tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32942049855259875322024-03-13T11:52:40.653-07:00Questioning contemporary artMarilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-65179139743385599312012-06-05T18:07:00.006-07:002012-06-05T19:34:26.625-07:00Politics and art, together again.As I am about to leave town for some much-needed art-viewing, I am impressed by the political things being posted by friends and colleagues on-line.<br />
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A brief sampling from tonight:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg3QzHjXvocYYNQ1utXOt3fMhzAN6IBKBVnxLOdxag-Q4SRu4Q59d-mTjaFaMA1NO8mbgjp5CnAEectG7y-yS_FOLUiR-CJiwOjjJQYx0qBDcM_NljePMdzsfLVwa0TPqgpQwSGY-E4Sa/s1600/Dan+Wang+facebook+pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg3QzHjXvocYYNQ1utXOt3fMhzAN6IBKBVnxLOdxag-Q4SRu4Q59d-mTjaFaMA1NO8mbgjp5CnAEectG7y-yS_FOLUiR-CJiwOjjJQYx0qBDcM_NljePMdzsfLVwa0TPqgpQwSGY-E4Sa/s400/Dan+Wang+facebook+pic.png" width="175" /></a><br />
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Chicago-based critic Dan Wang's current Facebook pic--fantastic! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRc02p5OOCOQemulpoZbiKaTxu1zrcEhcKK409VBmsnMOmR2kxGnqJY_-05_hMkFzvUBvKyqwjmsmfoLGuumesfOM-z63d1beBdwUO5pC7yDEMsFU6dhlAYDviPUuW60A2vvfv9_li0DDw/s1600/Overhead+Light+Brigade.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRc02p5OOCOQemulpoZbiKaTxu1zrcEhcKK409VBmsnMOmR2kxGnqJY_-05_hMkFzvUBvKyqwjmsmfoLGuumesfOM-z63d1beBdwUO5pC7yDEMsFU6dhlAYDviPUuW60A2vvfv9_li0DDw/s320/Overhead+Light+Brigade.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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Image of an action by the Overhead Light Brigade, whose members traveled around Wisconsin, getting their message out despite the cold and abuse.<br />
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But the most important, sobering image that gets back to brass tacks? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzFaQF_SmXK83-SA9kO_z0thuhFwvutyg_CyLlJfn-EatfHnMe1PUlOJWvDc4iF6ZXj-8UPnJEQIEZAGDBYBhvXpmr1NG40Q7clb4I4WscTdcbxjr0Uok0-5LEMxsTUMmwoiDWlnpfqFR/s1600/Debt+dealers.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzFaQF_SmXK83-SA9kO_z0thuhFwvutyg_CyLlJfn-EatfHnMe1PUlOJWvDc4iF6ZXj-8UPnJEQIEZAGDBYBhvXpmr1NG40Q7clb4I4WscTdcbxjr0Uok0-5LEMxsTUMmwoiDWlnpfqFR/s320/Debt+dealers.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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So here you go, stats to refute the idiocy and divisiveness aimed at the Country's leader.<br />
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So as I head to Europe I look forward to hearing about someone else's politics because ours are depressing and mind-numblingly small. I look forward to seeing politicized art at Documenta and Manifesta, art that tackles the issues of today, issues other generations had explored and exploded--and perhaps artists will, again, bring me some solace in this wacky world.<br />
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PS. Wisconsin--why have you failed us?Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-55562118351934380962012-03-28T13:50:00.000-07:002012-03-28T13:50:00.113-07:00Proving the spring<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBzqYsPv-qAoxP8i5uTngxhfm-ZAoBDRQ4PD6u4xccqpZEzFhozRCQNREna-JlI1TXRPdndkCzTVGjPb3nZ_3rLz9Hyeanmjn5si0is044wgeQoAINRq0bNj2Jt4GI4npbatnuZgQ2Jan/s1600/yellow.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBzqYsPv-qAoxP8i5uTngxhfm-ZAoBDRQ4PD6u4xccqpZEzFhozRCQNREna-JlI1TXRPdndkCzTVGjPb3nZ_3rLz9Hyeanmjn5si0is044wgeQoAINRq0bNj2Jt4GI4npbatnuZgQ2Jan/s400/yellow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723569657450335090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Al photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />The simple goal of this post is to prove that St. Louis has the best springtime landscape ever, anywhere.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GWoCq9R7b96TkmqKVZ91vrGW0CGaMwIpKdOwJGL2aMtqeGo0kpGsoAqTWjhQtRKQ3pN73bVazsnvsqlzE9t0VoiXFKxjMkOyk4ayXbhWtSeRwbCUgkfxebedESPNujZ9YajuD22tOjyM/s1600/white.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GWoCq9R7b96TkmqKVZ91vrGW0CGaMwIpKdOwJGL2aMtqeGo0kpGsoAqTWjhQtRKQ3pN73bVazsnvsqlzE9t0VoiXFKxjMkOyk4ayXbhWtSeRwbCUgkfxebedESPNujZ9YajuD22tOjyM/s400/white.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723569599269006242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A range of colors and shapes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cKz_LGDe_LuSZlVGQGl2bQq-PD5wmybXwWpz6yGmB8JgFKdHSqIOlKOTTwECO1yqLA_H-bGkeIBC95oGnOwb_ncFkjpNzfucpaHaJSks9J96JMeRAfxjih8rKOQHyeVJPidWZDrGQnLD/s1600/orange.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cKz_LGDe_LuSZlVGQGl2bQq-PD5wmybXwWpz6yGmB8JgFKdHSqIOlKOTTwECO1yqLA_H-bGkeIBC95oGnOwb_ncFkjpNzfucpaHaJSks9J96JMeRAfxjih8rKOQHyeVJPidWZDrGQnLD/s400/orange.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723569535049956754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Upright habit, cascading habit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_x_3cgLqiy6YVVuKOF6jOQNHgAYV_99vYL-REqmADal6dy4vAmuUeTFm2OG0Bafx-8qtK4UUNe7iEuPGu_Y3sAiuE3hpl4-Swk-LOetqq51k1LWFH7Idy5vbGLD8PEx1HXeQgQSmqrJu/s1600/magnolia.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_x_3cgLqiy6YVVuKOF6jOQNHgAYV_99vYL-REqmADal6dy4vAmuUeTFm2OG0Bafx-8qtK4UUNe7iEuPGu_Y3sAiuE3hpl4-Swk-LOetqq51k1LWFH7Idy5vbGLD8PEx1HXeQgQSmqrJu/s400/magnolia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723569459699136930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Pinkish purple, purple pink, whitish yellow, yellowy orange.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnMfuDO-29I1Lo9z0Ft7VejGdbntWZdkNYO_cJ1kZPqTMeEAO_3O476vr-9Mkr56sGDuxjdB206ZRIRAkEQm_AE9iVl1RT-CKHYH37JIg6qmO_xThr5A9eb1f-0bv5SievwCIy1WNoZYv/s1600/dogwood.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnMfuDO-29I1Lo9z0Ft7VejGdbntWZdkNYO_cJ1kZPqTMeEAO_3O476vr-9Mkr56sGDuxjdB206ZRIRAkEQm_AE9iVl1RT-CKHYH37JIg6qmO_xThr5A9eb1f-0bv5SievwCIy1WNoZYv/s400/dogwood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723569383029858754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We've got it all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8IjTFv7MzRONESDA2tedBgbwJ_GLzJI-cPODQ-Q9TXtnqaVlY3_wODPLHdYW7HQrXtQpg11UEbNTf0CybTD-uOY9R6AM0Q7jb4RQz_iFO4kHrUQu-t8090aCclFhXlv0MDSoFGn-7Z9F/s1600/dense+pink.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8IjTFv7MzRONESDA2tedBgbwJ_GLzJI-cPODQ-Q9TXtnqaVlY3_wODPLHdYW7HQrXtQpg11UEbNTf0CybTD-uOY9R6AM0Q7jb4RQz_iFO4kHrUQu-t8090aCclFhXlv0MDSoFGn-7Z9F/s400/dense+pink.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723569313255779234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dense and open, closed and pop-y.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3m0Mh2NQnUlI7rxqiOeqDvB7YuZp8iA9iKhkiFNnCuHfGGodG64_EcVe-D7dh6_hYxJMQm4HmSVbq29FUpYaS7rgfKVF92XMbTUy5_cYvmNGLSKxPOGd8aQbOCgkhaI1ZyGoTFYJSapeb/s1600/cherry.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3m0Mh2NQnUlI7rxqiOeqDvB7YuZp8iA9iKhkiFNnCuHfGGodG64_EcVe-D7dh6_hYxJMQm4HmSVbq29FUpYaS7rgfKVF92XMbTUy5_cYvmNGLSKxPOGd8aQbOCgkhaI1ZyGoTFYJSapeb/s400/cherry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723569239155459234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And I'm allergic to every single one.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-91662101362853968292012-03-24T13:06:00.009-07:002012-03-24T13:50:51.896-07:00The Armory Rush<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixthxUsUfLRcWLl3YO7tvqmfiYjdItA-TZPAIcnAibgQUspIBOntGiHft9bIgUH0U60Xg9GJsNNM1sn-ecWfs2LgilkiE6op5pC4BsNqZW_DQ0jtQiK9oJd-nsXuEX9RRx8g2RlVRazkPZ/s1600/Bess+at+the+Whitney.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixthxUsUfLRcWLl3YO7tvqmfiYjdItA-TZPAIcnAibgQUspIBOntGiHft9bIgUH0U60Xg9GJsNNM1sn-ecWfs2LgilkiE6op5pC4BsNqZW_DQ0jtQiK9oJd-nsXuEX9RRx8g2RlVRazkPZ/s400/Bess+at+the+Whitney.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723558254787242978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Forrest Bess at the Whitney Biennial. All photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />This Bess photo is a bit skewed because I had to snake around the clutch of folks crowding in on each of the works in this Bob Gober-curated show, the best part of the Biennial. Call me jaded: the objects were not as interesting as the performative gestures. Performa has done a great job pushing NY's museums into recognizing one of the most powerful motivating genres of the post-war period (a little late though, huh?)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSY4fAB4btMyZkrBT4GzQACUsY5-NI_UcO2jrMep3xXNNzIsYG_14Uf3kNT8ONZtIuJEAlwmv8OZhD-BVaK1PxINDcy1ZPz87mTJwpDjsCYduzWTeJ1nZCYUfV2HE6sGHFBRQ_nqqledPY/s1600/Leonard+Peltier%252C+Horse+Nation%252C+2011.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSY4fAB4btMyZkrBT4GzQACUsY5-NI_UcO2jrMep3xXNNzIsYG_14Uf3kNT8ONZtIuJEAlwmv8OZhD-BVaK1PxINDcy1ZPz87mTJwpDjsCYduzWTeJ1nZCYUfV2HE6sGHFBRQ_nqqledPY/s400/Leonard+Peltier%252C+Horse+Nation%252C+2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723558127410692546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Leonard Peltier, <span style="font-style: italic;">Horse Nation</span>, 2011.</span><br /><br />Paint-by-number? Native Nations activist / political prisoner Leonard Peltier's work was included in another artist's installation. Irregardless (yes, it's a legal word, look it up) of what the installation was, there was something sad and fierce about this work against the feigned faux works around it (except the Bess). The political bent of the Whitney was coming out--thank goodness. In the arts we've learned that being polite doesn't get us anything--look at how arts councils and tax deductions are being used as a punching bag at the state and federal levels--perhaps it's time to loot and burn, take no prisoners?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFLOESacPsMJgGjyYcQBejTTSGhS5ZBMP88YjfYDiJeontvmqH1via6qkTarnsRzqr4WrlKz4F4j2f5V6QgV-RMEZV462DB0EOeuQXkR4v52s-foQ82EJWmu8kaXI2DQBrpfP0PcQs7W_/s1600/Kai+Althoff.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFLOESacPsMJgGjyYcQBejTTSGhS5ZBMP88YjfYDiJeontvmqH1via6qkTarnsRzqr4WrlKz4F4j2f5V6QgV-RMEZV462DB0EOeuQXkR4v52s-foQ82EJWmu8kaXI2DQBrpfP0PcQs7W_/s400/Kai+Althoff.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723557992964122370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Kai Althoff.</span><br /><br />I read the labels, I swear! Why did nothing stick? I liked the materials, scale and scope of this. It's an image for you to enjoy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5dEPqX6yHXY231af2ImAFlPkqPRFhxTVKu_qh_VgdfTet8xXFSxb2lB7AitFGl1aWoTMtD1hme70FuU7hzI-zIooTnOKErZk1ajgSMVxHci00y9dRRQ8Wv7FuQ9OjU9C1O9vyCp6piqy/s1600/John+Miller%252C+Suburban+Past+Time.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5dEPqX6yHXY231af2ImAFlPkqPRFhxTVKu_qh_VgdfTet8xXFSxb2lB7AitFGl1aWoTMtD1hme70FuU7hzI-zIooTnOKErZk1ajgSMVxHci00y9dRRQ8Wv7FuQ9OjU9C1O9vyCp6piqy/s400/John+Miller%252C+Suburban+Past+Time.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723557833045509986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />John Miller, <span style="font-style: italic;">Suburban Past Time</span>, 2012.</span><br /><br />John Miller at Metro Pictures investing the middlebrow culture of Middle America. Funny, biting, but you don't almost don't need art to point out the artifice of suburban lives, the tragedy writes itself!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfL6fJNkYqJ6uBvIRq-utR3CLdnAgv3caD4eNlKGXYSoeDBzdknoQfdNxpJg9kIja9fqUahVlWFjIxRxLJJZQYf-kJe1DhZAXYQkN-IQHREnEis268OTU68MOGJ8PQuqQGIPngmbEpBdD/s1600/Pae+White.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfL6fJNkYqJ6uBvIRq-utR3CLdnAgv3caD4eNlKGXYSoeDBzdknoQfdNxpJg9kIja9fqUahVlWFjIxRxLJJZQYf-kJe1DhZAXYQkN-IQHREnEis268OTU68MOGJ8PQuqQGIPngmbEpBdD/s400/Pae+White.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723557759138672066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Pae White at The Independents.</span><br /><br />One of the best mobiles by Pae--the top of each element was mylar, reflecting the color materials above it. Glorious confusion and movement.<br /><br />Why do fairs not put names / titles up? I see why galleries at The Independents don't--the space is too wacky, like a tricked out high school gym. There was energy, a crush and some excellent works. Bingo!Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-28715314310682592902012-01-21T11:08:00.001-08:002012-01-21T12:18:52.427-08:00The Beginning of Modern America<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahkZAad6X-RJKVA2EQUSJbL86-p-iHaAdu8LQGtgANjeyQqMAiX4svF8SPYoDL6RyEHLYERyq74YH2CR7ztIx0QqErtBz1YkYFg0QB2lfSELE0meuI0ljIJAm61VMG_g-hdPBJkqCg9n1/s1600/cake+decorations%252C+Cook%2527s+store%252C+West+Allis.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahkZAad6X-RJKVA2EQUSJbL86-p-iHaAdu8LQGtgANjeyQqMAiX4svF8SPYoDL6RyEHLYERyq74YH2CR7ztIx0QqErtBz1YkYFg0QB2lfSELE0meuI0ljIJAm61VMG_g-hdPBJkqCg9n1/s400/cake+decorations%252C+Cook%2527s+store%252C+West+Allis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700164407584477650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">photo courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />I'm reading Charles C. Mann's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/1491-Revelations-Americas-Before-Columbus/dp/1400032059/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327176484&sr=1-3"><span style="font-style: italic;">1491</span></a> (thanks to Sanjay Jain, who sent it to me after a very interesting discussion about an up-coming program at Laumeier).<br /><br />This book is opening up my worldview about the dense, complex web of cultures that existed in the Americas before, during and after first contact. I'm just now reading about Atawallpa, the last Inka leader, whose empire was larger than that of China, the Ottomans and Russia at the time.<br /><br />While Mann's ideas differ slightly from those of Jared Diamond, I am still shocked that I only heard of Atawallpa two years ago!<br /><br />The first chapter of the book talked about the People of the Dawnland, Native Nations living on the Eastern seaboard who fought off snooping Europeans for decades, if not centuries. One false move, however, spelled the demise of the Dawnland peoples--due primarily to smallpox and other diseases, but finished off by guns and steel.<br /><br />The image above is from Cook's baking store in West Allis, Wisconsin. The current story about the first Thanksgiving is not what we were taught in school--sadly, however, the axe seems the constant theme of the white invasion of the United States. No matter that Native Americans helped the Puritans survive, violence fueled by religious discrimination was never far behind a momentary detente.<br /><br />What I love about the arts is that artists are constantly pushing at the boundaries of knowledge through their asking questions--and this type of tome--<span style="font-style: italic;">1491</span>--fuels some of the most compelling artistic research in today's global cultural dialogue.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-49214413225948222262012-01-16T06:28:00.000-08:002012-01-16T08:04:29.249-08:00Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFiN3qWLg5HhaE5l7hAAFBKX_ZEhk_8pA9cVKbMn_4-UiagSDD5C5H65qBaarlu13gKW6NQXFqdZcJgx48NQL7SGzwJtFpqp8UcFIVGlB-fI7V8x3ZypyN2lcrYxac7WEDeyylI6q9Aek/s1600/Leadership+St.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 342px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFiN3qWLg5HhaE5l7hAAFBKX_ZEhk_8pA9cVKbMn_4-UiagSDD5C5H65qBaarlu13gKW6NQXFqdZcJgx48NQL7SGzwJtFpqp8UcFIVGlB-fI7V8x3ZypyN2lcrYxac7WEDeyylI6q9Aek/s400/Leadership+St.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698236984359620738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by the author.</span><br /><br />I am part of the 2011-2012 <a href="http://www.focus-stl.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Focus St. Louis</span></a> program, Leadership St. Louis [LSL]. (Thanks to Susan Barrett for sponsoring me in this great program!)<br /><br />This weekend's topic was race--perfect timing given today is the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.<br /><br />Because of my generation's focus on multiculturalism in the arts, I have always been committed to foregrounding artists from diverse backgrounds, sexual orientation, etc... I suspect I have been most successful in looking for gender equality for obvious reasons, but that's no excuse, I can always work harder.<br /><br />Perhaps it's from being from Canada, where being polite and non-confrontational are values I picked up, I've always felt uncomfortable with talking about certain issues, particularly race, except with Kevin and some other dear friends. At yesterday's LSL meeting all kinds of uncomfortable questions were asked and, as usual, I got a bit weepy at the injustice that still exists in our American culture (let's not get started on other parts of the world, shall we, and how sexism predominates in virtually every country since time immemorial!)<br /><br />One exercise we did was add beads of different colors to a cup in response to answers. Most of the questions were based on working in a very big office (who is your boss, your direct supervisor, your work mentor, is technically one bead for me, and I only allowed each person one bead). The questions were less about our personal lives, but this is the diverse pool I came away with.<br /><br />I got to participate in a real conversation about race in America with my smart African American, Asian and white colleagues in the LSL program, and a barrier has been broken for me. I'm planning on attending the MLK day event at Wash U tonight--not the best location, but it's the one I can attend.<br /><br />This year I promise to be more broad in how I investigate issues of race and gender in my work.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-5186434148654371342011-12-12T06:58:00.000-08:002011-12-18T13:16:51.056-08:00Guest Blog by Mike Cloud: Things seen and unseenI was in Chicago a few weeks ago for <a href="http://kavigupta.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tony Tasset</span></a>'s opening at Kavi Gupta Gallery. At the dinner afterwards artists Mike Cloud and Doug Ischar and I stumbled upon the topic of "things-we've-seen-but-no-one-else-did."<br /><br />My story was about the Milwaukee billboard that featured a plate of cheese, crackers and an apple with the caption below that read "Make a Cracker Happy." I didn't get it at first glance, but after Kevin insisted I re-read it, we laughed pretty hard about it. When we sought the billboard out again for me to photograph it a few weeks later--poof, gone. No trace of it on-line, no commentaries anywhere. A mirage--or a conspiracy?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjv2Jm3RbALkJ1yjvJOaq9Tv97OyYNHL0DrQ6RAtzxiRCYNfNMoG6bl_Mc8KnxblkaLr2R02xLGfAtx4xHJby2OcbzqGMEyS6eNybziJLRBp9XqKWLrKx8iU5UmQLq2CmASocGu8aNRWPC/s1600/Cloud+3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 384px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjv2Jm3RbALkJ1yjvJOaq9Tv97OyYNHL0DrQ6RAtzxiRCYNfNMoG6bl_Mc8KnxblkaLr2R02xLGfAtx4xHJby2OcbzqGMEyS6eNybziJLRBp9XqKWLrKx8iU5UmQLq2CmASocGu8aNRWPC/s400/Cloud+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685256919252570434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">All photos courtesy Mike Cloud, Chicago.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.meulensteen.com/mike-cloud"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mike Cloud</span></a> related an event when he was a teen growing up in one of Chicago's western suburbs. The Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise near him introduced some decor and uniforms that were of <a href="http://www.ghanareview.com/directory/kente.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">kente</span></a> cloth. The experiment lasted only a few weeks, and Mike has never met anyone who had a similar experience.<br /><br />Mike submitted these images to illustrate, or amplify, his memories from that chimaera.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Kj8cgMzTLzk0Ahyaba6da-GG4aJzbsEcM08LssChemXyf9YITl2BRoiGO0EuSNM3IuyG0IVEwEfWOMdKX6NPEePY12Uan0lxXbWna9YTsFcvdvdHCZolSROfe93IulXZuWBZ9VnNF12J/s1600/Cloud+1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 381px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Kj8cgMzTLzk0Ahyaba6da-GG4aJzbsEcM08LssChemXyf9YITl2BRoiGO0EuSNM3IuyG0IVEwEfWOMdKX6NPEePY12Uan0lxXbWna9YTsFcvdvdHCZolSROfe93IulXZuWBZ9VnNF12J/s400/Cloud+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685256741737784514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I take this picture to slyly suggest the cannibalism that goes on in most places on earth, or as a riff on the pejorative, plantation-style ripples that emanate out of Kentucky Fried Chicken.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFXVDnGBCJ-t9U6hSX6HUSpSlD3u1rBKn6MF7mtOA70o6ka-Df8fYq1yvCEDDJZBex0LPLy76TtBtSm8l0ga20xaw7tSqBX9Sp1rteIeDSQIEEbG2QlymZQL_sFg_-HanSRA-ZQOEqtGw/s1600/Cloud+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 327px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFXVDnGBCJ-t9U6hSX6HUSpSlD3u1rBKn6MF7mtOA70o6ka-Df8fYq1yvCEDDJZBex0LPLy76TtBtSm8l0ga20xaw7tSqBX9Sp1rteIeDSQIEEbG2QlymZQL_sFg_-HanSRA-ZQOEqtGw/s400/Cloud+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685256612964345778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then, of course, this image of <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6338751.stm"><span style="font-style: italic;">two skeletons</span></a>, intertwined in death, suggest that we are all linked. Perhaps Mike is suggestions that eating chicken is eating human flesh, or that cultural differences are as broad or as thin as we think they are. Were these two humans sacrificed for a religion, executed for adultery, or that they died of unknown complications? Like the kente cloth in a fast food restaurant, we may never know the answer to this mystery.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-17629837609907429932011-11-05T12:59:00.000-07:002011-11-06T14:19:16.780-08:00New Orleans Redux<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqQJxChXnUNcSv7iFA8QC1Skq6aiPzgOvSDjyGQgGJQlx-WjKVJvc5SCmEoo-Sr_-I0vW0siH4Ww5R3WX43KjMWgOJkzHbcJWHWVaewoicgFVHhcf2PgZa9Go3Pc-HPrqO9KMO1M4gZvQ/s1600/Jackson+Square.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqQJxChXnUNcSv7iFA8QC1Skq6aiPzgOvSDjyGQgGJQlx-WjKVJvc5SCmEoo-Sr_-I0vW0siH4Ww5R3WX43KjMWgOJkzHbcJWHWVaewoicgFVHhcf2PgZa9Go3Pc-HPrqO9KMO1M4gZvQ/s400/Jackson+Square.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671615141310889890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Jackson Square, New Orleans. All photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />I just logged my fourth trip in two years to New Orleans to continue work on a series of projects linking St. Louis to New Orleans.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriTWHUW3Fr6spLF3jEOHrZP6V4JyWPGHEgl6JYTMsfHWp6n5R3wdWc5XXPKsIPtsx524Lc1yGagjMa5fuB0FEep6CXFpDYHVo3IQ-AL580Mc0i7qBpcJI40O62BxNbk3vW8IWbX64nVhA/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriTWHUW3Fr6spLF3jEOHrZP6V4JyWPGHEgl6JYTMsfHWp6n5R3wdWc5XXPKsIPtsx524Lc1yGagjMa5fuB0FEep6CXFpDYHVo3IQ-AL580Mc0i7qBpcJI40O62BxNbk3vW8IWbX64nVhA/s400/photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672010274302879586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Freedom Ride</span>. Image by Joe Baker.</span><br /><br />I timed my visit to see the first three acts (the work awaits more funding to be completed) of <a href="http://www.gonola.com/2011/10/05/opera-outside-longue-vue-house-and-gardens-presents-freedom-ride.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Freedom Ride</span></a>, an opera by Xavier University professor Dan Shore commissioned by friend and Longue Vue House and Gardens Director / Chief Curator Joe Baker. The Freedom Riders drove from Washington to New Orleans to defy the segregation of interstate transportation. Edith and Edgar Stern, founders of Longue Vue, hosted the group when they arrived in the South. Edith founded the opera program at Xavier, another elegant connection in this program.<br /><br />The opera was magical, the powerful voices of the singers evoking the hope and anger of people soul-tired of waiting for their civil rights.<br /><br />It is hard not to layer issues of race and class when visiting the South, particularly in this economic climate and post-Katrina. While not every artist needs to explore these issues, it's hard not to look for kernels of connection when viewing <a href="http://www.prospectneworleans.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Prospect.2</span></a>, which also opened the same weekend as the opera debut. Through reviews of friends who attended Prospect.1, and through the press I read, it sounded as if the first iteration had much more funding. Lack of funding, however, doesn't explain the problems I observed in Prospect.2.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMExBOKR8RCqh1mQN_Nb-iFhllak5NxUuoltr7bo1ERtqlLy7ugUhaUF7E3JwyHWJGyzACLsE5uRlVHujpcS6mdWKcVG1Ei3bIs63wmyyBfCNdE6AJ3pxPrOC4h1h2vvD_45slqt4z85H/s1600/Dan+Tague+Crisis+Car+CC829%252C+2011.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMExBOKR8RCqh1mQN_Nb-iFhllak5NxUuoltr7bo1ERtqlLy7ugUhaUF7E3JwyHWJGyzACLsE5uRlVHujpcS6mdWKcVG1Ei3bIs63wmyyBfCNdE6AJ3pxPrOC4h1h2vvD_45slqt4z85H/s400/Dan+Tague+Crisis+Car+CC829%252C+2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671614981771092818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Dan Tague, <span style="font-style: italic;">Crisis Car CC829</span>, 2011.</span><br /><br />Sadly, the worst of the installations were in two of the biggest institutions in town. At the Contemporary Art Center, where Prospect founder Dan Cameron used to work, was work by Dan Tague alongside some compelling works by local and international artists, but the whole experience felt disorganized and disgruntled.<br /><br />I have not be impressed by the shows I've seen at the CAC--is it lack of will, lack of standards, lack of expertise? I am sure there was a lot of local anger at how diverse and global Prospect.1 was--does Prospect.2 suffer because Cameron was obliged to capitulate to local demands and sensibilities?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKMrivHw6NfbTDdpOICimh0K9uwEi1bh_waoLfG06XX4_4u9CDwhKAHGi0ZDLVG6jpN3tdXdRB1NpLvQIQJbMyuNBSEDjb4B8jfR38Boc2fxhmnkAlPt4Jw8OpPpGJRu44GCgNUg9CgiW/s1600/Jennifer+Steinkamp+at+NOMA.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKMrivHw6NfbTDdpOICimh0K9uwEi1bh_waoLfG06XX4_4u9CDwhKAHGi0ZDLVG6jpN3tdXdRB1NpLvQIQJbMyuNBSEDjb4B8jfR38Boc2fxhmnkAlPt4Jw8OpPpGJRu44GCgNUg9CgiW/s400/Jennifer+Steinkamp+at+NOMA.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671614820526357506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Jennifer Steinkamp at the New Orleans Art Museum.</span><br /><br />Jennifer Steinkamp's haunting, moving trees in a niche at the top of the lobby stairs at NOMA was glorious--too bad the whole thing was washed out by the light of the lobby. The other works that hung on the lobby's walls felt like an after-thought, a concession NOMA made to Prospect.2 without truly giving over any real gallery space. Why wasn't the Odili Donald Odita mural that was going up by the cafe included in Prospect.2? It felt as if NOMA gave over its least art-appropriate space, and grudgingly at that, in order to be listed on the Prospect.2 letterhead.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPxoNMuKWLcvP7Ep2pQe3F_GY_Ol-FMgZ213N1uh3jyrkFSjZ-0lmskdR9o382N5effo9hA8l6hICgCGyXH5mjwfenTzt-OO9FyQNNgDyQHFcXQ-hZOMv_LN5nn6rwCg5SDFSu4YVNY5E/s1600/Calle+1850+House+Prospect+2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPxoNMuKWLcvP7Ep2pQe3F_GY_Ol-FMgZ213N1uh3jyrkFSjZ-0lmskdR9o382N5effo9hA8l6hICgCGyXH5mjwfenTzt-OO9FyQNNgDyQHFcXQ-hZOMv_LN5nn6rwCg5SDFSu4YVNY5E/s400/Calle+1850+House+Prospect+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671614623863932898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Sophie Calle in the 1850 House in the Vieux Carre.</span><br /><br />Works placed inside other types of institutions seemed to fare much better by being given a context within which to live. Sophie Calle's multi-room installation in the 1850 House put her self-involved stories into an historical space. But Calle's modern narcissism seemed rather trite alongside the issues of slavery, immigration and disease that are animated through the stories of the people who lived at the 1850 house.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic29EoLSFguX4w3AU9EwXAsS47TPTTO4or0GmtnbgbaCBCy0HB0ff8sAbPCDeKfDxijckLhcm9rYhW5RpT-Bm-QQPW4abysty88cQY3XZVocMTV2MsNh2sQ7QSnoSf7qlGoBlx5DyBp668/s1600/Ragnar+Kjartansson+The+Man%252C+2010.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic29EoLSFguX4w3AU9EwXAsS47TPTTO4or0GmtnbgbaCBCy0HB0ff8sAbPCDeKfDxijckLhcm9rYhW5RpT-Bm-QQPW4abysty88cQY3XZVocMTV2MsNh2sQ7QSnoSf7qlGoBlx5DyBp668/s400/Ragnar+Kjartansson+The+Man%252C+2010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671613950241349202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Ragnar Kjartansson, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Man</span>, 2010</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.luhringaugustine.com/artists/ragnar-kjartansson"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ragnar Kjartansson</span></a>'s video <span style="font-style: italic;">The Man</span> was not commissioned by Prospect but was a 2010 collaboration between the artist and musician Pinetop Perkins, the last of the Delta Blues musicians. Was this location chosen as a subtle comment on the role of African Americans in driving the economy of the South, with the blues being subversive resistance of the economic exploitation suffered by African Americans? Subtle thinking indeed, but at least the work was lovely and haunting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjT3aye8zbP6CqG4H8XxZqJa7jUTK1bWffATA87PkAaYv69dtAWoIJ44eANlD32n3MejfL_i_zDDmwkUU3xttapNf0N_-J8LUKSP8MqiBao3yF0fzvG5tjynOWn1hw7nCgkTUEKho5sa2r/s1600/Nick+Cave.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjT3aye8zbP6CqG4H8XxZqJa7jUTK1bWffATA87PkAaYv69dtAWoIJ44eANlD32n3MejfL_i_zDDmwkUU3xttapNf0N_-J8LUKSP8MqiBao3yF0fzvG5tjynOWn1hw7nCgkTUEKho5sa2r/s400/Nick+Cave.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671613382780168866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Nick Cave at the Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University.</span><br /><br />Nick Cave and Joyce Scott were paired at the Newcomb Art Gallery, and although I am not interested in Scott's work and Cave's work speaks to me, there were enough interesting ways to think about the two that the pairing was not disheartening in the way some of the other group shows were.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggr8ifAoy4rU9DjAYE6ZVVS7DgwalFJY1MzwsLzacDI8-Ad7HbA-Us8MOC9ncs7LVWbmTRxtoMWeAIDBJgN-rYEUNiI8YESQCdnL8aeA_cE-TxZzWNHvFQzKef8UZVU_DSjtuKe9JLmyOw/s1600/Joyce+Scott+at+Newcomb+Art+Gallery%252C+Tulane.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggr8ifAoy4rU9DjAYE6ZVVS7DgwalFJY1MzwsLzacDI8-Ad7HbA-Us8MOC9ncs7LVWbmTRxtoMWeAIDBJgN-rYEUNiI8YESQCdnL8aeA_cE-TxZzWNHvFQzKef8UZVU_DSjtuKe9JLmyOw/s400/Joyce+Scott+at+Newcomb+Art+Gallery%252C+Tulane.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671612659495846082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Joyce Scott at the Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University.</span><br /><br />Finally, one great public art piece I saw was Michel De Brion's work <span style="font-style: italic;">Majestic</span>, curated and produced by <a href="http://www.e-flux.com/shows/view/10242"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Third of May Arts, Inc</span></a>., a Canadian producing collaboration.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzbnRD-_4fNYYj9xY64xEz0eDaCNDFdJm_E11vs_sxqLnJ4DytDEpBulUWgj2yAOTUxdXiW6Pbl0i9Q5MtSVcy_1E8F13ofEcjxY-ZgUqyP65sAvg6RiSM7ui29sa3eRcfPe4zvTc55Lm/s1600/Michel+De+Broin+Majestic%252C+2011.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzbnRD-_4fNYYj9xY64xEz0eDaCNDFdJm_E11vs_sxqLnJ4DytDEpBulUWgj2yAOTUxdXiW6Pbl0i9Q5MtSVcy_1E8F13ofEcjxY-ZgUqyP65sAvg6RiSM7ui29sa3eRcfPe4zvTc55Lm/s400/Michel+De+Broin+Majestic%252C+2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671606401888599938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Michel De Brion, <span style="font-style: italic;">Majestic</span>, 2011.</span><br /><br />De Brion used old New Orleans city lights to make this work parked under the shadow of the freeway overpass in the tangle of streets bisected by the badly designed freeways. Like a pick-up-jack, I thought about the dislocation and re-ordering of the landscape of New Orleans because of Katrina, and the ways in which the city continues to try to put itself back together again. This work was a lovely surprise, stuck, as it was, in this no-man's land.<br /><br />What a tough balance Prospect.2 had to navigate--how to concentrate installations / art works so that more people can see them while allowing the type of commentary of engaged public art that gives relevance to a biennial in a place as complex and contested as New Orleans? Prospect.2 seems to have galvanized more local activity. I picked up the first issue of <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/constance/constance-presents-catalogue-new-orleans"><span style="font-style: italic;">Catalogue</span></a>, which listed the various galleries and public art works happening around town. Surely that alone is a good thing, giving voice to the non-institutional voices.<br /><br />I am eager to see what the next version of Prospect will be if simply to see how new genre public art can re-invent itself at each iteration.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-53035033153145240662011-08-14T14:00:00.000-07:002011-08-21T16:31:15.424-07:00The question of bronze<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm101WLE2zKO3-OSsiix4VGpmoqQBCKjGPB122N3qE7d1_V-NaG7hho9JuHEDyzjjeW8o51LG9Ql4xyDtVnaFfaXpnJQEZc6eE9SOeCEKYMl20vfYE-vjfMgJcLwTqDUDN0qP1GgajStm/s1600/Chuck+Berry.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm101WLE2zKO3-OSsiix4VGpmoqQBCKjGPB122N3qE7d1_V-NaG7hho9JuHEDyzjjeW8o51LG9Ql4xyDtVnaFfaXpnJQEZc6eE9SOeCEKYMl20vfYE-vjfMgJcLwTqDUDN0qP1GgajStm/s400/Chuck+Berry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640837704084075906" border="0" /></a>
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<br />New Chuck Berry statue on the Delmar Loop, St. Louis. photo courtesy the author.</span>
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<br />Joe Edwards, guru of the Delmar Loop, the man who single-handedly revived the commercial district near my house, has long admired Chuck Berry. Berry plays monthly gigs at Edward's Blueberry Hill restaurant / club, and they recently installed this bronze statue of Berry, right across from Blueberry Hill.
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<br />Nice hommage.
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<br />Too bad it doesn't look like Chuck Berry.
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<br />Another problem with the Berry statue--given the historical record is complicated, it doesn't do Chuck Berry any good to call him the "father of rock and roll"--it cheapens him.
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<br />What is it about the lack of refinement of bronze statuary?
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<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Statue of Pat Tillman. photo Sheldon Branford.</span>
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<br />This reminds me of the Pat Tillman statue the Arizona Cardinals put up of Tillman after his death by friendly fire in Iraq. Horrific face! Must frighten children!
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<br />Picture of Pat Tillman. (c) NBC sports.</span>
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<br />A literal translation of an equally disturbing photograph. But the photograph has the life, color and movement that the statue only mangles. Why are sports people so enamored of bad representative art?
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<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Dred and Harriet Scott plaque on the Delmar Loop Walk of Fame. photo courtesy the author.</span>
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<br />This plaque for St. Louis-natives Dred and Harriet Scott is much more compelling as a complex public statement than the bad Berry statue.
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<br />What I do like about the proximity of the Scott plaque (Tina Turner is nearby) and the Berry statute is how it suggests the role that St. Louis has played in American life with the birthing of African American artists / activists as diverse as the Scotts and Chuck.
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<br />While St. Louis has to grapple more effectively with race--as does every other city in the country--this symbolic representation puts diverse citizens together in ways they would not have been in real life. Now that's a great public service.
<br />Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-12174313995015289282011-08-07T08:58:00.000-07:002011-08-07T09:24:41.906-07:00Museum standards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCvOSdXwvhqljKvY2758M4CZJs5hxAVRrPWP3WTlGL1K2q8dvZZxC48trtPYPENSTKt_bTfQAvATjlAPF7vwH0UlhEj0nbVpbOvwW7hYexQJtVfznbgmpPkoxTFH368JncGAKvaWkGGYP/s1600/painting+tag.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCvOSdXwvhqljKvY2758M4CZJs5hxAVRrPWP3WTlGL1K2q8dvZZxC48trtPYPENSTKt_bTfQAvATjlAPF7vwH0UlhEj0nbVpbOvwW7hYexQJtVfznbgmpPkoxTFH368JncGAKvaWkGGYP/s400/painting+tag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638144110192518802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I took this picture in an unnamed museum this past week. Several thoughts came to mind:<br /><br />That no matter how hard you and your team might work, something as insignificant as this--a registrar's identification tag sticking out from behind a painting--can sink the way the public sees you. Reminds me of my first visit to the new Tate building that had shoe prints on the wall. It was mid-week--the staff had at least a few days to clean up from weekend crowds. Sloppy!<br /><br />Museums are a tough balance between asking broad, intelligent questions about material, social, political and cultural life and the pernicious details of crossing t's and dotting i's.<br /><br />Having started off as a cataloguer at the Museum of Modern Art, I crossed a lot of t's. In my current post I am looking at some of the bigger questions that artists can help us as a society address. Keeping these poles of activity together is a tough task, but it separates the good institutions from the mediocre.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-68209620288902239202011-08-04T14:36:00.001-07:002011-08-04T19:43:53.314-07:00Museum material culture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOg9J1XxC55LA1U4QwAAKR5-eYXA_yyMubFISHgYh1NemcdGlL-DXfbjdSz3S_YjTa_qv0gJKRHLCLcJNeKaCRm0yRnI72hs_ns9ecU02721wU4RUcabbAkA5UXu_K2fV2pCEV-dILnCr/s1600/1+Harley+Museum.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOg9J1XxC55LA1U4QwAAKR5-eYXA_yyMubFISHgYh1NemcdGlL-DXfbjdSz3S_YjTa_qv0gJKRHLCLcJNeKaCRm0yRnI72hs_ns9ecU02721wU4RUcabbAkA5UXu_K2fV2pCEV-dILnCr/s400/1+Harley+Museum.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637123079258963682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Harley Davidson Museum, Milwaukee. All photos courtesy the author.<br /></span><br />We finally broke down and visited the Harley-Davidson Museum in downtown Milwaukee.<br /><br />It's astonishing how the area has been transformed--beautiful pathways and native prairie plantings bordering the Menominee River. Loads of parking for bikes and cars.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKC0HXRpY9Nj8uu4Zm9uNWGFKZG-Oeo5WKUTX2WV3PWRGv54IgRtmF3u-jE-oD7juyPwRxx-Th5rVkJh1DeoYcmVoZ0JVk1KKy6wQMyjCGlc15T-YtIoXUSC7-sMd7p6kFoTy8J4pmZFZ/s1600/2.+sculpture.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKC0HXRpY9Nj8uu4Zm9uNWGFKZG-Oeo5WKUTX2WV3PWRGv54IgRtmF3u-jE-oD7juyPwRxx-Th5rVkJh1DeoYcmVoZ0JVk1KKy6wQMyjCGlc15T-YtIoXUSC7-sMd7p6kFoTy8J4pmZFZ/s400/2.+sculpture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637122920270175138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Sculpture. Enough said.</span><br /><br />Why--WHY--are bronze statues so awful? No wonder people hate public art. This image of a hill racer recalls a fantastic interactive computer program in the Museum where you can pick your hill, sprocket shape and speed and see if your cartoon effigy makes it up the hill. This guy--he's going down, his bike will smack him in the head and boom, early retirement.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRCy-7O5xRq_yvEgje1ZPYFnRg1Ey_SVIwP6TJPiiSDA7agbug3on2Vh-76t3O7OCVx8Wb-xOmGjmpjFPzW9voKrlfc8f3d7VQQmvgzamFOs_54eSBq4LhElGJGpjAVueWR_527Gz2RF2/s1600/3.earliest+bikes.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRCy-7O5xRq_yvEgje1ZPYFnRg1Ey_SVIwP6TJPiiSDA7agbug3on2Vh-76t3O7OCVx8Wb-xOmGjmpjFPzW9voKrlfc8f3d7VQQmvgzamFOs_54eSBq4LhElGJGpjAVueWR_527Gz2RF2/s400/3.earliest+bikes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637122751287818194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Earliest H-D motorcycles.</span><br /><br />I loved all the different bikes. Evidently a few other companies were making bikes before Harley--Indian, Pope--but Harley was the first one to do motorcycles only, not bicycles first.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1N6UxXBBjn9hbZTLty0mhMo7OUey7plhaTqB2XKb4qLd43fELxZuek8D2Rx0AAQbabZQj3-J2xHivCJE0l3Uq3qhuMuOebxqrMx2kDVs41nbgLK5pF35fpuPtvQBlnWI4_SEn0vUJdNS/s1600/4.Harley+tanks.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1N6UxXBBjn9hbZTLty0mhMo7OUey7plhaTqB2XKb4qLd43fELxZuek8D2Rx0AAQbabZQj3-J2xHivCJE0l3Uq3qhuMuOebxqrMx2kDVs41nbgLK5pF35fpuPtvQBlnWI4_SEn0vUJdNS/s400/4.Harley+tanks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637122575589848018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Wall of tanks.</span><br /><br />And the designers know either the Vitra Museum or Andreas Gursky. Gorgeous!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOymm6CBJ2ZIskD78r-5Sm85zyemwjL2JoeImBbDZq8Id7OXQmbk3Pl8xrG6jeTke2fKRN-8bge-fvsTebsYUjmDC6sEAEJae_keH25jGLplfI3Eva-knL-_nz5iUgnEzYrLDWfrpjdZeP/s1600/5.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOymm6CBJ2ZIskD78r-5Sm85zyemwjL2JoeImBbDZq8Id7OXQmbk3Pl8xrG6jeTke2fKRN-8bge-fvsTebsYUjmDC6sEAEJae_keH25jGLplfI3Eva-knL-_nz5iUgnEzYrLDWfrpjdZeP/s400/5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637122455936190290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Prettiest tank!</span><br /><br />They changed graphics, colors and models every year, starting almost from the beginning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4nKY7x7iHIlDcK50tmsM1GapUgYLuxR71Kp0zEeVEOo2qEi5HTT8j0vIsjROXm6nM4ku3slRVD1iug5HKPskOFYt_CwBm7bmROxVEXpToINpucDMSsSBIiD6IOf-4biY_G_LsgDAN2rH/s1600/6.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4nKY7x7iHIlDcK50tmsM1GapUgYLuxR71Kp0zEeVEOo2qEi5HTT8j0vIsjROXm6nM4ku3slRVD1iug5HKPskOFYt_CwBm7bmROxVEXpToINpucDMSsSBIiD6IOf-4biY_G_LsgDAN2rH/s400/6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637122349897818754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Founders: three Davidsons, one Harley.</span><br /><br />Loved this old picture. Their display of material culture was pretty beautiful. I was rather dreading how gear-headed the descriptions could have been, but there was a lot to enjoy without being a "knucklehead".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCN6HFceEbkiW8tTOIw3XLQkTZTfYWkPdWZsq9Tqt-avb2L4eeQxNBAqZU9auPpmnQyJCHlOrAm-NtyM_Qrp-YXBIp21jXqltEt7_nhyphenhyphenmbYLXA18zZFtd9eu4bMM7_E6uUYz163txU1hRQ/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCN6HFceEbkiW8tTOIw3XLQkTZTfYWkPdWZsq9Tqt-avb2L4eeQxNBAqZU9auPpmnQyJCHlOrAm-NtyM_Qrp-YXBIp21jXqltEt7_nhyphenhyphenmbYLXA18zZFtd9eu4bMM7_E6uUYz163txU1hRQ/s400/7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637120273918839906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Typical museum-goers.</span><br /><br />Ya baby, lots of Harley owners there. They've got their own vocabulary. Have they heard of wife-beaters, or is this where the phrase comes from?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrDamYorr2VxCojQ7iKr0dLfPBSEwkvUOXDbz4GwHWIwBnOCTafWAxHeVKFgX2Qi4Ls5MZDegPc-6RYlZBZMxjH834um-rF6jKezFu-O1SF54KXJj41lyXP7WWNchsDfkBkCkjjrGXyht/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrDamYorr2VxCojQ7iKr0dLfPBSEwkvUOXDbz4GwHWIwBnOCTafWAxHeVKFgX2Qi4Ls5MZDegPc-6RYlZBZMxjH834um-rF6jKezFu-O1SF54KXJj41lyXP7WWNchsDfkBkCkjjrGXyht/s400/8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637120133565603938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Cool petroglyph.</span><br /><br />Gorgeous use of varied graphic design.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvhELIyB-5Ndcsc9F8c7KYgFyZzbhYfed5NMKb6NEi-xs6XTNfi8v81BmCpkaaqntCX1VLk-WWKD_o6GUyGHH3doCfWMhbLs5cwlgJ0vPyQd6FFcIzsOAF7gi1wKquQ-KO7ILrs9QHBV3/s1600/9.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvhELIyB-5Ndcsc9F8c7KYgFyZzbhYfed5NMKb6NEi-xs6XTNfi8v81BmCpkaaqntCX1VLk-WWKD_o6GUyGHH3doCfWMhbLs5cwlgJ0vPyQd6FFcIzsOAF7gi1wKquQ-KO7ILrs9QHBV3/s400/9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637119965000627010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Engines on wall.</span><br /><br />Again, Vitra.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPDVjqSv3jtd9hCbq9fCg0K6Hi9WRXO0ArNVOJNL9PgSpmhypL-E8cWJ3Syz-OLMXtEnFDeQPOqo1BZzWt8PLUC7GdT05qDtWBfM13Q0Z4Be3jrP0dfpy9MfBFRGs6KdHmGow3s_38J-5/s1600/10.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPDVjqSv3jtd9hCbq9fCg0K6Hi9WRXO0ArNVOJNL9PgSpmhypL-E8cWJ3Syz-OLMXtEnFDeQPOqo1BZzWt8PLUC7GdT05qDtWBfM13Q0Z4Be3jrP0dfpy9MfBFRGs6KdHmGow3s_38J-5/s400/10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637119826676748194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Museum design.</span><br /><br />Lovely display of objects--how to enliven things that do not change dramatically?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyozy60IsY7aqlZvH4oZNhUjbJ7SAVFeqkz-rWTY4KAVfOof5jYazOXfVub8VrY-baY0nv-2-PQOTwYsqEFpVFH2pbYLsMKaU3rFcVbhBz1tTVZNCKALhoNYSmVi5kJspBwIuo1nVg4wK/s1600/11.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyozy60IsY7aqlZvH4oZNhUjbJ7SAVFeqkz-rWTY4KAVfOof5jYazOXfVub8VrY-baY0nv-2-PQOTwYsqEFpVFH2pbYLsMKaU3rFcVbhBz1tTVZNCKALhoNYSmVi5kJspBwIuo1nVg4wK/s400/11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637119680044007186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Mod motor oil ad.</span><br /><br />They tried to hip it up in the 70s--perhaps this is when their marketing lost track of their audience?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWmFoeeEMiWOpewPMjUdWv5eB022F5BBqi34aM3xMfzGIbZGYf-8BikRp9vpmZW15UOWZX52feNCkxcyZBBXtvAuXGRDbt5ljI5IV2PjxtCmGauZaxjnmvpq7D0sH6NINNUFDR9-yYwfk/s1600/12.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWmFoeeEMiWOpewPMjUdWv5eB022F5BBqi34aM3xMfzGIbZGYf-8BikRp9vpmZW15UOWZX52feNCkxcyZBBXtvAuXGRDbt5ljI5IV2PjxtCmGauZaxjnmvpq7D0sH6NINNUFDR9-yYwfk/s400/12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637119536530858066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Harley wedding dress.</span><br /><br />Enough said.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEB62dgN9DyDcUfGJ06KtVJ747B_dFM2pDfxtkWScJrODI5GXRwsmPQO37oxCtXPSFF-RbxFly5ndge42vCbgKA07eDNM7A_mmAKCAGyG2TMJHNFL1R_C7qUve1C8udVKuiJcuuqavk9Y/s1600/13.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEB62dgN9DyDcUfGJ06KtVJ747B_dFM2pDfxtkWScJrODI5GXRwsmPQO37oxCtXPSFF-RbxFly5ndge42vCbgKA07eDNM7A_mmAKCAGyG2TMJHNFL1R_C7qUve1C8udVKuiJcuuqavk9Y/s400/13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637119404428925554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Album covers.</span><br /><br />I loved that Minnie Pearl did an album cover on a Harley.<br /><br />There was not much about the later years--the virtual bankruptcy, the Jay Leno effect--which leaves the story still storybook. But I suppose real Harley people know it--in any case, it was an elegant space with groovy objects.<br /><br />I was willing to go to the Harley Museum because of a shift in my thinking when Kevin had to shoot the 100th anniversary parade. I came to discern the different bike shapes--I'm an Indian woman myself--and the different sub-cultures of riders.<br /><br />Categories I counted:<br /><br />gay couples (over 10)<br />mixed-race couples (almost 5)<br />woman driving man (1)<br />Japanese couple (1)<br />people standing on their bikes (4)<br />wedding dresses (3)<br /><br />The other hundreds of riders who made it into the anniversary parade were as you might suspect--Grateful Dead look-alikes with their molls on the back. But I was still surprised by the diversity where I thought there would be none.<br /><br />Harley is an American success story--none of the founders were from here, they started off in a 10 x 15' shack and became a global phenomenon. As bad as gas is, motorcycles and cars still freed people from their farms, their families and their futures by letting them run away and create a new life. That's something to celebrate, and Milwaukee had a role in that.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-41499470150925963832011-06-24T04:47:00.000-07:002011-06-24T04:47:00.419-07:00Politics in Venice, part 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickT4oeJqhK_d8av5341Ya4JyQENrXhKCuyRYujyp_uOKo72gYeL0qvy373vaq7rCVIf3JawDqco9O2jnjQnUVb0N3s5S-OfCpIF5x9ssEa3J31Ticz23xX-MgpYgjjt3tIgtKd0UTguMo/s1600/1.+street+poster.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickT4oeJqhK_d8av5341Ya4JyQENrXhKCuyRYujyp_uOKo72gYeL0qvy373vaq7rCVIf3JawDqco9O2jnjQnUVb0N3s5S-OfCpIF5x9ssEa3J31Ticz23xX-MgpYgjjt3tIgtKd0UTguMo/s400/1.+street+poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619154668123170946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Street poster in Venice. All photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />Again, more politics. This poster was plastered around San Marco, looking like Elizabeth Peyton except for the text. After looking for anti-Catholic posters in Venice I found a lot of interesting things--Venice, perhaps because of its independent stature for so long, wasn't a friend of Rome. Anyone know who did this work?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih602Kmp5WLFLATfQiuemIn19UoGyjywCUOCoT6yH75QtexjWYdaJTKEiw27SE3zpCiZcZ8I32t1jqYqHsMp25P8O-Qr7Az1K28gRPNbk93iJdXlWlzpJaRmE1Y03IkdQCB3oZR1FsmgbB/s1600/2.+Song+Dong.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih602Kmp5WLFLATfQiuemIn19UoGyjywCUOCoT6yH75QtexjWYdaJTKEiw27SE3zpCiZcZ8I32t1jqYqHsMp25P8O-Qr7Az1K28gRPNbk93iJdXlWlzpJaRmE1Y03IkdQCB3oZR1FsmgbB/s400/2.+Song+Dong.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619154558589481154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Song Dong in the Arsenale.</span><br /><br />China's Song Dong remains one of my favorite artists with whom I've worked. I commissioned him to do a work for my show <span style="font-style: italic;">Water, Water Everywhere... </span>at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. His work is thoughtful and meditative, like this ramshackle construction that suggests a labyrinth and a soon-to-be-destroyed warren of alleys. Several works were also embraced inside the walls of this construction--hiding out or finding other meanings?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdQyTZwQLjNhGX9DlXR8WdHdF7kZtqNLlBEb-yoS3ejhhkcW_ftjcXSj3NI7s3gGVsBgovwqIELj5kwA6hjCSJZ_8Uiqvqgl3pUuUV8BWqlwSmL1sizqDp877T290GdjW9pMCCX0i0y4R/s1600/3.+Liina+Siib.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdQyTZwQLjNhGX9DlXR8WdHdF7kZtqNLlBEb-yoS3ejhhkcW_ftjcXSj3NI7s3gGVsBgovwqIELj5kwA6hjCSJZ_8Uiqvqgl3pUuUV8BWqlwSmL1sizqDp877T290GdjW9pMCCX0i0y4R/s400/3.+Liina+Siib.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619154440825584578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Liina Siib in the Estonian pavilion.</span><br /><br />In her project Woman Takes Up Less Space in the Estonian pavilion, Siib challenges the assertion in Estonia that <a href="http://www.blunt.cc/626896/calendar/liina-siib-at-the-54th-international-art-exhibition-la-biennale-di-venezia"><span style="font-style: italic;">since women take up less space they can be paid lower salaries.</span></a> In the un-fancy apartment Siib creates tweaked rooms with the images and words of Estonian women jumping off the wall. The work was funny and very sad.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-AsCyjk_7HSal3-V_GHM7V7M39mJ8dkvGqqiDfY3aq0lh1sDioXteMae7MrwPNHAJFxlfMYDMwLFhv-ao3Q5J-xECOLFw37TdF2-VYBOkyCNMGgQ-rUpTr_To7rHsfWgyrDqhFEXVxXt/s1600/4.+Faycal+Baghriche.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-AsCyjk_7HSal3-V_GHM7V7M39mJ8dkvGqqiDfY3aq0lh1sDioXteMae7MrwPNHAJFxlfMYDMwLFhv-ao3Q5J-xECOLFw37TdF2-VYBOkyCNMGgQ-rUpTr_To7rHsfWgyrDqhFEXVxXt/s400/4.+Faycal+Baghriche.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619154339030848946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Faycal Baghriche in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Future of a Promise</span>.</span><br /><br />Loved this madly spinning globe by Faycal Baghriche. It reminded me of Charlie Ray's spinning disc set flush into a wall--its effects almost invisible but certainly deadly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54l1hHlq2Pd__v16cNhlO1pFayIggPoOmmXl9vsVY4w0z7nuERuNrht1Q_poVnCsUiqeccI11qd85YS4cWF9SfmC2Q7aEJwmQ9mKi6rVYOzG8jpiacilL8hOc6oz7pX4y3KOR2S5hir8w/s1600/5.+Maria+Rosa+Jijon.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54l1hHlq2Pd__v16cNhlO1pFayIggPoOmmXl9vsVY4w0z7nuERuNrht1Q_poVnCsUiqeccI11qd85YS4cWF9SfmC2Q7aEJwmQ9mKi6rVYOzG8jpiacilL8hOc6oz7pX4y3KOR2S5hir8w/s400/5.+Maria+Rosa+Jijon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619154244150579906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Maria Rosa Jijon in the Latin American pavilion in the Arsenale.</span><br /><br />Finally, one of the compelling political videos in the Latin American pavilion.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-22965235699762793322011-06-21T03:58:00.000-07:002011-06-21T03:58:00.225-07:00Beauty in Venice, part 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9p2NUsgV4VBabcJBwBnoni3qWBzzQ33blkZx8XQfGSa1aovmbRD7B7lS2UUTuZilqEi5W2Z3GoNGCqn7B81Jfb1hrsanfVJjWf0ZEIFgS1pQ7Mykl1uZyb24CZbnuh9pl3o8SajSgXXma/s1600/1.+San+Marco.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9p2NUsgV4VBabcJBwBnoni3qWBzzQ33blkZx8XQfGSa1aovmbRD7B7lS2UUTuZilqEi5W2Z3GoNGCqn7B81Jfb1hrsanfVJjWf0ZEIFgS1pQ7Mykl1uZyb24CZbnuh9pl3o8SajSgXXma/s400/1.+San+Marco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618400755934284082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />San Marco, May 29, 2011. All photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />After hunting down as many outlying pavilions for the Bienniale as I could find, I feel I know Venice better than I ever have. The tourist count wasn't as high as it will get, and anyway, tourists did not touch the alleyways where international art would be found.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCe5sGWp8aud-n1zO_jswVnAhf8JYfj63Yyn9Wy2cKNlgatM13GzNkxtzrBPRfo39ZagMjUW343EOVbqe6pNHVKCkDg6R9Y8dV93YU9Tnsz4z6_-jOiyLe55Tnq8ZCSZpeWFOWR9LQRxB/s1600/2.+view+from+Museo+Correr.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCe5sGWp8aud-n1zO_jswVnAhf8JYfj63Yyn9Wy2cKNlgatM13GzNkxtzrBPRfo39ZagMjUW343EOVbqe6pNHVKCkDg6R9Y8dV93YU9Tnsz4z6_-jOiyLe55Tnq8ZCSZpeWFOWR9LQRxB/s400/2.+view+from+Museo+Correr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618400626191084834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">View from Museo Correr.</span><br /><br />I had never been to Museo Correr, and Rick Steve's guide book was right: great view of San Marco from the windows still unobstructed by scaffolding.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD8vqpKga7eRrRgBCNQOUEOk1iQ1SjCNrmQNzQK_iZzDbpX_VSE-sGStYI4YuFDt8ZpnzK1EkSn8PBotgw1dEsGmEcNQX_zvnZCikbpnFfp1hOO_YYQThcYMz8oeGQrG1DXukJI_Y_1PD/s1600/3.+view.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD8vqpKga7eRrRgBCNQOUEOk1iQ1SjCNrmQNzQK_iZzDbpX_VSE-sGStYI4YuFDt8ZpnzK1EkSn8PBotgw1dEsGmEcNQX_zvnZCikbpnFfp1hOO_YYQThcYMz8oeGQrG1DXukJI_Y_1PD/s400/3.+view.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618400526142118898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">View of canal from installation <span style="font-style: italic;">Days of Yi.</span></span><br /><br />I would suspect most tourists would be mortified to see this open window, I thought about the Renaissance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVzPyjz71S10NYkpw5jKqyHjLEtyL8c8rlQwGs4wsZM6-DzZKHrgMUNJN31haLss6gsXi-FPybX5O2RUhXLJ42VUuY0HmiH8Ph0rDzYH75X6o2pccvDACfPR94kYDmsLNSUI5JJJymPQ3/s1600/4.+Venice+2011.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVzPyjz71S10NYkpw5jKqyHjLEtyL8c8rlQwGs4wsZM6-DzZKHrgMUNJN31haLss6gsXi-FPybX5O2RUhXLJ42VUuY0HmiH8Ph0rDzYH75X6o2pccvDACfPR94kYDmsLNSUI5JJJymPQ3/s400/4.+Venice+2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618400418151784002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Building style exposed.</span><br /><br />Impressive--look at the size of those beams. No wonder Italy is almost denuded, they've been building for thousands of years.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczL6C-GuN0YdknHrCn_WH4bSKAOv-qDKSg0JkQrYJEFaZwkizFhfHhyFFHp6mHWF3wmOd6jWSEmBYfvlvwcSKyuVpdA6PLWKLNNo4qmMClQbA6wyG-Yq7hNuWhZlNxNY1PmYXDIODQM34/s1600/5.+saint+painting.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczL6C-GuN0YdknHrCn_WH4bSKAOv-qDKSg0JkQrYJEFaZwkizFhfHhyFFHp6mHWF3wmOd6jWSEmBYfvlvwcSKyuVpdA6PLWKLNNo4qmMClQbA6wyG-Yq7hNuWhZlNxNY1PmYXDIODQM34/s400/5.+saint+painting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618400294302296498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Saint in l'Accademia.</span><br /><br />It's hard to find decent small gifts in Venice--too many kitschy glass gondolas, way too many Carnivale masks (perfect only for 12 1/2 year old girls). I loved this painting at l'Accademia--a saint whose mask looks back. Too bad there wasn't any information about who this was--where is my "Dictionary of Saints and Symbols" when I need it?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhQnFbsxdp8bOhkCJ5iTthTfiZUp4OKKE7bxiwjL1atJQnkaj90ZFg-bY4DcqltM_wO7N-2U8PO3n3D-1UevDg6O4xgyeQBitkq5HSxEmjQilApZAQ2dQZ6tTS3vQEskTgNwzemX4BwP2/s1600/6.+wall+at+l%2527Accademia.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhQnFbsxdp8bOhkCJ5iTthTfiZUp4OKKE7bxiwjL1atJQnkaj90ZFg-bY4DcqltM_wO7N-2U8PO3n3D-1UevDg6O4xgyeQBitkq5HSxEmjQilApZAQ2dQZ6tTS3vQEskTgNwzemX4BwP2/s400/6.+wall+at+l%2527Accademia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618400157140283218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Conservation methods at l'Accademia.</span><br /><br />L'Accademia's state of repairs is rather shocking. I saw many wall patches that looked like hastily-bandaged war wounds scattered throughout the building. The first floor, where all my favorite proto-Renaissance works were shown, was virtually unairconditioned--and we all know the effects of humidity on wood and paint.<br /><br />Nothing like the slick and elegant spaces of Francois Pinault's Palazzo Grassi (no pics here, they are forbidden). Perhaps some wealthy collectors could spend a little less on themselves and toss a few bones to the public institutions in Italy that are clearly starving?<br /><br />With the public in Italy fed up with the antics of their clownish government, I hope they will insist on protecting the Italian culture that has so influenced virtually every artist, almost around the globe, for centuries. When I worked with Yoshitomo Nara in the 1990s he told me that Giotto was a big favorite of his--see the connection? This historical work is important to all of us in the arts.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-50438627114158529012011-06-17T04:20:00.000-07:002011-06-17T04:44:26.423-07:00Politics in Venice, part 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFIQwR6T-PTHUur8MsEv12bIktymNlFUpi6nev1oif_JZcXZWVXVPO3i8Vg3g13n_hQeO5w8pUFcGUMaWdEqqKDI9Gbf4tDOKLJ9bc-LBcVDvzMb_d8bGM1tLsVw3XVxqg58pmJTvh0kq/s1600/1.+Foulkes.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFIQwR6T-PTHUur8MsEv12bIktymNlFUpi6nev1oif_JZcXZWVXVPO3i8Vg3g13n_hQeO5w8pUFcGUMaWdEqqKDI9Gbf4tDOKLJ9bc-LBcVDvzMb_d8bGM1tLsVw3XVxqg58pmJTvh0kq/s400/1.+Foulkes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618034697889802018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Llyn Foulkes, Central Pavilion. All photos courtesy the author.<br /></span><br />Imagine my surprise to see a room of Llyn Foulkes works at the Giardini. This under-rated LA-based painter has made powerful, disconcerting works since the 1960s. His presence made me appreciate the diligence with which Bice Curiger curated the show (although not sure that the historical works in the first room of the pavilion made sense).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLlVLZNvYGglwqVsGJhqxCKTJlXje6vcbkSufq95PeEPcJgOw-xwVtCB90cmOMSOX8S_6dhhcrG-dcdz9b3AKPifIPRLt-Tt6CAeCzoTUhNrJeQIqO7tGMgX7sUx4Wej5An98NHGgdHH3/s1600/2.+Erwin+Wurm.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLlVLZNvYGglwqVsGJhqxCKTJlXje6vcbkSufq95PeEPcJgOw-xwVtCB90cmOMSOX8S_6dhhcrG-dcdz9b3AKPifIPRLt-Tt6CAeCzoTUhNrJeQIqO7tGMgX7sUx4Wej5An98NHGgdHH3/s400/2.+Erwin+Wurm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618034560647106786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Erwin Wurm.</span><br /><br />Erwin Wurm's skinny house, just beside the Accademia bridge, is based on his parent's home and mocks the over-consuming lifestyles in the West. This modest profile fits with Venice however, a city where even the most grandiose palazzo doesn't match the egregious waste of resources or space of a modern McMansion.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ArCmCrYcyg-52EtxrK5sbUl0QcjnBtVgRnqF0wZ1cFIPr_1BQYkqiiwhUi8EmdaprnMrFoMmmcT4pVzDYboEmzgBc0vaRaZm0SzvH77vAD4RELNJGKtO3r2Pnw_fPNoZ147MAPGYcu8v/s1600/3.+Yael+Bartana+.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ArCmCrYcyg-52EtxrK5sbUl0QcjnBtVgRnqF0wZ1cFIPr_1BQYkqiiwhUi8EmdaprnMrFoMmmcT4pVzDYboEmzgBc0vaRaZm0SzvH77vAD4RELNJGKtO3r2Pnw_fPNoZ147MAPGYcu8v/s400/3.+Yael+Bartana+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618034429315728658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Yael Bartana, Polish pavilion.</span><br /><br />The presence of an Israeli artist in the Polish pavilion is an example of inspired national cross-over. Bartana imagines a political movement in Poland that begs Israelis of Polish descent to return, re-populate the country and save Poland from a death of homogeneity. One would understand Israeli's not falling for it, but the language was blunt and overt, bemoaning the evil act of killing Jews or forcing them to flee during World War II. Very interesting timing for this work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8QuLMCR2vSuSS6vIMYftlWcmr1V5UporKhDdbLqm4RjSgHq_dsHn_oCkCSK7bnNqdpJdhWWdqxi64hxzpdOBomKM1dDX_cqc-j7RBnUQ1KujGI6trqI-5e5s_uzFBmxJYRsROJgemPaI/s1600/4.+Chirstian+Marclay.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8QuLMCR2vSuSS6vIMYftlWcmr1V5UporKhDdbLqm4RjSgHq_dsHn_oCkCSK7bnNqdpJdhWWdqxi64hxzpdOBomKM1dDX_cqc-j7RBnUQ1KujGI6trqI-5e5s_uzFBmxJYRsROJgemPaI/s400/4.+Chirstian+Marclay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618034283501377890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Christian Marclay, Arsenale.</span><br /><br />I finally got to see at least part of Christian Marclay's work about time. I read all the NY reviews of the work and finally understood the operatic, deeply meditative pleasure of the work. We passed our time with the piece from 2:25 to 3:50 pm, resting on the (uncomfortable) couches yet mesmerized by the ease with which I created mini-historical narratives I made up while watching.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gGUHGNmT2fRhmfh7LcsGMBq_pIlGF16zyyKAcR4mgiMROlLub4G7O5hhJ4PAhtu7W-LdU3xqL8otSIhDrtQn6qZiWTnMnLZsOQ6ylAasJWhQNrXTcCkfhrWKEcwHs-UHGB_vVt-sYe5y/s1600/5.+Segalit+Landau.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gGUHGNmT2fRhmfh7LcsGMBq_pIlGF16zyyKAcR4mgiMROlLub4G7O5hhJ4PAhtu7W-LdU3xqL8otSIhDrtQn6qZiWTnMnLZsOQ6ylAasJWhQNrXTcCkfhrWKEcwHs-UHGB_vVt-sYe5y/s400/5.+Segalit+Landau.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618034170509597602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Segalit Landau, Israeli pavilion.</span><br /><br />Finally, Segalit Landau's lovely installation looking at water politics in Israel was both sweet and stifling. Through different videos she narrated the struggle for cooperation between political enemies for the appropriate management of water. This video, of a little girl tying together the shoelaces of negotiating politicians, made the most pertinent point--everyone is tied together whether they like it or not, so harming one's enemy is harming oneself.<br /><br />Simple but effective.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-73614735190585776172011-06-15T03:51:00.000-07:002011-06-15T04:18:56.001-07:00Beauty in Venice, part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP8hV3XUd4xJ4vnL1LjPbK_-TBGblE0cHVNXIqXBjq8j3thEMA8l3bUU8YkSqWxN-0yFnzjAKX1KtfXiZZXeFgN0oOKTnbrXuZxPaEIlgIwp58KFX_O_X4FRyIO9Z2dcRU40NQ8JIhO-Z/s1600/1.+Venice+beauty.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP8hV3XUd4xJ4vnL1LjPbK_-TBGblE0cHVNXIqXBjq8j3thEMA8l3bUU8YkSqWxN-0yFnzjAKX1KtfXiZZXeFgN0oOKTnbrXuZxPaEIlgIwp58KFX_O_X4FRyIO9Z2dcRU40NQ8JIhO-Z/s400/1.+Venice+beauty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618028821599447778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Gondola in Venice near Rialto Bridge. All photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />Politics and beauty may be the two organizing guides I had while in Venice. Yes, yes, Venice is beautiful. I read that 58,000 people live there while 15,000,000 visitors inundate the city per year. No wonder the city is sinking with all those well-fed Western European and American visitors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tAYGtp6GfFArWmDwTdqLeDq9I_OQk8W26uIfKSNJmLbyi6EFDGLnc4Ax9z8wlHbjpEGZ7ZLegllK9BqwzN9OB2zHU_dMKSLtfMt-x1jZApfjbi8ZNM3kKp_30rSysbSzRGthwItMTzrh/s1600/2.+Yuan+Gong.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tAYGtp6GfFArWmDwTdqLeDq9I_OQk8W26uIfKSNJmLbyi6EFDGLnc4Ax9z8wlHbjpEGZ7ZLegllK9BqwzN9OB2zHU_dMKSLtfMt-x1jZApfjbi8ZNM3kKp_30rSysbSzRGthwItMTzrh/s400/2.+Yuan+Gong.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618028705735866098" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Yuan Gong, Arsenale.</span><br /><br />I found beauty everywhere. This gorgeous installation by Yuan Gong was a floating palace of dreams, a respite from the slogging through the Giardini (and a calming influence before the bad few shows that were to follow).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrrK-D9ChyBYxUS8pHoJ6x7nnUrM4vKTRsPm59HsA2IYZ8g-OsPl9IN8ZGGdwQI1N3NC1GGgACOsYu0YT0I87asrhyW8RJ2gBlbXEHhVz1u3FLXtwHr6y7iwon-2jGlDl3yoPDlS830O9/s1600/3.+Shadia+%2526+Raja+Alem.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrrK-D9ChyBYxUS8pHoJ6x7nnUrM4vKTRsPm59HsA2IYZ8g-OsPl9IN8ZGGdwQI1N3NC1GGgACOsYu0YT0I87asrhyW8RJ2gBlbXEHhVz1u3FLXtwHr6y7iwon-2jGlDl3yoPDlS830O9/s400/3.+Shadia+%2526+Raja+Alem.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618028586977615602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Shada & Raja Alem, Arsenale.</span><br /><br />This decorative piece was hard to comprehend in the dark; a floating disc of black loomed above an oval carpet of patterns. A visual interpretation of experience at Mecca perhaps, or a not-so-subtle commentary on the dampening effect religion has on the intricate web of relations between people in the Middle East?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKGUs3u7rZ-EFICw_5Z-hVp85dbrDZoTJYWhlHLgMokt9RN8E17y6juEzr1t8kpvRger7PONzyzkvcbrG-ID7uH1sj0eQU5mSSDjYavlS7f6A1SNoaKAf22d1KkD0GATZifzdqjsC64cY/s1600/4.+Raafat+Ishak.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKGUs3u7rZ-EFICw_5Z-hVp85dbrDZoTJYWhlHLgMokt9RN8E17y6juEzr1t8kpvRger7PONzyzkvcbrG-ID7uH1sj0eQU5mSSDjYavlS7f6A1SNoaKAf22d1KkD0GATZifzdqjsC64cY/s400/4.+Raafat+Ishak.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618028459422805986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Raafat Ishak, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Future of a Promise</span>.</span><br /><br />Raafat Ishak's multi-paneled painting in the Pan-Arab show interpreted the hundreds of requests made for visas and his rejection by this many governments. This playful Easter egg hunt was soothing yet fragile in its delicacy--surely reflecting the fragility of the situation lived by immigrants across the world seeking a better life.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazOi3nCZqkun104WngGGs_hKhpHxbGoLl7ol-1Qp_CchyCrqjSSe2NDxCbRNggUBFHMnf6nB0U4_w9j0eqcZKvod9oRlxJoqo5EJefGMWYkIGOWwDtuFdalLa7SxcIhkkckMbeqPICqwd/s1600/5.+Karla+Black.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazOi3nCZqkun104WngGGs_hKhpHxbGoLl7ol-1Qp_CchyCrqjSSe2NDxCbRNggUBFHMnf6nB0U4_w9j0eqcZKvod9oRlxJoqo5EJefGMWYkIGOWwDtuFdalLa7SxcIhkkckMbeqPICqwd/s400/5.+Karla+Black.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618028335523749746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Karla Black, Scottish corollary pavilion.</span><br /><br />I loved this installation by Scottish artist <a href="http://www.e-flux.com/shows/view/9690"><span style="font-style: italic;">Karla Black</span></a> despite feeling I had seen this type of installation decades ago in LA. This fugitive, diy-craft-y material installation both harkens to the 1960s feminist movement and the 1980s LA garage-style works shown at places like FoodHouse. The aesthetic has seeped into art schools across the country. As a Scottish artist her aesthetic reference must be different--this is the kind of detail that was missing in the written materials at the show.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-xC_AP2Fc5G8buMx5PT3BjaH9n1_3EEHzhq2YNcSkkV6KL7bdePX7TpRHQzPQMPKe3K-cEIuNryJzi6EP9MdFNOuNwe9oFZrhFmXqwIvcU-rtiXePqGVWdY8kEgKTd8ciEXgKLuns5jI/s1600/6.+Oksana+Mas.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-xC_AP2Fc5G8buMx5PT3BjaH9n1_3EEHzhq2YNcSkkV6KL7bdePX7TpRHQzPQMPKe3K-cEIuNryJzi6EP9MdFNOuNwe9oFZrhFmXqwIvcU-rtiXePqGVWdY8kEgKTd8ciEXgKLuns5jI/s400/6.+Oksana+Mas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618028223990169682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Oksana Mas</span>, Ukrainian pavilion.<br /><br />Speaking of eggs, we found this installation by Ukrainian artist Oksana Mas in a church near La Fenice. The artist used thousands of painted eggs to re-create a Byzantine mosaic of Christ. This year I saw more art works based on religious forms than ever-before--interesting that artists are commenting on the (perhaps hollow) overwhelming presence of religious life in Venice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEstxcWKsCIm9BOynmedXmb49AhQ3oBxnPI2Q7oRtwYyLdU7i7beYJ4X3c4byrmCYKCqZitck4xCH6UKaAoVcH1acPtTman8nxQzjHkSCXLfkob3ZKGBYQpensp2uDylj31QdDv5R7kIW7/s1600/7.+Taibamo.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEstxcWKsCIm9BOynmedXmb49AhQ3oBxnPI2Q7oRtwYyLdU7i7beYJ4X3c4byrmCYKCqZitck4xCH6UKaAoVcH1acPtTman8nxQzjHkSCXLfkob3ZKGBYQpensp2uDylj31QdDv5R7kIW7/s400/7.+Taibamo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618028050741667170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Taibamo, Japanese pavilion.</span><br /><br />Taibamo's enveloping video animations are disconcerting dreamscapes where land and water merge and reverse positions. The gooey tentacles of seaweed caress and obscure in this mesmerizing but somewhat confounding installation.<br /><br />Long live Beauty!Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-55925317831620216022011-06-11T11:53:00.000-07:002011-06-13T04:49:05.359-07:00Politics in Venice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEHUp03Sx9ti3dGVPDoJErbadQMyeaIfrlDXkCSoRweiWFda_fNf-TQ8_SOrapeIhzur1UwTdYVWpFU4w77W4iDYRbNwD29dOF6kamNEnT0PoJMQlsZs7WgH9AYlfiUhnoRrrHw0n8WeN/s1600/1.+statue.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEHUp03Sx9ti3dGVPDoJErbadQMyeaIfrlDXkCSoRweiWFda_fNf-TQ8_SOrapeIhzur1UwTdYVWpFU4w77W4iDYRbNwD29dOF6kamNEnT0PoJMQlsZs7WgH9AYlfiUhnoRrrHw0n8WeN/s400/1.+statue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617657751226376466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Horse statue in Venice. All photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />What a relief to see a lot of art and to see a lot of artists dealing overtly with political topics. This year's <a href="http://www.labiennale.org/en/art/exhibition/">Venice Biennale</a> was of a minimum guaranteed quality (except where it was shockingly bad), but that sometimes makes for a sluggish show overall. I was thrilled to get a jolt of recognition through works addressing a range of contemporary issues although not each work was equally successful.<br /><br />I espied Verrocchio's <a href="http://www.finearttouch.com/Leonardo_s_Bronze_Horse_Sculpture.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Colleoni Monument</span></a>, started in 1479, while taking refuge under an umbrella to escape a hot day slogging between far-flung pavilions scattered around the city. Colleoni is a master of the universe but Verrocchio presents us with a brutish boor of a conquerer. (Art has always been political in some form or another, and denying that make the speaker seem very dull indeed.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8SZ5YhN9BekZpka54S5NJhCTc-onM82-ApC4M8y9rtPcxqC8nW2PpBtZfusQLMkWAwQcE8_g1wCIHg1Pf5_QX47ZZ0clPBr5FpN0OfHwONJAEmzRIiCD7X8J174uwhIrJ84kuKmmWYei/s1600/2.+Adel+Abidin.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8SZ5YhN9BekZpka54S5NJhCTc-onM82-ApC4M8y9rtPcxqC8nW2PpBtZfusQLMkWAwQcE8_g1wCIHg1Pf5_QX47ZZ0clPBr5FpN0OfHwONJAEmzRIiCD7X8J174uwhIrJ84kuKmmWYei/s400/2.+Adel+Abidin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617657644402454418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Adel Abidin work in the Iraqi pavilion.</span><br /><br />I found Adel Abidin's video and installation a funny antidote to Verrocchio's conquering hero. Two white guys play Star Wars with fluorescent tubes from the office ceiling light; the choreographed dance made a nice mockery of the powers fighting over (name one) Middle East country.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSS0AHdUuwZZCDTxcko9O5_o1KOQZn3MiZhgKdOifkqDAPfDHq2SsfDbYeEpVPxnxnky_atg_znfgQmKgX4oDFsTnfIwiqFQw4ilWcnOieANvfVsZJHZy9KacfmvkorBirpr1GhtIv8H6x/s1600/3.+Ahmet+Mater.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSS0AHdUuwZZCDTxcko9O5_o1KOQZn3MiZhgKdOifkqDAPfDHq2SsfDbYeEpVPxnxnky_atg_znfgQmKgX4oDFsTnfIwiqFQw4ilWcnOieANvfVsZJHZy9KacfmvkorBirpr1GhtIv8H6x/s400/3.+Ahmet+Mater.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617657190971995378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Ahmet Mater.</span><br /><br />Ahmet Mater's work in the show <a href="http://www.thefutureofapromise.com/index.php/about/view/exhibition_overview"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Future of a Promise</span></a> mocks the simplistic political creed of the former US government that started two wars in the Middle East.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTz3tkZfop8Hs8Z3jdiYcxKRR_4vI4adCryKqax5IMLkpjr-XsIjJQpmdCwDOfzG0WUfWEiOb44uQdprlO3aMkoGfIX9LcZTwtfpUoQRMK03dNTLzPW9v68Fk5jOipwL5vtNYbOpADWTK/s1600/4.+A%2526C+tank.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTz3tkZfop8Hs8Z3jdiYcxKRR_4vI4adCryKqax5IMLkpjr-XsIjJQpmdCwDOfzG0WUfWEiOb44uQdprlO3aMkoGfIX9LcZTwtfpUoQRMK03dNTLzPW9v68Fk5jOipwL5vtNYbOpADWTK/s400/4.+A%2526C+tank.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617657015267796434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Allora & Calzadilla tank.</span><br /><br />Jennifer Allora & Guillermo Calzadilla's installation <span style="font-style: italic;">Gloria</span> at the American pavilion too made hay with politics. The sub-theme was war as competitive game. The best of their work is performative, which meant that some of the more static sculptural works were a bit inert without the animating presence of gymnasts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZu5huBxCIgyv3GwPUTQDef06uf6YQRNy5m5-OQvv19UYKbngFtVxUZxyabfmf76oWpAMrpCh-JPPFEL4lwjFPXUuwqR2hH0Z6KO0x_T7UtEEZRryrwq7OH20ZuUyA2MFlIbCUVaf3ms6/s1600/5.+A%2526C+ATM.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZu5huBxCIgyv3GwPUTQDef06uf6YQRNy5m5-OQvv19UYKbngFtVxUZxyabfmf76oWpAMrpCh-JPPFEL4lwjFPXUuwqR2hH0Z6KO0x_T7UtEEZRryrwq7OH20ZuUyA2MFlIbCUVaf3ms6/s400/5.+A%2526C+ATM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617656846095903314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">A & C ATM machine / pipe organ.</span><br /><br />This ATM machine drew a lot of attention and was evidently the most-used ATM in Venice for a few days!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Uc-9IhcaErEx7LnBZOI5q5cb9REoaMVrvrzYGbMbDLjgKvhx2Sn8foIEuLzEQJvuiem8hyphenhyphenVGlNm9h5zvw-DxG3uZ_gGKS2v3cD16jmzWJ1-mO4t8SEhjCBGWZlK-VFq0p1a5Kz8u-y_a/s1600/6.+A%2526C+video.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Uc-9IhcaErEx7LnBZOI5q5cb9REoaMVrvrzYGbMbDLjgKvhx2Sn8foIEuLzEQJvuiem8hyphenhyphenVGlNm9h5zvw-DxG3uZ_gGKS2v3cD16jmzWJ1-mO4t8SEhjCBGWZlK-VFq0p1a5Kz8u-y_a/s400/6.+A%2526C+video.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617656734802748306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">A & C video.</span><br /><br />I found this simple video the summation of Allora & Calzadilla's pavilion. The divided screen, the struggle of the men to stay horizontal was elegant, painful and provocative.<br /><br />I was proud of the choice at the pavilion--there are so many deserving artists in the US but the choices were feeling like a queue for a job rather than an informed, or even inspired, challenge of what art can mean.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXf901N4G9tTgxAUG0rhv0rWYsax2ChkoOjXnFSOKXg7hyphenhyphenNvJ_QveJP5liA3GtIT_af6eadpLRIcoDNEd8v-IPx2d88yOZVPErYjVtx3xRjrUhurrG5fUclMcW_o08_bPsvMCoZkoF4Hi/s1600/7.+Lee+Yongbaek.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXf901N4G9tTgxAUG0rhv0rWYsax2ChkoOjXnFSOKXg7hyphenhyphenNvJ_QveJP5liA3GtIT_af6eadpLRIcoDNEd8v-IPx2d88yOZVPErYjVtx3xRjrUhurrG5fUclMcW_o08_bPsvMCoZkoF4Hi/s400/7.+Lee+Yongbaek.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617656579396082546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Lee Yongbaek, Korean pavilion.</span><br /><br />Lee Yongbaek's work at the (South) Korean pavilion had some very nice work and some very bad work. This simple video, of old technology pulling new, seemed to capture the historical squeeze we are in today. We rush into the future with our new technologies without understanding old technologies and relationships. We embrace war without taking into account the impact on the conqueror and the conquered--war disrupts and destroys both societies in different ways, but destroy is the key word.<br /><br />It was a pleasure to think beyond my own green box while in Venice, to feel re-connected to what artists around the globe are thinking and doing. Art can connect us across political and social boundaries, and given the precarious state of the world, we can use more politically-charged art.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-83795454410708837302011-05-26T04:54:00.001-07:002011-05-26T05:33:25.084-07:00A Month in the Mid-West<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGAmKTZA_ugk7oqJs_bmeqwby5RgNymjuPk-eume8vrC1ruiQw5oYiKjUGPMViCun0B6ywsK5SrgpZRtmR5uP4sLxlbkWHq580QzQswn9YePO_F5ts9nQDQy1wxzHg7r0b3KErRZUkrBn/s1600/1.+woohoo%2521.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGAmKTZA_ugk7oqJs_bmeqwby5RgNymjuPk-eume8vrC1ruiQw5oYiKjUGPMViCun0B6ywsK5SrgpZRtmR5uP4sLxlbkWHq580QzQswn9YePO_F5ts9nQDQy1wxzHg7r0b3KErRZUkrBn/s400/1.+woohoo%2521.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610994886965898162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Art work at Art Chicago. All photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />Whohooo! This funny video work by an artist at Art Chicago (I should have been taking the label pics but did not, I apologize to this artist) is an unintentional bracket to the month I've just had.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwEgt6RTaRHO0lLqiGqVc8HxOJPPTzTWrGP8_vbsInXADDUel3fNPiP_bMZCSlPum8xVKhguKUZshzX8o9K5dfzUSfzknrzHjMFb3Wm7nuMBg_EkJNsi3gKDQCcKx7kssSgZjsclyHfsN/s1600/2.+Lambert+damage.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwEgt6RTaRHO0lLqiGqVc8HxOJPPTzTWrGP8_vbsInXADDUel3fNPiP_bMZCSlPum8xVKhguKUZshzX8o9K5dfzUSfzknrzHjMFb3Wm7nuMBg_EkJNsi3gKDQCcKx7kssSgZjsclyHfsN/s400/2.+Lambert+damage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610994674331586146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Lambert Field after tornado strike.</span><br /><br />A tornado hit Lambert Field just after I took off for the weekend, luckily they re-opened the next day so I was able to fly in Monday morning. This may be the only upside to an under-utilized airport.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUeEkylSeiIcI6DTjOqcYlrTk5rfI-o0mzUo-Dz248q9CUOaY6SL2JESKSMeYzJcJywNuPC6gObI0-IPcXvjkTMpd0ZHnnwJY8hLbELQskyZ4nn7WQrV_2xDnbypUY6-rHotPIENyjT_E/s1600/3.+Mats+in+bamboo.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUeEkylSeiIcI6DTjOqcYlrTk5rfI-o0mzUo-Dz248q9CUOaY6SL2JESKSMeYzJcJywNuPC6gObI0-IPcXvjkTMpd0ZHnnwJY8hLbELQskyZ4nn7WQrV_2xDnbypUY6-rHotPIENyjT_E/s400/3.+Mats+in+bamboo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610994583203885538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Mats Stjernstedt in bamboo back yard.</span><br /><br />Friend and colleague Mats Stjernstedt, former director of Index Gallery, Stockholm, current director of Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo (I've even been there, twice!) and member of Laumeier's International Advisory Council, visited STL. He gave a gallery talk on Jessica Stockholder's show, conducted studio visits and participated on my panel at Art Chicago concerning new sculptural practices and changes for dedicated sculpture parks. Peter Tao, of Tao + Lee Architects, knows the owner of this bamboo backyard in U City.<br /><br />What a haunting, lovely yard. Downside: you couldn't have kids, the bamboo shoots were like spikes jutting from the ground.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOsJLNXR6ru03GjrUrAjRfP4q0jKfiMOSnwklCPUho6NtmF-Qo6ZQNoSNz0vLZ4pGm9bYRwWwGpQXagozGfVcNxQKZHevGntiRch2awkY30peqLhORQCMIgQ5LF5iI1pNupNjPo2_DjgD/s1600/4.+Theaster+in+studio.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOsJLNXR6ru03GjrUrAjRfP4q0jKfiMOSnwklCPUho6NtmF-Qo6ZQNoSNz0vLZ4pGm9bYRwWwGpQXagozGfVcNxQKZHevGntiRch2awkY30peqLhORQCMIgQ5LF5iI1pNupNjPo2_DjgD/s400/4.+Theaster+in+studio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610994458374679362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Theaster Gates in his home / studio / performance space.</span><br /><br />One of the smartest artists / cultural workers is Chicago-based Theaster Gates. A group of us (me, Kevin Miyazaki, Mats Stjernstedt and NY-based critic and pal Lilly Wei) went to Theaster's studio at the invitation of Kavi Gupta. Theaster has purchased several houses on the south side of Chicago with the intention of creating a vibrant cultural space in this neglected neighborhood.<br /><br />Theaster is planning a collaborative project for next year's Documenta that involves a group of his south-side neighbors traveling to Kassel to convert a building there. Stay tuned.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_r1AbXhcH3ZMQDUNH9TTuDUdNJ7_qKUnCsHoc6rPLzJO2_eANurQxWspAnvJ23zDBYYBw0l3pG9C1uV10O9U2tO8LwiGaLeiAsRCRhBtYhUIUWpmNcKW3DjvKemTUo8mULRyfUhE6myt/s1600/5.+Art+Chicago+panel.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_r1AbXhcH3ZMQDUNH9TTuDUdNJ7_qKUnCsHoc6rPLzJO2_eANurQxWspAnvJ23zDBYYBw0l3pG9C1uV10O9U2tO8LwiGaLeiAsRCRhBtYhUIUWpmNcKW3DjvKemTUo8mULRyfUhE6myt/s400/5.+Art+Chicago+panel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610994047341180898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Sculpture panel at Art Chicago, May 1.</span><br /><br />I organized a panel on changing sculptural practices at dedicated sculpture parks and other arts organizations. Left to right: Dr. Matthias Wascheck, former director, Pulitzer Foundation, St. Louis; artist / activist Theaster Gates; me, talking about Beverly Pepper's commissioned work Cromlech Glen at Laumeier; Dennis Kois, director, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum; missing, Mats Stjernstedt, director, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo. We talked about new artistic practices, like Theaster's, and how they are being manifested in spaces like Laumeier, deCordova and elsewhere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwb9NNkyV6IizolZwC5MMxASPCv8AmIg6kK1K5mNe7VUy0qaVXFmCMBC6TFxc0jN34U-58duKffZExKIC8-vxg7bFHASW6CMJLFxB9YhiidXg88niTYfv51i4UmdlUIC8QtGKPSSj6MIED/s1600/6.+Guston+Art+Institute+of+Chicago.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwb9NNkyV6IizolZwC5MMxASPCv8AmIg6kK1K5mNe7VUy0qaVXFmCMBC6TFxc0jN34U-58duKffZExKIC8-vxg7bFHASW6CMJLFxB9YhiidXg88niTYfv51i4UmdlUIC8QtGKPSSj6MIED/s400/6.+Guston+Art+Institute+of+Chicago.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610993916157870738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Philip Guston at Art Institute of Chicago.</span><br /><br />And a break to run through the Art Institute of Chicago's permanent collection show. Guston, someone whose work makes me sad and happy at the same time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicC6pOowlD6P88GPYaClQEcp0s1BWCP5Irzbc9RUN6Lm7WlSTwAqUKoNR-pVu0DCeDQ60ewZarhczgKPpZinIjhqURP1Pv4IK_KymDTdoU3q12IUHiXBdBsZCLkCPSgRHT03V-AKFHeyzf/s1600/7.+di+Suvero+deinstall.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicC6pOowlD6P88GPYaClQEcp0s1BWCP5Irzbc9RUN6Lm7WlSTwAqUKoNR-pVu0DCeDQ60ewZarhczgKPpZinIjhqURP1Pv4IK_KymDTdoU3q12IUHiXBdBsZCLkCPSgRHT03V-AKFHeyzf/s400/7.+di+Suvero+deinstall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610993805535545602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Mark di Suvero at center in white hat, deinstalling work at Laumeier.</span><br /><br />Mark di Suvero has been a presence at Laumeier since it opened in 1976. He recently won the Presidential Medal of Honor, and is having a show of his work on Governor's Island (I gave the Board Chair, his wife and a St. Louis collector a tour of Laumeier last fall). Here Mark is, overseeing the complicated deinstallation of a work, in-between two cranes and lots of strong, and strong-willed, guys. Fun to watch--from a distance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivYwai9zoasu2Du2cRqnS2rGpCPH2c_epvrAcvbX7hb7XYwVH36KcXle6gtesknhJpDOjgmtq-4_2gglgEPHAnBCm5xCfyvtqLof9TOQdtZjSXuh-Yi3OaqFzKh-J42ZPdcPnQc2j48v7/s1600/8.+me+%2526+ursula.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivYwai9zoasu2Du2cRqnS2rGpCPH2c_epvrAcvbX7hb7XYwVH36KcXle6gtesknhJpDOjgmtq-4_2gglgEPHAnBCm5xCfyvtqLof9TOQdtZjSXuh-Yi3OaqFzKh-J42ZPdcPnQc2j48v7/s400/8.+me+%2526+ursula.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610992450687618402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Ursula von Rydinsgvard at Laumeier.</span><br /><br />Laumeier continues working on a collections assessment which includes refurbishing and reinstalling Ursula von Rydingsvard's Untitled work. She chose this great location near the Estate House (see the stakes in the ground?) This gives us the opportunity to clear out this area near a small non-functioning pond, pour a set of stairs for easier public access and to animate her work by sending visitors through it. Ursula is a great artist and fabulous person who deserves all the attention she is getting these days.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoRWt2ml0XjyZYia2qwpj4W72DVxT7iyELL3hozm9NHtwLYUxDMtt6xgjzcC4vfDPwnS393G1eZb483-ZfNVYEruE0Oyv4syitVVXf0qdYvxQOrEGvxKFKiXj-Os2Wf3DpQRb99_kiW0M/s1600/9.+Tea+Makipaa+forms.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoRWt2ml0XjyZYia2qwpj4W72DVxT7iyELL3hozm9NHtwLYUxDMtt6xgjzcC4vfDPwnS393G1eZb483-ZfNVYEruE0Oyv4syitVVXf0qdYvxQOrEGvxKFKiXj-Os2Wf3DpQRb99_kiW0M/s400/9.+Tea+Makipaa+forms.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610992263399895378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Next generation: Tea Makipaa</span>.<br /><br />These are the five foundations poured for Germany-based Finnish artist Tea Makipaa's work. The six-part piece, called <span style="font-style: italic;">Not Without My Dog</span>, has been commissioned for our show <span style="font-style: italic;">Dog Days of Summer. </span>The piece is designed from a dog's perspective and is part of our investigation into an "archaeology of place." Over 20% of Laumeier's audience comes with their dog--thus, we are focusing on our long relationship with them and how it has changed since the mid-19th century. June 25 - October 2. Tea will be at the opening to speak, she'll give us some great insight into her process.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxBmEYGQbPG9_hcM3AbwQy-xmMxAOt8axZohSNHTdwNxCkzv3Nke9j4KSIzgR6meEy1U_ig4eDBrkZUmAXNBWWuv4jO386zQcfjZBDuCGMmu9r2BgXN_TntztTGtJxI2itJfj36HIb42G/s1600/10.+Poodle+art.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxBmEYGQbPG9_hcM3AbwQy-xmMxAOt8axZohSNHTdwNxCkzv3Nke9j4KSIzgR6meEy1U_ig4eDBrkZUmAXNBWWuv4jO386zQcfjZBDuCGMmu9r2BgXN_TntztTGtJxI2itJfj36HIb42G/s400/10.+Poodle+art.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610992023893056018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Art work at Art Chicago (apologies to the artist).</span><br /><br />My favorite piece at Art Chicago, not just because I'm working on a show about dogs and not just because of the quirky juxtaposition of the fluffy poodle and a doomsday message (May 21st has come and gone and we're all still here).<br /><br />I am finally tired of the unstable Missouri landscape. I spent a weekend in May at a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Wisconsin--tornado sirens went off there too.<br /><br />Enough already--let us enjoy our poodles!Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-50065110996458477242011-04-08T06:47:00.000-07:002011-04-08T06:51:53.416-07:00Public Sculpture in St. Louis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNlMgJtLhv9aaOBjnUCzm28wkD3WZ3MsNV3xD6ysutKsmZwJosACf95nxjqj9nhcvwNH4K53nqpY7ZgtWRPeguXH-ENcukh2zeZJpe_OHHOLEqbSf1HpoVtaeIUCxn0Wrjwgpussk1y1p/s1600/LIam+Gillick%252C+St.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNlMgJtLhv9aaOBjnUCzm28wkD3WZ3MsNV3xD6ysutKsmZwJosACf95nxjqj9nhcvwNH4K53nqpY7ZgtWRPeguXH-ENcukh2zeZJpe_OHHOLEqbSf1HpoVtaeIUCxn0Wrjwgpussk1y1p/s400/LIam+Gillick%252C+St.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593209407609428514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />photo by the author.</span><br /><br />Prettiest piece of public art in St. Louis? This canopy by Liam Gillick at <a href="http://www.slfp.com/ConstructionNews.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">Centene's new headquarters</span></a> in downtown Clayton, MO.<br /><br />The parking structure (out of the picture, to the right) uses color to mark the levels. While this never makes sense in most parking structures (how many times do you still have to write down the floor number when parking in an urban area?), this one works.<br /><br />I have no idea what the process was for choosing this artist, but whoever was involved--congratulations! See what a good budget for public art can do?Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-18124891102752859982011-03-30T05:41:00.000-07:002011-03-30T06:02:35.931-07:00Learning on the Ground<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8upodI096L5biXgvRPsel1factN7NHyCmItvMyX_eIqBcj5H9o8LDSIMIbvdC5iOSBFx08VQejW1zYBmuAtZncygOt8h98YBUow3sJjBcKFeHdTmkWUvDy9PQAMfcXnuhpXYPWFDkkfl/s1600/group+at+Met+3+25+2011.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8upodI096L5biXgvRPsel1factN7NHyCmItvMyX_eIqBcj5H9o8LDSIMIbvdC5iOSBFx08VQejW1zYBmuAtZncygOt8h98YBUow3sJjBcKFeHdTmkWUvDy9PQAMfcXnuhpXYPWFDkkfl/s400/group+at+Met+3+25+2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589853931144482146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">UMSL group at the Met, March 25, 2011. </span><br /><br />I just returned from leading the 2011 Ferring Art and Art History Travel Study Program to New York. All happy faces, all tired feet!<br /><br />We met with dealers like Jay Gorney to see the <a href="http://www.miandn.com/#/exhibitions/2011-03-17_chelsea_kenneth-noland/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Kenneth Noland</span></a> show at Mitchell-Innes & Nash, artists such as <a href="http://www.bradkahlhamer.net/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Brad Kahlhamer</span></a> and <a href="http://sculpture-center.org/exhibitionsExhibition.htm?id=75981"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ursula von Rydisgsvard</span></a>, below.<br /><br />We saw the George Condo and Lynda Benglis shows at <a href="http://www.newmuseum.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The New Museum</span></a>, <a href="http://salon94.com/exhibitions/79/description.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">Laurie Simmons</span></a> at Salon 94 on the Bowery, <a href="http://www.lehmannmaupin.com/#/exhibitions/2011-03-24_tim-rollins-and-kos/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tim Rollins & K.O.S.</span></a> at Lehmann Maupin and <a href="http://www.alexandergray.com/exhibitions/2011-02-23_paul-ramirez-jonas/">Paul Ramirez Jonas</a> at Alexander Gray Associates.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kxffishiUxKRjV0NFljov4AIn9Xh9UPurkgMfDNYbmeJLQ03AxJCEl-MLNzeV0Rs24aV242JBwDl6SVcdHMpl09TJ9w75_BmZDWxt7wMJxfEmq3vbmt0Ehv1-Cep2ojQ9lCLLgndOjSd/s1600/Ursula+at+Sculpture+Center+3+2011.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kxffishiUxKRjV0NFljov4AIn9Xh9UPurkgMfDNYbmeJLQ03AxJCEl-MLNzeV0Rs24aV242JBwDl6SVcdHMpl09TJ9w75_BmZDWxt7wMJxfEmq3vbmt0Ehv1-Cep2ojQ9lCLLgndOjSd/s400/Ursula+at+Sculpture+Center+3+2011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589853799350401474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Ursula von Rydingsvard at The Sculpture Center. photo by Dr. Karen Cummings.</span><br /><br />What struck me most was how many significant, mid-career artists were in the museums and galleries. What a great time to re-invest in these important figures!<br /><br />Not everything has to be about the go-go kids. Depth and wisdom do have great value in our marketable world.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-54916535347230880952011-03-12T05:38:00.000-08:002011-03-12T05:51:23.821-08:00Shout it Out!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdu6PgWAsh8y73UocvjcKnS5irNaXwOF3qLMtNrrYgPgWbL_2DWU69dQBxn7_Trgoy2Ar_c-m7VKQWPxMW3WZa_vKMtgbQeHWzk6zo7Xay0QqYFQ_4luVJEDxoTRQd5XLWoQpRbsXjr63u/s1600/WAsh+U.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdu6PgWAsh8y73UocvjcKnS5irNaXwOF3qLMtNrrYgPgWbL_2DWU69dQBxn7_Trgoy2Ar_c-m7VKQWPxMW3WZa_vKMtgbQeHWzk6zo7Xay0QqYFQ_4luVJEDxoTRQd5XLWoQpRbsXjr63u/s400/WAsh+U.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583187618572582674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Washington University campus, St. Louis. photo courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />Funny how bullhorns are creeping into my speech these days.<br /><br />Protestors in the Middle East demanding the creation of civil society.<br /><br />Protestors in the mid-west trying to stop the dismantling of civil society.<br /><br />This eerie stage on Wash U's campus looks very Soviet-era, despite the neo-Gothic building in the background.<br /><br />The speakers on top of the pavilion reminded me of when I was part of a union negotiating team when I worked at the Museum of Modern Art. PASTA-MoMA was part of the white collar division of the United Auto Workers--open shop, of course (this means employees were not obliged to pay union dues but they benefited from the union's work on their behalf).<br /><br />The lawyer for MoMA complained one morning that he had $1 million worth of damage to trees on his property in Connecticut. We were trying to raise the minimum wage for the front desk workers who made $13,000 a year and had to speak two languages (this was around 1987). It's as if we were on different planets.<br /><br />I am all for free markets but I believe in the Social Contract that provides a safety net for people less fortunate--like the millions laid off because of the global financial collapse. The arts are part of that civil society / Social Contract that I pay to support--that lots of people pay to support. The arts frame the value of life, giving it texture and meaning.<br /><br />If we are all not trying to make everyone's life better, then we're in one big open shop--where the majority does the hard work while a minority benefits.<br /><br />All of our nationals arts foundations--from museums and libraries to public radio and television--are under attack. If you haven't already I urge you to express yourself--even if you disagree with me, take a stand.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-81330504329213294372011-01-29T10:12:00.000-08:002011-01-29T10:43:54.728-08:00Modeling Business<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEntpDukL6_DPN8V1Ytp6NZRNvCkNCxllCKRysg88kqHOGrJSq3M5Jvmh7s2ETwffRwyPqLX-D6m1qz_L0ifHDKDdLdMwcomSnrDanSsss7PAfkpRJWMevCUaVXxA4tqEspO8FAULW1NA_/s1600/Good+to+Great.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEntpDukL6_DPN8V1Ytp6NZRNvCkNCxllCKRysg88kqHOGrJSq3M5Jvmh7s2ETwffRwyPqLX-D6m1qz_L0ifHDKDdLdMwcomSnrDanSsss7PAfkpRJWMevCUaVXxA4tqEspO8FAULW1NA_/s400/Good+to+Great.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567675077764797858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">photo courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />I am reading "<a href="http://www.jimcollins.com/books/g2g-ss.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Good to Great and the Social Sectors</span></a>" by Jim Collins, lent to me by Amy Rome and Leslie Peters of <a href="http://www.theromegroup.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Rome Group</span></a>. Amy and Leslie are guiding our Strategic Planning process at Laumeier. Focusing on our sustainable "business model" is the most important element for me in this exercise.<br /><br />Diane Ragsdale's post, linked to by Andrew Taylor, below, is a helpful at-a-glance in thinking about the elements needed to explain a "business model":<br /><a href="http://www.artsjournal.com/artfulmanager/main/back-to-business-models.php"><span style="font-style: italic;">http://www.artsjournal.com/artfulmanager/main/back-to-business-models.php</span></a><br /><br />Yet I like what Taylor (and Collins) say about replacing "value model" for "business model" in how non-profits "sell" their worth to funders and patrons alike.<br /><br />In the 1980s the arts sector veered away from the intangible values arts organizations bring into the bean-counting territory favored by business leaders and politicians mindful of expenditures of public funds.<br /><br />Perhaps it's time to re-import the "value" of our proposition back into our non-profit business models. Given the collapse of our economy and the threats to further de-funding, any and all new language we find could be enormously helpful to protect ourselves from the heathens at the door.<br /><br />It's interesting to, in the same week, listen to radio stories about the creation of a national arts policy under President Kennedy while, simultaneously, the NEA et al are threatened with extinction.<br /><br />Eliminating NPR and the NEA would not only cause more job losses but fatally crush those independent voices that are not about capital or the monitization of life. We need independent voices in this country when we are so in danger of losing our position as a global social and cultural leader.<br /><br />Let's put "value" next to arts "business" to stave off the superficial attacks lobbied at us so we stop fighting this battle and instead focus on our social commitments to our constituents. When the economy improves it's crucial that the arts can again lead the country in making our citizens informed and engaged in civic life.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-78305064832691619612011-01-02T18:08:00.001-08:002011-01-03T19:00:29.397-08:00Southern Architecture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49dXGnlR_xj_dny1dbUZ_DfDi7E1n2n7pAHTDqB4jmJmE9a7lXAFUK38AV1aBc2415uocVyx24rxl5uKhDf7RhrQFdE-9gVGt4bLKhY40cfwf-SwM1JI3V7LGkwOYQGD2DPj-OodQQKXi/s1600/Clinton+library+ext.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49dXGnlR_xj_dny1dbUZ_DfDi7E1n2n7pAHTDqB4jmJmE9a7lXAFUK38AV1aBc2415uocVyx24rxl5uKhDf7RhrQFdE-9gVGt4bLKhY40cfwf-SwM1JI3V7LGkwOYQGD2DPj-OodQQKXi/s400/Clinton+library+ext.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557777066896245010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Clinton Library, Little Rock, AR. all photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />Kevin and I had some whiplash moments during our Southern tour. We left St. Louis and headed to Little Rock, Arkansas, to see the <a href="http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Clinton Library</span></a>. A very chatty guard was pleased to tell us that, when in town, the Clintons stay on an apartment on top of this building. (See the slight roof-line on top?)<br /><br />Should we know that? I asked him how they got up there--through the Library? Kevin said I shouldn't have asked so many questions. But what director wants a bunch of beefy Secret Security guys barging in at all hours of the day and night? I vote for an exterior elevator.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuUsTke63jNb4ZabuRQiJrknCC3LYO-uYblnA58nmiqm_2PyUqthBHToj_G8cdl_oCHRvLUkWd9eU1vmbiPh7iZaZOn922dB7rf-9OTjp5jk1JbpEUxS66DJIqGjqJzf4ILtBFwdiJ7DG/s1600/Clinton+library.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuUsTke63jNb4ZabuRQiJrknCC3LYO-uYblnA58nmiqm_2PyUqthBHToj_G8cdl_oCHRvLUkWd9eU1vmbiPh7iZaZOn922dB7rf-9OTjp5jk1JbpEUxS66DJIqGjqJzf4ILtBFwdiJ7DG/s400/Clinton+library.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557776967371065634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Scale West Wing Office.</span><br /><br />Best room in the library: this scale model of the President's office. Made me think of Martin Sheen.<br /><br />For every grand building we saw there was a tenfold volume of buildings that speak of economic decay. For every suspicious thing I've heard or seen about the South, in television, print or the movies, we saw inspiring spaces. For every hardscrabble burg we passed through we saw signs of incredible strength and human glory.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2d4L5KHPoUI-wv7SC2-f9BaTah-z-rUeqKOC7duFKX7uE5M8yXDAIHUtkAVz1dd_CfqbFgCPyxyrGeSS7dfp4g60AHlfqxohArcEphjWFjkD76qk81OWLH9ASSsjuy4t8yo2aekSiM1bb/s1600/Central+High%252C+Little+Rock.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2d4L5KHPoUI-wv7SC2-f9BaTah-z-rUeqKOC7duFKX7uE5M8yXDAIHUtkAVz1dd_CfqbFgCPyxyrGeSS7dfp4g60AHlfqxohArcEphjWFjkD76qk81OWLH9ASSsjuy4t8yo2aekSiM1bb/s400/Central+High%252C+Little+Rock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557776786767966802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Central High, Little Rock.</span><br /><br />What a grand building this is! I never saw the footage of the forced integration of American schools while in school in Canada so had no real idea of what the <a href="http://www.centralhigh57.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Little Rock 9</span></a> went through to get into this school. The National Parks Service building across the street had poignant, pointed footage on the racial divide that happened right there. The neighborhood around the school? Neglected, degraded. I wonder why?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaQZJ_gIU1Ri7j_XRFy9n_e4nzS4L7EyB1t76jsqBiu8geTe6jsQ47LXYt5ZUZq_3JVcZ4OAjy6a0vZZv2S_PYWC5zVW2uRy0pBfP7N9jv9gYx8Coou8mj974E0xnTECkFv70JYB8MhVY/s1600/Beer+Can+House%252C+Houston.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaQZJ_gIU1Ri7j_XRFy9n_e4nzS4L7EyB1t76jsqBiu8geTe6jsQ47LXYt5ZUZq_3JVcZ4OAjy6a0vZZv2S_PYWC5zVW2uRy0pBfP7N9jv9gYx8Coou8mj974E0xnTECkFv70JYB8MhVY/s400/Beer+Can+House%252C+Houston.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557776647828049282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Beer Can House, Houston.</span><br /><br />I talked my family into taking an eating break to go to the <a href="http://www.beercanhouse.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Beer Can House</span></a> (oh, we did do things other than eat and watch movies!) This lovely piece of folk art is trapped between two hideous apartment complexes--who's got the worse view, hmmm? I love the quirky quality of this kind of endeavor, even if it implies the author loved his six pack, just like Hank Hill.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31M_7qmYgqs3H_CjFVlXpopw2MigTshbrOkEXdflwEVdOIV80Ro2WKK2hPJjSnNgIMp4hy1kPRszEYCHSgGYI26NfeY7fp1-M8YGAoEFh0wIjHlRotIUpKXD4zN4PAvqYcCphUEd0Z07o/s1600/Lower+9th+ward+Pitt+homes.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31M_7qmYgqs3H_CjFVlXpopw2MigTshbrOkEXdflwEVdOIV80Ro2WKK2hPJjSnNgIMp4hy1kPRszEYCHSgGYI26NfeY7fp1-M8YGAoEFh0wIjHlRotIUpKXD4zN4PAvqYcCphUEd0Z07o/s400/Lower+9th+ward+Pitt+homes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557776523371899250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Lower Ninth Ward homes.</span><br /><br />While in New Orleans we went looking for the Brad Pitt-sponsored homes in the Lower Ninth Ward. Above, one of the houses that reinterprets the architectural vernacular of the region.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTwKGYIxbYjV02WE-Q87suFl7NlynIRftzP48-Nol9PzppLj79ygUJSNLxN22iuKV01SFr9_HHiytm1GpFXNr_kTtsNvg0titIP2hF23W_Lu6S7XK_4VRcakkhsTT9xErUM4K6EpgbbOq/s1600/old+lower+9th+ward.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTwKGYIxbYjV02WE-Q87suFl7NlynIRftzP48-Nol9PzppLj79ygUJSNLxN22iuKV01SFr9_HHiytm1GpFXNr_kTtsNvg0titIP2hF23W_Lu6S7XK_4VRcakkhsTT9xErUM4K6EpgbbOq/s400/old+lower+9th+ward.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557776354255751234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Old Lower Ninth Ward home.</span><br /><br />As charming and playful as the new homes are, the area is still strewn with these former residential spaces. I would say 70% of the area is empty. Who is helping here, and why does much of the rest of New Orleans look similarly like ruins?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3UYJPhMeuHODpnLTjFycLHDh0Z7Yc2YekA09l_T39KEOcArzzAO3gwhgM81Ux3YJ4FmrHgniXXCJ8LDjmXZI8axw7PZtnNxhV4E8mUdhD4lRCqZXlv2d837nwJ_g9csH3u65egcpbzAI/s1600/downtown+Jackson%252C+MI.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3UYJPhMeuHODpnLTjFycLHDh0Z7Yc2YekA09l_T39KEOcArzzAO3gwhgM81Ux3YJ4FmrHgniXXCJ8LDjmXZI8axw7PZtnNxhV4E8mUdhD4lRCqZXlv2d837nwJ_g9csH3u65egcpbzAI/s400/downtown+Jackson%252C+MI.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557776191427448466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Downtown Jackson, Mississippi.</span><br /><br />Never thought I'd be in Mississippi. The city fathers bulldozed their old downtown places just as efficiently as did towns across the country. This block cringes in the shadow of the larger corporate spaces around it--will these poor lost buildings be saved, or sacrificed, in this latest round of economic downturn? Hard not to think of the Great Depression, or even William Christenberry, when going through this area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo4178EF7-KOPBejYLT5iRTTSUh5kb2w82ThUzeZlD4Ln7A8dhN9FmHGXgucfGIyIlJAATmxwDKPhARf4Y-5FFjBEisYDqrxHoHHbay_qshi_HTzSh18DdGy2zIhZU-k8OErN6hyphenhyphen8BM46/s1600/Lorraine+Motel+rm+306.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo4178EF7-KOPBejYLT5iRTTSUh5kb2w82ThUzeZlD4Ln7A8dhN9FmHGXgucfGIyIlJAATmxwDKPhARf4Y-5FFjBEisYDqrxHoHHbay_qshi_HTzSh18DdGy2zIhZU-k8OErN6hyphenhyphen8BM46/s400/Lorraine+Motel+rm+306.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557776027811351058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Lorraine Motel, Memphis.</span><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/home.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">National Civil Rights Museum</span></a> in Memphis embraces the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. When open, visitors can actually go into the rooms above, where King and his associates were staying. Across the street you can stand in the (assumed) location where the murderer stood.<br /><br />It was haunting to be put in the place of the real protagonists in this pivotal moment of American history. What other artifacts could convey this trauma other than the real spaces where real bodies reside?<br /><br />The second part of the museum, located on the "bad" (aka murderous) side of the street, explored the various controversies around the King assassination. Mafia, CIA, crackpots all are implicated. (I was shocked to learn that Ray, a Missouri State Penitentiary escapee, had fake Canadian passports to help him move around more easily. How could he NOT have had help?)<br /><br />It was a very moving experience to see this museum and read a narrative that was bracing and pointed about the social issues swirling around at the time. Hard not to compare and contrast today's society with the issues King was fighting--entrenched poverty, class discrimination, etc... Moving and tough.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS62EQLlbIV3RFPjjFPub2TgzHI12cXO8rg-0UZVSdkqEhD6fYFAv7iZAwQTr2l7cGFDKC7ov_0w4dBRCufDGMrpFfuSPoEYYULhXl_AaC_C7nrDr29UHIaaC7Rcoht6szeNUpU_flZwHd/s1600/Graceland+basement.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS62EQLlbIV3RFPjjFPub2TgzHI12cXO8rg-0UZVSdkqEhD6fYFAv7iZAwQTr2l7cGFDKC7ov_0w4dBRCufDGMrpFfuSPoEYYULhXl_AaC_C7nrDr29UHIaaC7Rcoht6szeNUpU_flZwHd/s400/Graceland+basement.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557775904359846066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Elvis basement.</span><br /><br />What better to wash away Southern grit than with Southern flair? <a href="http://www.elvis.com/graceland/tours/tickets-reservations/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Elvis's home</span></a> was not the McMansion I thought it would be. That his "man cave", above, was in the basement is astounding given Elvis's international reach. The large but, by today's standards, small crib is a testament to not over-spending--on your home, anyway!<br /><br />Architecture is the thing that we all live in, whether we pay attention to it or not. Architecture is the first one up, the last one down in a good / bad economy. That these experiences were not a flush or over-bearing visual stimulation but rather sought-out experiences tells us about the lack of density in the South. Perhaps it's a good thing that these communities have not over-built--perhaps that temerity is what will save them.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-43828993867586440332010-12-29T06:11:00.001-08:002010-12-29T06:25:50.869-08:00Portable, Storable Collection<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL7s_sM6xcwx-thZb2u1E9jvJGexKe215LjKpm3awv2-Bv1VdPiAuyfILqJM8IITGu8maiBDfXqBNa8-ZR2LfOiviF-cXhE_Rakb6NZdVKkLuwmmW0l9zCXGyOyGnBYpQV6DgiprkHCM2/s1600/Bill+and+Hillary.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL7s_sM6xcwx-thZb2u1E9jvJGexKe215LjKpm3awv2-Bv1VdPiAuyfILqJM8IITGu8maiBDfXqBNa8-ZR2LfOiviF-cXhE_Rakb6NZdVKkLuwmmW0l9zCXGyOyGnBYpQV6DgiprkHCM2/s400/Bill+and+Hillary.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556106863237688082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Bill and Hillary cookie cutters from the Clinton Library, Little Rock, AR. photos courtesy the author.</span><br /><br />As my search for the perfect floaty pen continues I believe I have run across a new small collectible: cookie cutters.<br /><br />Above are two from the Clinton Library's store in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas.<br /><br />I love that they have a sense of humor about eating either Clinton's head!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_vG5nO5O6RkyRtTANJ9AvQWjqNcs4fMRvHU9J3C7Bb3tyNsgyN0FLzE8pa5ecAzqxSX9Fjspa3AXgzLmAnyT_IwNKVpo_T1oCXmT5EOXIfVLo3c2JHUp5IioFC4XLzQjReu8Q8Fgivk1/s1600/Saints+cookie+cutter.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_vG5nO5O6RkyRtTANJ9AvQWjqNcs4fMRvHU9J3C7Bb3tyNsgyN0FLzE8pa5ecAzqxSX9Fjspa3AXgzLmAnyT_IwNKVpo_T1oCXmT5EOXIfVLo3c2JHUp5IioFC4XLzQjReu8Q8Fgivk1/s400/Saints+cookie+cutter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556106743813239874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Saints cookie cutter, New Orleans.</span><br /><br />The down side of this art form is that you better check the work--this cookie cutter from the French Quarter was sub-standard work.<br /><br />These may be the new small collection that I try, I look forward to understanding what they mean about us.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-86224482034841324532010-12-21T04:40:00.000-08:002010-12-21T04:48:54.085-08:00On the Road Again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhvhEgokcNKpdH101Dtgj9IP-6LKNS1KjlbTJvCSDYmuyqYN-HnED4YqzaoN8jy4rUNU36ibG8iqq4revZQOnmo76n73gZjQoJbbsyezHIDUwNXWOueSt1WCW2qJ62d8ujL5zPnokLO-h/s1600/hot+mulled+wine.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhvhEgokcNKpdH101Dtgj9IP-6LKNS1KjlbTJvCSDYmuyqYN-HnED4YqzaoN8jy4rUNU36ibG8iqq4revZQOnmo76n73gZjQoJbbsyezHIDUwNXWOueSt1WCW2qJ62d8ujL5zPnokLO-h/s400/hot+mulled+wine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553114832934980626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Hot mulled wine with pomegranate, cinnamon and star anise.</span><br /><br />Kevin and I head out on our holiday road trip, but first, tonight, staff party at my house.<br /><br />I made a new hot mulled wine recipe last night--I love digging the pomegranate seeds out, it feels very true to the season but I don't care for the streaks of red juice that I found everywhere!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGs8v89lvQBm6vnQt6xoMJGbcuib_fgUjcy5pXI1gRt_7CfSHwUE9rhDXyeM1cyNz5U-P1cTHMKhcNmmhZev0z8t9NkiOcJl2sQIu1iNt_2xETqwicdJnd1h6DG3O3HXCqhu1ud34xcyJ/s1600/maple+leaf+cookies.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGs8v89lvQBm6vnQt6xoMJGbcuib_fgUjcy5pXI1gRt_7CfSHwUE9rhDXyeM1cyNz5U-P1cTHMKhcNmmhZev0z8t9NkiOcJl2sQIu1iNt_2xETqwicdJnd1h6DG3O3HXCqhu1ud34xcyJ/s400/maple+leaf+cookies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553116195795644594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Maple leaf cookies.</span><br /><br />Happy holidays everyone, I'll write from the road!Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-39542654318812201082010-12-17T15:23:00.000-08:002010-12-18T14:16:28.342-08:00Clue: Art World Version<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnA0IhQ9Szr6XYgrB1ajEwulu7OrQdXGEGpWt6RI1tPWlar4jAWf8wvhyphenhyphen53WVVPMWOQo3k82z7TSCrBAFmZo0JlF8R2qVT-2fExZ0P6KhsgvvFtxNJYbBGxi5NyqkNuO3hwBMPyjKV534/s1600/The+Suspects.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnA0IhQ9Szr6XYgrB1ajEwulu7OrQdXGEGpWt6RI1tPWlar4jAWf8wvhyphenhyphen53WVVPMWOQo3k82z7TSCrBAFmZo0JlF8R2qVT-2fExZ0P6KhsgvvFtxNJYbBGxi5NyqkNuO3hwBMPyjKV534/s400/The+Suspects.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551796248881775442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Part of "Solve the Art Forgery" area at The Magic House, St. Louis.</span><br /><br />I've been feeling pretty guilty about not going through all the images I took in Miami two weeks ago (the warm weather seems long long ago and far far away), but the image above, taken during a recent tour of <a href="http://www.magichouse.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Magic House</span></a>, brought me back to my senses.<br /><br />The Magic House is a great, rambling children's museum run by Beth Fitzgerald and her team. I laughed out loud at a lot of the inventive elements of the Museum, particularly the art whoddunit that included a secret sliding bookshelf and a tube to slide between floors.<br /><br />The panel above lays out the various suspects in a forgery case, with a CSI-type set of clues leading the kids down the path (evidently the Nanny was looking guilty to that day's kids). The signboard made me wonder: what are the "types" in the art world that are guilty, or innocent? Below are some of the types I found in Miami:<br /><br />The dealer: This work by Mounir Fatmi was at <a href="http://www.lombard-freid.com/home.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lombard-Freid Projects</span></a>. I've worked with Lea and Jane over the past decade because of our common interests. I loved Fatmi's combination of Muslim prayer rugs with hip hop culture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUF6XK4KxDsBQKXbahaPIyFYe8T5zFwghB2uwGSW_zfdxDtCOp9VD8R48UaBpA9Yj7d2-gGuLGqwuhiE3OjO9veLOzoRRitZTk-oaaXFP_0e-T0cABlJNd-JkYyJwVF-95MKaCuCWag2Du/s1600/Mounir+Fatmi.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUF6XK4KxDsBQKXbahaPIyFYe8T5zFwghB2uwGSW_zfdxDtCOp9VD8R48UaBpA9Yj7d2-gGuLGqwuhiE3OjO9veLOzoRRitZTk-oaaXFP_0e-T0cABlJNd-JkYyJwVF-95MKaCuCWag2Du/s400/Mounir+Fatmi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551808945609142882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The jokester: <a href="http://www.kukje.org/artist/gimhongsok"><span style="font-style: italic;">Gimhongsok'</span></a>s bronze trash bag dog is part Jeff Koons, part mourning of the way we treat other species as throw-aways. As a Korean I assume the artist eats dog--it's on many menus there--so garbage is in the eye of the beholder.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZH4GkRXH4TiyOgeSwUfz3qtf5IHLi2cttFXZ4TkTLzqz2nsxSWOp6-UFip_Xv3HpZ7y737Byb7nOc6L1rlJ_VuPxvUL_gkmF_eD-apBHrkkYFuyNKiR3UuITnI__UPcuc5w-byinXegn/s1600/Gimhongsok.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZH4GkRXH4TiyOgeSwUfz3qtf5IHLi2cttFXZ4TkTLzqz2nsxSWOp6-UFip_Xv3HpZ7y737Byb7nOc6L1rlJ_VuPxvUL_gkmF_eD-apBHrkkYFuyNKiR3UuITnI__UPcuc5w-byinXegn/s400/Gimhongsok.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551809133927918306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The pioneer: <a href="http://www.samdurant.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sam Duran</span></a>t has created numerous bodies of works that dig into influential, if deliberately neglected, episodes in American culture, such as the Black Panthers' resistance to racism in America and the colonization of this continent by white settlers. These three fallen soldiers are funny and somehow deservedly buffeted historical figures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39W2eykjEu7eF0KA1cJ8huSlfoxQBNKZOCWhEMwFM2039yryldypG3K5YlznXRviW1W3HC6XmoD6ntthMJ0Mm0RaW7i8Iu24CGo6Nbfy49WNwQtk76DeLDqLS6QuGSTKjNYgdoqELV8dh/s1600/Sam+Durant.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39W2eykjEu7eF0KA1cJ8huSlfoxQBNKZOCWhEMwFM2039yryldypG3K5YlznXRviW1W3HC6XmoD6ntthMJ0Mm0RaW7i8Iu24CGo6Nbfy49WNwQtk76DeLDqLS6QuGSTKjNYgdoqELV8dh/s400/Sam+Durant.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551809281106724690" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The entertainer: <a href="http://www.figgevonrosen.com/artist/judi-werthein"><span style="font-style: italic;">Judy Wethein</span></a>'s lovely video of a Colombian group singing the American national anthem with their own localized additions was charming, and sad, a little clowning bathos to sober up the frenzy of the fair.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqkuEbNxr2TM_lkAWOYrEIiaDstdDsbRFU7tennL39qz3u-_NAdggnm9mDlAzLe1Fi1BGe1nmOWtD9bZjxW-VDoCuyQQlquui0ouDowqWtM_-Clo0ZL69L7hVSxeIsGtLXwAcx1XtmsOm/s1600/Wertheim+Land+of+the+Free.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqkuEbNxr2TM_lkAWOYrEIiaDstdDsbRFU7tennL39qz3u-_NAdggnm9mDlAzLe1Fi1BGe1nmOWtD9bZjxW-VDoCuyQQlquui0ouDowqWtM_-Clo0ZL69L7hVSxeIsGtLXwAcx1XtmsOm/s400/Wertheim+Land+of+the+Free.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551809444905642850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The criminal: Need I say more?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0CDn9jRjPavQYEhrtDdLei7fH-ZuG99rpOL619HUz1Cfj_IE-DKyyjpzWrtisrgtsDCZuFtQNrkP_zwlU7wW8AKyNcoA3NI6uWeL8L63LdiX64d2CrRrqyCzzly1_iaGxHUD78kLOLkl/s1600/worst+work.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0CDn9jRjPavQYEhrtDdLei7fH-ZuG99rpOL619HUz1Cfj_IE-DKyyjpzWrtisrgtsDCZuFtQNrkP_zwlU7wW8AKyNcoA3NI6uWeL8L63LdiX64d2CrRrqyCzzly1_iaGxHUD78kLOLkl/s400/worst+work.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551796103127394050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />These were but a few of the types I met at the fair.<br /><br />The ones I like the best are the agitators, the artists who press us to answer questions about why we're here, what we've done and why we're not guilty.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294204985525987532.post-29200281887711113422010-12-02T05:56:00.000-08:002010-12-02T06:07:53.682-08:00Beach Bums All<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRN1gHCR6n_1fzlqE1vBzq4BL1HMET01b_1ZSNXVSm8tqh8YwRc9NoGSOrgSBTMtQ3UdfJlp_VaOtOcyA5byYIyZMeEn3dTbCPYDCjyjbPx_fZqG1pJyzbKetyqJ4qLFrwG0g2zEuOYV7/s1600/Dennis+Hopper.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRN1gHCR6n_1fzlqE1vBzq4BL1HMET01b_1ZSNXVSm8tqh8YwRc9NoGSOrgSBTMtQ3UdfJlp_VaOtOcyA5byYIyZMeEn3dTbCPYDCjyjbPx_fZqG1pJyzbKetyqJ4qLFrwG0g2zEuOYV7/s400/Dennis+Hopper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546083796919580578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Dennis Hopper <span style="font-style: italic;">Self-Portrait</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">with Rock and Cactus</span>, 2010</span><br /><br />I arrived in Miami yesterday afternoon for ArtBasel Miami. I've run into to many colleague and friends, saw some good, some mediocre work, things I will pursue down the road.<br /><br />This work, however, stopped me in my tracks. I didn't get a sense of self-reflection, frankly, this felt like a Llyn Foulkes work depicting him as between a rock and a hard place, which Hopper hardly was. He passed away recently but I suspect his work will go up in value now.<br /><br />Ah, the market.<br /><br />We went to a great party at the <a href="http://www.bassmuseum.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bass Museum of Art</span></a> last night, the opening launch of their three year Caribbean initiative with Puma.Creative. Fantastic. A few years ago the Bass was a sleepy forgotten outlet; now, with the beautiful front entrance park that bounds Collins Avenue, I know the director and pal Silvia Cubina is going to make this place rock.<br /><br />More soon.Marilu Knodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02334976268376348319noreply@blogger.com0