~CHINA: breaking news – a major disaster, what else ?

FILE UNDER: “KILL THE CHICKEN TO SCARE THE MONKEY”.

p.s. remember the MONKEY in the recent DUKE RILEY CHINESE ZODIAC RIVER RACE: historically the monkey cheated & he won !!
apparently he also traumatized a whole nation. and not without reason, dude.
apparently the Chinese never got over that – and NEITHER SHOULD you !! there’s wisdom in dem old tales, for sure !!
but still – tossing a young (GERMAN !!) art handler in jail, and throwing away the keys, it’s making major global ripples, here’s the story.

see: CHINA ARRESTS UNNERVE ART WORLD – NEW YORK TIMES, TUES, JULY 17, 2012

so, TELL ME, MY CREW – !! ISN’T ALWAYS ahead of the curve !!

(DAN ASHER, included.)


JOSH HARRIS of ‘WE LIVE IN PUBLIC’ fame – and ALFREDO MARTINEZ !!
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH, WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN. AUGUST 19, 2010.

American Brooklyn-born artist ALFREDO MARTINEZ had just been released from months of SECRET DETENTION in CHINA – on behalf of Josh’s INTENSE efforts – in conjunction with the most important help from the well-connected, Brit blue-blood diplo family scion: art collector & art writer – BYRON HAWES !!

look at Alfredo’s legs. they are purple from the ankle up. that’s what about 3 months of detention in China will do to ya. esp if you weren’t too well from the get-go.
I’m told it’s a form of a diabetes and it’s taken a bad turn recently – with Alfredo having to be hospitalized in Connecticut where his family can look out for him. next step, if he is not careful: they amputate the legs, from the knee down – so it’s no friggin joke.

detention in China is no joke – esp because they often tend to throw away the keys.
read that article in the TIMES again . . . !!
and you don’t have to read between the lines, either. it’s all there – in black & white.

and then, read: the background story on ALFREDO’S CHINESE DETENTION/artlovers . . . ALFREDO: LOST & FOUND !!

okay, don’t tell the big guy: but the inside circle of winners’ joke ?

does ALFREDO still need shoes ?

sorry – but I can’t pass on .. on passing that on.
blame it on NORA !! just don’t tell Alfie !! or I’m dead. as usual.
ELI BROAD, ALFIE MARTINEZ – no diff. if you don’t see me at the next big opening – call the cops.

and if you were really lucky !!
you were in the JOSH HARRIS address book – and received a few months back, an email draft of Josh’s proposal to tell Alfredo’s Chinese detention story – on the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TV series: ‘Locked Up Abroad’.

I kid you not, as NORA EPHRON would say, you can’t make this stuff up.

Josh’s working title, for the project: “TORTURED ARTIST” – !!

apparently brilliant title, and colorful character aside – the project didn’t make it past the first round.
too bad – !!
what’s wrong with Nat Geo !!

come on, red rover, red rover – let someone else come aboard – and help ALFREDO get over !!

you guys in the mainstream artworld, are not only SO slow – but friggin lame, as well.
you only, ONLY back the guys like JEFF KOONS and CINDY SHERMAN, that you can safely bring home, back to dinner with the wife and kids, and ain’t that the truth. the artist as business-head pros.
and you know it.

but you know – it’s always the outlaws and the overlooked – who sneak up from behind, and win – the race !!
JEAN MICHEL, anybody ?

now, remind me.

how did DISASTER get to rhyme with artist, anyway ? oh yeah, JEFFREY DEITCH !!

LA MOCA – what do you know – ahead of the curve, FINALLY. disco balls and all.