From the Archives: A Review That Doesn’t Suck
Reviews aren’t always topical. Written in 2010, it continues to hold its own as a solid read, even if it is art criticism.
Ai Weiwei Is Not The Most Powerful Person in the Art World
Ai Weiwei is giving Hirst a run for his money in what could be deemed 2012’s most ludicrous display of exhibition extravagance. Still, Ai didn’t deserve the #1 spot on ArtReview’s Power 100 list. In 2011, his auction results, number of solo exhibitions, and quantity of works in museum collections were merely middling.
It’s Not Too Late! Looking Back at 2011
Here’s a back rub to 2011′s best, aka some of my favorite links of 2011, as compiled from my massive Twitter feed.
Donald Moffett at the Contemporary Art Museum Houston
Donald Moffett’s show at the CAMH left me baffled, thinking that it’s impossible to reconcile activist and formalist practices. That’s depressing.
What’s So Great About Collage? Daniel Gordon at WALLSPACE
Collage is an old thing that was a new thing and is now an old thing again. Daniel Gordon’s collages are old, new, and just damn good.
Sad Chelsea! The First Fall Openings Wrap Up
I get excited about the hundreds of openings in New York just like how I felt when I was a kid going to Astroworld – and the excitement fades just as quickly.
Still, the general appeal I found from my multiple evenings of gallery-going was in the lack of splashy, colorful, and exuberant art. It was a little reticent, even sad. For the most part, the work in Chelsea that was small and monochrome outnumbered any monumental work.
Dara Birnbaum’s Almost Retrospective Is Almost Good Enough
Dara Birnbaum deserves good press, but good press isn’t the same thing as good criticism.
Response to Hans Ulrich Obrist, In Conversation With Julian Assange
Artists care about things. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell what issues they’re interested in through the fog of irony, glittery kittens, and coded language that defines their work.
