Flavin & Hirschi coming to inde/jacobs

It will be exciting to open a new show at inde/jacobs. Paintings & NEW prints by David Hirschi, as well as a mini-retrospective of Dan Flavin prints. So get ready for the opening on the first Friday of October. (The image above is an Untitled print by Flavin, published in '98.

I'm Returning

First - this laptop has intrmittnt "e"s. Sorry, but min is virus-riddn.

Long break - but this is a nw attmpt.

My return is not the rsult of any new exhibit or artwork. Intad, doing some reading, xistntial crisis, etc. Earlier this summer, I rad Martin Duberman's "Black Mountain." Although quite acadmic, I would argue that only suburbanites without any imagination could walk away from that book lacking the desire to create, to xpand, to grow. (By the way, Tom and I live in the suburbs of Marfa - so no slam intended.)

Then - Graveyard of Empires - Afghanistan. You have to wonder whether any politicians have read this book and considered the implications. Afghani soldirs bought off by one side one day, the other side the nxt. The US supportd the Taliban until it didn't. Absurdity. One can hardly imagine a book of fiction that would be as absurd as th rality of Afghanistan. On top of this - I saw the movie "The Hurt Locker." Chaos. Chance. Let's send more troops in???? Why? Thr will be no victory - just as there is no victory in Iraq. Spiralling out of control - that's all.

Most rcently - Paul Auster's NY Trilogy - City of Glass - phnomenal stretch of imagination and the conscious/subconcious.

Although Black Mountain was hopeful, despit petty battles, Graveyard and NY Trilogy lead you to qustion what's it all about! Whr are we going and why? Should anone really care? Are we actors? puppets? significant in any way whatsoever?

Are we any better off than men of th stone age? Grat - w have I-phones (that rarely work in Marfa b/c AT&T's 97% coverage xcludes W TX). Computers (w or w/out viruses). cars, planes, you name it. But whose lives are better b/c of this. Whose lives are torturd b/c of our grat mdical care?

So - in light of all of this - I might have to crawl back into my little nook of art and consider it to be important and worthwhile.

By th way - one of th most beautiful rcent art books - Wolfgang Tillman's Lighter, which includes an essay by Julie Ault - an absolutely lovely woman who visitd Marfa. A woman who - along with other artists of Group Material" cared/cares and helped inspire. http://www.hatjecantz.de/controller.php?cmd=detail&titzif=00002187&lang=en

Coming Soon

Excuse the gap in the blog. I have been frantically preparing the second annual book - Marfa's Youngest Artists 2010 for Marfa Studio of Arts. I have been photographing kids, art, participating in classes, designing and working with Ellie Meyer-Madrid - the director. The initial draft is now done and I can focus on other things.

Three new art openings in Marfa in the last two weeks. Ballroom Marfa presents an excellent (and serious) exhibit - although some work is stronger than others (as in any show of multiple artists).  You also have an opportunity to see "Texas" art at the bookstore and something lighter at Galerie Urbane. Michael Beman's photographs of West Texas are beautiful and capture the vast landscape and some of its details.

More to come.

Vilis

Koons at Versailles - Brilliant

          

Jeff Koons 

"Balloon Dog" (Magenta)

in The Hercules Salon

121x143x45" 1994-2ooo

Elana Geuna and Laurent Le Bon, the curators of the exhibit of Jeff Koons at the Chateau de Versailles state, "A fleeting folly, a risk worth taking, because Versailles, formerly 'an experimental breeeding-ground' and a 'multi-disciplinary laboratory' for the most daring of creative works, particualrly during its grand fetes, deserves this contemporary eye."

This is a brilliant exhibit that I truly wish that I could have seen. The catalogue, published by Editions Xavier Barral, and available at the Marfa Book Co., however, provides the essence of being in the middle of this explosion of styles. Perhaps the greatest aspect of the exhibit is how the mirror quality of the Balloon Dog, the Bunny, etc. pulled all of the elements of the ornate rooms into the polished metal work. The sculpture became patterned and included the viewer within.

The sinuous lines of the architecture, art and decoration were also seen in the sculpture of Koons. The colors were splendid. And to top it off, Koons included his marble bust - "Self-Portrait." The pompous nature of this artwork mirrored the pompous nature of the Chateau.

I understand that many have a problem with Koons's art and message. But it reflects an element of American and Western culture - of the Post-Reagan era. It represents a need that exists in so many individuals. It represents Wall Street during its "finest" hour of glory and greed. It is also far more subtle.

Koons was the right artist for this experiment of bringing contemporary art into Versailles. The bar has been set so high, that it will be interesting to see whether any other artist can present an installation that will not be a disappointment. There will be great future exhibitions, but... 

*I thought that I would attempt to entice a few comments by leaving Marfa. So...

"Hanging Heart" (Red/Gold)

in the Queen's Staircase

115x110x40", 1994-2oo6

A version of "Hanging Heart" sold for $23.6 million at Sotheby's in October 2007.

It's a start

I had some great conversations about Wesley's art within the 24 hours of the first post. I also learned about the 500+ page catalogue of his work by Germano Celant published in 2009.

One Wesley fan said that he will go down in history as the third most important pop-artist after Warhol and Lichtenstein.

There were a fair amount of people that said that I can't expect anyone to express their views in writing. Unfortunately, this coincides with peoples' views that they also can't discuss art that is exhibited in Marfa for fear of offending either the artist or the person presenting the work.

I, for one, would not be offended if anyone questioned any of the art that I present at inde/jacobs. I think that it would be interesting to hear questions about work that I show and feel strongly about. If one decides to present something to the public, they should be prepared to answer any and all questions about it. It seems odd to me that people believe that a dialogue and questions may offend the person who is presenting the work.

Let's see how it goes. Thanks David for your comment.

V

PS - A number of artists are busy at work at Ballroom Marfa creating installations. I wonder what we will see.

Photo of Presidio County Courthouse - c 2010 VI - Yes, I agree - not the geatest photograph - but I thought that I should have a photo of Marfa in the blog.

John Wesley - Just How Important is He?

John Wesley

Black Bow, 1966

Gouache on paper. 14 x 20 in

JOHN WESLEY -

I will start this blog with something relatively easy. What do people think of John Wesley's artwork?

The Wesley installation at the Chinati Foundation is controversial. (Perhaps an overstatement)  If one asks visitors was there something you didn't like at Chinati, Wesley's name pops up more than most. He has had a relatively low profile as an artist. This of course doesn't mean that he is good or bad.

But now we have a "blockbuster retrospective, organized by the renowned Italian curator Germano Celant under the auspices of the Prada Foundation," running in conjunction with the Venice Biennale.

SEE - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/arts/design/09wesley.html

Does this mean anything?

I would doubt that anything can resurrect Wesley's status in a way that makes him an important artist in "art historical" terms. He is certainly no Judd or Warhol. Not many people are. But will people know Wesley in 25 or 50 years. If it weren't for Judd's installation at Chinati, I think that he would be forgotten except by the true afficianados.

VI

(Excuse my typos - I'm looking for a spellcheck, but...)

Mission Statement

                                                                                    






















This is an undertaking. There will be missteps along the way. I appologize for those in advance.


Marfa needs open communication. One of the more interesting aspects of this contemporary art town is that the art and events that are presented are praised, but not analyzed, dissected, or discussed. There is an unwritten rule that we not offend. But if we are to get beyond  being a simple provincial outpost, discussion is absolutely essential to create a vital dialogue about Marfa.

My goal is also that we get beyond general "art criticism." This has essentially become simple description and blatthering praise.

My goal is to also discuss some of the exceptional art, in the broadest sense, that can be found in Marfa. This town may be THE center for showing the best that of new minimalism and reductive art. Various galleries represent the most brilliant "emerging" artists that work in these fields. Perhaps a discussion of these will help spread the beauty, elegance and importance of this new work - that is not simply derivative of the early minimalists.

I hope to discuss various social issues as well. This is a special small town with very diverse cultures. The needs of all communites must be met. None oar more important than the other.

I realize that starting this blog may seem presumptious. But let's see how it goes and engage in some honest discussion.


 VI