blake Sodium Fox at Feigen Contemporary
Could this guy stop kicking my ass? I hope not. Paintings that move. An exploration of violence and sex in American culture that actually means something. Imagine that.

Robert Bordo at Alexander & Bonin
I didn't get this show at all at first. I mean, like, AT ALL. I was astonished by it's existence. (Here's proof.) However, every painter I talked to loved the show so I went back for a second look. I took my time. Still, nothing. Nada. Zippy Le Donut. A couple weeks after that I went to Feigen to see Jeremy Blake's Sodium Fox. For reasons I can't explain I thought I'd give the Bordo one more shot on the way home. And there it was. It all just sort of opened up before me. Or better yet, it opened in. Easily one of my favorite shows of the year. I love the fact that I have no idea how he does what he does. How he finally pulled me in and wouldn't let go. But that's ok. I love that things can shift like that. As abstract as it was straight forward.

Robert Schatz

I like these. I really like these. I especially love the fact that they were done on music paper. Check it.

Top: Paesaggio Nr. 13; Bottom: Paesaggio Nr. 42; both acrylic on music paper, 17 x 22"

Two New Posts at Creative Time.

One on the latest 59th Minute by Aida Ruilova in Times Square.

And another one on the wonderful Calder I came across at the Pittsburgh Airport over the holidays.

2005 Top Ten

Basquiat at the Brooklyn Museum of Art
I found the phrase "Heart As Arena" at this retrospective. I went to this show three times and probably walked through about 8 times. Early period, late period, whatever. It all killed. One of my favorite pieces was the mourning piece for Andy. A heartbreaker for sure. That piece. The show. Everything.

Candice Breitz at Sonnabend
I never laughed so hard in a gallery in Chelsea on a Saturday afternoon. It was the first time I've ever seen dancing break out in a gallery without a DJ. But that's not why this show kicked so hard. Breitz got to the heart of pop by displaying so clearly how great pop works it's way into us. Sure, a pop song is one of the purest forms of corruption, but that don't mean it ain't genius.

Richard Pettibone at the ICA in Philadelphia
What a charmer, this one. It felt like the fragile comfort of that LOW song, Closer, . . . "Hold me closer than that."

Jenny Holzer For The City
I was vaguely familiar with Holzer's work before this. I went to see her projections of recently released government documents regarding the war and torture onto the side of the Bobst Library at NYU. On my way home I was in such a state I forgot to swipe my metrocard and slammed my legs right into the turnstile. Yep. New rule to live by: If art makes you think you can walk through solid objects it's good.

Napalm Death The Code Is Red . . . Long Live The Code
Twenty-five years and these guys are still gettin' it done. Jello Biafra's guest spot on "The Great and the Good" is clutch. Not a note wasted on the entire record. Essential!

Bodies In The Gears Of The Apparatus/Despised Icon split
Whew. One of the Relapse guys turned me onto this. Daaaaaaamn. Grindcore took over my neighborhood with this furious split. Crunchtime for the kiddies. Death-defying. This is the stuff.

I Am (I Am) Superman. And Maria Pia knows what's happening.

Speaking of the Italian Renaissance. Up now at The Painting Center.