As we recover from Sharkstock 2007 we diligently post Episode #87 the first installment of our team coverage of Artropolis, Version, Bridge, Sharkstock and a bunch of other cool stuff we went to in the last few days. Also prior to our soiree at Sonotheque we it Tony Fitzpatrick’s kickass opening at Architrove which was so crowded I nearly had a panic attack, I got to meet his Mom, who was utterly delightful. Paul Klein spent most of the fair weekend worried that we were stalking him as we were oddly on the exact same schedule at all times.
This weeks installment consists of a mix of stuff, next week we focus on interviews with gallerists and artists.
To top it all off special guest star Dolly Browder joins in!!!
The intro has a name mysteriously bleeped out. Cast your vote on our blog on who you think it was.
Team Browder reviews New InSight the exhibition of fancy-pants fresh young MFA’s curated by Susanne Ghez who, despite being a perfectly lovely person, steadfastly refuses to be on the show. C’mon Susanne we don’t bite!
Our first team coverage event: Team Queer (Terri, Serena, and Meg the war correspondent) and Team Fat White Guy (Duncan, Richard, Christopher Hudgens) get in the midst of combat with the “Carnival of art on the river” AKA “Art War 2007”. A member of the team is wounded in the line of duty. We intend to sue. Everyone. Edmar you are on notice.
Terri and Meg talk about Symposium C6 The Art World is Flat and how weirdly classist it seemed to be.
Duncan and Richard talk to William Dolan and Mark Staff-Brandl about The Artist Project and Bill makes a sale during our bit with him.
Richard talks to Michael Workman about being guillotined in effigy. Tom Burtonwood mourns the loss of his good friend Michael, but has already planned his ascendancy to the leadership of Bridge.
We wrap it all up with a discussion of Canadians drinking too much.
And this is just week 1. You should be paying us.
“This video is for Chris Sperandio Only”
The Architrouve
New Insight
Susanne Ghez
Rebecca Kardong
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Pamela Sunstrum
Maryland Instite College of Art
Fear Factor
Survivor
Niki van Strien
San Francisco Art Institute
Leeza Meksin
Yale University
Jonathan Keller
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Symposium C6
Anne Pasternak
Stanley Hainsworth
Ruby Lerner
Robert Enright
Ken Lum
Erika Dalya Muhammad
Art War
Carnival of Art on the River
Edmar Lumpen (Ed Marszewski)
Michael Workman
Chris Kennedy
Kevin Stanton
Rachel Adams
Mark Staff Brandl
Bill Dolan
Paul Klein
Art Basel
Bridge Art Fair
- Episode 886: Scott Speh on 20 Years of Western Exhibitions & Chicago Art Scene Reflections - November 29, 2024
- Episode 885: Betsy Odom - November 26, 2024
- Episode 884: Pete and Jake Fagundo - November 12, 2024
Wow, Queen Amidala is talking some serious shit. How does this tie in???
Why bleep the name in the intro?
are those photos of the lynch mob explained in a BAS podcast anywhere? If so, which one?
actually, can someone please explain it in written form? I don’t want to listen to an entire BAS podcast. Are you ever going to get a transcriber for us readers/non-listeners?
You send us a bunch of money, we’ll transcribe each and every show for you.
You are rude and state that you don’t want to listen to an entire show and then you want us to do more work for you.
Piss off.
Richard, I think you’re really getting a little negative on this “Curious” feller. Curious, we’d be happy to have you as a part of our unpaid team. Transcribing will take you about 3-4 hours a week, so go ahead and start with this episode and work your way backwards through the archive. This is episode 87, so in about about 348 hours we’ll have the complete written archive!! In return, we’ll pay you the combined BAS salaries of Richard, Duncan, Amanda, myself, Meg the Intern, and heck, we’ll even throw in the big pro bono pay we give Serena and Terri.
“Someday Son, this will all be yours.”
– Cats Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
Kathryn,
You know I love you but, bullshit.
“actually, can someone please explain it in written form? I don’t want to listen to an entire BAS podcast. Are you ever going to get a transcriber for us readers/non-listeners?”
If they are too lazy, snotty, disinterested to listen, why should we do extra work for them.
I thought if anything I was too polite.
R
I’m sure future generations will look back at the BAS experiment and transcribe it to all languages and forms of communication, much like the Dead Sea Scrolls. But for now, we all can enjoy it in Podcast form.
I thought it was a great intro to the Chicago Arts Weekend. It was quite a coup to be there right at the Version Art War Attack.
I was at the Bridge Fair Thursday night ( I heart Britney) , but I didn’t realize you had to pay $25 to see the Artist Project. There was some benifit or somthing going on. Mark Staff Brandl, please except my applogy for not having the cash to see you that night.
S
Steve,
In the future, call us, you should have been given a press pass.
R
Dear Curious,
Sheesh, why bother to care about what the pictures are if you don’t listen to the show.
If you want to see the pictures and make sense out of it and you are too sad and pathetic to at least fast forward through the program, do your research before spouting off.
More pics at Iconoduel.org
and
http://www.lumpen.com/VERSION7/index.html
Ann
Hey Richard,
Thanks! Will this magical “pass” also get me into R rated movies?
s
FYI to the BASers. Inside word, economically, is of a mitigated flop. Sad, but true. I wish I had better news.
And any talk of building, I think, serves only to line the wrong pockets. Shame on those who repeat it.
MW
THIS SHIT IS JUST MADE FOR BORING WHITE KIDS.
we probably don’t need BAS transcriptins (just yet) but you know what woud be nice? If each show had chapter selections. it might be as easy as stating: reviews at 10mins 30secs, interview from 30mins-45mins, etc. I don’t mean to ask too much of you guys… it would just make listening more manageable.
Jonie is spot on. Sorry BAS, but I recall not too long ago you asked for suggestions on how to improve your shows. Jonie’s is a good one. Not everyone has 30-60 minutes to kill listening to your entire program, or for that matter to do “research.†(What the hell do you think asking a question is? I better go write the journal Science and tell them researchers can no longer ask questions. Sheesh is right…) And I’d rather not spend my afternoon ‘fast-forwarding’ through your show to find the small nugget of insight I am seeking, if it even exists. If not chapters, maybe you can add time references to your list of name-droppings. Then again, why don’t you instead just gang up and attack…that would be much more effective than gaining new listeners.
Curious and Jonie,
The chapter idea is a good one I’ll see what I can do.
Curious, you were a jerk when you posted your message and aren’t big enough to own it.
Richard
CUCA,
Which shit would that be? Art Fairs? Our Show? Art? While I agree that there is a significant lack of people of color rising to prominence in the arts I think it is something to strive for.
While BAS tries to be diverse in our coverage, we certainly could do a better job of interviewing people of color and women.
e-mail suggestions for guests to [email protected].
Richard
Interestingly enough, given Kennedy’s unequivocal announcement that it now owns the Armory, word comes today that the show has not exactly been “purchased” yet (notice that the deal is only “likely” a prelude to outright purchase):
http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/news/artnetnews/artnetnews5-1-07.asp
Bruit is that several influential dealers may bow out simply on account of the Mart’s involvement.
M
Steve,
Any movie you want. Duncan used to be in porno.
R
Richard, you’re overly sensitive.
I’m listening now, have to say the production is smooth, Amanda, yer mom rocks! makes me wish I was there. Thanks folks.
Curious,
I am a gentle soul.
Richard
I don’t know Michael- I’m having a hard time seeing how a Chicago based purchase of a major NYC fair The Armory is a bad thing – especially as far as Chicago based artists are concerned… I have often thought that NYC with its impossible rents and increasingly venal and specious (insipid) art scene has become increasingly ripe for the picking…….as far as money goes -the people boo-hooing on this blog crying about ‘merchandise’……..wouyld do well to remember, this show pales in terms of rampant consumerism when held up against Art Basil Miami and/or other shows- and since when did most of the money in the art world EVER line the right pockets…….?
-I take it you Michael, (Bridge,) had a difficult time at the fair…………I say this as its not at all characteristic of you to grouse like this in public- so you obviously have your reasons –
the fine actress Holly Hunter once did a biopic on tennis star Billy Jean King…..I remember walking through central park with Holly and the great playwrite Beth Henley one brilliant easter sunday morning -and hearing Holly say -I got two things from Billy Jean that I will remember -both, axioms ‘pressure is a privledge’ and, ‘champions adjust’
‘would’………’priviledge’ -that is……. -can’t you please! put a spell-check on this thing?
Our tech guy is one seriously busy mofo. Some day Wesley, some day.
Until then when I am *really* raning I cut and paste into word and let word do the spellcheck and then paste the nicey nicey version into the blog.
We *are* considering changing the name of the show to Bad at Spelling.
its more like bad at typing…sheeeeeeeeeesh!
war on the mart…………….child’s play, sort of like dungeons & dragons- disappointed that so much air time was dedicated to an overblown archaic event. suzanne ghez’s show an anomaly because it adjoined market-driven goods- sort of like a gallery leasing space INSIDE the toot or MCA. altho variety good at Artist Project- quality not consistent- very smooth & professionally run from the inside track. weird conglomeration of “emerging” and established at Bridge- what was with the Chuck Closes??? agree with observation of class-segregation at C6.
“…and since when did most of the money in the art world EVER line the right pockets…….?”
This could also be said of the world in general. The art world is no exception. I think that the Mart’s acquisition of the other fairs and the build up of the Chicago fairs are a good thing. The increased commercialization can only help the art world to grow and become a more important part of our culture.
For those that feel that increased commercialization has a negative impact on the art world, this gives them a bigger target or foe. An alternative scene to the heavily commercialized, then stands to be better and stronger as well.
Curious,
Maybe, you have learned a lesson in manners.
If a statement leads with a statement like “I don’t want to listen to an entire BAS podcast” you have offended. The suggestion is that some how you find the product totally unacceptable but still demand that product be made available to you. I realize that a savvy marketer might say that this is an opportunity to exploit a new market but BAS is not FORD they are volunteers who work there tails off. I’ve seen it.
Rather then apologize for your implication that there show is beneath you. You suggest that it is in fact Richard’s failing. That guy works hard to actually create some sort of art media in town while you sit at home in your “man-ties” and act thoughtless.
Take that kind of crap back to the “other” group. There you will be amongst your own kind.
As a fan, I would like to place a pox on your entire blood line.
Re: The length of the art war bit.
I agree in retrospect that piece was too long. I whacked it down from damn near two hours of tape and I did it in a hurry (in my defense). I wanted to create some sort of narative flashing back and forth between the two teams. It could have been trimmed a few minutes.
R
I thought it was a great length.
Richard Holland your the greatest.
d.
I find the anonymous posts a bit lame. The Shark got into a bru ha ha with some no name posters on Art or Idiocy a while ago. Own up people. “Canadaâ€, I likes your website, some cool video game stuff, would’ve liked your real name on the post. And I liked the comments from “Bloggererâ€. I kind of dug how you could see some Miros and C. Closes trying desperately to be sold for big bucks along side some pretty cool emerging stuff.
I’m assuming there will be more discussion in the next podcast on BAD interpretation of the fairs. This was just an introduction.
Seriously, what can be the downside of the purchase of the armory show by the Mart?
Name shname, the mart could be a pipeline for the chicago art world now, but i do think that if the Emerging MFA show is the “in house” “stamp of approval” of some sort of, that THAT could be a dangerous thing (“lardass” indeed!)too clique-y seemign and i was pretty bored with the selections, namely the nicely made but Rebecca Horn knock off that seemed like a fancy toy that just needed a light bulb in it to market it.
The mart seems to have the infrastructure to hold the show, and the cash to market it to other areas (NYC if they so choose)…Since when has the art world ever been an ideal “un-market”. I wish more though would have been put into the version venue than the happening/spectacle at the mart. That would have proven a more effective critique/attack.
The purchase of the show seems to render even more transparent the link between money and institutional structures.
Each of us play to it or chooses not to, and sometimes time will tell if the organization of such venues as Version, Bridge, and Artropolis will be effective.
Thanks to the BAS crew, without which my mental taxonomy of the chicago art world would be considerably less.
Back to the drawing wall…
so, about the impending sale of the armory fair to the mart people–doesn’t anyone think this might be a little strange? for me, and the numerous others i’ve talked to, it seems that the art market will be in a state of decline in a few years, where these fairs will evaporate and many small galleries might have to close their doors because of this. apparently the armory owners also see this, hence why they are selling their fair at the time they are. get out before they start losing their money and another art chicago 2006 happens. i am a large chicago advocate and i run a space here that i am in no way closing anytime soon, but it seems to be that the mart people are really a step behind, not really seeing what lies ahead. it just is going to give chicago a worse reputation.
As I mentioned in the earlier post on this topic. The Kennedy family is not in the business of making stupid business decisions, nor altruisitic ones (no disrespect to their community work). I want what the master plan is. I’m sure there is one.
Duncan,
Unless you are refering to the length of something else *ahem* I think i agree with the poster, I think we could have whittled it down, it was a fun piece, but it did go on a few minutes too long. Sadly are at times rushed schedule results in programs that aren’t as tight as they could be. We are regulalry guilty of letting bits go on too long, although I do admit I have the shortest attention span ever.
We are mere mortals.
R
Hope to write a real message sometime, but had to say that, questions of relative length of the art-fight aside, you did make me really wish I’d been out there for it. Sounded like some nice chaos and spark-y-ness, something that I didn’t see as much of inside (standard disclaimer about the nature of art fairs and the inevitable difficulty of noticing anything sparky in the sheer volume of product).
Didn’t know what to expect, and I enjoyed artopolisbridgeversionfest. A weird scene (my first time at an art fair) but good to see that there are so many damn people out there making art, sucky or good, and buying art, sucky or good.
(Also, aside to the Shark, greatly enjoyed that party, and glad to see that it wasn’t your warehouse that burned down.)
daniel -very good points -I think if nothing else the mfa selections – were a microcosm of how the Chicago art world has been run by the very same people -it really showcased how ‘The Ren’ in cohorts with Judith Kirchner and now their puppet/lapdog the faux curator James Rondeau -look to NYC and Europe for ‘serious work -throwing an occaisonal Kirchner clone into the mix……all the while really using Chicago only as a showroom for ‘new institutional product’ ie ‘edgy emerging artists’…..
what use do actual professional artists like Tony Fitzpatrick for instance -or me, have for the little consensus clique cabal that have had a stranglehold on the scene here for years -busy promoting themselves, their programs?
doesn’t anyone else besides me think its kind of weird that when the Whitney or Documenta come to town -rather than the MCA and its curators they go to UIC and its outpost ‘The Ren’ for information on whats ‘cutting edge’ here?
Hasn’t anyone else noticed that people of the institution -Francesco Bonami for instance -will gladly attend emerging artists exhibitions at UIC’s Gallery 400 and yet NEVER takes the time to know or, be aware of, or understand the professional work of serious world class artists being done in the very city where he is paid to be a curator?
The MCA is going to do a Rock Music/art exhibition: I hear there will be some of the usual suspects, sporting the same, tired Sonic Youth hipness factored junk- Pettibone, Kelly, Richter, Richard Prince,…. no doubt the east coast and the west coast will be well represented -wanna bet what will be shown from here will be some ‘edgy’ emerging’ ‘new’ institutional product more than likely emanating from the flavor of the moment Shane Campbell Gallery of poorly made trend signifiers? That all the professional artists who have worked continually in the music world will be completely ignored?
when people at Art Basil or Documenta or Frieze think of Chicago, they think of it in terms of its power brokers -Kirchner, Ghez, Rondea, and to a lesser extent Bonami……what they get is a corrupted, collegiate perspective.
But, but! all of that is changing now: Sharkforum, BAS, Iconoduel……..finally some democracy and some transparency.
-btw Andrew Patner gave my pal Tony Fitzpatrick a glowing and entirely appropriate review on WFMT – strange experience, all the right ideas, all the right words -all from the lips of a snake.
now that he’s done one good deed -lets get this clown yanked off the air and fired along with the other art radio deadbeats here in Chicago. -One good review doesnt turn a turd golden.
That should go on a bumper sticker.
I need to go back and check out Tony’s show, it was so f-ing crowded at the opening I couldn’t see the art!!!
Really,
it’s hard to show interesting pieces at a fair because of space militations and such, but at least the art could have been indicative of a larger conceptual project. I think that that was hard to grasp in such a limited context.
But videos on fat girls smearing and eating lard always gets me *”hot”*.
PS and I appreciate Rachel’s cautionary vision…
,sigh, though it prods my momentary optimism uncomfortably…
thanks daniel.
and by the way, your links are not working.
It’s refreshing to see a conversation (this one) about the fair which hasn’t done a nose-dive into whining. The Mart bought Armory? Hell yes. How much more of a power move does Chicago need? Think about it – these guys not only put MILES between last year and now, the follow it with a bold expansion. From where I’m sitting it looks like they’re telling the industry they’re in it for a while. It’s a savvy move from the standpoint of attracting the really major gallerists for future shows here.
Were there any major fumbles by the Mart during the show? It seemed like they ran a pretty efficient operation, which figures since that’s the business they’re in.
One of the things I was pleased by was the fairly clear distinction between the various shows. The big show was nice in size, but there was a bit of sameness to the work I saw – VERY little sculpture (I recognize that that’s about space), in fact very little 3-d work in general. Other than the Russian Constructivist work I thin the most impacting work I saw was photography, specifically Aaron Siskind and Edward Burtynsky.
My only regret missing the war. Sounds hilarious.
a little exert from brian scholis’ artforum diary about this past weekend. and i do tend to agree with him.
“But still, the pickings were slim, a sentiment most easily demonstrated when you measure the booths against those at the fair the Mart just bought: Of the roughly 130 exhibitors at Art Chicago, I’d hazard that no more than a dozen would be accepted if they applied to next year’s Armory.”
rest of the article is found here. i would definitely suggest it:
http://artforum.com/diary/#entry15249
I’m amazed that with 43 comments thusfar that people aren’t all over the bleeped name issue and two that the poll has a tepid 9 voters. I for one voted for Scott Speh.
Great read, Rachel – thanks for that.
Sharkface– I mostly agree with your usual complaints (and they are no more pertinant than now, during/after the fair), but I’d like to add this: Living in Chicago, I am thrilled to be able to stay in Chicago and yet see international artists that AIC, Ren, and MCA bring in to town. If it weren’t for them, I imagine we’d be doing a whole lot of looking at ourselves and having conversations in the mirror. I think eventually that would have the same effect as one of those news stories one hears every now and then about the child who grows up locked in a closet, totally unsocialized and cannibalistic. So I thank our curators for aligning Chicago with an internationalism by way of bringing the internationals into our local venues. Of course there is the other side of this: are Chicago arts being promoted and exported to international venues? I don’t hear much of that going on…
JF -We are in accord on this. I actually don’t believe for instance that it neccessarly is the MCA’s mission to continuously promote the community here to the exclusion of their program of exhibiting contemporary art on an international level.
Having said that, I also don’t feel it ishould be the MCA’s mission to ignore us our to be blind to the context in which they as a public institution, exist.
I agree its good all of these institutions brings things here -but HOW that is then MANIPULATED and USED to promote certain aesthetic AGENDAS here -thats what has to go.
I hope all of you note -the sharks are all swimming in the same direction on this blog; -Dave Roth is exactly right -buying the Armory was a completely sharky power move and, A GREAT ONE! at that…………the fair was better than it has been in a very long time-
Having said that, I also don’t feel it should be the MCA’s mission to ignore us or to be blind to the context in which they as a public institution, exist.
-I could add to this, I find it very interesting to be an artist in Chicago at this point in time -removed from some of the more venal aspects of the overheated Chelsea art bubble/ Art Basil Miami/Lear jet as bling contingent-
The best part of this site is being able to brows all the shows plus pick and choose multiples and listen to them back to back (57 so far). I just listened to the most recent 2 after all those others and your guests need to revisit their earlier interviews. After last weekend many are gonna have to eat their words based on predictions made for artchicago and the future of the art show in town.
Agreed.
Chicago has a deeply engrained collective naysayer depression, which I am certainly guilty of as well. In defense of the grousing, Chicago’s art scene has taken its lumps over the years, but I agree the fair came off well. I’d love to see some info on how sales went which will be the indicator as to whether or not people show up next year.