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Category: 2010s

The Physical Impossibility of Spots in the Mind of Someone Living to View Them

The Physical Impossibility of Spots in the Mind of Someone Living to View Them

Published January 29, 2012

I’m going to ignore the current drama around the personalities and macro economics of the current Damien Hirst exhibitions currently on display at Gagosian. Instead I’m going to focus on the work itself, I know it’s an odd choice for an art review.

Anytime you develop a show (even a show in a single gallery space) there are going to be great artworks and lesser artworks. The shows at the two downtown Gagosians don’t change this fact in the least. When these paintings work they are impressive and when they don’t, it’s equally unimpressive. And unfortunately a few of the stinkers are the biggest (size-wise) of the show.

What I find working for me is the optical nature of these works as well as the conceptual nature of the works. The titling of these images after chemicals, more precisely pharmaceuticals, works to bring these images full circle. The more successful of these images are the more densely built images offering a more rewarding viewing experience via the visual push pull of the image. Thes owe as much to Hans Hoffman as they do with the artist who is most often referenced in relation to Hirst; Warhol. In fact these more engaging works pull and push your eyes leaving you a bit disoriented. These images with titles like, LSD and Prochlorperazine push and pull as much with the titles of the work as they do the viewer (LSD being a Psychotropic while Prochlorperazine is a Neuroleptic).

The lesser paintings are the ones that seem to pare themselves down by fewer spots and larger surfaces, these paintings in particular are almost a pistache of the other paintings. They often seem to be about the artist rather than the image – and this is the fine line that Hirst is forced to walk with his work. It is when this line is crossed the work fails, usually impressively so.

Endnote: A number of people have spoken of the rules of the spot paintings – everything is to be a certain distance apart, colors never duplicated, etc. I have found evidence in just one of the galleries at Gagosian to pretty much determine all of these rules are wrong. They do however expand the hype around the images in some strange way.

Image: Detail of Zirconyl Chloride, 2008 Household gloss on canvas 84 inches diameter  (213.4 cm)

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The "Hirst" Problem

The "Hirst" Problem

Published January 19, 2012

For part of the morning I’ve been participating in a conversation facilitated by Matthew Collings facebook page about Damian Hirst and the critical thought (or should I say lack of critical thought) around the current show by Damian Hirst at every Gagosian Gallery worldwide. It’s an audacious thing – to have a show in 11 galleries around the world at once, it is even more so to have 11 shows worldwide showing only one type of artwork from one artist. And, to be frank about it, there are very few artists that would be able to hold up to the spotlight and criticisms that would come from such an event.

The initial comment was about the tone of criticism and it’s lack of analysis toward the work. I think many of the reviewers tend to write for the “front of the house” that is, the audience that follows art more aggressively than others. This may account for the lack of analysis of the work. In a way saying “Hirst” is almost like saying “Warhol”, by the time you are done with that one word, most people have a decision in place about the work before encountering the work. Clearly the name is a highly loaded word. However it is only loaded in the speaker and listeners mind and is neither contextualized nor visualized.

I agree with the initial comment about criticism without analysis. I think it’s a serious problem. Right now, the art community is finding the critic only useful to use as a sales tool. It seems that we have been willing to get rid of critical thought for a voice that supports the cost (not value) of the art made today.

When we breakdown the highest levels of the “art world” there are really four major groups of people; artists, dealers, viewers, and critics. Are we really ready to cut out one fourth of our community?

As for Hirst – the personality (or perceived personality) is so big it’s hard to get it away from the art. I find the spot paintings interesting, in a way they are like an episode of Seinfeld – all the concepts and loose ends are tied up and presented as a whole. It seems the biggest complaint is that Hirst has been successful with his artwork. I don’t blame Hirst for making money with his art, I am however bored by the conversation about his wealth when it comes to his work, it’s a valueless canard.

“DAMIEN HIRST: The Complete Spot Paintings  1986–2011″
 Installation view, Photo by Rob McKeever

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The annual art book holiday list

The annual art book holiday list

Published December 14, 2011

Those of you who still bother to read this blog know a nit about me, one of the more obvious things is my “Book Problem”. A recent move has manifested this issue in my life in a far more imposing way – I’m actually contemplating another trip to Ikea. I know many of you have no problem with this and often see it as an entertaining way to spend the day (I do too), However I really do not want anymore largish furniture in my home which of course makes this post a little bit bittersweet.

Koudelka: Gypsies (Aperture Press)
This is a reprint of the long out of print book that initially brought Kouldeka international recognition. I’ll admit I still prefer his work of the 68 Communist uprising better, but this is a beautifully nuanced set of images from one of the last great Magnum photographers.

Christian Marclay Cyanotypes (JRP|Ringier Books)
Cyanotypes is a collection of six distinct series produced by Marclay. For the most part they revolve around images created from cassette. The use of Cyanotype in relation to cassettes is interesting as both forms degrade severely over time leaving only memories and faded images in the future.

Richard Diebenkorn: The Ocean Park Series (Prestel USA)
Gorgeous book. No seriously everything about this book is just about perfect. The images are crisp and densly printed and the natural linen cover with the tipped in plate is great. The cover of this book reminded me of The Durutti Column’s album Without Mercy. Of course the real attraction around here is the art and it doesn’t disappoint. Neither does the text by Sarah Bancroft.

New York Times Photographs (Aperture)
It’s not for nothing that some people refer to the New York Times as the worlds greatest photography magazine. The NYT Sunday Magazine is probably the last of the great pictorial news mediums out there. (although serious props to the Boston Globe’s “the Big Picture) This is a great document to that.

From previous editions of this post but worth mentioning:

Christopher Wool (Taschen)
I’m still in love with this book and if the price were not so prohibitive I’d buy it.

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Gerhard Richter Painting at ABMB

Gerhard Richter Painting at ABMB

Published December 9, 2011

While in Miami last week I was able to attend the US premier of the new documentary “Gerhard Richter Painting” by Corinna Belz. Ms. Belz has put together a taught and quiet movie that among many things captures the essence of working in the studio. It is this quality – a personal view about Richter and a universal vision of what the works is – that make this film so interesting to me.

The film starts in the studio without holding your hand and spending time telling back stories about who and what – instead it goes right to work. Eventually the story starts to allow the outside world in – but only when it is relevant to the matter at hand. I was constantly aware of how much, or should I say how little Ms. Belz allowed the outside world to inject itself into the film – and found myself enjoying it all the more.

Gerhard Richter Painting opens sometime this spring.

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Art Basel: A few stupid things

Art Basel: A few stupid things

Published December 6, 2011

I like the art fairs in Miami, but I have to be honest a few things are starting to irritate me. These tend to be small but they are becoming an issue. Here’s a quick run down of a few of my least favorite things.

  1. Courtesy of the Art Newspaper, a collector claims, “Your yacht becomes more interesting with a Hirst on it.” I have nothing more to say.
  2. Dear City of Miami schools – ABMB is really not where you should be taking your students for a field trip and it’s clear – a number of schools think this is a good idea. I’m waiting to hear the outcry about a sensitive minor going face to face with a really adult Mapplethorpe.
  3. Someone is always boycotting something – this time it’s the “Art Critic” Adam Lindenmann. His “crusade”? Fighting the fact that dealers send out jpegs to potential buyers before the show. He promised to boycott the show – of course he folded like a house of cards before the general opening at noon on Thursday.
  4. I think the big show really misses Deitch Projects.
  5. I’m seeing a trend of art schools taking booth space at the satellite fairs – I’m not sold on this strategy, and have a hard time in the long run if this is such a good idea. I think the schools see value and the students see exposure – speaking for myself, I’m glad no one has seen the work I did right after college.
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