Art as Authority

by Kevin Freitas


"Each action can be understood as part of his life's work, and his life's work was, and is, to engage an audience in serious dialogue."
Carol Becker - "Introduction: Drawing the Line" - Shoot an Iraqi: Art, Life and Resistance Under the Gun Wafaa Bilal and Kari Lydersen



"Father Time Overcome by Love, Hope and Beauty" 1627 - Simon VOUET


By extension, the above quote is exactly what we're trying to maintain and foster here on Art as Authority. In doing so, it's time again to choose some of the best of the best of this year's blog posts. It is of course a very biased selection, albeit a somewhat difficult one at that. Perhaps the faithful reader will remember and enjoy re-reading some of the picks, others may have been missed and will soon be discovered for the first time. Either way, we hope you will like the selection. We're very proud of our near three year run at Art as Authority, and would like to take this opportunity to thank the readers, subscribers, contributors to the editorial line and those who have supported our activity on and off the blog - you know who you are! So, without further ado here is the best of 2008 and a wish for a very Happy 2009!

(14) - "E.T. phone home"





KAI ONE starts off the year with a no BS interview with one of his homies named SKAE. Hard hitting, direct, and unflinching, that's just the artwork, here's a couple lines from the fireside chat:

Kai: Is it wrong to tag on someone's house?
Skae: Yes. People live there.

K: Is it wrong to tag on a church?
S: Yes, even if it contains child molesting priests, gay televangelists, suicide bombers and Mormons.

I warned you, read more here.

(13) - "Art Review of Bill Pierce's Endeavor exhibit - San Diego CityBeat"



Andi Brandenburg - "Besos not Bombs"


Would I do it all over again, that is, stick my finger into a hornet's nest of mediocre art only to be stung by hateful commentary, hurtful accusations, and petty grievances? You bet! Check out the commentary on the CityBeat blog: the Internet may have leveled the playing field and given a voice to thousands, but it has also brought out the worst in anonymous mindless posting. The upside to all this is the few artists like Bret Barrett and Dave Miles who managed to offer the viewer some great work in this show, continue to do so and are exhibiting regularly throughout San Diego. Art just doesn't "happen" it's a life long dedication to a craft that only gets better the more you do it - if you're lucky. Read more here.

(12) - "Julien Colombier at Art Produce Gallery"





San Diego got a little taste of the "French touch" when Paris artist, Julien Colombier, flew into town and installed one of the most dynamic installations we've seen in a gallery in a long long time. By the time Julien's sejour in sunny California was over, he had us all speaking a few words of french and believing art can be found anywhere, even on paper bags. See more here.

(11) - "I'm just sayin' - Edwin Decker on Innocence is Questionable"



"Bagged" (detail) - May-ling Martinez
(photo: May-ling Martinez)


Edwin Decker the writer, performance artist, and homme extrordinaire let us publish his award winning text, beating out the likes of Ted Washington and other talented performers, to take the top spot in a Performance Slam and benefit for the California Center for the Arts Escondido, organized by Patricia Frischer and SDVAN, in support of the artists and the exhibit "Innocence is Questionable." The exhibit wasn't the only thing questionable, a no-show of all the artists the night of the performance and a less than illustrious curatorial selection of work by the museum, doomed this exhibit from the start. Check out Ed's take on the show here.

(10) - "Urban Homestead Project"




photo Maura Vazakas



Art as Authority's leading contributor, art collaborator, and good friend Richard Gleaves, offers up his own version of American Gothic. Richard's post can be read here.

(9) - "You can almost smell the dirty concrete - photos by Jesse"





KAI ONE follows up with a photo essay by a remarkable photographer named Jesse. In the vein of what KAI has appropriately named "Gutter Photojournalism," Jesse's photos "invoke a remarkable aura of the underbelly of misanthropy" and a whole lot more. I had remarked that these images are a slice-of-life that many of us are too ashamed or embarassed to acknowledge, in it, we see our own fragility. Revisting these images, there is much irony and humor to be found as well. They haven't loss any of their impact. See for yourself.

(8) - "Art Tapout I & II"





Art Tapout was a concept developed by David White, owner/director Agitprop Gallery in North Park, and myself. The idea is simple, one critic and five artists go head to head in a series of live critiques before a public. The first Tapout took place earlier this year in June to a very enthusiastic crowd and a tightly packed gallery. The second Tapout earlier this month was equally well attended and debuted some of the most diverse and talented young artists I've seen in quite some time. Art Tapout continues to demonstrate the need for a public forum on the arts, the role its artists play, and the impact they have on our daily lives. Look for future Tapouts in 2009!

(7) - "Caveney manifolds"





Larry Caveney is a performance artist, sculptor, painter, and of recent, gallery director of the Garage Gallery in San Diego. Richard Gleaves reviews a body of work by Larry at the Expressive Arts Institute earlier this year. Read the review here.

(6) - "KAI ONE at Art Produce Gallery"





KAI ONE finally gets the love he so deserves after giving huge props to several homies on the virtual pages of Art as Authority: a one-person show (his first) in a gallery reputed for putting on some of the most compelling shows in San Diego - Art Produce Gallery. You can provide the space but you still have to make the work and KAI outperforms his competitors for the title of graffiti King. KAI is a classy guy, has a huge heart, and is committed to the fine art of graffiti. Never count the kid out and while you're at it, check out some videos of the exhibit here.

(5) - Rubber Rose est mort. Vive Rubber Rose.





Times are currently tough for everyone and we're not just talking economically. It seems there is as much hope for a new era of politics and for America's future as there is despair in the Middle East and genocide in Darfur. It is easy to wax philosophically, to resolve the world's problems with a few conciliatory words, but one thing I do know is that "these" times are also having an effect on the art world as we know it. Galleries suffering under the cost of putting on shows, rent & electricity, and lack of sales is forcing many to close their doors. For better or worse, art and the system that supports it have come to a crossroads of sorts, an identity crisis, lacking direction, purpose, and goals that would still drive itself into the ground even with financial support. The art world needs some leadership from every aspect of its artificial hierachy and role players, meaning from museums to galleries, critics, artists and those interested in building a sense of community. Let me rephrase that, San Diego needs this kind of leadership. I now firmly believe that any bowel movements within the art world need to start with the artists. If you can't support each other, then there is no hope of others to continue to provide the venues and the energy needed to keep the system designed in your interest, forever functioning. Case in point, the recent closing and subsequent downsizing of the Rubber Rose Gallery in North Park. Read more here.

(4) - "A Response to Movers and Shakers or One More Reason Not to Be a Young Artist in San Diego"



A metaphor for artists opportunities in San Diego.
Tim Hawkinson "Bird"


Still making vagues is David White's response to the "Movers and Shakers: Who's Who in the SD Visual Arts" exhibit held at Art Expressions Gallery this past September, and currently on view in an abbreviated version at L Street Fine Art downtown. "Unyielding enthusiasm, imagination, dedication and an intense love of art, drives the individuals who shape the art community in San Diego County. Artists, art collectors, students, teachers and the community at large all benefit from the extraordinary efforts of those who help put the San Diego cultural scene on the map. Movers and Shakers: Who’s Who in the San Diego Visual Arts World celebrates these influential people," and was the premise for 35 artists to paint their portraits. The celebration didn't last quite as long as expected, after David started to question the "who's to say" who are the "Who's Who," chosen from what he felt was a rather shallow pool of talent, neglecting a whole younger and contemporary strata of artists and shakers equally compelling if not downright better than what was on display. Decide for yourself by clicking here.

(3) - "Eleanor Antin at SDMA"





The Last Day (2001)



Richard Gleaves comes back with a precise and insightful review of one of San Diego's most famous leading ladies, Eleanor Antin. Read the review here.

(2) - "2009 San Diego Art Prize"





From the SDVAN website, organizers of the Art Prize: "The SD ART PRIZE is dedicated to the idea that the visual arts are a necessary and rewarding ingredient of any world-class city and a building block of the lifestyle of its residents. Conceived to promote and encourage dialogue, reflection and social interaction about San Diego’s artistic and cultural life, this annual award honors artistic expression. The SD ART PRIZE, a cash prize with exhibition opportunities, spotlights established San Diego artists and emerging artists whose outstanding achievements in the field of Visual Arts merit the recognition." Commencing its third year, the San Diego Art Prize has showcased local talent in a satisfying blend of recognized and emerging artists. Past recipients such as Raul Guerrero with emerging artist Yvonne Venegas, Jean Lowe with emerging artist Iana Quesnell, and Ernest Silva with emerging artist May-ling Martinez in 2006/2007 has lead to better and tighter pairing of artists that has given a recognizable boost to the San Diego arts scene. In 2007/2008 artists such as Marcos Ramirez ERRE with emerging artist Allison Wiese, Roman De Salvo with emerging artist Lael Corbin, Eleanor Antin with emerging artist Pamela Jaeger led the young Lael Corbin to be included in a major in-house museum retrospective "Weighing and Wanting: SELECTIONS FROM THE COLLECTION MCASD LA JOLLA." The 2008/2009 season seems almost as promising with the preliminary candidate selection of emerging artists: David Adey, Tania Alcala, Michele Guieu, Keikichi Honna, Omar Pimienta, Marisol Rendon, Daniel Ruanova, Tara Smith, Matt Stallings, K.V. Tomney, Jen Trute, Gustabo Velasquez, and Yuransky, potentially being paired with either Kim MacConnel or Richard Allen Morris - the chosen established artists. Personally, I'm not too thrilled with the selection of MacConnel and Morris and would have prefered a "younger" more contemporary artist with fresher eyes and work. You can visit each artist's website here.

(1) - "No. 44"



AP Photo Mark Lennihan


"Yes We Can" and "Yes We Did!" How appropriate to end a year of blogging and 2008 with the traditional "out with the old (Bush & Co.) and in with the new (Obama & Biden)" wish for a better, brighter, and happier 2009. Whew! Damn, that last 8 years was a real bitch!


HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

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by Richard Gleaves

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Luis De Jesus Seminal Projects





Steve Gibson / Maya Hayuk
Daniel Tierney / Craig Todd-Smith

Luis De Jesus Seminal Projects
Opening: 01.09.09

2040 India Street
San Diego, CA 92101
T 619.696.9699

info@seminalprojects.com
www.seminalprojects.com

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by Richard Gleaves

Spun by Richard Gleaves at 01:58 AM | Permalink

by Kevin Freitas


The more often than not perverse side of art is that it is often treated as a commodity for profit or to support some political and sometimes philanthropic agenda. It is only as valuable as it is needed and desired. You only have to look towards the major auction houses and blue-chip galleries to realize who is controlling the lion's share of the art market. Politically, Shepherd Fairey's blitz of Obama imagery has defined the "look" of a campaign that may or may not have anything to do with how the President-Elect is going to perform. Finally, in San Diego you have CowParade trying to bootstrap its way into the hearts and minds of the public with Disney-like cows and a Wal-Mart shopper's budget to pay the artists with. The point is art's very fragile and very subjective market value coupled with an overly inflated history of "famous" artists and million dollar works of art, has the disastrous effect of being "valuable" (the product that is) for all the wrong reasons. Aesthetics rarely has anything to do with it. And when times are economically tough as they are now, the first "commodity" generally to hit the cutting-room floor is art. What was once deemed "food for the soul" is now viewed as dollar signs. It reminds me of the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote who is so hungry he only sees a cooked headless roadrunner streaking by him. Even though the value of an artwork is artificial to some extent, it is believed to possess some intrinsic value that will (eventually) guarantee a payoff. Art is always valuable isn't it? This is at least what we are led to believe. Otherwise, why do we keep on trying to get more for it or even steal it?

I hate people who steal period, and without any moral or self-rightous do-gooder preaching attached to it, I simply believe it is wrong. But this is exactly what happened to my good friend and artist Tom Torluemke. Tom whom I've known since the early 90's and even showed several times in Chicago, and here in San Diego, had two very large paintings stolen recently in Hammond, Indiana. Unbelievable! Two other pieces were also apparently swiped from another artist after the group show the artists were collectively in had closed, and their works were waiting to be picked-up. You can read more of what happened here and how you can help if you have any information as to the whereabouts of these paintings. For us living on the West Coast, it might be a long shot, but empathy goes a long way in these situations and beyond the obvious loss of artwork and all that it implies materially and spiritually for an artist, if there is one person who doesn't deserve this, its Tom. The man has dedicated his life to art and what it can give to us as mere spectators. We should be grateful and not like the idiots who stole his work! Images of the two paintings in question can be seen here.

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by KAI ONE


The Ugly Kids is an artist collective that has gotten loose coast to coast producing avant-garde art since 1998. I got hooked with my boy 4Skin in 1999 and at first, the UK didn’t want me but I rode 4Skin’s coattails until I was soon part of an ever evolving dysfunctional family that raised hell, bickered, and produced art. Since then, 4Skin has subsequently disappeared off of the face of the earth. I’m still here though doing my thing, back at home and posting up with at least 80 percent of the crew intact.





The Ugly Kids had a tough time coming up. We've been shot at, trash talked, beat up, chased and sweated by the police but have still managed to prevail.

We battled pretty much every crew individually that we weren’t affiliated with ourselves and won. When we weren’t lurking in the train yards covered in dust and grease, we would hit the streets and catch beef left and right. Our M.O. has been a lot different from most other graffiti writers around and therein lays our strength. While all the other crews at the time were fueled by malt liquor, luck, and rage, our impetus was the pure love of graffiti and to be the most up. The purest bad ass of our crew was a straight laced Christian who didn’t drink or smoke, and who would censor naked pictures of girls from old Life Sucks Die graffiti magazines from his collection. His girl was also a writer and always ready to whip us up to paint trains under the cool desert moonlight. These were the best nights of my life. Graffiti was so new to me and nothing seemed like it could be any better. All of our train spots were untapped and we could just lamp all night painting without a care in the world. We all had heart and no skill but things were bound to look up eventually.

Graffiti battles were being waged left and right, when it wasn’t such an archaic concept like now, in this new age of hyper-violence, and crews would compete against each other to see how many spots they could get. After beasting out our entire little town individually one day, another group decided to click up and form one massive crew named after a hometown legend who had recently taken his own life. Ouch. The cards were stacked against us but we bombed hard and the streets were pretty even despite the 5-1 odds we faced. We had some crazy soldiers back then though, and the real coup of the battle was masterminded by an absolute maniac - graffiti was the least of his addictions. He continued to hit the streets with a fury in between compulsively stealing. One time, he decided that he would paint the mall rooftop end to end and top to bottom. He ducked security and climbed three huge extension ladders with a 5 gallon bucket of paint. You even had to break inside the building at one point to reach the rooftop. Finally, on top standing hundreds of feet above the ground he rolled out huge letters spelling out the crew name. I’ll never forget that feeling as I rode the bus by the next day and saw my crew shining with holy glory bigger then anything I’d ever seen before. The Ugly Kids would be endeared in the hearts and minds of all the snot nosed kids with magic markers and would spawn dozens of imitators, but they would also continue to be an irritating thorn in the city’s side.





As of late, we’ve been doing our thing on all fronts with only a few arrests and casualties. Street art continues to get bigger than ever while tagging is still hated furiously by anyone who doesn’t do it. There are always two sides to the graffiti coin. I can understand if you genuinely have an aesthetic distaste to the art form, but don’t tell me you like Cy Twombly or the photos of Brassaï and still find tagging disgusting. This shit don’t matter its all good, we even got laced with an art show recently and waged war with the Silver Ladies. So first, let me tell you about the Silver Ladies.

This may be a graffiti urban legend, but the story goes that two older women in their early sixties go around town spray painting graffiti with cheap Wal-Mart silver paint. The end result is usually much less esthetically pleasing than even the most amateurish graffiti. They often just scribble out graffiti and sometimes even spray paint messages themselves. They have been fighting us harder than any of the graffiti crews we’ve battled over the years. The idea of two old ladies spray painting out graffiti in broad daylight is so poignant that I can’t believe it is true. And despite being a huge fan of urban legends, I can’t pin down the source as to who the Silver Ladies are. Maverick graffiti buffers are pretty much a staple of life now, its a lot easier to zealously cover any and all graffiti with a random shade rather then taking the time and money to color match the original wall. Maverick or not, everyone I ask about it says the same thing, the Silver Ladies have a trunk full of spray paint and ride around all day happily covering over scrawls. Oh BTW, didn’t you hear about the guy in Portland who did the same thing but was caught and arrested by the police?! Isn’t that great?!

However, there’s more to this story cause shortly before the Silver Ladies arrived on the scene, the city sent out notices to residents stating that they would no longer remove graffiti from trashcans, alleys, or poles. I thought I died and had gone to Tag Heaven, but these god damned broads are stomping out all the cool graffiti within 24 hours. It’s enough to make my blood boil. We walk the streets late at night trying to catch a glimpse of these ladies, but no dice. No dice. They’re always one step ahead of us and serving a huge heaping of silver paint pissed on our shit. We can’t keep up with them; the law is on their side, they have no fear in their hearts, and they spray away at our pathetic attempts at insurrection. We’ve been so bummed about the Silver Ladies we even planned to do a bunch of graffiti right across the street from our house, and then have a yard sale to keep a watch out for them.

But before we could do that, here comes the Terracotta Church. Fed up with the Silver Ladies ugly markings they hit the streets themselves with lovely shades of terracotta paint covering up everybody’s shit. This is how public property should be I think; let the masses decide what they want their environment to look like. It doesn’t work like that though. Between us and these other groups, none of which have permission to tag property, only one crew will always get arrested for it. WTF?

Back in the fine art world the Ugly Kids get stronger than ever with a self-titled group show. We got loose for the opening with great art, murals, installations, and ultra kookiness. We even had a write up in the local rag and thought it might be a bust, but the show was pork free. I even sold two paintings right off the wall to get something to eat. Some interesting characters came in while I was installing my paintings and asked if this was the green show. We all looked at him curiously and I asked what he meant. You know recycled art? Everyone still looked at him blankly while I noticed that he had on nice shoes. Even though I had no idea what he was talking about I was happy to inform him that yes indeed this was the show he was looking for. I pointed out the recycled cardboard my paintings were done on and a dead bird dipped in resin. Later, he picked up two pieces, and that’s how its done sometimes, you gotta tell ‘em what they want to hear. Only show one side of your face.

I wondered if the Silver Ladies had checked out our stuff since some older folk would wander in from time to time, trying to find the highbrow galleries nearby. We can wine and cheese with the best of ‘em but that’s not where we’re from baby, we just party and keep fighting the good fight. In the end, you can ask some kids writing in the streets for an autograph, but don’t let them catch you painting out their shit. No dice.

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Artist Torluemke Reads Between the Lines in His Epic Mural


INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Building upon the impressive precedence of painted murals in libraries and public buildings across the United States, northwest Indiana artist Tom Torluemke has taken on a task that he views as the opportunity of a lifetime.

Torluemke used the written word as inspiration for his new mural, "The Book of Life: The people we know, the experiences we have and the conditions under which we live," for the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library. The recently-installed mural, located in the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room on the 6th floor of Central Library, was loosely inspired by the novel, The Magnificent Ambersons, written by Indiana author Booth Tarkington, who won the Pulitzer Prize for this work in 1919.

The mural chronicles the social and economic development of Indianapolis, the lives of some of its prominent citizens and their families, and many of the trials and tribulations they experienced.

Torluemke, a versatile artist and prolific painter, has been selected for numerous high profile commissions in recent years. He attributes his success to a commitment to his work, his willingness to please the client, and his ability to make his work accessible to all who view it, while keeping it relevant and contemporary.

"When asked and given the opportunity to create a mural for a public space such as a library, the bar gets raised," said Torluemke. "One thinks back historically to great mural artists like Thomas Hart Benton, John Singer Sarget and Diego Rivera who have created murals for libraries and other prominent public spaces. Their creations inspire one to try to do the very best they can in hopes that they can only come close," he added.

The mural, commissioned by the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation, is 8 x 128 ft., painted in acrylic on canvas. Including the conception of the piece, it took 3,650 hours to complete. Jim McKern & Linda Dorman assisted Torluemke. The mural was painted on 8 panels of canvas and installed on site by Bill Lawrence Company installers, Bob Duke and Ritchie Townsend.

The mural is available for public viewing during regular hours of Central Library, located downtown at One Library Square, 40 E. St. Clair Street.


Indianapolis Marion County Public Library

Tom Torluemke

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by Richard Gleaves





Unaltered photo and headline from today's Yahoo News, demonstrating a longstanding American tradition of official disrespect towards lame-duck Presidents.

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by Kevin Freitas / Video by Michele Guieu


Time flies when you're having fun they say, so I must be having a lot because its been six months since the last Art Tapout came to town - it seems like yesterday. I want to thank David White, owner/director of Agitprop Gallery in North Park, for having initiated the second round of Art Tapouts and the artists who graciously participated. I want to thank everyone who came as well, there were several new faces attending and a renewed interest in bringing a dialogue about art and artists to what they create. The idea is simple: one critic and several artists go head to head in a metaphorical cage fight and discussion about art "LIVE" which is then opened up eventually for questions, comments and insights from the public. I'm consistently surprised by the interest and passionate voices the public brings to these events, proving once again that art is important to everyone's life.

Below you'll find several video's taken of the Tapout by Michele Guieu, one of this year's San Diego Art Prize emerging artist nominees. Finally, keep an eye out for Art Tapout events coming soon to a gallery near you!

Andy Hunter - Round 1 - part 2
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=JUXddR_WiQQ

Andy Hunter - Round 1 - part 3
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=dRWPbiqUMwY

Eric Wixon - Round 2 - part 1
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=MrogPN5sV1Y

Eric Wixon - Round 2 - part 2
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=rpKfXM0MaWU

Zac Monday - Round 3 - part 1
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=XqXiKLH9BEg

Zac Monday - Round 3 - part 2
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=JEYrVtM0oBM

Jesse Mockrin - Round 4
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=RcDcvhqpUuc





click for larger image

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click for larger image

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You don't have to be a Rockefeller to collect art... but to pull a Vogel you'll need a ticket to Manhattan and a time machine.

Link

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by Kevin Freitas


If you haven't already figured it out by now, our friend KAI ONE never stops painting, never stops writing on and off the wall, and never gives up. There's something else you should never doubt either, not ever, graffiti my gentle reader is Art with a capital "A". It isn't High Brow and it isn't Low Brow, it's art. Pure simple expression, pure complex form and color and it takes an unwavering dedication from its creator to make it happen. The weight of graffiti's negative image is slowly being lifted by artists like KAI ONE, who have successfully bridged the gap between a somewhat pretentious fine art world and art from the streets, an art that burns like a fire in the belly. The Board Culture industry for example, has recognized this talent and is now giving overdue homage to these "street" artists by bringing them into more economically viable product lines and support. You can show your support as well, for KAI, and the rest of the graffiti artists who are keeping it real by reading the following article from Marisa D. Fisher in the Arizona Daily Wildcat, entitled "Cans carpet canvas with aerosol aesthetic". There's an excerpt below. And if you would like to see some original artworks by KAI, click here. KF


Cans carpet canvas with aerosol aesthetic
By: Marisa D. Fisher



photo: Sheldon Smith


If kids don't want to color inside the lines, nobody's going to be able to make them; such is the nature of graffiti art. In a perhaps well-intentioned but tritely ironic gesture, Tucson's Graffiti Removal Program provides an anti-graffiti coloring book for printing from their Web site. Inside, Mr. Tuffy the boxer encourages his young audience to "Knock out graffiti in Tucson!" with messages including the slogan, "Graffiti is unwanted markings." That's not just bad grammar; it's an overgeneralization of an underrepresented art form. more...

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Or

Somewhere on a fishing boat in the North Atlantic Ocean, as the crow flies, to Miami Beach, San Diego artist David Adey has been tooling around the open sea on a friends boat, beer in hand, and art on his mind – his own of course, and for good reason. Adey is exhibiting his work alongside the work of two other San Diego artists, Lael Corbin and Jason Sherry, at Aqua Art Miami Wynwood, one of many satellite art fairs going on simultaneously with the opening of this year's Art Basel Miami.

Or

Hot off the mojo wire with David Adey reporting: An abbreviated account of America’s biggest art fair, from the hub of its contemporaneousness and pink flamingos, the legendary Miami, Florida. Dispatch by Kevin Freitas.

DAY 1

Preview night Tuesday for gallery/museum professionals and collectors, official opening to the public of Aqua Art Miami Wynwood today, Wednesday, in a warehouse located in Miami’s Wynwood gallery district.

Euphoric was Adey after he learned he scored some prime real estate at the front entrance of the fair with a new piece he just finished. The ceramic “bomb” he had shown last year at Spacecraft Gallery re-modelled with a larger resurrected ceramic “lamb” into a hybrid sculpture that has caught the interest of many including the fair’s organizers.

Adey like Corbin and Sherry, are in Miami exhibiting with Luis de Jesus Seminal Projects who brought them here. But they are not alone, also showing in Luis’ booth are works by Chris Barnard, Miyoshi Barosh, Seth Augustine, Deanna Erdmann, Heather Martin, Marliis Newsome, and Andy Ralph. BTW, Aqua Art Miami (located in the Aqua Art Hotel) is Aqua Art Wynwood’s older sister which opened in 2005. One of many cousins so to speak, to a multitude of other notable contemporary art fairs like NADA, Pulse, Scope and others. Aqua’s focus continues to be on showcasing young dealers and emerging artists.

Adey reports there is a constant bustling of activity from this annual migration of artists, dealers, curators, patrons, collectors, ad nauseam and for anyone and everyone interested in the arts. Evidence of the fair’s stature, presence and vitality can be witnessed by the sheer number of exhibiting spaces, advertising dollars spent on street banners and visual detritus everywhere, and all those interested parties voyaging in the same direction. Apparently, you cannot meet someone who isn’t connected to the fair in some manner.

The recession duly announced earlier this week, has not deterred the optimism for potential sales which remains surprisingly high Adey has learned. Several dealers with rented booths, overhead, and transportation costs, are simply holding their breath and onto their pocketbooks hoping for the best. No sales to report so far at this time. Adey remains upbeat however, believing his current body of work, seen at Seminal Projects last month, is on par with what other artists are producing. From the view here in San Diego, we never doubted this for a second.

Finally, a huge party for the Cranbrook Academy of Art Alumni will be held at the Wolfsonian Museum of Art and Design tomorrow night. As Adey put it, “we stick together and actually like each other.”

So be it.

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by Kevin Freitas


Oh yeah it's on again! Agitprop, David White, and Art as Authority are throwin' down this coming Saturday, December 6. One critic, four artists, one mystery artist, and one referee - in the cage for a "LIVE" critique! If you attended the first TAPOUT, you know what's waiting for you. If you missed it, please come out and join us! We guarantee a good time and a lively discussion OR at least, opinions that you can take back home with you for free - just like kittens.

And don't forget " SOMETHING is HAPPENING", a 3-day event that focuses on the dynamics of sensation and the nature of gatherings. Rather than experiencing a single, formal presentation, audiences can freely gather and disband at a collection of different sites in the San Diego area including the UC campus, the Salk Institute, Torrey Pines State Reserve, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. At these meeting points, audiences are immersed in sensory and atmospheric experiences through which concepts are not only elaborated but enacted. A full listing of dates, times and performances can be found below and further information here. Please attend.

ART TAPOUT



click for larger image

SOMETHING is HAPPENING


4-6 December 2008
http://visarts.ucsd.edu/something-happening

SOMETHING is HAPPENING is a 3-day event that focuses on the dynamics of sensation and the nature of gatherings. Rather than experiencing a single, formal presentation, audiences can freely gather and disband at a collection of different sites in the San Diego area including the UC campus, the Salk Institute, Torrey Pines State Reserve, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. At these meeting points, audiences are immersed in sensory and atmospheric experiences through which concepts are not only elaborated but enacted.

SOMETHING is HAPPENING is a collage of verbal and performative presentations that encourages the cultivation of moods, atmospheres, and various forms of bodily apprehension and awareness. By addressing the audience as a sensing body -- whether as individuals or collectively as a group -- the presenters seek to not only share ideas but also to activate multiple sensory connections with the spectators. In this way we are not taking a reductive approach so much as an excessive one -- opening up conceptual flows and sensorial intensities that always carry with them the possibility of extension and amplification.

By emphasizing forms of sensory experience, social interaction and assembly, SOMETHING is HAPPENING aims to generate commonalities beyond what can be conveyed in dialogue -- allowing participants who come from different backgrounds to cross linguistic boundaries and familiar perspectives, however temporarily, and enter into new social composites.

Presentations by Benjamin Bratton, Norman Bryson, Teddy Cruz, Ricardo Dominguez, Louis Hock, Adriene Jenik, Niklaus Largier, Alphonso Lingis, Kyong Park, Haim Steinbach, Lesley Stern, Michael Taussig, Michael Trigilio, Caleb Waldorf/The Public School, Sybil Wendler, and graduate students of the UC San Diego Visual Arts Program: George Bolster, Rich Bott, Crystal Campbell, Micha Cardenas, Mauricio Chernovetzky, Lili Chin, Micki Davis, Noah Doely, Rob Duarte, Anna Lavatelli, Elle Mehrmand, Zac Monday, Zac Montanaro, Sheryl Oring, Brianna Rigg, Lesha Rodriguez, Jerry Troung, Nina Waisman, David White (in collaboration with Kevin Freitas), Andrew Wilson (in collaboration with Todd Margolis), and Suzanne Wright.

For general information and a schedule of events see: http://visarts.ucsd.edu/something-happening

Accompanying the event is the launch of the new journal VERSION: http://version.org

SOMETHING is HAPPENING is produced by the Department of Visual Arts at the University of California, San Diego, as part of its new Public Culture program, in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD). The event is organized by Jordan Crandall with Sybil Wendler and the graduate students of the UCSD Visual Arts program, based on an original concept developed by Jordan Crandall, Steve Fagin, and Lesley Stern. Additional support provided by the UCSD Department of Anthropology and Department of Ethnic Studies.

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see http://visarts.ucsd.edu/something-happening for project details and locations via Google maps

Thursday, December 4

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
7:50pm: ZAC MONDAY, "Look at Me," as part of TNT (Thursday Night Thing) after fashion show.

Friday, December 5

University of California San Diego campus
12:30: Lunch at Visual Arts Facility courtyard, with launch of KYONG PARK, "Affects Spreading," and ANDREW WILSON/TODD MARGOLIS, "Stimulus Package"
12:30-1:30: ROB DUARTE, "Psst," Visual Arts Facility restrooms, first floor
12:30-2:30: SHERYL ORING, "I Wish to Say," Library Walk
12:30-4:00: MICKI DAVIS, "Notes," Library Walk
1:00-2:00: HAIM STEINBACH, Library Walk
1:00-2:30: CRYSTAL CAMPBELL, "I Wish I May, I Wish I Might," Library Walk near fountains
1:30-2:00: NORMAN BRYSON and ALPHONSO LINGIS, "Contact," tail end of the Snake Path
2:00-2:30: TEDDY CRUZ, "From Centers to Flows," Price Student Center (meet at Old Student Center's plaza)
2:30-2:45: RICARDO DOMINGUEZ , "un_speakable: 5 phrase events," with Holly Eskew, Helaine Gawlica, Autumn Hays, and Pina Yorgancioglu, outside the entrance to the University Art Gallery, Mandeville Center
2:45-3:00: JERRY TROUNG, bus stop on Gilman Dr.
3:00-3:25: ALPHONSO LINGIS, "Experiences of Mortality," University Art Gallery, Mandeville Center
3:30-3:35: GEORGE BOLSTER, "High On Christ," near eucalyptus grove on library walk
3:30-4:30: ANNA LAVATELLI, "Re-animating the Dead," eucalyptus grove on library walk
4:15-4:30: LOUIS HOCK, "Raw and Cooked," behind Pepper Canyon
4:00-5:00: ADRIENE JENIK, "Go/ne Beyond (for Anh Tu)," behind Pepper Canyon
5:00- 5:15: LESHA RODRIGUEZ, "San Francisco Street Fairs," Calit2 Courtyard
5:15-5:30: MICHA CARDENAS, "Becoming Dragon," Calit2 visiting artists lab #1613 (main floor)
5:45-6:15: NIKLAUS LARGIER, "Arousing the Imagination," Visual Arts Facility performance space
6:15-6:30: SYBIL WENDLER, "Tripping the Protozoic," outside Visual Arts Facility performance space
6:30-6:40: MAURICIO CHERNOVETZKY, Visual Arts Facility performance space
6:30-7:30: MICHAEL TRIGILIO, "Everything is Up," Gilman Parking Structure
6:30-7:30: ELLE MEHRMAND, "Sextrument," Visual Arts Facility, studio
6:30-7:00: NINA WAISMAN, "Training," Visual Arts Facility, south end
7:00-7:15: NIKLAUS LARGIER / RICH BOTT, "Pillar Saints," Kiki Smith sculpture site
7:15-7:30: RICH BOTT, "Faith is the Unseen Abductor," Kiki Smith sculpture site
7:00-8:00: NOAH DOELY, "Untitled Moon Project," near Kiki Smith sculpture site
8:00-?: BRIANNA RIGG. "Quilting at Porters Pub," Porters Pub
8:00-?: SUZANNE WRIGHT, "The Inner Revolutionaries," Porters Pub
all day: LILI CHIN, "Son of Man/Sun of Man," Hobbs Library/Torrey Pines State Reserve (also Thursday and Saturday)
TBD: ZAC MONTANARO, "Off-center"

Saturday, December 6

La Jolla Shores, the Salk Institute, Torrey Pines State Reserve, and locations in North Park
11:00: MICHAEL TAUSSIG, "Weather Report," La Jolla Shores Hotel veranda
12:00: LESLEY STERN, "Tree Talk," Kellogg Park, La Jolla Shores
12:30: ALPHONSO LINGIS, "To Have Been Dangerous," Kellogg Park beach, La Jolla Shores
1:30: BENJAMIN BRATTON, "On the Punctuality of Networks," Salk Institute
2:30: NIKLAUS LARGIER, "Delicatessen," Torrey Pines State Reserve (bag lunch/still life)
3:00: MICHAEL TAUSSIG, "Terror and the mute Absurd," Torrey Pines State Reserve
3:30: ALPHONSO LINGIS, "Unknown Nature," Torrey Pines State Reserve
4:00: MICHAEL TAUSSIG, "When the Sun Goes Down," Torrey Pines State Reserve
5:00: NIKLAUS LARGIER, "Whippings," Rubber Rose, North Park (preceded by THE PUBLIC SCHOOL arousal-performance, and accompanied by a whipping demonstration by DOMINA ANGELINA and the DUNGEON SERVITUS)
6:15: MICHAEL TAUSSIG, "Image and Story," Spacecraft, North Park
7:00: AGITPROP/DAVID WHITE collaboration w/ KEVIN FREITAS/Art as Authority, "Art Tap-Out," North Park

PLEASE NOTE: this blog post can be printed out as a convenient schedule on your printer.

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