Palais De Tokyo is presenting "The Third Mind" September 27 through January 3rd. These three words are loaded for they speak directly to a seminal work about artistic process written by William S Burroughs and Brion Gysin.

I will not be in Paris during this event, however I learned a lot from "The Third Mind" when I read it initially (as well as when I re-read it). The book or series of writings introduced the world to the idea of collage as a writing tool. It has become (to me) the definitive writing on the power of collage and chance in artworks.

William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin worked out the cut-up method which consists of cutting up and reassembling various fragments of sentences to give them a completely new and unexpected meaning. The Third Mind is the title they devised following this method. They were so greatly impressed by its contents that they felt it had been composed by a third person, a third author, a synthesis of their two personalities. 1+1 = 3.

About The Show
Ugo Rondinone sets out to cut up and remix the contemporary artistic landscape to allow a new meaning to emerge from it. A new artwork(s) composed from the assembled works of thirty-one different artists, constitutes a fully fledged work in its right, a new, spectral work created by a third mind, a third artist, the product of the meeting between Ugo Rondinone and his selections.

For more information:
www.palaisdetokyo.com

Labels: Europe, Galleries

The above quote is from the novel High Rise, by JG Ballard. 20 years (maybe more) I was introduced to the writings of JG Ballard, to say it changed the way I see certain things is an understatement. Ballard is best known for his groundbreaking work of fiction called Crash. Followed by his memoir of his childhood called Empire of the Sun. However for me, High Rise is the work that speaks to the new, or should I say future, urban experience.

I was jogged back into thinking hard about JGB last week when the New York Times Magazine ran a fashion spread (sample image above) in which the models were adorned in great clothes but also great medical equipment. This spread immediately triggered me to think about Crash. A few years ago Crash was made into a movie with a reasonable degree of success, however it is the themes of Crash that carry the greatest weight; The sexualization of the car crash, the fetishization of damage, and finally the objectification of the scar on the human body as sexual device. This is clearly not dinner table conversation to be sure.

Funny enough the paper this weekend had a short article (New York Times - Arts and Leisure) about Richard Prince's recent work about/using the automobile. Clearly JGB and Prince are using the automobile as a device that speaks of an everyday experience although, clearly Ballard's view is far from everyday - however I can see parts of society moving in a curious direction.

Why am I writing about Ballard in my "artblog"? I think it is because usually I look at art and think about the experience, then when I discuss the art, most often I discuss its "Meta", rarely it's experience. (meta is a prefix used in order to indicate a concept which is an abstraction from another concept, used to complete or add to the latter) I find that the writings of JG Ballard, have adjusted the focus of the lens that I view, and ultimately discuss art with.

Where to start?
The three most groundbreaking books are: Crash, High Rise and, Concrete Island. You might find one of them in a better bookstores, or you might try this internet shopping all the kids are talking about.

There are some videos on YouTube as well.

Labels: 70's, books, Richard Prince

Last Friday was my companies annual Create-A-Thon. Let me take a moment to explain what this is - basically it is very similar to a telethon you might have seen on TV back in the 60's (you know a TV host asking for money for hours on end). The difference here is that we (Mediastudio - www.mediastudio.com) ask for proposals from non-profits around the DC area and then grant as many of these groups free design, printing, consulting and organization streamlining. Then do all of this work during a twenty four hour period.

This year we were able to help 14 different non-profits. We started at 8 am Friday morning, and went until 8 am Saturday morning with a celebratory party for all the non-profits, the designers, donors, and board members of the non-profits Saturday evening. The week leading up to this is a flurry of compressing 5 days of work into 4, and shopping for enough food, snacks and whatever else a team of 11 designers and 5 consultants need (and by this I usually mean a lot of coffee and Red Bull).

This was our fourth year of doing this and it gets more satisfying every year.

For more info go to www.mediastudio.com/createathon.

Labels: Washington DC

From the Press Release - "The second annual fair of contemporary art books, art catalogues, artists' books, art periodicals, and 'zines offered for sale by over 120 international publishers, booksellers, and antiquarian dealers."

I love art books and I love books as art. This is really the best of both worlds as far as art/books/book arts go, and it's free to get in. Thats a great price. If I were in NYC that weekend, I would be there. So should you.

The Website

Labels: art bargins, Art Books, books, New York

Be sure to check out the retrospective of Pierre et Gilles at Jeu de Paume. Pierre et Gilles practically invented David LaChapelle and while you can't blame them for that, the hyperstylized/hypersexualized images are clearly expanding where Helmut Newton left off. Mix in vibrant color, kitsch, and homoerotic fantasy.

I won't be able to attend, however if your there, buy me the t-shirt.

Pierre et Gilles on google images.

Labels: Europe, Photography

I stumbled over this web site the other day, I'm sure most of you already knew about it - Geoform.

Anyhow to make a long story short, I found this very in-depth interview with Chip Richardson. Many of you know that I regard Chip as one of the best painters on the east coast. The interview focuses on the history of his work and some the directions it's taking now.

Well worth the read.

Above: Unfolded Sphere, oil & alkyd on canvas, 91 x 91 cm (36 x 36 in), 2006

Labels: Galleries, Painting, Washington DC

The 20X200 project has been gaining some press for the last couple of couple of weeks. Now in soft launch. One thing for sure is that it is hard to pass up a 16"x20" Tema Stauffer print for $200.

You can even track the sales of various editions, wisely or unwisely each item shows the count remaining in the edition at the time of purchase.

Take a look at 20x200.

Labels: art bargins, Photography

I went gallery hopping this weekend - but most were shows that were wrapping down or galleries that were just getting back to work and hanging the September show and not showing much, so I went down to the museums and overheard this particular little snippet of conversation.

"I think maps were initially military in practical use - but grids are too basic. Way too basic for most people to get how complex the simple becomes."

I was overwhelmingly happy to hear that in this day and age.

Labels: Criticism, DC Galleries

CBGB founder Hilly Kristal has died from complications of lung cancer at the age of 75. HK was the owner of CBGB's - a club that helped launch the careers for the Ramones, Blondie, and the Talking Heads and most of the New York Punk scene. Over the last few years, Kristal fought a long legal battle with the club's landlord to keep the club open, but lost, and the club closed down after 33 years in business. He was considering resurrecting the venue in Las Vegas.

On a related Note: It seems like the "baby boom" generation has really started to die over the summer, and as sad as it is to see some amazing people leave us, I don't want this blog to become the art obituaries. So if I miss some of these in the future, it's not that I didn't care, it's just that I need to focus on the living for the most part. Thanks for understanding.

Labels: Death, music, New York

Do you need something art related to do this week? Tired of openings? try these if you in the NYC area this week.

The Art Parade - Sat 9/8 (4pm), West Broadway (btwn E Houston & Grand St.)
Deitch Projects, Creative Time, and Paper magazine bring the Art Parade to the masses.

Howl! Festival - Wed 9/5 - Sun 9/9, Tompkins Square Park
Howl! comes back to New York. Named after and in the spirit of Ginsberg's revolutionary poem, bringing together literature, music, and other creativity in celebration of everything that makes the East Village and Lower East Side a national icon of "counterculture".

Labels: Galleries, New York

It's the first post of September and that means coming attractions for museums in our area for the next year or so, here are a few highlights.

Martin Puryear (starting at MoMA - and travels to the National Gallery June 22 - Sept 28)
MP has always been a special artist with me. I first became aware of his work when I worked for Nancy Drysdale in the mid-eighties. His work struck me as occupying a place that was unusual in that he creates these artworks that transform the space around and inside them in unusual ways and at the same time, his work almost revels in the craft of the object as well. Puryear's craft is like a cross between shaker furniture and Charles and Ray Eames - it's just that great. This should be interesting as well as a well received show.

Color as Field: American Painting, 1950 - 1975 (starting at Denver Art Museum and travels to Smithsonian American Art Museum Feb 29 - May 26)
I know that Washington is heavily indebted to the color field - but at this point I have a hard time seeing this approach come back in fashion anytime soon - but the thing is there are some amazing paintings that were made during this time period (Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, Gene Davis, Anne Truitt, and Ellsworth Kelly come to mind). At some point, there is going to be a critical re-examination of the color field and it's influence moving forward. I just don't see anybody taking that on any time soon, especially in the light of having to bump up against Clement Greenberg's last stand. I do think someone will do this eventually, and if done right we will receive great rewards. This should be a visually rich show, even if we don't reconstruct the approach and historical context.

Edward Hopper (Sept 16 - Jan 21)
What can I say, Hopper is an icon and everyone loves his work (mostly). This is bound to be a crowd pleaser.

Labels: Museums, Washington DC