tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-227672662024-03-14T00:01:03.240-04:00Ghostmap MicrowaveArt History. <br>
Literature. <br>
Politics (maybe).<br>
Gunslinging Exorcists with a License to KillJeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.comBlogger231125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-4214483277790913772018-05-23T09:43:00.000-04:002018-05-23T09:43:20.435-04:00New blog, new journeysLink to my <a href="https://medium.com/@ghostmap">new blog here</a>. Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-87608604464170728242010-01-15T11:57:00.004-05:002010-01-15T12:02:16.114-05:00Christopher ParrottIn case you missed it ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/S1CekcTkkAI/AAAAAAAADns/zA1jkdasddU/s1600-h/Abernathy-ArtPapers-Sep-Oct09.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/S1CekcTkkAI/AAAAAAAADns/zA1jkdasddU/s320/Abernathy-ArtPapers-Sep-Oct09.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427011899892207618" /></a><br /><br />Christopher Parrott<br /><em>A Past Present: Paintings and Drawings, 2006-2009</em><br />Spruill Gallery, May 8 - June 6, 2009<br /><em>ART PAPERS</em> magazine, p. 48, Sept/Oct Issue, 2009<br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-18543180577422312282009-11-04T11:40:00.001-05:002009-11-04T11:42:12.637-05:00The beginning ofthis article is wonderful:<br /><br /><blockquote>In mid-August at the Queens Museum, the intrepid artist Duke Riley—once arrested for piloting his makeshift submarine too close to the Queen Mary 2—staged a mock battle between art museums in a Flushing Meadows pool. Employees of various institutions, ensconced in homemade ships, laid siege to each others’ vessels; the crowd was encouraged to get in the water and throw tomatoes. Riley conjured something intoxicating and joyous that had been missing of late: the ambition, competition, and sheer effort it takes to make art and museums great.</blockquote><br /><br /><a href="http://nymag.com/arts/art/features/59651/">Art After Money - The New Boom of Galleries and Artists, by Jerry Saltz, New York Magazine</a><br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-71884056445323760632009-10-23T14:41:00.003-04:002009-10-23T14:51:03.554-04:00ah, Kasim Reed for mayor?i finally scored enough free time to go back and read <a href="http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/our_pick_for_mayor_kasim_reed/Content?oid=1115613">CL's endorsement</a> cover story. they picked Kasim Reed for mayor of Atlanta. this passage jumped right out at me, highlighting his work in the state Senate.<br /><blockquote>... despite being a partisan Democrat, he’s been successful working with — and sometimes around — Republicans to get things done, such as restoring tax allocation district funding and securing the low-interest state loans that allowed Atlanta to launch its sewer fix. <span style="font-style:italic;">It could be said that Reed has capably served as the city’s de facto floor leader</span>.</blockquote><br />wow, what a convincing argument.<br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-66375353619206140522009-09-24T10:26:00.002-04:002009-09-24T10:30:41.140-04:00i'm registering a new domain; doesJeremyAbernathy.com work better than Jabernathy.com? how about something with my middle initial: E? or something more creative like frontier-critic.com or art-suxxx.com?<br /><br />or perhaps the old stand-by: Gunslinging-Exorcist [dot] com? not bad for a personal site name ....<br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-355395629025972082009-09-17T17:10:00.006-04:002009-09-17T17:24:05.305-04:00Published: John Paul & Steph Dowdawhat. a. couple. of. cuties.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SrKnlsbH-2I/AAAAAAAADUk/4CArZZKG0NI/s1600-h/neighbor1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SrKnlsbH-2I/AAAAAAAADUk/4CArZZKG0NI/s320/neighbor1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382548770683091810" /></a><br />i had to fight a pack of rabid Cabbagetown locals to even get my own copy. the annual Chomp & Stomp chili cook-off is just on the horizon, so <em>everyone</em> was snatching up the neighborhood newsletters to get their precious entry forms in time.<br /><br /><em>Cabbagetown Neighbor</em>, Sept. 2009, p. 13<br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-70396392150604963672009-09-17T09:14:00.002-04:002009-09-17T09:19:08.538-04:00this is almost clever ... NOBAMA tees<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SrI2fLgFWLI/AAAAAAAADUc/Z2J8vxWUJWU/s1600-h/yobama-lie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SrI2fLgFWLI/AAAAAAAADUc/Z2J8vxWUJWU/s320/yobama-lie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382424413952366770" /></a><br /><br />a <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/4/4233333_06e2a8a626.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/niznoz/4233333/&usg=__A7M_pEEFMAGezYhCN97n6TcPqVE=&h=500&w=375&sz=38&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=CdcG5NOgRG-Z_M:&tbnh=130&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyou%2Blie%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1">related Google search</a> turned up Banksy. it was the no. 1 hit.<br /><br />hurm ....<br /><br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-81459338370353754472009-08-28T10:00:00.003-04:002009-08-28T10:04:28.996-04:00My first art review for Creative Loafing!Unfortunately it's only online. Sad face!<br /><br />Meg Aubrey, Daniel Biddy, Donna Johnson, and Dosa Kim. <a href="http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/culturesurfing/2009/08/28/ones-to-watch-shows-atl-as-a-dialog-of-differences/">Click here to read "Ones to Watch shows ATL as a dialog of differences."</a><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 118px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SpfjfjGMKII/AAAAAAAADUU/hIX5v6wpo7E/s320/dosa-kim-nurturing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375014811426629762" /><br /><br />(Art by Dosa Kim)<br /><br />***Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-620035413581354012009-08-27T14:22:00.005-04:002009-08-27T14:57:06.270-04:00I just realized thatI missed the <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={3AF19FEC-F29F-4C13-9544-59FCD426201E}">Bacon</a> show at the MET. It closed Aug. 16, and, now, my soul feels sad. Some locals here recently told me it was grand, a one-of-a-kind experience, despite the fact they don't consider themselves Francis Bacon fans. I wanted to see it, but a random trip to NY just isn't in the cards for me right now. I think I would've visited multiple times, even though <a href="http://nymag.com/arts/art/profiles/56786/">Mr. Critic Contrary lacks my enthusiasm</a>. Actually, I'm certain I would have, in between visiting <a href="http://www.ps1.org/">P.S.1</a> and the <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/introduction.asp?dep=7">Cloisters</a>, two spots I missed the fist time around.<br /><br />I've only visited NY one time, and hated it. It made my soul sad. Was I wrong? Did I just miss out? And there are so many <em>other</em> places; they say I should go to Art Basel; they say I should go to Chicago, and San Francisco, and<br /><br />blurgh.<br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-3451401365794875052009-08-25T08:17:00.004-04:002009-08-25T08:31:36.688-04:00[updated] Deanna Sirlin at Whitespace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SkDW8CZPldI/AAAAAAAADCE/tJ4kicQgAxY/s1600-h/Sirlin_+snap-high.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 304px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SkDW8CZPldI/AAAAAAAADCE/tJ4kicQgAxY/s320/Sirlin_+snap-high.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350512684239394258" /></a><small><strong>Review</strong><tt>|</tt><em>Deanna Sirlin: Everything is Optional</em><br /><a href="http://whitespace814.com/">Whitespace Gallery</a>; April 17—May 16, 2009; <a href="http://www.artvoicesmagazine.com/news/30/68/issue16/d,news_section"><em>ArtVoices</em>, June 2009</a></small><br /><br />Deanna Sirlin compares her work to the lecture style of Salman Rushdie, the current writer-in-residence at Emory University: Her circular brushstrokes are “like” Rushdie’s baffling circles of logic that, through a sublime intellectual sleight-of-hand, achieve clarity at the last possible moment. Of course, Sirlin’s paintings and Salman Rushdie have about as much in common … as horseshoe crabs and swine flu. Still, even if Sirlin’s very (and truly) harmless simile falls short, it raises the more interesting question of interpretation and translation.<br /><br />Take for instance <em>33 1/3</em>, a work Sirlin installed at the New Orleans Museum of Art in 2001. <em>33 1/3</em> is essentially an abstract painting, produced by hand and then digitally blown up and superimposed on an existing museum window. The product is a semitransparent floor-to-ceiling image; you can’t see through the window per se, but it permits the free passage of sunlight by day, or museum lights by night. <em>33 1/3</em>’s numerical title refers to the revolutions of a spinning record, an association designed to pay homage to New Orleans’ music. As in her other public art projects, Sirlin attempts to match her “perception of the site buildings’ architecture” and the flavor of “the city in which they are a part.” So … is the work a successful translation of New Orleans culture? <br /><br /><em>Everything is Optional</em>, Sirlin’s latest exhibition at Whitespace Gallery, is concerned with the process of translation. Less so in her large-scale abstractions (executed in the same style as her public art paintings, but without a digital intermediary), Sirlin’s installations are sculptural translations—from the language of two-dimensional drawing to that of metal. Each work began as a tiny drawing in Sharpie marker that, as before, is then blown up and programmed into a machine. The finished sculptures are irrevocably physical, metallic incarnations of abstract line: circles, ellipses, and, for lack of a better word, squiggles. The works are interesting, insofar as they both evade recognition while still recalling the sinuous strokes of the original Sharpie. But in this case, the virtue is also a vice: Sirlin’s “translations” seem little improved over the breakfast-table exercises they initially were. Further, her use of technology as a transformative medium fails to surpass the ingenuity of local artists half her age (<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SPZnfjzDnsI/AAAAAAAACY0/bocQTbx68NM/s1600-h/artvoices_p2.jpg">see my comments on Kathryn Refi’s <em>Color Recordings</em>, <em>ArtVoices</em>, October, 2008, p. 44</a>).<br /><br />Of course, the comparison wouldn’t be necessary if Sirlin didn’t market herself as an artist of “digital media.” Although I’m generally not a fan of primary colors, her large traditional paintings show a confident command of asymmetry, a fact no doubt solidified by her 30 years’ experience in the medium. <br /><br />And although her New Orleans installation, <em>33 1/3</em>, is neither an interpretation nor a translation of the city in which it lives, the painting style at least incorporates the host building’s architecture. The work succeeds in signifying a bland and very tame modernism, an apolitical escapism of color, in which vanity exceeds substance.<br /><br />***Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-79709333436486004932009-08-25T08:02:00.008-04:002009-08-25T08:40:26.748-04:00[updated] William Boling and Corinne Vionnet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SpPUUNHEBRI/AAAAAAAADUM/7wiMDiHvtMs/s1600-h/CompleteDesire-No16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 78px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SpPUUNHEBRI/AAAAAAAADUM/7wiMDiHvtMs/s320/CompleteDesire-No16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373872223964890386" border="0" /></a><small><strong>Review</strong><tt>|</tt><em>William Boling and Corinne Vionnet: Complete Desire</em><br /><a href="http://www.theopalgallery.com/">Opal Gallery</a>; February 12—April 4, 2009; <a href="http://www.artvoicesmagazine.com/news/25/68//d,news_section"><em>ArtVoices</em>, May 2009</a></small><br /><br />Laughter, forgetting, globalization, alienation — I see many things in <em>Complete Desire</em>, the photographic collaboration by William Boling and Corinne Vionnet. But at first I had difficulty seeing anything that resembled “completion” or “desire.”<br /><br />The series is organized into triptychs of seemingly unrelated images from geographically distinct locales. The left-hand photo of <em>Panel No. 18</em>, for instance, captures a moment in Vionnet’s home in Vevey, Switzerland, while the right-hand side is a patch of green space near Atlanta’s East Lake transit station. Snapshots taken by Vionnet include Villefontaine, France, Kew Garden in London, and even a “train for Geneva.” By contrast, Boling’s photos were taken within the United States during various daytrips throughout Georgia. Boling and Vionnet met over the internet and, until the exhibition opening, “spoke” almost exclusively though images instead of words.<br /><br />The “completion/desire” puzzle only deepens when one considers the two-year process used to create <em>Complete Desire</em>: One artist emailed the first image to the other who — without “peeking” — responded with a second image. The images were then revealed, and the second artist completed the triptych by choosing the final image. Each work, then, is not only the product of two creative minds but also a significant degree of chance.<br /><br />So, desire is metaphorically “completed” through a kind of modified Hegelian dialectic, a fact that makes works such as <em>Panel No. 16</em> all the more interesting. In the first image, we see a vehicle interior centered on a pair of female legs in stockings. A thumb enters the picture from below; the subtle contrast — between her pale skin and dark nylons (covered v. uncovered flesh) — evokes a sense of vulnerability. The femininity, in turn, contrasts with the genderless icons in the photo on our right, a closeup of a car dashboard. Isolated out of context, each icon “represents” a generic, almost hieroglyphic human being, shown in profile without arms (or even a neck). The air conditioner dial directs our eyes to the little arrow pointing to the passenger’s knees, an almost knowing gesture towards the female knees at left, as well as the man kneeling in the scene at center: a long exterior shot that looks down on an all but deserted neighborhood street.<br /><br />Is this man locked out of the car? By the same woman who, embarrassed to look him in the eye, is staring at her lap (or at random dials on the dashboard)? Perhaps the central photo — viewed through a building window (evidenced by tell-tale reflections and glares of sunlight) — was taken by a private detective? Of course, domestic betrayal is merely one of many possible interpretations.<br /><br />The visual themes mentioned above recur throughout the series: human figures visible only in profile, or in partial anatomy; obscured vision, often blurred by motorized travel; or scenes visible only through glass or reflections in a rear view mirror. <em>Complete Desire</em> follows an aesthetic of modern estrangement that, by willfully engaging in alienation, exorcises it by way of catharsis.<br /><br />**Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-92166471999982348032009-07-31T15:43:00.008-04:002009-08-25T08:37:11.270-04:00[updated] Drew Conrad: Cowboys, Lovers ...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SnNJ58uezpI/AAAAAAAADT8/odEaBn2PrW0/s1600-h/conrad-artvoices.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SnNJ58uezpI/AAAAAAAADT8/odEaBn2PrW0/s320/conrad-artvoices.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364712841030848146" border="0" /></a><small><strong>Review</strong><tt>|</tt><em>Drew Conrad: Cowboys, Lovers, Losers & Nobodies</em><br /><a href="http://getthisgallery.com/">Get This! Gallery</a>; January 24—March 28, 2009</small><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SnNLSvoIOiI/AAAAAAAADUE/0fJpx_MkgbY/s1600-h/artvoices-april_cvr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SnNLSvoIOiI/AAAAAAAADUE/0fJpx_MkgbY/s320/artvoices-april_cvr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364714366522898978" border="0" /></a><br /><small><strong>On the cover</strong><tt>|</tt>Elizabeth Catlett<br /><a href="http://www.artvoicesmagazine.com/news/21/68/issue14/d,news_section"><em>ArtVoices</em>, April 2009</a></small><br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com91tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-68854461002336303212009-06-23T08:01:00.031-04:002009-06-23T09:45:34.532-04:00Pyrokinesis on the horizon; ArtVoices is available now, near you<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 276px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SkDEfAQy3_I/AAAAAAAADBs/gsgRki7O_0k/s400/cover_jun.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350492394241581042" /><small><strong>On the cover</strong><tt>|</tt><em>Eschatology</em> by John Barnes, Jr.</small><br /><br />[<small><strong>NOTE</strong></small>] I checked Barnes & Noble at Edgewood yesterday; <em>there are several copies of ArtVoices still available</em> (featuring my review of <a href="http://whitespace814.blogspot.com/2009/04/everything-is-optional-new-paintings.html">Deanna Sirlin's</a> recent exhibition at Whitespace)! See also <em>ArtVoices'</em> shiny <a href="http://www.artvoicesmagazine.com/">new website</a>.<br /><br />The prevailing wisdom tells me that summer is not a great season for arts in Atlanta. It's too hot, they say. There's nothing going on, they say, or at least there's nothing worth sticking around for.<br /><br />Please allow me to disagree. Yes, the heat is abysmal, and although it exacerbates other commonplace annoyances (the smog gets worse), I consider it essential to the character of the place. I appreciate it, and I'm pleased to admit that though I've planned a short vacation elsewhere it will be even hotter than here.<br /><br />I've been pleasantly distracted these past few months. <a href="http://gatheratlanta.com/">GATHER Atlanta</a> was a success that, to be honest, exceeded my expectations brilliantly. But it was exhausting. Subsequently, I've neglected a few things here and there, including my as yet part-time career as a freelance writer.<br /><br />The three posts below are placeholders. (Scans are on the way.) <strong>Ghostmap Microwave</strong> is the blog that ties all my projects together; I'll be filling in the blanks below over the coming weeks, so, please, keep checking here for new updates!<br /><br />The fireworks begin in July.<br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-10954631528597520092009-05-11T08:46:00.023-04:002009-05-11T17:18:10.642-04:00ART PAPERS!?! Yeah, Boyyeeeeee!Published: This is not a clip.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/Sggm1NzDEUI/AAAAAAAADAo/xycIJn-nYbA/s1600-h/right-there.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/Sggm1NzDEUI/AAAAAAAADAo/xycIJn-nYbA/s320/right-there.jpg" alt="Right there." id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334556454299046210" border="0" /></a><small><strong>Review</strong><tt>|</tt>Richard Fleming.<br />[<a href="http://www.whitespace814.com/index.html">Whitespace Gallery</a>; January 16 – February 29]<br />My byline is <em>right there</em> (p.56). As <a href="http://burnaway.org/2009/02/richard-fleming-ga-aquarium/">promised</a>.</small><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SggnXbS-lZI/AAAAAAAADAw/vw-OlRbnjfo/s1600-h/you-can-read-too.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SggnXbS-lZI/AAAAAAAADAw/vw-OlRbnjfo/s320/you-can-read-too.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334557042038183314" border="0" /></a><small><strong>This could be you</strong><tt>|</tt>On newsstands <em>now</em> (Barnes & Noble, etc., in major US cities, and select locations in Europe).</small><br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: default; width: 195px; height: 235px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SggfjtwJqpI/AAAAAAAADAg/iI6oK2GGzG4/s320/cover_2009-0304.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334548457057790610" border="0" /><small><strong>On the cover</strong><tt>|</tt><a href="http://www.artpapers.org/feature_articles/article1.htm">Bizarro sculptures by Nick Cave</a>.</small><br /><br />Special thanks to Joyce Youmans (pictured above), an excellent friend and proofreader, and to <a href="http://everythingdisappears.blogspot.com/">k.tauches</a>, who confirmed one of my suspicions, re: photo resolution.<br /><br />::: )<br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-84145781065008215042009-03-19T11:34:00.003-04:002009-04-14T23:06:04.145-04:00Thanks Maggie,Maggie White posts <a href="http://youngbloodgalleryandboutique.blogspot.com/2009/03/hey-hey-we-got-interviewed.html">this photo of yours truly</a>, along with a link to our interview posted to <a href="http://burnaway.org/">BurnAway.org</a> earlier this month. <br /><br />TX!!<br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-2377485941564606322009-03-12T19:00:00.007-04:002009-03-12T19:21:05.033-04:00Creative Loafing: Culture Surfing blogCulture Surfing, <em>CL</em>'s new arts and entertainment blog, officially "hard launched" this week. Basically, all of the newspaper's online A&E content will move from Fresh Loaf to the new address. <br /><br />Main page:<br /><a href="http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/culturesurfing/">Click for Culture Surfing here.</a> <br /><br />and...<br /><br />Today: <br /><a href="http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/culturesurfing/2009/03/12/dosa-kims-diet-opens-at-beep-beep-saturday/">Dosa Kim + Beep Beep preview</a> <br /><br />and, for the industrious...<br /><br />Updates on all my posts: <br /><a href="http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/culturesurfing/author/jabernathy/">Author Archive for Jeremy Abernathy</a><br /><br />*Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-13936499943496028292009-02-23T13:40:00.010-05:002009-02-23T17:38:31.183-05:00I now write for Creative Loafing,as a part-time blogger for Cl's Fresh Loaf. Look out for new posts on ATL visual arts every week. <br /><br /><strong>Exhibit A (today's post):</strong> <br /><a href="http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/02/23/atlanta-celebrates-photography-selects-beth-lillys-gifted-for-2009-public-art/">Beth Lilly ACP Public Art</a> <br /><br /><strong>Exhibit B (linking all my posts for CL):</strong> <br /><a href="http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/author/jabernathy/">Author Archive for Jeremy Abernathy</a><br /><br />::: )Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-41023586307099486342009-01-25T12:10:00.027-05:002009-04-28T00:35:51.329-04:00Alan Loehle + Majestic Hours|ArtVoices January<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SXyjduN6W2I/AAAAAAAAC-I/fADXn6Owt1E/s1600-h/jan_cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SXyjduN6W2I/AAAAAAAAC-I/fADXn6Owt1E/s320/jan_cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295286992898775906" border="0" /></a><small><strong>On the cover</strong><tt>|</tt>Jose Maria </small><small>Cundin</small><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SXyi5Z0wgFI/AAAAAAAAC94/_UlAIhdfiKw/s1600-h/jan-feature.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SXyi5Z0wgFI/AAAAAAAAC94/_UlAIhdfiKw/s320/jan-feature.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295286368949272658" border="0" /></a><small><strong>Feature</strong><tt>|</tt>Alan Loehle (p.15)<br />[<a href="http://www.marciawoodgallery.com/">Marcia Wood Gallery</a>; January 8 – February 14; artist talk January 31]</small><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SfaHaJm-QzI/AAAAAAAADAY/zcNn1d-K1bo/s1600-h/majestic-clipa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SfaHaJm-QzI/AAAAAAAADAY/zcNn1d-K1bo/s320/majestic-clipa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329596092365292338" /></a><small><strong>Review</strong><tt>|</tt>Sam Parker + Joe Tsambiras: Majestic Hours (p.40)<br />[<a href="http://www.beepbeepgallery.com/">Beep Beep Gallery</a>; November 14–30]</small><br /><br />*ArtVoices<em> is a full-color monthly based in New Orleans. You can order a subscription <a href="http://artvoicesmagazine.com/index.html">here</a>. Advertising and distribution requests should be directed to:</em> sanders_410@hotmail.comJeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-13470302570602170192008-12-23T00:23:00.079-05:002008-12-23T20:57:57.700-05:00ArtVoices + December = Profanity?One feature article (1,000 words) and one review:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SVB8jSjFn_I/AAAAAAAAC4I/I6NszMDF8IM/s1600-h/Dec-feature_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SVB8jSjFn_I/AAAAAAAAC4I/I6NszMDF8IM/s320/Dec-feature_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282859308621864946" border="0" /></a><small><strong>Feature</strong> Berlin, Barcodes, and Back: An Interview with Christopher Hauck (p.11)</small><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SVB7HIBIWgI/AAAAAAAAC4A/eOD_3m0IKAc/s1600-h/Dec-review_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SVB7HIBIWgI/AAAAAAAAC4A/eOD_3m0IKAc/s320/Dec-review_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282857725247117826" border="0" /></a><small><strong>Review</strong> Jason Kofke: Everything Will Be OK and Ted Ullrich: The Wall<br>[<a href="http://www.arthousecoop.com/">Art House Co-op</a> + <a href="http://www.leflash-atl.com/">Le Flash</a>; October 24] (p.62)</small><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SVB8kJhUEgI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/srSmDPOurzE/s1600-h/Dec-Cover_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SVB8kJhUEgI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/srSmDPOurzE/s320/Dec-Cover_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282859323378373122" border="0" /></a><small><strong>On the Cover</strong> Lovely, anonymous people raising one hand in an unexplained gesture. I wonder what would dear Laurie Anderson say? (Or that <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=pX_azoDGfpAC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=%22craig+owens%22+%22discourse+of+others%22&source=web&ots=xku0CFWPWX&sig=6QLIwNONfgzJEGx1ksD6hw8Gz20">fellow</a> in Hal Foster's celebrated <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418R2SQBQ8L._SS500_.jpg">postmodern handbook</a>?)</small><br /><br />Sorry everyone—I broke my own rule and published a transcribed interview, instead of first translating it into a more rigorous piece of interpretive criticism. Although it's a more or less "straight up" interview, that is, one without crushed ice or even <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Vermouth.jpg">vermouth</a> for flavor, I hope you'll at least find <em>some</em> value. <br /><br />The title of this post refers to the use of profanity in the December cover story. In a giant, bold-face pull quote, Terrence Sanders speaks for many artists living and working in the South: <blockquote><blockquote><small>WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, WAIT WAIT FOR <em>ART IN AMERICA</em> OR <em>ARTFORUM</em> TO COME DOWN HERE AND COVER ME? FUCK THAT.</small></blockquote></blockquote> Keep in mind the context: these words are pulled from an interview and, further, an informal moment caught on tape. For me though, you could easily replace the "cover <em>me</em>" in Sanders' quote with "cover <em>us</em>." <br /><br />The article mystifies me; this may be the first issue worth analyzing at length (which I may do at a later date). For now, I'll at least make my general opinion clear: <em>Terrence Sanders' art does not appeal to me, but I respect what he's doing with </em>ArtVoices<em> and think that braver, more comprehensive arts coverage is what we need in this region</em>. <br /><br />We all know—<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Is_Just_A_Four-Letter_Word">thanks to Bob Dylan</a>—that "love" is just a four-letter word. More unorthodox types, however, still insist on spelling it with an F, followed shortly by the letters U, C, and K. This is a man who loves his home. Terrence Sanders is either a high-functioning madman or an unhappily reincarnated Persian Immortal (<a href="http://www.300spartanwarriors.com/images/358__300_Immortals_movie_vs._comics.jpg">as envisioned</a> by Frank Miller). We hope for good things in the future. <br /><br /><strong>Also in <em>ArtVoices</em> December:</strong> "Will Castleberry Hill Ever Become Atlanta's Version of Chelsea?" by Philip Auslander, a short history and exploration of the challenges facing the arts district. <br /><br />I'm not familiar with this writer; along with other yet-to-be names, his byline continues in <em>ArtVoices</em> during my absence. (After the upcoming January issue, I take a break from A&E freelance until the end of this spring's legislative session.) Can anyone vouch for the guy? <br /><br />And with that, Ghostmap signs off for the New Year. <br /><br />Luv,<br /><br />::: )<br /><br />*ArtVoices<em> is a full-color monthly based in New Orleans. You can order a subscription <a href="http://artvoicesmagazine.com/index.html">here</a> or, alternatively, a very inexpensive, <a href="http://zinio.com/gncoffer?issn=2267-Voice&ns=usa&of=ZH01">digital subscription through Zinio</a> for a mere $20. Consider it an effort in tree conservation. (Advertising and distribution requests should be directed to: sanders_410@hotmail.com)</em>Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-82507013041643620682008-11-18T12:40:00.007-05:002008-11-18T12:58:45.677-05:00Two Reviews in ArtVoices NovemberWriting by yours truly in this month's <em>ArtVoices</em>. It's always nice when you get to quote <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mircea_Eliade">Mircea Eliade</a> in a review... <br /><br />Click below to read more: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SSL-WvCMxrI/AAAAAAAAC24/jI4Wr65mw1Q/s1600-h/2-withingourgates.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: left; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SSL-WvCMxrI/AAAAAAAAC24/jI4Wr65mw1Q/s320/2-withingourgates.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270054180513171122" border="0" /></a><small>ACP Public Art: "Within Our Gates"by Bradley McCallum and Jaqueline Tarry<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SSL-W6X07hI/AAAAAAAAC3A/obvNWUboBSw/s1600-h/3-zhangdali.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: left; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SSL-W6X07hI/AAAAAAAAC3A/obvNWUboBSw/s320/3-zhangdali.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270054183556673042" border="0" /></a><small>Zhang Dali at Kiang Gallery<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SSL-WrDfQbI/AAAAAAAAC2w/U7bAkm9AMhA/s1600-h/1-artvoices_novs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: left; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SSL-WrDfQbI/AAAAAAAAC2w/U7bAkm9AMhA/s320/1-artvoices_novs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270054179444834738" border="0" /></a><br /></small></small>Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-282504379103282792008-10-15T17:54:00.016-04:002008-10-15T18:42:26.398-04:00Published: Two Reviews in ArtVoicesDue to the soaring costs of fuel (and basically everything else on the planet), the latest issue <a href="http://artvoicesmagazine.com/"><em>ArtVoices</em></a> magazine comes in limited supply and is vanishing rapidly. Solomon Projects, for instance, is already out. <br /><br />To save you the frustration, I've provided my two Atlanta reviews here in facsimile: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SPZnfdiTZHI/AAAAAAAACYs/Aido1aXcuW0/s1600-h/artvoices_p1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SPZnfdiTZHI/AAAAAAAACYs/Aido1aXcuW0/s400/artvoices_p1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257503405203743858" /></a><small>Jody Fausett at Whitespace Gallery</small><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SPZnfjzDnsI/AAAAAAAACY0/bocQTbx68NM/s1600-h/artvoices_p2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SPZnfjzDnsI/AAAAAAAACY0/bocQTbx68NM/s400/artvoices_p2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257503406884626114" /></a><small>Kathryn Refi at Solomon Projects</small><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:default;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SPZxNAa9MtI/AAAAAAAACZE/34G0NbnuL2U/s400/artvoices_biopage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257514083266933458" /><small>I'm in the second column. Toward the middle. ::: )</small><br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:default;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SPZngfMZrII/AAAAAAAACY8/ijEPVP4S4ho/s400/artvoices_cvr.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257503422828620930" /><small>Photo by Michelle Elmore, who owns a new gallery in New Orleans. A friend once suggested that gold teeth were a symbol of the city, and, curious, Elmore decided to find as many as she could. Luv that facial hair... </small><br /><br /><em>ArtVoices</em> is based in New Orleans, where big things are coming together as we speak, including the international arts shindig, <a href="http://blog.art21.org/2008/03/17/prospect1-new-orleans-coming-in-november/">Prospect.1</a>. They're calling it a biennial, so add one more to the growing list. <br /><br />(I assume each subsequent expo will be called Prospect.2, 3, 4, <em>ad nauseam</em>. Is that such a good idea?)<br /><br />Anyone planning a trip to NOLA? It starts the weekend of Nov. 1.Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-6808675932250320112008-10-06T08:27:00.013-04:002008-10-06T12:11:22.681-04:00Announcing a NEW BLOG<a href="http://burnaway.org"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SOo4hLxWqkI/AAAAAAAACUc/zCmGzxPYSr4/s400/gm_burnaway.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254074058027739714" /></a><br /><strong>Burn Away</strong>, our new visual arts blog, launches today. The address is:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://burnaway.org/">BURNAWAY.ORG</a><br /><br /></div>Expect good things. <br /><br />Yeees. <br /><br />::: )Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-39351716318061718982008-09-23T08:32:00.009-04:002008-09-23T09:10:48.284-04:00So, Who Are These "Beautiful" People ?<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JyRAHKTy6hI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JyRAHKTy6hI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><small>Trailer for <em>Beautiful Losers</em>, a documentary about a group of artists loosely associated with Alleged Gallery (NYC) during the 90s. </small><br /><br />I'm just guessing, but I'm sure I saw a lot of <em>you people</em> at the <em>Beautiful Losers</em> screening at the <a href="http://www.plazaatlanta.com/">Plaza Theatre</a> last Thursday. You know who you are. : )<br /><br />I didn't know what to expect, but I came away glad. You could feel by the energy in the room, filled with students and artists of various ages, that people identified with the artists in the film. I spend so much time trying to "bring the serious" that it's easy to forget why I started: I saw people around me creating personal, inspired art and, acknowledging a power I could never achieve, I wanted to support them in what ways I can. <br /><br />So, I suppose I should <a href="http://www.beautifullosers.com/artists.html">start learning who these "beautiful" people are</a>...<br />Artists from the movie, new to me: <blockquote>Aaron Rose <br />Barry McGee <br />Chris Johanson <br />Ed Templeton<br />Geoff McFetridge <br />Harmony Korine <br />Jo Jackson <br />Margaret Killgallen<br />Mike Mills <br />Deanna Templeton <br />Stephen Powers <br />Thomas Campbell<br />Cheryl Dunn </blockquote> Now where do I start...?Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-19385432696325663182008-09-18T15:42:00.156-04:002008-09-19T17:46:07.827-04:00"Search for Truth . . . Promote Socialism"<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: default;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SNLCF4KZ0uI/AAAAAAAACR0/RTz9T9RdHDU/s400/slogan7_detail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247469922071204578" border="0" /><small>Detail, <em>Slogan 7</em> by Zhang Dali. </small> <br /><br />Striking the eyeballs like so many of those infamous <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Hammer_and_sickle.svg">hammers-with-iron-sickle</a>, these ideograms form a static compositional grid. Baffled—with my face hovering a mere breath's distance from the vinyl surface—I attempted to "read" from left to right, and, quickly realizing my predictable, "amateur" error, I tried again vertically.<sup>1</sup> <br /><br />But… I was still missing the point. Yes, the paintings are made of Chinese characters. (Each line spells out a slogan of Communist propaganda.) I realized, though, that the most dominant <em>visual</em> element here is the background void of solid black. <br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: default;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SNK-sQsiN1I/AAAAAAAACRs/gF4xy5_ELig/s400/zhang_dali_7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247466183445329746" border="0" /><small>And this is what the full image looks like. What a sad, sad little boy... Zhang Dali opened his <em>Slogans</em> series at <a href="http://www.kiang-gallery.com/">Kiang Gallery</a> last Friday. </small><br /><br />The color black. All other shades of value, including subdued hints of blue and brown, are contained, exclusively, within the tiny brushstrokes of Zhang Dali's lettering. What a potent statement: the figure can only be seen <em>through</em> the intermediary of state ideology. <br /><br />We can only express our opinions with the vocabulary we're given: <blockquote><small>PRACTICING GOOD MANNERS LEADS TO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE<br />PROMOTE SOCIALISM AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HARMONIOUS SOCIETY</small></blockquote> And you don't have to experience the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_revolution">Cultural Revolution</a> to sympathize. Just turn on the radio—the talking points repeat themselves over and over. Simply replace a single party with two. <br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: default;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SNK-r-jiKcI/AAAAAAAACRc/QynRIVergHg/s400/zhang_dali_a4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247466178575739330" border="0" /><small><em>Slogan A.4</em>, on the other hand, has slightly more color.</small><br /><br />The content interests me, but I'm more inclined to treat these as a study <em>of the human mark</em>. Names like <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/Chuck_Close_2.jpg">Chuck Close</a> come to mind. While the grave subject matter demands an unfortunately limited color palette, the meticulous labor that went into each stroke does make the in-gallery experience more meaningful than simply viewing these photographs. <br /><br />I'm reminded of Jonathan's thoughts on <a href="http://localephemera.blogspot.com/">Local Ephemera</a> about the significance of <a href="http://localephemera.blogspot.com/search?q=duplicating+text+by+hand">"duplicating text by hand."</a> I'm still chewing on the question. <br /><br />So begins "My Self-Education in Beijing Artists," Part 1…<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: default;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SNK-ryViVVI/AAAAAAAACRk/Mjkd1cPS8ok/s400/shen_jingdong.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247466175295804754" border="0" /><small><em>Navy/Army/Airforce</em> by Shen Jingdong (photo taken at <a href="http://www.chinasquareny.com/index.html">China Square</a>'s exhibit booth at Art Santa Fe). Click for closeups of each panel: <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/j.e.abernathy/ArtSantaFe#5247070242315286466">Navy</a>, <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/j.e.abernathy/ArtSantaFe#5247070186169192930">Army</a>, and <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/j.e.abernathy/ArtSantaFe#5247070129583621698">Airforce</a>.</small><br /><br />Compare Zhang's disciplined sobriety to Sheng Jingdong. Like the tarnished backside of a silvered mirror, Zhang shows us the emotional reality beneath the shiny surface. His portraits are a far cry from <a href="http://www.iisg.nl/%7Elandsberger/images/c05.jpg">those well-fed, beaming faces of yesteryear</a>. But Sheng's military renderings (above) have their own subversive charm. Those deadpan, bubblegum colors <em>can't</em> be serious. <br /><br />Is this a generational difference between artists? Or simply a stylistic choice? I have so many questions. For example… <br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: default;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SNPqH0NydiI/AAAAAAAACSM/ZoP7E29zabY/s400/dali_demolition.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247795410813220386" border="0" /><small><em>Demolition: Time Plaza Beijing</em>, 1999. Reminds me of <a href="http://www.bigshinything.com/wp-photos/593319165.jpeg">Banksy's "transparent" designs</a> on the Israeli West Bank barrier. </small><br /><br />Why does Chinese art cost so much? <br /><br />Zhang made a name for himself creating activist graffiti in Beijing. These profile silhouettes (above) marked buildings slated for demolition, drawing public attention to the effects of "progress" on the city's anatomy.<br /><br />Touted as "the only graffiti artist in Beijing" during the early 90s, Zhang's pseudonym was "AK-47." The tag appears in one of the Kiang Gallery pieces, repeating like a deadly postmodern sutra over some poor child's face.<br /><br />But now Zhang's framed <em>Slogan</em> pieces sell for $52,000 each… <br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: default;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SNPdsffsO_I/AAAAAAAACR8/60-3rG1FDQQ/s400/banksy_spacegirl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247781747255163890" border="0" /><br />Of course, everyone's favorite graffiti artist, Banksy, just <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKL2531915420070425">broke the $500,000 mark</a> last year. His <em>Space Girl and Bird</em> (above) sold for "only" 288,000 pounds, roughly $576,000. However, that still doesn't put "the Beijing trend" into perspective. <br /><br />I suppose I shouldn't consider it a serendipity that, less than a month after the Beijing Olympics, <a href="http://www.artnewsonline.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2542&current=True"><em>ARTNews </em> magazine's cover story this month</a> focuses on China's art market. To illustrate some of the recent incredible leaps in value, Barbara Pollack cites the case of <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/data?pid=avimage&iid=iEEHM5gbs79k">Zheng Fanzhi</a>: "Five years ago his works sold for under $50,000. Today he commands prices on the primary market closer to $1 million."<sup>2</sup> <br /><br /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: default;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SNPpUh6wYLI/AAAAAAAACSE/jDIWHou-wUA/s400/zhang_dali_offspring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247794529728225458" border="0" /><small>Zhang's <em>Chinese Offspring</em>, an installation meditating the plight of migrant labor. Click <a href="http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/artpages/zhang_dali_offspring_10.htm">here for a detail</a>. Zhang's range is impressive; he completed this two-year sculptural series in 2005 before moving on to other media. </small> <br /><br />I don't mean to challenge Zhang's integrity. I just don't want to live in a world where the sex appeal of "graffiti" outstrips the word's credibility. And though I can certainly see the value of <em>individual</em> Chinese artists, the recent lust for "anything Beijing" should be treated for what it is: a trend.<br /><br />---<br /><br /><sup>1</sup> <small><strong>I don't speak</strong> or read Chinese. Fortunately, technology amplifies my normal powers of deduction. The repetitions in <em>Slogan 7</em> seem to indicate horizontal orientation. <a href="http://www.kiang-gallery.com/artists/dali/img/FrontIMG.jpg"><em>Slogan 13</em></a>, judging by the placement of key words 社会主义 (Socialism) and 十七大 (the shortened name of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_National_Congress_of_the_Communist_Party_of_China">17th National Congress</a>), reads vertically, although from the bottom to the top instead of what you'd expect. The choices vary according to aesthetic. Correct me if I'm wrong… </small><br /><br /><sup>2</sup> <small><strong>Pollack's article</strong> is an excellent resource, especially for the illustrations in the print edition. It saves me the trouble. : )</small>Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22767266.post-32834259295953505732008-09-15T08:28:00.011-04:002008-09-15T09:58:10.701-04:00McCloud Speaks at Agnes Scott<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:default;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mvJHh4HDr70/SM5XlPsCkgI/AAAAAAAACIg/1bxB9LO5mJw/s320/understandingcomics.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246226913311232514" /><small>From <em>Understanding Comics</em> by Scott McCloud (1993). ISBN# 006097625X.</small><br /><br />15 years ago, Scott McCloud introduced <em>Understanding Comics</em>, a comic book <em>about</em> comic books that, in an easy-to-digest form, discussed the medium with a smattering of art history and theory and, above all, a desire for stories with something more than just explosions and bad dialog. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.theinnovationroadmap.com/uc1.jpg">McCloud's clever little diagram</a>, for example, is a pretty original innovation. Plus I'm young enough to admit: reading McCloud in the 90s "got me into" René Magritte's <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/MagrittePipe.jpg"><em>Treachery of Images</em></a>. <br /><br />McCloud lectures on <a href="http://www.agnesscott.edu/events/eventDetailsNoReg.aspx?Channel=/Channels/Admissions/Admissions+Content&WorkflowItemID=9b053f8d-b3d1-4e92-9027-2d0ce92c0947">"A Medium in Transition" tomorrow night, 7:30PM, at Agnes Scott</a>.Jeremy Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15954116305822347834noreply@blogger.com0