Photo: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
I was happy to see Mike and Doug Starn on the front page of the Times online edition today. Randy Kennedy paid their studio a visit. Don't miss the slideshow either. Here's some pics from Creative Time's studio visit with the Starns the other month.
If you've been visiting Heart As Arena for any length of time you know that I've a real affection for their work. I think that people mistakenly try to dismiss them almost as payback for being hot in the late 80's. It's about the work, and the work kicks ass. The Starn brothers constantly find new ways to address impermenance. Plus it's jaw-droppingly beautiful. Smart and beautiful. (Hey! It's like the Geena Davis of the art world.) What's not to like?
I came to their work late (Par for the course.) through knowing Mike's wife. Luckily, I came to it just in time for their show of old and new work at Castelli a couple years ago. Now there's some irony. Their work: it's always new. Something might have been taken away from the object by decay, but that only means that something has been added to the art. It's always becoming more complete as it fades forward. Oh, I like that.
And this, and this from their excellent show at Wood Street in Pittsburgh last summer.
3 comments:
As you know, I loved the Starns back in the day. And I'm mystified by them now. Tell me BB, what had they been doing for the 15-ish years between then and now?
And look how patient they are in the last image of the NYT slide show. "Yes, we're twins. Yes, we're identical. Let's hope they don't end this piece by leaving the readers with this image of us that may eclipse what they've just seen/thought about our work. Sigh."
Some day, I hope to see a documentary on just what it looks like to watch them working. How they talk through a concept or a process. Now THAT would be so much more interesting than their parfectly matching profiles. Perhaps the Proclaimers could do the soundtrack.
Unrelated to the actual content of this post: I love Brent!
Well, HELLO there.
Yeah, GG. Just, well, Yeah, GG. Sigh. Mad insight, yo. Based on the little bit of time I spent in their studio during the CT visit a documentary would be brilliant. Totally fascinating to see them think together, imagine the working.
Z! Totally related to your unrelated your related post . . .
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