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David Buckingham's Latest Solo Show (Sept 2 - Oct 2, 2010)

Heralded for exploiting art-branding to the extent that Andy Warhol celebrated celebrity, Jeff Koons has only one equal in contemporary art - his UK counterpoint, Damien Hirst. Their dueling (and dizzying) art auction hauls rival the greats of their industry. Despite their relative youth, each has become dazzlingly well-known and wealthy well within his lifetime.

Always interesting is the provenance not only of a piece of work, but of the artist himself. Chernick does well to share Koons's background, a father who was an interior decorator in Philadelphia, a marriage to Cicciolina, inspirations drawn from Koons appealing to his son. In a sense, however, Chernick's adulation of her subject seems to suppress a true exploration of the artist's sense of place; Koons is not asked what he thinks of his contemporaries, nor is Koons quizzed about the future of his work or from where he sees potential rivals emanating.

Chernick's film, therefore, remains more of an homage to Koons than a discussion to the overall meaningfulness of Koons's work in the greater art timeline. Koons is given the opportunity to explain himself, and the intent behind his work, but he is never challenged to defend his work or to formulate opinions onthe works of those with whom he shares the contemporary kingdom.

There is no doubt that Duchamp was a great inspiration, and Koons refers to him in this doc as the "grandfather of the 20th Century." Magritte, Dali and Rauschenberg each get mentions, and although Koons himself states the following fact, it seems genuine and important - Koons is a "lover of art." As goofball as his pieces might seem to some, the root of the works, like that of all great commentators on society, is based in history and place. Like Steve Martin's absurdist comedy, or Basquiat's philosophy, Koons and company reside far above the often ignorant pop-culture ephemera of our time. Koons knows from where he came.

That Koons was (and remains) ambitious is also exposed full-frontally in this film. From moment one, working behind the desk at MoMA, it's apparent that there was never a moment when Koons wasn't working his way up the art food chain. That he sojourned from MoMA to wall street brokering might shock some people, but is consistent with Koons serving the master currency to ensure his art received the financing it then required.

Chernick shows the Koons studio with its litany of worker bees executing his lavish visions, but the film never addresses the factory atmosphere, nor speaks with the minions at work in his studio busily producing and reproducing the work envisioned by the master. And, so, we're left wondering what those relationships are like. Is it all by direction? Is there any collaboration? Any particular new muse?

Whether expressing himself via ceramic sculptures, pocketless billiards tables, aluminum balloon animals, lust-filled billboards or 60,000-flower stem statues, Koons continues to live large, create large, and to consume the contemporary art scene he formerly held hostage. Chernick's fundamental role in helming the documentary is further impressed by the engagement of the comments of art world superstars Julian Schnabel, Ingrid Sischy,Chuck Close, the Village Voice's Jerry Saltz and dealer Mary Boone (who was one of the first to show Koons's work, surprisingly, on the recommendation of fellow aritsts Schnabel and David Salle).

Described as illogical and poetic, Koons's appropriation of labeling, packaging, advertising, entertainment and commerce deftly presents the artist's philosophies in a soothing state of clarity consistent withthe artist's voice. Chernick's film will deepen the audience's understanding of Koons's work, and enable them to identify and relate to his work in a more meaningful relationship. If you weren't a fan of Koons before, Chernick's work makes a sound case for enlightenment to the dazzling brand who is the man, and gives meaning to the mania that surrounds the work.


--Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek

Often referred to as a master of light, and subjected to scrutiny by David Hockney, only thirty-four works have been authenticated as the work of Dutch painter Jan Vermeer.

The Nation of Artists likes to clear out the clutter every now and then, keep things fresh. We found this guy over at flavorwire.com and thought we'd share...

Mark Langan’s The Scream

As Exit Through the Gift Shop and the latest Basquiat documentary, Radiant Child, make the rounds, it's a good time to check in with other profiles of street and subway artists whose self-expression involves graffiti.

Interestingly, "Inside Outside" doesn't limit its lens to "artists" but to taggers also. Although all street art is inherently illegal, the perception of the artistic merit of each piece factors in whether the work is collectively determined to be artful or annoying. Consequently, taggers are more often considered vandals than artists due to the lesser appeal of their work.

That this documentary chose to include Earsnot, Pigmeus and KR amidst the much-adored work of Brazilian twins Os Gemeos, the inventive Zevs, and New Jersey's politically inclined fine artist "culture-spammer" Ron English, serves to provide a mixed message, rather than a united front, regarding the artistic merit of these public works. Ron English and Swoon are looking to change the landscape from advertising and consumerism to contemplation through the presentation of images and ideas in a way that is digestible and able to be appreciated. 

Others in the piece, like Copenhagen's Adams & Itso, are more political activists than artists, labeling themselves as anti-consumerist, and highlighting cracks in public infrastructure. Their most profound statement, perhaps, is that they have found private, functioning, secretly-located space in which to live within the confines and convolutions of the public transit system. Does their definition of themselves as artists transform anything they do to an "installation piece"?

While many of today's artists take to the streets for exposure (hoping the street cred will garner them lucrative gallery shows), true graffiti artists initially shunned recognition in fear that it would limit their ability to exercise/exorcise their expression. 

Some, Banksy being the prime example, continue to avoid personal publicity despite the commercial success of their "canvases" - however, his popularity, acclaim and financial rewards only fuel the fire for more artists (Blek le Rat, Mr Brainwash, etc) to take to all available surfaces regardless of the legalities. 

In a world where notoriety is as good for your profile as traditional publicity and critical review, the world's major streets serve up all manner of artistic mayhem.

There is no doubt that vandalism as art, for the moment, is popular within certain demographics, and extremely profitable. However, whether today's street sprayers can replicate the critical successes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee and company, and find a home for their works in the collections of the world's most meaningful museums, is a fate that only time will tell. In my opinion, a MoSA (Museum of Street Art) can't be too far away. Though it sure would require a whole lot of wall-space. 

Check out the film's trailer here

Grace Hartigan: Shattering Boundaries

Created and produced by Alice Shure and Janice Stanton. Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek.

Grace Hartigan Shattering Boundaries, which played at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival last year, opens with the quote: “In painting, I try to make some logic out of the world that has been given to me in chaos.” I’m sure many artists identify with the sentiment, painting as a process for coping with, as well as translating and appreciating, their surroundings.

With a running time under forty minutes, the film, in a speedy snapshot, conveys a portrait of the often-overlooked abstract expressionist / figurative pop-artist, Grace Hartigan, for whom artistic success and recognition was, quite literally, a battle of survival affected by matters of the heart.

Labeled early as a painter’s painter in 1950s New York, she was often the only female featured in the major shows of her days. As “one of the boys," she had exhibited early in her career as “George Hartigan” and found inspiration in the works of Mexican artist, Rufino Tamayo,as well as Jackson Pollock, who became a friend. Pollock made Grace an apple pie on her visit to his studio before introducing her to “Bill” – Willem De Kooning, whose work hung side-by-side with Hartigan’s large canvases during the heights of their movement.

A small, supportive community of broke artists – Dylan Thomas, Frank O’Hara, Hans Hoffman, Franz Kline, these artists existed in a time before the serious money of the 1980s, a time when you were expected to put art first, even above family, and to just earn the minimum amount of money necessary to gain the maximum time to devote to your art.

While many of Hartigan’s works now live in Baltimore, and a couple more grace the Whitney’s collection, Hartigan’s first major gallery sale was of the painting “Persian Jacket” (1952), the earliest piece of the artist’s to reside at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

Alluding to several love affairs with prominent artists, one key spat with the art critic, Clement Greenberg, and real love with scientist Winston Price, the documentary doesn’t dwell on the artist’s past but on her work output. "Shattering Boundaries" follows her work’s thematic shift into the popular culture inthe 1960’s, and through a period of increased figurative work completed through her troubles with alcohol in the 1970’s, her hospitalization in the 1980’s, and her career as a painting teacher in Maryland until her death. 

The flick is a thoroughly entertaining half hour that harangues the audience to beg for more. There is no doubt in this viewer’s mind, that although Hartigan was one of the boys, she very much identified with her feminist side, and remains an important legacy to working women artists especially. 

Grace Hartigan Shattering Boundaries is available on DVD here through MIcroCinema International.