FILE UNDER: if you are gonna dish free soup – guess you better cover your ass – hawking T-Shirts !!
(just joking – love it !!)
or: MAO – with that sandwich – dude ?
IMAGE COURTESY/GAVIN BROWN’S enterprise
. . . so, hot off the internet press – comes in this newsflash, today:
NYC’S most famous Thai deli-boys, GAVIN BROWN & RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA are hawking those ‘message’ T’s online !!
yo, like we said, they should come with a warning – do not attempt to wear at home – unless your country has an ingrained freedom of speech policy – and a broad sense of humor. not for use in small-minded dictatorships, intolerant regimes, or squeamish democracies, for that matter. either.
BUT WHAT WE WANT WE REALLY KNOW IS – WHEN WILL THEY DO – TAKE-OUT THAI (FOOD) !!
to order: T-SHIRT NO T-SHIRT
MEANWHILE IN . . . OTHER – FAST BREAKING – DELI-BOY NEWS . . .
(and yeah, it’s hard to keep up. we told ya, deli boy is taking over !! – this season anyway. no doubt about it. GBE is sweeping the scene.)
(gotta love this photo, bye the way – cause – if you know your JOHN LENNON stuff – then you know that’s his car – parked outside. the mini cooper – yep. ghost of John Lennon – in the house !!)
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH. OPENING NIGHT. ‘FEAR EATS THE SOUL’, GBE. MARCH 23, 2011
KATHLEEN MASSARA – relates in a post that just went up – MARCH 30, 2011 – in L MAGAZINE – that some smart ass bodies (!!)
absconded with Gavin’s car – that he had apparently left unattended with the keys in the ignition – an entirely plausible scenario given that the space was once a garage or loading dock and the gallery interior has been hollowed out. or left empty. or mde empty – again. stripped. de-constructed is the polite word. and with no security, or guns, just sayin – in sight !!
(hey, is that ‘golden’ beer crate nailed down – that’s what I want to know !!)
according to Ms. Massara’s retelling – of the dirty deed:
‘Chez Tiravanija, the onus is on the viewer to make the experience worthwhile. The relational artist’s job is to bring people together in a space with as few boundaries as possible. Last week, appropriately, artists PATRICIA SILVA and ERIC ANDERSON took matters into their own hands when they saw that a car was parked inside the wide-open gallery with keys in the ignition.
Taking this as a sign that they were free to take it for a spin, the pair drove around for less than a half hour, then returned to the gallery. Gavin Brown was outside, fuming, thinking his car had been stolen. He later told SALTZ*, “I suppose in some sense I set up the situation. So I’ve got nothing to complain about.” ‘
apparently trying to regain his cool – he then reached for some famous last words – not !! – as further related by Massara:
“But if someone really wanted to do something like this, they should have taken the car for a week, or driven it off the pier.”
yo dude – that for sure would NOT have been funny, but as done – yes. the deed was funny. dirty, but not that dirty, dude.
and a smart move – art wise, indeedy doody do.
all I can say is: seeing GAVIN BROWN fume ? – priceless !!
*artlovers footnote: – JERRY ‘PASS THE’ SALTZ – is a NYC art critic . . .
bye the way, that’s ‘pass’ – as in – GO PAST JAIL – WIN $200. in other words: skip.
maybe we should clarify the situation, and just call him – Skippy Saltz ?? !! ha.
Ms. Massara also alludes to a tempest-in-the-soup-pot brew that seems to be a-stoking among the food, I mean art critics – here in this town.
all I want to say is: my god – don’t you guys have any imagination ? don’t you know, can’t you get – something soaring free – when you – see it ?
or as Joan Rivers says in her recent bio/doc – it’s comedy, jerk !!
and no, I don’t think Skippy’s take is right – on the mark either. in fact think it went right over his head !!
issue: Ms. Masada also refers in her post to:
“IN a recent review, art critic Jerry Saltz applauded the piece’s ‘selfishness’.” end quote.
as if !!
with golden icons . . . (A-Z/Mao-Warhol) . . . in a mini on-site art bank – for sale, presumably – if the whole god damn installation isn’t up for museum purchase – at a blue plate special – price, no doubt !!
no I don’t thnk the show is about ‘sellessnish’ – at all !!
and I don’t think Gavin or Rirkrit – think so – either. witness their immediate response – online shilling !! ha.
it’s art – and art is a many-sided thing to behold – especially when it is – BRILLIANT !!
but selflessness – is not one of the facets.
the other guy who’s response doesn’t make the cut, and who really lost it is the New York Time’s KEN JOHNSON – whose bitter and short-ceiling’d – take – just posted in the NEW YORK TIMES yesterday. oh lordy.
though he is usually right on about the flat stuff, i.e. paintings – he never seems to be able to make the leap of faith – its called imagination, dude – needed for the free-wheeling stuff . . he didn’t get that great MICHEL GONDRY installation – ‘PLEASE RE-WIND’ – a few years back at DEITCH PROJECTS, either.
talk about – bitter. better watch out for the mighty feared GBE evil eye !!
Gavin Brown fuming ? – no say !!
see: KATHLEEN MASSARA/L MAGAZINE/FOOD ART FOR THE SOUL
see: KEN JOHNSON/NEW YORK TIMES/RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA at GBE
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
CHAIRMAN MAYO, I MEAN MAO !! -aka – THE GOLDEN TABLET !!
SELFLESS – NO !! ARTIST – YES !! even, ARTISAN, YES !!
wanna buy it ? – bet it’s already sold !!
and just think – how convenient it is – easy to hide under the bed, or stashed in a back pack – in times of trouble.
sorry, SKIPPY – it’s all about the skills !! mental and other wise.
RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA, ‘FEAR EATS THE SOUL’ – GAVIN BROWN’S enterprise.
up thru APRIL 16, 2011.
don’t blink, art loving dude !!
or: how time flies – when you are having – FUN !!
~DELI-BOY . . . BREAKING NEWS !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 2nd, 2011, 12:56pm
or: speaking of which . . . food.
FILE UNDER: FAMOUS DELI-MEN – I HAVE KNOWN . . . NYC STYLE !!
artist RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA and, at right, gallery owner GAVIN BROWN – !! – dish – soup and bbq pork !!
at the big, huge RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA opening reception – ‘FEAR EATS THE SOUL’ – Gavin Brown’s enterprise, MARCH 5, 2011.
ha. from now on – when we want to get something out – about MR. MOJO – Gavin Brown to you – under the radar. we’re gonna call him: deli boy !!
as in, hey dude. get this: deli boy just . . . took over.
nice hat bye the way. you should keep it.
STEVE VAN DOREN of VANS, center – dishes in the same month – !! – at the WAFFLE TRUCK – at the big, huge VANS WARPED TOUR – NYC KICK-OFF. MARCH 25, 2011 – at the new HOUSE OF VANS, in BROOKLYN. oh yeah.
STEVE VAN DOREN, DELI-MAN SUPREME, not to mention VICE PRESIDENT OF VANS and son of co-founder PAUL VAN DOREN !!
ALL PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
oh yeah. and pretty much nobody knew the diff. in either of the food lines. all for the good.
or: hosts with the most, win.
or: a-c-t-i-o-n, gimme some of that – as the reggae man sing.
. . . of course I knew Gavin, though catching him at the game – was the trick.
with Steve it was new territory for me. and no, nobody dropped the dime. I just do my goddamn homework !!
in fact I sampled a couple of kids in the crowd, including some working photogs, with VANS sponsorship by the way !! (just sayin..) to see if they recognized anybody behind the food table – and they just looked at me like I was nuts.
hey. crazy as a fox, dude.
that’s why he gave me such a big smile !! busted. I got him.
yeah, ya just gotta love the life. NYC STYLE 2011.
SCHOOL OF ROCK ALL STARS – HOUSE OF VANS, BROOKLYN – VANS WARPED TOUR 2011 – NYC KICK-OFF
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
OK, SPEAKING OF WHICH – MOST DEF – YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT, YOU LAZY, YOU KNOW WHAT !!
FOR A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE & SOME LOCAL COLOR, read this: HOUSE OF VANS OPENING – OCT 18, 2010/HYPEBEAST !!
and yo !! – do NOT forget to read the reader responses – priceless – make that – PEERLESSS – NYC shit – if I ever did read some !! oh, yeah.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH – HOUSE OF VANS, BROOKLYN. MARCH 25, 2011
~FAMOUS DELI-MEN I HAVE KNOWN !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 31st, 2011, 2:45pm
HOT SOUP – HOLY SKATE BOWL !! NO DIFF !! ALL GOOD !!
HOLY SKATEBOWL – MORE VANS WARPED TOUR 2011 – NYC – PIX !!
THE NEW HOUSE OF VANS – in BROOKLYN – 25 FRANKLIN ST at MESEOROLE
this huge venue – marks the first VANS exhibition, conference & par-tay, not to mention band stage & skateboard bowl – on the East Coast – in glorious Brooklyn, aka New York City !!
dig that mosaic tile edge – just like a swimming pool finish, or what. nice touch.
what with the softly florescent colored lights, and all . . . these guys pick up some serious speed.
. . . spectators can stand up close and personal. on the thin edge.
oh, yeah . . .
legendary graf artist – ROYCE BANNON.
ROYCE BANNON has work in the new – ‘PANTHEON – A HISTORY OF ART FROM THE STREETS OF NYC’ – WINDOW DISPLAY THAT JUST WENT UP – DONNELL PUBLIC LIBRARY 20 WEST 53rd St – OPPOSITE MoMA.
the window exhibit runs APRIL 2 – 17, 2011 – 24/7 access
(yeah, I got pix – coming up next, so to speak !!)
SCHOOL OF ROCK ALL STARS – WARM-UP !!
SCHOOL OF ROCK ALL STARS . . .
SCHOOL OF ROCK ALL STARS . . .
SCHOOL OF ROCK ALL STARS . . .
SCHOOL OF ROCK ALL STARS . . .
LIONIZE plays the VANS WARPED TOUR 2011 – NYC KICK-OFF PARTY, BROOKLYN. MARCH 25, 2011
LIONIZE . . . outta SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND !!
LIONIZE . . . yes, they were that good.
oh, yeah. awesome live. just heavy driving – something awesome.
sample: LIONIZE/myspace !!
LIONIZE !!
KAVES !! making some NYC/BROOKLYN MAGIC !!
KAVES with his host, STEVE VAN DOREN of VANS . . .
KAVES – how sweet it it !!
the new HOUSE Of VANS, in BROOKLYN. oh yeah.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH – VANS WARPED TOUR 2011 KICK-OFF PARTY, the new HOUSE OF VANS, BROOKLYN.
MARCH 25, 2011
~HOLY SKATE BOWL/THE NEW HOUSE OF VANS/BROOKLYN |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 31st, 2011, 2:42pm
Soup Kitchen at Gavin Brown’s enterprise – Leroy Street at Washington
MENU – THURS, FRI & SAT – MARCH 31, APRIL 1 & 2/2011
TRINI CORN SOUP
SOUPNOSOUP.COM
and yeah RIRKRIT did show up – last week in person – to dish it out, late afternoon Sat !!
heard it was, the soup – delish – as ever !!
~HOT SOUP/THURS FRI & SAT |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 31st, 2011, 2:07pm
man, is everybody thinking food in this town or what ?
soup (RIRKRIT), candy (JON COHEN) and pie (BORIS) – there ya go, NYC in a nutshell !!
not to mention HESH – with the grapes. and JOMO with the brownies.
not to mention those dark dudes above, do they look like they just skinned something evil or what. skull bones and all. all that’s left. see no evil. hear no evil – but you know – they did it !!
just look at those dudes on the right. they look, well: well-fed. evil, but well-fed, suits and all, or what ?
and those are our founding fathers, dude !! or some of them. damn.
BORIS RASIN – WILL BE EXHIBITING HIS – ‘CREEPY LODGE PORTRAITS’ – !! – IN A SOLO SHOW at the DOWN UNDER BAKERY PIE SHOP in the PARK SLOPE/WINDSOR TERRACE NEIGHBORHOOD . . . .
the OPENING RECEPTION is also tomorrow – FRI APRIL 1, 2011 from 7 – 8:30 PM
BORIS RASIN – ‘CREEPY LODGE PORTRAITS’ – DUBART (PIE SHOP) EXHIBITION
211 PROSPECT PARK WEST – CORNER OF 16th – WINDSOR TERRACE, BROOKLYN
F TRAIN TO 15th St.
the show runs for about a week – so don’t blink !!
COME FOR THE ART – STAY FOR THE PIES !!
from left: BORIS RASIN and WALKER FEE at the OLD STONE HOUSE/G-TRAIN SALON ‘NEW HISTORIES’ GROUP SHOW. FEB 1, 2011
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
check out: OLD STONE HOUSE GROUP SHOW !! on artlovers !!
check out: BORIS RASIN
check out: WALKER FEE
and don’t miss his: tape lesson !!
~BORIS RASIN/DUBART PIE SHOP/FRI APRIL 1/7-8:30 !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 31st, 2011, 1:25pm
from the left: MATTHEW ENGER, MARK’S TWIN BRO. good pal RICK RODINE at center, and MARK’S OLDER BROTHER – DAN ENGER.
RICK delivered the very moving eulogy.
MARK ENGER – 1963-2011 – MEMORIAL CELEBRATION – SAT MARCH 26, 2011
ST. MARK’S CHURCH, NEW YORK CITY
MARK’S ASHES – REST IN A CUSTOM-SCREENED NEON ORANGE PLEXI-URN . . .
MADE BY MATT.
if you ever visited Mark – the multi-color Mexican blanket – brought a nod of recognition.
his screened face – seemed to flicker with life. and sadness. to leave behind his friends so sad, and too soon.
you can see the ashes – better from this angle.
yep, that’s all we – all – come down to – earth to earth. dust to dust.
but not quite all – finally resting in a translucent neon orange plexi . . . urn. and silk screened, at that . . .
MARK ENGER signature – along the one side . .
MARK N. ENGER 1963- 2011.
MATT ENGER, Mark’s twin bro – was holding up – though often you could sense, understandably – how overpowered by grief and loss he was at times – in brief flickers. Matt said he and Mark was born “in the old hospital in Fort Sill, Oklahoma – where Geronimo – died”. for real.
MATT ENGER – looks just like Mark from this angle.
in his eulogy, Rick Rodine related how even their mom had to tie a red string around one of them – in their early years – so she could tell them apart.
in later life they kept some distance stylistically – but many present remarked how Matt has let his Mark side shine.
there was a small selection of photos – that spoke to Mark’s quick-to-grin love – for life . . .
yo. Mark Enger in beloved bike gear . . .
the grin . . .
from left: MATT with MARK in happier days . . . f*#k you world – we win.
yep. MATT. MARK ?
MATT !! . . . you did your bro proud with the memorial.
it was so friggin right on. military precision, music, words, sparse imagery, neon orange hand-screened urn – and all . . .
everyone present – was mighty moved.
hey, if you lost your twin bro – you’d morph too.
their older bro – DAN ENGER – also an artist – was in town for the memorial . . . too.
DAN ENGER got to meet & greet Mark’s NYC friends . . .
DAN ENGER’S – memorial poster for Mark.
he was actually talking with KIKI SMITH – when we caught the photo.
RICK RODINE spoke the eulogy and he did a damn great job. he kinda got teary & shaken at times – and looked like he could not go on – he was so moved with grief and emotion . . . but the audience backed-up him up, whenever he faltered: “you can do it, bro !! – go for it.”
Mark’s dear friend, N. HENRY JONES who made that great videotape of Mark at work in his silkscreen shop.
foreground: JOSH HARRIS.
in the row behind him, from left: KIKI SMITH, THEO CERIGO, and KATE CERIGO.
Mark taught Theo how to shoot a rifle – when he was something like 10 yrs old. Kate would be the first to tell you – her visit to Mark’s studio last April 2010 – was a highlite of her life – and what an amazing artist she thought Mark to be.
JOHNATHAN MORPURGO – JOMO !!- a big WE LIVE IN PUBLIC fan – got to meet – JOSH HARRIS.
JOSH and Mark had a long and colorful history together – they collaborated on many projects, and Mark lived up on the farm.
one day – it will all come together, for sure.
it was Josh, who first pointed out, how Matt had morphed into Mark.
‘the coop’ aka CHRIS COOPER with Stephanie – came in from Chicago, I think.
big ENGER fan – JON COUSSENS flew in from out of town, too.
Jon meet the Enger Bros – the first week of college – art school – back in the day when they were all of 18 !!
Jon’s words say it all:
“I’ve never seen such a bond and . . . how the collaboration created such great art.”
art mover and groover – HASH HALPER, everybody calls him ‘Hesh’ – new to the crew . . .
we’ll let the future speak to the past: to life !!
Hesh and Josh – the Quiet legacy lives on.
MARK ENGER – SELF PORTRAIT. UNIQUE SILKSCREEN on CANVAS.
FAREWELL, RIP sweet cowboy – we all loved ya.
not to fear. we will keep your memory, and your art – alive forever.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~MARK ENGER MEMORIAL PIX |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 30th, 2011, 9:48am
MARK ENGER – MEMORIAL CELEBRATION
SAT – MARCH 26, 2011 – FROM 2-4 PM
St. MARK’S CHURCH – 131 EAST 10th St at 2nd Ave – NYC
MARK ENGER 1963 – 2011.
I’m thinking maybe – just maybe – RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA throws the occasional glance or two – at artlovers – and was moved to include – a silkscreen-artist-at-work installation at – ‘FEAR EATS THE SOUL’ – by our recent coverage of the worldly departing of our dear friend and silkscreen artist – supremo – MARK ENGER – who called his studio . . . which he ran with his identical twin brother MATT . . . EXPLODING SKY WORLDWIDE . . . and which Matt continues to run.
MARK ENGER – in his studio just about one year ago – a true American hero.
an amazing super talented artist who silkscreened on canvas – as well as on pretty much everything else.
T-shirts included. He died sadly this past January 2011, not quite 48 yrs old. after a long and brave battle with throat cancer.
yeah. smokin’ too many of those damn ciggies – brought this sweet cowboy down.
MARK was a master silkscreener – you can watch him at work, here: MARK ENGER AT WORK/YouTube !!
and yeah, Mark also printed in-your-face slogans . . . but more about the art world – than the world at large.
ALL ARTISTS ARE WHORES
ALL CRITICS ARE LIARS
ALL DEALERS ARE PIMPS
ALL COLLECTORS ARE PIGS
FASCIST. ARTIST – DEALER – COLLECTOR – ON A MYLAR SCREEN.
Mark really liked to screen on utility jackets.
in fact, I first met him at PSEUDO – where he was silk screen artist-in-residence for JOSH HARRIS. he silkscreened our in-house crew work shirts at QUIET – and he plays a cameo role in WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – yep, he is the drunken cowboy. who couldn’t get back in the party.
yeah. his imagery got a little more aggressive – in the face of death. I guess that will do it to, ya.
talk about walking around – and maybe having your silkscreened message – provoke an attack.
liberal society or not.
but he also addressed the American past . . .
the Revolutionary War, the Civil War. cowboys . . .
and Native American Indians.
an army brat, born in FORT SILL, Oklahoma – he came by his imagery – from the ground up.
to visit Mark in his studio . . .
was truly to see . . .
poetry – in action.
he was definitely into making one-off – ‘unique’ – images from the ‘press’.
Mark Enger, gone – but not forgotten.
REST IN PEACE.
ONLY THE GOOD – DIE YOUNG.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH.
STUDIO VISIT. EXPLODING SKY, Newark, N.J. APRIL 2010.
~MARK ENGER MEMORIAL CELEBRATION |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 24th, 2011, 9:36pm
FILE UNDER: RIRKRIT GIVES NEW MEANING TO: YOU ARE – WHAT YOU EAT ??!!
OR: DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME – IF YOU LIVE IN LIBYA, CHINA . . . ARIZONA ?
IN HIS T-SHIRT SHOP – WHAT YOU WEAR – IS WHAT YOU THINK. AND THOSE ARE – FIGHTING WORDS.
IT’S NOT SO MUCH A CLOTHING SHOP – AS A WALKING TABLOID – A PRINTING PRESS DISSEMINATING REVOLUTIONARY THOUGHT.
WHAT THEY USED TO CALL – A BROADSHEET.
WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN & RESOURCES ARE SCARCE – THE T-SHIRT – IS A GOOD USE OF MATERIAL – JUST BETTER MAKE SURE – THE SOCIETY WHOSE DAYS ARE NUMBERED – HAS FREEDOM OF SPEECH . . . AND A SENSE OF HUMOR.
JUST IMAGINE IF THE CONCEPT OF A SLOGAN-PRINTED T-SHIRT – EXISTED in 1776 . . .
THAT’D BE SO FUNNY – TO SEE GEO. WASHINGTON IN A T-SHIRT – THAT PROCLAIMED: ‘OUT WITH THE BRITS’ !!
FEAR EATS THE SOUL – HOT OFF THE PRESS !!
not to mention – its also nice to see a real live artisan – at work . . . and, on an ancient form of mass communication, to boot.
silkscreen printing first surfaced in CHINA’S – SONG DYNASTY (960-1279AD).
and yes. when the power grid goes down – the old ways will re-surface.
(THINK . . . ON THAT – ONE. HA.)
who knew. the beauty of plywood. and the make-shift – sink . . .
the triumph of the white-wall break-down . . . not to mention that incredible plywood – golden hue.
ironically so suited for – the digital camera era.
oh, what a low-rent material – can do – when processed through the hands of a real artist.
on the left, RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA rests against his de-constructionist cube. yeah. gimme more of that big box take-down . . .
gallery shake-down. global shake-down. mind-set shake-down.
c’mon world get over – the ‘get-over’. the greed. the reign by terror . . . downscale and survival – is where it’s at.
T-SHIRT NO T-SHIRT – SHOP HRS/INFO
MORE PIX FROM THE OPENING – ‘FEAR EATS SOUL’ – RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA – GAVIN BROWN’S enterprise – MARCH 5, 2011.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
UP-DATE: FRI MARCH 25, 2011 – 1:08 PM
p.s. I heard on the grapevine that RIRKRIT will be at the installation – serving up Chicken Soup in person. tomorrow Sat March 26.
I would bet on the late afternoon, as the best window of time to catch him.
yeah, I’m agonna try to catch him after the ENGER MEMORIAL – ask him a few qusstiosn, you bet !!
~FEAR EATS THE SOUL/THEM BE FIGHTING WORDS . . . |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 24th, 2011, 6:55pm
for my sm(art) money – RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA’S – ‘FEAR EATS THE SOUL’ – is not only the best show in town – it is so good – and, on so many levels – and says all this, and more, with such grace and absolute newness – it is almost the ONLY show in town. period.
you can always see work on walls – but rarely do you get to walk through it.
it’s all gonna be downhill after this. until Gavin lets somebody else do something truly drastic – to his space, again.
it’s on par with that URS FISCHER pit, no doubt about it.
its really so bad that triple whammy disaster in Japan happened. literally. and within a week of this show’s opening. the photos and coverage – did you see the young elementary school survivors celebrating their graduation. a rite of passage – which until just a week ago would have been attended by family and friends in joyfulness. the young graduates struggling to hold back their tears now. heartbreaking. Diplomas and Uncertainty/NYT
uncertainty = fear eats the soul.
it gets sadder and sadder. but art-world wise in NYC – this is especially so. the ties that bind Japan and NYC art-wise are like none other in the world. they are truly yin to yang. brother and sister.
so, it was really sad and shocking to see ‘FEAR EATS THE SOUL’ – take on an eerie afterlife. a kind of ‘hipster’ blueprint for a communal disaster ‘shelter’. . . that was supposed to be for the future, not exactly, now. as in right now.
at any rate – wipe-out disaster, real-time or not – Rirkrit’s presentient, not to mention provocative, white wall throw-down – can stand alone as a testament – to where we are going globally . . . without having had the shock – of being proved to be so authentic – in real time.
an emergency pit stop – if I ever did see one.
a 7-eleven for the soul. with warm food and a place to gather. and some real tough art – to think about too, to boot. just my kind of way station, no doubt.
the unwinding reality shouldn’t eclipse – the imaging . . . and for sure, this was one unique vision come to life. and not one gun in sight, bye the way. big wok. no gun. signifies . . . what ?
peaceful society I dunno.
maybe in the east – there is no looting /
maybe the society is too polite. just saying . . . I mean what does that reference mean re: Chairman Mao – and the great violence his (peaceful) revolutionary thought – wrought ?
it’s part of the great integral beauty of Rirkrit’s vision – that he will supply fighting words. communal tables, and free food.
but, no guns.
soup, yes. east meets west. go figure. the specter of violence is not part of the Tiravanija dialog.
his is a very soothing vision. ladling out free soup, just in case the message escaped ya.
item: the enclosed plywood cube of a free-standing makeshift gallery. not only is this humble viewing space so superior to the standard white box – as an experience – but, who knew plywood could cast such a beautiful hue ?
but it also speaks to the role of culture in a degrading and crumbling society. as well as addressing the role of art – vis a vie investment commodity and form of currency. hence: art ‘bank’.
when the urban structures we are used to – go down – for sure new ones will spring up. nomadic and tent-like. plywood cube-like.
make-shift. there will always be trade in precious commodity and . . . ideas.
and this one is just about the size of your standard atm lobby.
and when the atms are down, you sure do wish – you can chip a little piece off that gold chip art – don’t ya ?
this gallery ‘bank’ has got the free-wheeling feel of a frontier trading post – set up in a hurry.
but it’s loaded with heavy-duty context.
and no doubt addresses the fact – that these days, its pretty much, the other way around . . . nice big bright walls, no meaning in sight.
CHAIRMAN MAO – MEETS ANDY WARHOL – CONTEMPLATE THAT, FOR YOURSELF.
wok vs brillo box . . . why isn’t the art world lexicon more global ? what’s art got to do with food. plenty. food is survival.
untainted food – that is. FEAR EATS THE SOUL – on that nuke melt-down thought – doesn’t it . . .
the first man-made paintings were bison – on the caveman’s wall. magic talismans – as they say.
not to mention art + ideas + beauty = commerce. as in: wanting it, at least to behold it, if not to actually own it – creates a marketplace. creativity is the human spark. is this is a mini-bodega for the mind ?
next to the soup kitchen = you find a place to buy food for the mind ?
art + ideas + beauty = inspiration = food for the soul = hope = thought. when it lifts off – the magic = is the power of being.
being human in the face of an earth we cannot control – is simply just making . . . a mark ? an image. a story in shape and form.
a narrative about east meets west .
commerce + magic = human nature in a nutshell.
but maybe its just as simple as: wok needs brillo pad = to stay clean.
love the part about Mao in his sleeping bag on the trail – I know there are some creation myths there – though personally it reminds me of my friend Alfredo being incarcerated in Chinese secret detention, and dreaming of TV . . .
or is that TV over . . . books. I guess that’s up for grabs.
but again – no gun in sight. instead we get the coke bottles, or is that beer, no diff.
in a crate – a brilliant footnote – if I ever did see one. a brilliant graphic.
and if I could only write, as plainspoken as this art speaks – I’d be alright.
the back room. natch.
I keep thinking how fun, to come around that plywood partition wall – and find Gavin at work.
NICOLAI OUROUSSROFF – should review this show.
big question: I guess my big question would be whether Gavin will maintain this brilliant break-down – as his exhibition space proper, going forward ?
I mean the whole entire block-thru installation – rather than pull it down for the next artist ?
I’m gonna cry rivers, come April 16th – if he does.
I mean, even that huge empty communal ‘dining’ hall – would make a great viewing space – and the little plywood cube spaces – could be re-fashioned to any number of future errands ?
it’s also a great relief to escape from the over-exposure of the typical gallery – front office – endless 3 ring binders and girls on phones – which like a boiler room on a cruise ship – should be outta sight, enough already. enough with the post-modern realism.
if you aren’t familiar with the gallery – you aren’t even gonna miss it. let alone have a clue how to reach it !!
Rirkrit and Gavin have stashed it away, behind a flush wall pretty much inaccessible. that super rude engine of modern art commerce – finally out of sight, where it belongs. if not totally lost, at least forgotten.
but I guess still purring on. sight unseen . . .
RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA – ‘FEAR EATS THE SOUL’ – GAVIN BROWN’S enterprise – MARCH 5-APRIL 16, 2011
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~FEAR EATS THE SOUL/ART BANK (PLYWOOD) |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 22nd, 2011, 4:39pm
FILE UNDER: BRING ME A WITNESS . . .
more pix from the RIKRIT TIRAVANIJA OPENING . . . ‘FEAR EATS THE SOUL’ – GBE. MARCH 5, 2011.
on the right: gallerist ALICE VAN DEN ABEELE – of ALICE GALLERY in Brussels, BELGIUM, in town for the art fair weekend – with her pal – AUGUSTIN.
also visiting NYC, center, artist MAURICIO LIMON, of MEXICO – with his hosts: local artist REMY AMEZCUA and his lovely wife, LAURENCE (LOLA) FAYARD – who is a custom bookbinder – LAURENCE FAYARD STUDIO.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~THE DAYS OF THIS SOCIETY IS NUMBERED |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 22nd, 2011, 3:11pm
