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artforum

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Whitney Museum 2012

One way to promote the latest edition of an esteemed biennial is to buy a full page ad and use a photograph that appears to show a woman stabbed through the neck and dead on the ground. It makes the reader want to know more. The image comes courtesy of a performance by Dawn Kasper, the polite artist who has turned her place in the exhibition into a public studio of sorts, living and working in it for the show's entire run. --Andrew Russeth

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Tony Conrad at Galerie Buchholz

We've heard that Tony Conrad has played himself. That is, he has laid down on the floor, strung cello strings (or double bass strings, we're not sure) between his toes, bit the other end with his teeth holding the strings taut, amplified this set-up somehow and played the strings with a bow. And then he's also known for creating other instruments, apart from himself, which apparently, are in this show. Of course, this is all going down in Berlin. Wish we could be there. --Rozalia Jovanovic

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Proenza Schouler

If Gallerist was a lady, she would run to Proenza Schouler right now, pick up this outfit--look at those textures, those colors (mint is her favorite color)--and wear it at every opportunity. Just gorgeous. --A.R.

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David Webb Ad Featuring Terry Richardson Doll

For months, we've been seeing these odd ads for David Webb jewelry, featuring a Gumby-like Terry Richardson being toyed with by an attractive model: in one she bites the plaid-donning doll's head playfully, in another she pulls his legs spread eagle over her head. We would applaud David Webb for this clever switch of roles if we hadn't realized the photographer for this ad campaign is Mr. Richardson himself. And the style team includes former Paris Vogue editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld. --R.J.

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Douglas Huebler at Paula Cooper Gallery

Paula Cooper Gallery is pretty much always included in this feature because the ads are a lot like the gallery: sleek, classy and minimal. This one for Douglas Huebler is a nice change of pace--a comic strip about a guy asking for a forged Degas because his wife "just adores" the artist. It looks like something you'd find in the back of the Sunday paper instead of Artforum, but that's why we like it. --Michael H. Miller

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Ryan Sullivan at Maccarone

Mr. Sullivan's textural paintings at Maccarone mark his first solo show, but this actually isn't one of his work. This image comes from a book of photos that he recently put out with the Karma bookstore, photos related to--but not of--his work. "His studio is out in the middle of Long Island City," said Allison Rodman of Maccarone, "where he never sees anyone, so the images are just meant to relate his work to the world outside the studio and create bridges between this practice and the finished product." She as no idea whose arm this is, though. — Dan Duray

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Stan Douglas at David Zwirner

The photographs of Stan Douglas mine a number of historical themes and tropes--from jazz to the Wild West--but we just gotta say it: we're suckers for polyester leisure suits and flipped out hair. This image has us humming "Don't Leave Me This Way," even though these two particular disco fans don't look like they're having too much fun. --M.H.M.

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Frances Stark at Gavin Brown

Frances Stark has a thing for having sex with Italian men over the internet. It's just what she does. This was the focus of her recent show at PS1, as well as her terrific piece for Performa 11. If this ad looks understated yet titillating, well, so is online sex. The text in the ad "Osservate, leggete con me," comes from the Catalogue Aria of Don Giovanni and means, "Observe, read along with me." How could you not? -- D.D.