Feed

Andrew Russeth

Editor of GalleristNY

links

Deen and Steve Doocy on the 2012 'Fox and Friends' Christmas Special. (Getty Images)

Morning Links: Paula Deen Edition

“Artist and human rights activist Ai Weiwei has released a heavy-metal single called “Dumbass’”—meant to reconstruct his 81-day detention in 2011, which was part of an overall crackdown on dissent by the Chinese government.” With video! [The Telegraph]

And Jonathan Jones argues that Mr. Ai is a “modern master in his moment.” He writes, “It’s like being the contemporaries of Beuys in the 1970s or Marcel Duchamp when he was calling that urinal art.” [The Guardian] Read More

On View

'Siegfrid’s' (2013) by Alex Hubbard. (Courtesy the artist and Maccarone)

‘Alex Hubbard: Magical Ramón and The Five Bar Blues’ at Maccarone

The hints of melancholia and breezy bathos that have long made Alex Hubbard’s work so interesting are strongly present in his newest pieces, called “one-person portable drinking bars.” These five Kienholz-worthy stalls are each about the size of two phone booths and stocked with alcohol, complete with a working beer tap. You can saddle up to the bar with its lone chair, pour a drink and enjoy it while staring at yourself in a mirror. It’s playful and humorous—until it gets lonely. Whatever Mr. Hubbard means to get at with these boîtes—the inherently solitary nature of looking at art?—this show, his sophomore outing at Maccarone, has him bringing his typically inventive, light touch to a variety of mediums, and continuing to eschew a signature style, a refreshing stance in a city that all but demands its artists adopt a recognizable brand. Read More

Lyon Biennale

(Courtesy Lyon Bienniale)

Here’s the Complete 2013 Lyon Biennale Artist List

For the past few months, the Lyon Biennale has been releasing the names of artists that will have work in its 12th edition, which runs Sept. 12, 2013, through Jan. 5, 2014. Now the full list is out, and it is a handsome one, ranging from established stars like Jeff Koons, Tom Sachs and Yoko Ono to exciting younger artists like Trisha Baga, Helen Marten and Anicka Yi. Some 80 percent of the works are being specially made for the biennale, according to organizers. Other items of note: there will be a Performance Weekend Oct. 19–20, a Video Weekend Nov. 30–Dec. 1 and a Robotics Weekend (“It will be a discussion between artists, researchers and… robots,” says a news release). Roe Ethridge shot promotional photos of attractive young people (see the image at left) and a pig. Read More

Art Critics

Henry McBride, who was an art critic for The New York Sun in the 1920s, in a painting by Florine Stettheimer. (Courtesy Smith College)

There Are Fewer Than 10 Full-Time Art Critics in the U.S. [Updated]

Since it’s a pretty nice day out, I figured it might be an okay time to share some fairly depressing news, which you may have just read in the headline above: there are now less than 10 full-time art critics working at newspapers and magazines in the United States. This comes to us via Deborah Solomon on her recent WNYC appearance. (It seems that Chicago’s edition of Time Out laid off its art critic last month.) At least we can all celebrate that the majority of the survivors work in New York. Read More

Happenings

10 Photos

SATURDAY | Opening: "Ellsworth Kelly: Chatham Series" at MoMA

10 Things to Do in New York’s Art World Before May 26

MONDAY, MAY 20

Benefit: Fire Island Pines Performance Series Benefit Party
A benefit that includes performances by Tyler Ashley, Megha Barnabas and Ryan McNamara, plus music by Thinner, Lauren Dillard and JD Samson. Hosted by John Early and Ladyfag. —Michael H. Miller
209 Elizabeth Street, New York, VIP 6-8 p.m., after party at 8 p.m. Tickets $25 to $100, available at iheartfireisland.org

Inaugural Hyperallergic ArtTalk: Klaus Biesenbach
Want to hear Klaus talk about “Expo 1?” Want to drink some Pernod? Want to high five Hrag Vartanian? Sure you do! —Dan Duray Read More

Books

The official Heathers announcement. (Courtesy Publication Studios)

It’s Looking Like a Great Saturday for Art Books

If the weather reports are to be believed, this is going to be one gorgeous Saturday in New York—a high of about 72, pretty much no chance of rain and just a few clouds in the sky.

It’s also shaping up to be a banner day for art books, with at least three major events on tap for May 18, which are listed below. Read More

Awards

Douglas. (Courtesy Patrick McMullan Company)

Scotiabank Photography Award to Stan Douglas

Photographer Stan Douglas has been selected for this year’s Scotiabank Photography Award, beating out Angela Grauerholz and Robert Walker. Mr. Douglas will take home a $50,000 prize, have a selection of his work published in a book by Steidl and have a one-person show at Toronto’s 2014 CONTACT Photography Festival. (Pretty nice selection of benefits.) Read More

human resources

Marian Goodman and Butler. (Courtesy Patrick McMullan Company)

Hammer Taps Connie Butler for Chief Curator Job

Los Angeles’s Hammer Museum announced today that it has hired Connie Butler to serve as its chief curator, taking the place of Douglas Fogle, who stepped down about a year ago. Ms. Butler was already bound for L.A. to curate the museum’s 2014 “Made in L.A.” biennial with Michael Ned Holte. She had served as chief curator of drawings at the Museum of Modern Art since 2006. Read More