~GINGERBREADMEN/DAMIEN ‘TANKS’ DOWN & URS ‘TONGUES’ UP !!

in production

before I even get into this – I have to say, I’m a big big fan of URS FISCHER, but not so, of the new New Museum.
why ? cause they value ‘socialite’ pix over ‘art’ pix, among other reasons. they are cold-hearted to the bone. calculating and boring. their take on the art scene, esp ‘new’ art – is as narrow as their bullying, I mean building. mental and metal on the Bowery – the best way to sum the place up in 2 words. unless you also want to add, warning: not terribly bright ‘socials’ at work. and you thought America was all about a classless society, or esp its new museums. right.
if you didn’t know art was about the money – this place makes sure you get the picture.
and, there it is, right in the heart of the (formerly low down & dirty) Lower East Side. ouch.

I mean I guess the whole point is to get the the big collectors to hook up with the new art. is it working.
you tell me. I don’t see anywhere near the kind of exciting big party spilling out onto the street – it would need to be – to do that. to light fires. but, what do I know – maybe all that stuff goes on behind closed doors. it ain’t no street scene, it sure ain’t no rave – that’s for sure. its pretty much empty most of the time.

so I’m hoping this tongue-in-a-hole, by Urs, that apparently pops up at ya from a small hole in the wall – as reported on by Roberta Smith – is metaphor, for what I want to do – every time that New Museum name comes up – which is – to stick a tongue out at them. of course, there are no photos of that pop-out tongue – in the Times essay. well there ya go. the Times pix were pretty lame, the review was kind, but no rave. but can’t wait to see the ‘enlightening’ socialite pix from the super elitist members-only opening. Read somewhere, was it the New York Times ARTS & LEISURE last summer, that MARCIA TUCKER, the New Museum’s radical founding Director, thought that everyone on the museum’s staff, from the guards to the curators to the head administrators – should earn exactly the same salary. of course, and probably rightfully so, the current Director, LISA PHILLIPS pooh-poohed that notion as unrealistic. but it seems a colorful way to capture the kind of forward-looking, brilliantly bold, and all-encompassing energy that let Ms. Tucker build a museum from the ground up. as opposed to the kind of narrow castle of default it has become. URS: tongues and tanking – they both start with the letter T.
T for thanks. you always get it right.

urs tongue
URS FISCHER – TONGUE IN THE WALL. PHOTO:COURTESY/NEW MUSEUM.
URS FISCHER – MARQUERITE de PONTY – NEW MUSEUM – 10/21/09 – 2/7/10.
the pix on the museum website – are actually pretty good. way better than the Times photos, which were awful.
the museum pix – actually make you wanna go see the show.
take the time – to scroll down that web page – they even have a pretty snappy video of the tongue in motion !!

urs self portrait
URS FISCHER, self-portrait. PHOTO:COURTESY/NEW MUSEUM.