RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA – in ‘The Early Show’
RUTH ROOT – in ‘The Early Show’
SPENCER SWEENEY – in ‘The early Show’
These 3 images were just added to the Art Lovers Photo report on ‘The Early Show’ curated by ELYSIA BOROWY-REEDER, SCOTT and TYSON REEDER of the GENERAL STORE, Milwaukee, at WHITE COLUMNS, NYC, opening Oct 28, 2005
photos: Nancy Smith
to see the whole report: THE EARLY SHOW
~THE EARLY SHOW:Rirkrit Tiravanija, Ruth Root, Spencer Sweeney | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 24th, 2006, 3:57pm
Photograph by GLEN WILSON – Courtesy of UNIVERSAL
Film Review
April 24, 2006 by JAN ALBERT
AMERICAN DREAMZ
Opens April 21, 2006
I laughed alot at American Dreamz. Maybe I am relaxing my standards, but I think most critics were a little too tough on this genial little film, penalizing director/writer Paul Weitz (American Pie) for not going far enough.
I applaud him for even coming up with the idea of combining an American Idol-like talent show, the threat of terrorism, and the White House of George W. Bush into a comedy.
Briefly, the story centers around production of American Dreamz, the nation’s #1 TV show, and what happens when an Arab terrorist infiltrates as a contestant and the President of the U.S. appears as a guest judge to boost his plummeting popularity in the polls.
After an acid-tongued, sharp start, things get a little softer, but if the film doesn’t soar
throughout, there are still several priceless moments. I loved it when a terrorist watching American Dreamz in a desert tent via satellite, exclaims rapturously after watching their sleeper cell contestant warble “My Way”, – “he nailed it!”
Mandy Moore as a wanna be Idol with a heart of brass and Hugh Grant as the swarmy Simon Cowellesque-impresario of the show – 2 utterly self involved people who briefly need each other – more than acquit themselves, and the rest of the players (including Dennis Quaid as the President, dumber than a board but with the stirrings of a conscience and William Dafoe as the Karl Rove power behind the throne) look like they are having such a good time, it’s infectious.
For the film historians among you, compare this to Bye Bye Birdy, rather than The Americanization of Emily.
True, it doesn’t sink its teeth into this rich material the way a great satire like THANK YOU FOR SMOKING does, but it wins my vote for at least nibbling around the edges. I give American Dreamz a solid middle of the road B (an A to Universal’s promotion team for the film’s tag line — “IMAGINE A COUNTRY WHERE MORE PEOPLE VOTE FOR A POP IDOL THAN THEIR NEXT PRESIDENT.”)
Relax and enjoy it, then go home and read a newspaper like the President in the film does.
~American Dreamz | Posted in Movie Reviews | By Jan Albert | April 24th, 2006, 12:15pm
ASHLEY REID and CHRIS VERENE at the ‘Chris Verene – Self Esteem Salon’. Ashley curated this exhibition and performance by Chris Verene at the DANIEL REICH temp.Space@Hotel Chelsea, NYC, which ran from Nov 16 – 19, 2006.
photo: Nov 19, 2005, Nancy Smith
the card for the show.
to see an extensive photo report on the show, plus photos of CARLTON DEWOODY at the performance and in past fantasies, as well as, the first published photo of ASHLEY REID’S own photographic work, and exclusive photos inside DANIEL REICH’s own apt at the HOTEL CHELSEA, see: more HOTEL CHELSEA PIX
~Ashley Reid/Chris Verene/DANIEL REICH temp.Space | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 16th, 2006, 9:08pm
Tara DeLong performs at the inaugral party, Daniel Reich temp.Space@Hotel Chelsea, NYC, Nov 4, 2005
photos: Nancy Smith
What’s not to get about a hard core radical white hot ‘Lesbo’ chick … or as others have penned her .. a ‘feisty Mexican industrial’ – & – let’s not forget: TALENTED !! rapper & performance artist! HARD DRIVING! TARA DELONG performed with a back-up crew as feisty as she was … as well as half naked gorgeous ‘lesbian’ chicks handing out tequilla shots (very) freely to the audience. This was the inaugral performance for what was to be a short lived alternative art performance space run by DANIEL REICH in a back room, tucked away behind the sign-in desk, on the ground floor of the HOTEL CHELSEA – too wild even for the Hotel Chelsea, the space only managed to put on about 3 shows before it was shut down.
DANIEL REICH – the man behind the party. Tara DeLong performance, Daniel Reich
temp.Space@Hotel Chelsea, NYC, Nov 4, 2005
photo: Nancy Smith
to see a really fun interview with DANIEL REICH that was posted in the HOTEL CHELSEA BLOG,
go to: DANIEL REICH interview
more: Tara DeLong Hotel Chelsea performance photos
~Tara DeLong/&/DANIEL REICH interview | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 16th, 2006, 8:22pm
SUMAKSHI SINGH opened ‘Lumps, Bumps and Things that are Art’, on February 17th, 2006 – at the VAN HARRISON GALLERY, NYC. pictured above at the opening, from left:
gallerist Van Harrison; the artist, Sumakshi Singh; her boyfriend, Carl Petrucci; and, at the right, Travis Harrison, the gallery’s co-director in its NYC re-location.
photo: Nancy Smith
the card for: ‘Lumps, Bumps and Things that are Art’ – installations by SUMAKSHI SINGH. The show ran from February 17 – March 18, 2006 at the initial VAN HARRISON gallery space on 26th Street, in CHELSEA. Newly re-locating to NYC from Chicago, this was Van Harrison’s 3rd show in New York City. (The gallery’s very first NYC show, ‘CARL Z. SUDDATH – New Drawings + Scuplture’ scored a review in the FEB 2006 ARTFORUM.) Caught up in a typical NYC landlord ‘screws-to-the-head’ power play – the gallery is currently in the midst of re-locating – probably to the East Village. Van likes to make his own mark, as anyone who is familiar with his gallery’s Chicago legacy knows, and he wants some space in which to flex his curatorial and creative flair, and get a bit away from the classic Chelsea, “I am a real gallery!” white box format.
on MARCH 7th, 2006 the artlovers home page stated:
… ‘new kids on the block * VAN & TRAVIS HARRISON * have a hit on their hands with their 3rd show – ‘Lumps, Bumps and Things that are Art’ installations by Chicago -based artist * SUMAKSHI SINGH * if you get the impression from the card, above .. that the show’s all about large painting * you’d be absolutely WRONG !! * its one of those shows that seem invisible when you walk in, slowly revealing itself to be exquisite & inventive both visually & conceptually – its also about the only show in town where you can purchase one-of-a-kind artwork – from an artist on the fast track – for between $200- $800 * Van Harrison recently re-located his gallery from Chicago, and runs the NYC venture with his brother, Travis.’
The show also received – a more descriptive – write-up in the GALLERY ‘PICK’ list of the Village Voice, MARCH 15-21, 2006 issue.
Written by R.C. BAKER here’s what was said:
“You make think this empty gallery’s plumbing has gone bad – water stains the wall to shin height; puddles gather in corners; gypsum board buckles; mildew and fungus sprout haphazardly. But those tiny, colorful mushrooms are actually polymer clay and the puddles synthetic, and of course it’s all for sale. That immemorial question “But is it art? gets answered here with wry, backhanded grace.”
more info: VAN HARRISON GALLERY
~Sumakshi Singh/VAN HARRISON | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 16th, 2006, 7:38pm
JOE BRADLEY opened a show of beautifully minimal and yet totally resonant and ‘animated’ paintings at CANADA, NYC. Titled ‘Kurgan Waves’, the show opened on January 27, 2006 and ran until March 4, 2006.
the above photo is a view of 2 of the large scale, but thinly produced paintings. The sparse production irionically only added to the ‘depth’ of the expressiveness of the totally abstract but evocative work. ‘The show is amazing – in how such simple minimalism could be so stunning in its visual resonance, depth and character’ – artlovers home page (March 7, 2006)
this photo was taken at the opening, hence the beer bottles on the floor.
photo: Nancy Smith
‘KURGAN WAVES’ garnered JOE BRADLEY a highlighted review (with an image) in the FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2006 NEW YORK TIMES. Written by KEN JOHNSON, the review appeared on the prestigious THE LISTINGS page.
The text by Mr. Johnson was very perceptive .. here are some quotes:
“In art, pretending to be dumber, more juvenile or less rational than you are usually serves an advanced sophistication. It certainly does in the surprisingly sweet and mysteriously resonant exhibition by Joe Bradley, a young New York-based painter having his third solo show. Mr. Bradley’s multipanel paintings consist of flimsy, store-bought canvases brusquely painted single colors and arranged to create the much simplified images of armless, big-shouldered figures resembling primitive video game characters. Standing almost nine feet … (they) seem to have been gathered for some kind of tribal ceremony……”
“To use a Minimalist vocabulary or such unabashedly anthropomorphic purposes is somehow comical….. But it also vividly expresses how we may experience even the most abstract artworks as animated by life-like or supernatural energies. We may not be as sophisticated as we think.”
this is a visual scan of the NEW YORK TIMES article.
JOE BRADLEY, as MALIBU VON, is the frontman of the NYC band – Cheesesburger
~JOE BRADLEY/CANADA/THE NEW YORK TIMES | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 16th, 2006, 6:40pm
for all you PAGE SIX FANS: here’s a photo from the recent artlovers archives. RICHARD JOHNSON with his son, DAMON JOHNSON at a BAIRD JONES celebrity art event. Chelsea, NYC.
June 2nd, 2005
Photo: Nancy Smith
to see more photos from this event, hit: celebrity art
& scroll down past the DEARRAINDROP photos – to the 14th row.
there’s also a photo of Damon’s mom – P.R. maven: NADINE JOHNSON, in the Art Lovers New York 2003 Archive on artnet,
1st photo, 2nd row down from the top.
Photo taken at Mr. Chow, NYC, May 13, 2003
Photo: Nancy Smith
~Richard Johnson/PAGE SIX | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 10th, 2006, 1:31pm
The article on Alfredo is coming out in the next issue, Isssue # 39 – APRIL 2006 – it’s not on the bookstands yet, but will surface any day.
UPDATE:
APRIL 14th – the issue is out. Issue # 39. It says: ART ATTACK ! New York’s Notorious Forger Returns – at the top right corner of the cover.
The article, titled: ‘STUDIO GANGSTER’ (no joke !! – ) is written by MacLean Jackson, with about 4 pages of text and 6 pages of photos. The article in the SLEEK MAGAZINE is more informative of Alfredo’s caper. This one is a little more atmospheric, but its amazing how guillable both authors are – although what might seem the strangest fiction are probably the truest facts .. its the little details that keep changing … a detailed comparison of both articles will give some indication as to how Alfredo continues to embellish his myth-in-the-making.
The photos by Axel Dupeux are the best part of the article, and got top priority, even including some full page photo layouts. The green tinged photos are from Alfredo’s ex-studio (with ‘the plumber’,) next to the Gowanus Canal – think ‘Fight Club’. (there’s an interesting ‘Red Bull’ product placement in one of these photos. ‘Red Bull’ is a sponsor of THE CANAL CHAPTER who got Alfredo this layout – .. that is, .. if you also agree that a product placement in an artist’s studio, a convicted forger no less, and just off the Gowanus Canal, might be a milestone in the history of product placement.
> see the last photo below, on the very right, on top of the T.V.)
The pictures of the artwork against a red brick wall, are from Alfredo’s show: ‘ARSENAL FOR DEMOCRACY – WAR CORPORATISM’ which ran from: Jan 27 – Feb 24, 2006 at THE CANAL CHAPTER.
JASON WALL & MIKHAIL (Mike) SOKOVIKOV, co-founders & directors of THE CANAL CHAPTER – aka 1134NYC – 343 Canal St – 4th FL – hooked Alfredo up with MASS APPEAL – all it took was one phone call.
mass appeal info: mass appeal
below are some scans of photos from the MASS APPEAL article, APRIL 2006 – ISSUE # 39, on ALFREDO MARTINEZ, titled: ‘STUDIO GANGSTER’ – ALL PHOTOS BY: AXEL DUPEUX.
~ALFREDO MARTINEZ/MASS APPEAL/NYC | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 29th, 2006, 4:41pm
The article on Alfredo is available on-line.
It’s the SPRING 2006: SLEEK MAGAZINE: COMIC/TRAGIC ISSUE #10 – published out of BERLIN.
to get some sense of their website, go to: www.sleekmag.com/sitemap/home.html
then hit: ‘current issue’ in the top left hand margin
on the next screen, INDEX ISSUE 10 – hit:
208_The Consequences of Bastardising Basquiat. Interview with Alfredo Martinez
otherwise, just go directly to: Interview with Alfredo Martinez
~ALFREDO MARTINEZ/SLEEK/BERLIN | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 29th, 2006, 4:40pm
PAGE 11 – NEW YORK POST – SATURDAY – FEBRUARY 11, 2006 – PHOTO BY: FRANK ROSS
ALFREDO MARTINEZ, with some of his new work, in the back office, THE PROPOSITION GALLERY, CHELSEA, NYC. April 1, 2005
Photo: Nancy Smith
PROPOSITION artist, ALFREDO MARTINEZ, aka ‘the man who would be Basquiat’ made PAGE 11 of SATURDAY’S NEW YORK POST (FEBRUARY 11, 2006) with a breath taking publicity hound’s dream .. a 1/2 page photo of 4 of NYPD’s FINEST surrounding one of his big gun sculptures on an empty lot off Canal Street, near the Holland Tunnel. The word on the street & from sources in the know, who’d rather remain anonymous for good reason, confirm that the large gun sculpture on wheels, in the POST photo, is indeed an Alfredo Martinez Saturday night special.. Knowing Alfredo, it wouldn’t be a stretch, to assume that he himself, might have been the …civic minded “community member(s)” who tipped off the police to the ‘heavy artillery’ on Canal Street… and supplied the well-timed heads-up to the POST lensman who just happened to stroll by, in time to catch the action! Turns out Alfredo has a show, ‘Arsenal for Democracy’ in a 4th floor loft at 343 Canal St. between Greene & Wooster — who wouldn’t want a 1/2 page photo in the SATURDAY NEW YORK POST, over a 1/4 pg paid ad in ARTFORUM!
(originally posted on the artlovers home page: FEB 12, 2006)
UPDATE:
here’s the card for: ALFREDO MARTINEZ … ‘ARSENAL FOR DEMOCRACY – WAR CORPORATISM’ – which ran from JANUARY 27th – FEBRUARY 24th, 2006, at THE CANAL CHAPTER, SOHO, NYC.
the cops confiscated the piece – they hauled it away on a flatbed truck. Another big part of the story is THE CANAL CHAPTER itself. If you like your art served up straight up from the street, 100% pure juice, this is real deal. Run by GUERRILLA STREET ART CREW – 1134 NYC – aka JASON WALL & MIKHAIL (MIKE) SOKOVIKOV aka MIRF, THE CANAL CHAPTER operates a raw loft/art/gallery/event/party space on the 4th floor of 343 Canal St, between Greene & Wooster. With their street cred down, these 2 talented young artists are moving to cross over into the mainstream artworld, with their own art & the art they exhibit.
(see the item: mirf/THUNDERDOG, just below on THE BOMB)
ALFREDO MARTINEZ had a few more large scale – STAR WARS – like artillery pieces, like the one that made the POST, up in the loft … seeing is believing.
THE CANAL CHAPTER
UPDATE:
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2006
Phone Interview with Ronald Sosinski, Director, THE PROPOSITION
artlovers: “has the F.B.I. been in contact with you, yet ….. about Alfredo?”
Ronald Sosinski: “do you mean today, … or ever”
artlovers: “The SLEEK MAGAZINE article is now available on-line, have you actually read it?”
Ronald: “No, what does it say?”
artlovers: “maybe you better read it for yourself. He makes a blithe comment about the President, he also invokes the Columbia Mafia …. does Alfredo have a death wish?”
Ronald: “well that was stupid …”
artlovers: “he also states that 20% of the secondary art market, albeit ‘not this currrent generation’ is composed of forgeries … claiming to have done several himself …. including a Calder.”
Ronald: “Alfredo has a funny way of showing off and will say anything to get attention.”
artlovers: “don’t Fashion magazines have fact checkers.”
Ronald: ” … in Alfredo’s universe ?”
artlovers: “Keith Haring and Jean Michel will be turning over in their graves – he seems to have appropriated other peoples’ experiences with them, as his own – he never meet them.”
Ronald: “who knows with Alfredo .. but all the rest, about shooting Kenny Schacter with a blank … at an art fair, is true.”
artlovers: “he once almost blew himself up with homemade explosives on the beach at Donald Baechler’s ….”
artlovers: “how long have you know Alfredo?”
Ronald: “.. since some time around 1994.”
artlovers: “THE PROPOSITION gave him his first one man show – ‘HE WHO DARES WINS’ – sometime around 1999 – a pretty prophetic title. Do you think he wanted to go to prison?”
Ronald: “well he dared the system re: the Basquiat forgeries. For him it was a win win no matter what, because of the publicity. His timing was excellent, he actually made it into the newly revised preface to the book on Basquiat, Phoebe Hoban’s ‘BASQUIAT – A QUICK KILLING IN ART’ .”
artlovers: “What do you think about where he is now?”
Ronald: “well, he’s in a pretty good place, finally. He actually was alright in prison, despite the hunger strikes, artists have very high status on the inside. And Alfredo’s big. However the cliche is also true, that you come out far worse, criminally, than when you go in, thanks to the high opportunity socializing contacts. When he got out, Alfredo … and his new friends were a little scary…. but a year later, he’s hooked up to some really good energy with THE CANAL CHAPTER, and now he is on a roll. Only Alfredo can go from the Gowanus Canal, to Canal St, to Soho in the space of 2 weeks.”
artlovers: “did you see the exhibit of his work on Greene St?”
Ronald: “only the beginning of it, we brought the big gun over. We had it showcased at SCOPE, in the PROPOSITION booth. It was beautiful.”
artlovers: “.. well its amazing, they built a whole rough and ready show around it, and placed this huge flowering cherry blossom tree, an actual tree, in full bloom next to it…”
artlovers: …”back to the SLEEK article … one last question: was the part about Harvey Shipley Miller buying Alfredo’s drawing from you, for the Judith Rothschild Foundation collection at the MoMA true? or just another fantasy wanna be..”
Ronald: “no, that’s true. Harvey Shipley Miller saw Alfredo’s work from prison and loved it. It was actually the very last purchase that made it into that collection’s acquistion deadline.”
more info & photos on the Greene St: to post soon.
to see photos from Alfredo’s trial, actually his friends demonstrating outside the courthouse, including Josh Harris, Anthony Haden Guest, and the Enger Bros aka Exploding Sky:
Federal courthouse Nov 19, 2002 and scroll down to the bottom.
note: that ‘s Leo (Lio) Malka at the end of the 3rd row, at the top of the report.
to see photos from ‘Alfredo Martinez: Drawings from Prison’ at THE PROPOSITION, an exhibit of work that was smuggled out of prison and exhibited while he was still inside, go to:
Prison show, Oct 24, 2003
~ALFREDO MARTINEZ/The Canal Chapter/The New York Post/Sosinski | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 29th, 2006, 4:38pm
