Modern Art Obsession

Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy sharing a public kiss, naked.. Is this Art or just bad Taste?

Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy sharing, an oh too public kiss, naked..on a Billboard size image?   Is this Art or just bad taste? Really for a straight Gagosian Artist, this is the best you can do, "Sweet Liberty"?

Well.. Maybe MAO is just a total prude being honest. But, am I the only person who thinks, some artists, should probably learn to paint better keep their clothes on if they want attention by the art world ?

There's almost nothing original about doing this,  it's been done more tastefully so many times before. Like here, here and here, just to name a few.

In this Post-Gay world.. does anyone even care? If a Gay Tree Falls in the disco, no one even hears it. As an art gay mao-self, I'm a bit sadened by this PDA,  aka.. Public Display for Attention!

 And... Please... Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy try going to a gym puting some clothes on for your next exhibition!

Well, anyway,  just click here to see the story and the pathetic photos. 

Two Artists Kiss in the Buff on London Bridge

11.5.2014

BY JULIEN SAUVALLE

Artists Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy shake up the narrative of romance

November 5 is a national holiday in the UK, commemorating Guy Fawks' failed attack on the Parliament House, in London. But today, the British capital became the stage of a different kind of celebration.

Displayed as a billboard-size image, the picture of Brooklyn-based artists Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy sharing a kiss, naked, in front of the Statue of Liberty, was unveiled on the city's London Bridge. "We feel it is our birthright to love without oppression or racism, things that have historically separated us," commented the two artists. "I think Kalup and I had a synchronised, inspired moment," Colen added. 

The work, entitled "Sweet Liberty", hopes to disrupt familiar issues of identity politics and instead represent romance in its rawest, most rudimentary form.

New Great Photobook #1 - Infidel by Tim Hetherington

New Great Photobook #1 - Infidel by Tim Hetherington.

This is one of the best new photobooks we've seen in 2010.

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Chris Boot (September 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches

Infidel is an intimate photo essay of a U.S. Army platoon assigned to an outpost in one of the most hostile areas of the Koregal Vallery in Afganastan.

We loved both the Hetherington photos as well as the thoughtful design and production quality of this book. It's been printed in the size and style of an Army Field Manual or maybe even The Bible. It has a thick black plastic cover, with nothing but a tattoo style drawing of the word Infidel.  (Photo #1, Infidel book cover)

This is not your typical macho wartime soldier photo essay. The young soldiers in Hetherington's photos look relaxed and almost casual in their hostile environment.

This series comes across surprisingly tender and with a surprising amount of vulnerabilility even while many of these men are sporting huge guns and camouflage uniforms.

The viewer can't help but feel at times these photos seem raw,  sexy, and of course a bit homo erotic. 

Much of this book remined us of the best early work by art photographer Adi Nes...

(Photo #2, Tim Hetherington, The members of 2nd Platoon "get to know one-another", 2008 )

Throughout the entire book, there are numerous detail photographic images along side drawn images ofthe body tattoos on these soldiers.

Yes..

We just loved this book, and find ourselves picking it up again and again.

See what you think.. maybe you'll agree with MAO that it's possibly one of the best photobooks of 2010.

More details on the book here.... http://www.chrisboot.com/new_infidel.html

(Photo #3, Image Credit: Sergeant Elliott Alcantara, Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. 2008)

About Tim Hetherington
Tim Hetherington was born in Liverpool, UK, and took up photojournalism after studying literature at Oxford University. Awards for his photojournalism include a Hasselblad Foundation Award (2002), World Press Photo of the Year 2007 (for a photograph featured in the Infidel), the Rory Peck Award for TV Features (2008), and an Alfred I duPont Award (2009).  Tim Hetherington is also an acclaimed documentary filmmaker who has reported on conflict and social issues for over ten years. This recent work of platoon soldiers in Afghanistan includes the film Restrepo, co-directed and co-produced with Sebastian Junger, and was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.  Tim is based in New York and is a contributing photographer to Vanity Fair magazine.

Happy Super Tuesday! Get out and VOTE!!

Today is Super Tuesday..So, It's our big chance to make history!

Be sure to get to your local polling station.

Which brings to mind.. a recent email MAO got from a dealer friend offering us one of our favorite Diane Arbus photographs at a really super high price.

If anyone is interested in buying this great photo.. let us know..cause, MAO has a bridge, subprime mortgage, we'd like to sell you can put you in touch with our dealer friend.

Photo : 

DIANE ARBUS
Boy with a straw hat, NYC, 1967 / printed 1974
gelatin silver print
paper: 20 x 16 inches (50.8 x 40.6 cm)
framed: 23 1/2 x 22 1/4 inches (59.7 x 56.5 cm)
edition of 50 (#49/50)
printed by Neil Selkirk, signed by Doon Arbus
$53,000.00

Artist Joe Fig.. makes the Cover of Dans Papers!! Art Image of the Week 2007 #1

Joe Fig... Artist image of the week!

For the summer, since most of the art world is already going on summer break.. I know.. It's only June 2nd, but, Yes, Times are too good in the NYC art world.. and every semi self important dealer and artist are already sunning their money bloated buns on the beach. It was so crowded even Dr. Quiz and MAO had to actually WAIT a few minutes for our regular table at The ab-fab Bridgehampton Almond last night! God.. will the madness ever end ?

Since there was nothing interesting going on in NYC galleries last summer.. we did a few months of art image of the week.. Just to see what all our devoted MAO readers thought about some works of art which caught the MAO collector's eye.

So we start the 2007 Art Image Of The Week, with this photo by Joe Fig. We believe it's a photo of a miniature sculpture of the Jackson Pollock Studio Barn in East Hampton (and close by the MAO/Dr.Quiz family collection east) .  Joe does a painstaking job of recreating every detail... and has even linked some of his sculptures with Artist audio interviews.. it's just amazing to see these.  We think this re-creation is based on this series of photos by Hans Namuth.

For those lucky enough to already be on the beach.. You may have seen it already.. since this image is this weeks ENTIRE cover of Dan's Hamptons Paper (a free must read paper in the Hamptons). FYI.. just incase you haven't been reading the many hamptons rags newpapers, Joe Fig, has a new show opening up at the South Hampton Parrish Art Museum. The show runs until the end of August.

We first saw Joe's work, thanks to the ever thoughtful Blogger and Gallery Owner Edward Winkleman... Oh, and by the way, Eddie is now a Big CNBC Power Lunch sell out celeb.  You go Girl Go Eddie Go! A big MAO congrats to both Joe and Ed!! We love you both!

So you can see more of Joe Figs work here.. and here.. And if we can sober up for a few hours, Dr. Quiz and MAO hope to get our lazy money bloated collector butts over to South Hampton from East Hampton this weekend to see the new Joe Fig show!

But please.. let us know what do you think of this image? All comments & thoughts welcome...

• Original space as portraiture or just another inappropriate appropriation?
• Mostly model meltdown or some cool new art action Jackson?
• One big Fig Newton.. or an amazing image eye candy?
• Art Obsessive nuance non-sense or maybe.. a refreshing tangible take on studio as art form?

Art Image of the Week - Kelli Connell

In keeping with last weeks theme of great emerging women photographers.. (a la The Great Zoe Strauss).  This week we move to the dark side of art photography, aka the digital masters !!(hmm.. just wondering.. can a women be a master? or should women be properly referred to as a digital mistress or maybe a digital dominatrix? anyone know?..)

So.. This weeks Image of the week is by the digital mistress and super gender bender.. Artist Kelli Connell.

This image is titled "Daydream" 2002, and is a 30" x 40" Digital Lambda print.

What makes it immediately striking is the fact that this is a double self portrait of the same person. Wow!

As you can see from this image, much of Kelli's work addresses issues of relationships, masculinity, beauty, attraction, sexuality and intimacy. I find her work very original and provocative.

Along with Brian Ulrich, Kelli Connell is also one of the three featured Artists in the new Aperture Book Midwest Photographers Publication Project, MP3. Additionally Kelli's work has been featured at the Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis and is currently on view in a group show at MoCP in Chicago.

So what do you think of this image, and the work of Kelli Connell?

• A digital revolutionary or just digital gimmickry?
• All Flash with no Film?
• A Digital Dominatrix to be obeyed collected ?
• Fabulous or forgettable?
• Les-bionic or just another Lessor Loretta Lux?

All thoughts are always welcome.

FYI... For those interested..

Aperture Event : Next Thursday September 28th at 6:30pm there will be a Panel Discussion and Book signing at the Aperture Gallery on West 27th street.  MoCP Director Rob Slemmons will moderate a discussion with Brian Ulrich, Kelli Connell and Justin Newhall, it sounds like it should be an interesting night.. See you there!!

MAO Art Image of The Week by Zoe Strauss

You may remember this new hot artist from the 2006 Whitney Biennial.  And while some of the 2006 WhiBi artists have almost already been forgotten... Marilyn who?  Walker somebody? Some girlfriend from LA named Bradford? or some retail queen named Mechsepper?   What, Pasta Vezzoli, no, I'd rather have lasagna ??   

Ms. Zoe Strauss has been a busy busy Philly girl.. with recent solo shows in Philly @ the ICA, and in LA at Acuna-Hansen gallery, plus her work was in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and of course we can't forget her.. Under The I-95 Project!

Well NYC art world.. she's back!! This Friday, September 15th at 7pm will be Zoe Strauss Night at the Whitney Museum!

Click here for Free Tickets It's going to be quite an event!

In fact.. Here is a post from Zoe's own blog regarding the planning for this night...

Because the feel of "Zoe Strauss night at the Whitney" will be more like a prom with presentations and discussion, as opposed to a turgid lecture, I am soliciting ideas for a theme.
The theme is always "Zoe Strauss," but what about just taking it a little further?

I have some theme ideas for Zoe Strauss Night at the Whitney.

"You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC is top of the list.
Also
"You'll Never Walk Alone" ,"You're All I Need to Get By" ,"American Girl" and of course "Diving into the Wreck"
How bout...
"The Lavender Menace","The Battle of Blair Mountain","Escape to Witch Mountain","Close Encounters of the Third Kind","Vertigo","Manifest Destiny"

OR what's turning out to be the winner in my mind
"The Manhattan Project"

Manhattan Project could include so much...as seen at the Levy opening, we could have manhattans served with dry ice dropped to the bottom.
how about a bikini "atoll" contest? .....

So in preparation for ZOE's big night at the Whitney.. where everyone who's ANYONE in the NYC Photo world will be there.. we have our MAO Image of the Week!

OK...So.. There's just something about this photo that strikes me.  While most viewers find Zoe's inner city neighborhood shots both powerful and saddening. I find her shocking hyper realist portraits the strongest.

I'm not sure if it's this middle aged woman's 1980's blond hair style, the long taxi cab yellow finger nails, or her tacky fake snake skin dress...it all just screems makeover draws in the viewer.

Zoe has a signature eye all her own, but you always seem to spot a little Diane Arbus, some Walker Evans, and just a bit of Nan Goldin influence, carefully blended into her photographs. Be sure to check out more of her gritty, often mesmerizing images at www.ZoeStrauss.com

So.. What do you think of this image? And the work of Zoe Strauss? Clearly MAO is a fan..

Now if she wouldd just get an rich influential NYC spin doctor art dealer to pump up represent her... god only knows how far this Philadelphia talent's photography career will go! Sooo..Mooove over Loretta Lux!! Here comes Zoe Strauss!

And for those clueless individuals whom are not yet familiar with Zoe's work, you can read more in a ton of publications and websites...here's just a few to get started..

• Art On Paper this month, where Jean Dykstra wrote "Out From Underpass: The Photo's of Zoe Strauss"
• Roberta Fallon on Zoe's ICA show
• Ramp Project at ICA
• A Zoe Interview In Slate Magazine on Thoughts on 9/11
• The Philadelphia City Paper, Highway to Art by A.D. Amorosi
• Radio (listen to an) interview with Joel Rose

So see you all this Friday Night at The Whitney!

Oh.. and Dr. Quiz... Sorry, but we're going to be getting a late start on our normal weekend out in East Hampton...so, just pick me up in front of the Whitney.. around 9:30ish! Thanks..

Art Image of the Week - Richard Prince

While out on Fire Island a few weeks ago, being too drunk, lazy, fabulous hot and muggy to actually cook for ourselves, Dr. Quiz and I choose to dine alfresco at one of the overpriced charming restaurants in town. The meal was totally forgettable, service terrible, but luckily they had enough red wine to wash it down.  As always, it was total mosquito-ville. At the time, we thought nothing of it, but Dr. Quiz got bit by some mysterious bug. In fact, we're still not exactly sure the type of monster bug bit him, but after a few days of uncomfortable swelling, a continuously growing dark red rash and a high fever, his entire underside of his leg was inflamed.  He checked himself into Cabrini Hospital immediately for a solid week. Totally scared of hospitals, but being oh such an overly caring partner... I reluctantly canceled my art appointments of course went to visit several times. It was High OPERA a frighting experience, since there was someone else in the hospital with the same mysterious illness, but luckily everything turned out OK.  Dr. Quiz is almost already back to his inquisitive normal fit self.

While I'm a fan of his photography, being stuck, artless, in a hospital for several hours each day, you couldn't help but think of these paintings by superstar hot artist Richard Prince whenever a nurse came in the room. Not surprisingly none of the Cabrini nurses looked anything like these
"Princely" paintings.

So this Image of the week, by Richard Prince, is shockingly,thoughtlessly titled "Debutante Nurse," 2005, Acrylic and ink jet Canvas; 100 x 58 inches.

The series was also published in his book by Richard Prince :  Nurse Paintings, in 2005.

So?

What do you think if this painting?

Just what the Dr ordered, worth a few million dollars?

Needs a check up?

Take 2 aspirin and hope the pain goes away in the morning?

Image of the Week - Rineke Dijkstra

It's the peak of summer, so time for a vacation beach portrait. So for the 5 of us working this week.. Here's a beach image to ponder!

IMO, no one modern photographer has done these better than Rineke Dijkstra. Her auction prices have continued to clime to stupid unbelievable heights, and at only 47, she's had a major retrospective of her work that toured Europe throughout all of 2005, and early 2006. Unfortunately, the show never made it to NYC or the states, and I couldn't fine photo's of it online (just this word doc).

But we can still enjoy the show through her book Rineke Dijkstra:Portraits A Retrospective, published by D.A.P./Schirmer/Mosel.

Probably the first major breakthrough body of work for Rineke, this beautiful photo is from her Hilton Head Island, SC series from 1992. It really has a delightful  magic, Rineke captured a moment of this adolescent girl's look of contemplative loneliness, and innocence.

Whenever I look at this photograph, I always think of Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus"

It's not just the colors, but also, her classic vapid expression, the placement of her hands, the way her hair blows in the wind, and the sky blue background.

I'm not sure if Rineke Dijkstra had this painting in mind when creating this photograph.. but you just have to take note of the many similarities.  Would you even consider this a type of Art Appropriation? Maybe.

What do you think of this image?  And the work of Rineke Dijkstra?

The Birth of a photographic Genius? or

Just another art appropriation abortion??

All thoughts are welcome.

Art Image of the Week - Nikki S. Lee

So.. have you ever had a romantic breakup so terrible, so intense, so devastating.. that you just wished you could erase all parts of your memory that you ever even knew the asshole person?  Or how about rewriting your own personal history, and just cutting out "The EX" from every picture.

Well.. that's exactly what the social chameleon  and hot photographer Nikki S. Lee has done in The Parts Project.

She has had several creative projects before where she's done an updated version of an "Asian Cindy Sherman.." dressing herself up in numerous modern situations..

But in Parts, Nikki has explored the complex emotional aspects of relationships, and the isolation, pain and insecurity of fucking breakups. If you've never seen the work, here's a detailed review by e-flux of the 2005 show at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, MO.  Yes.. there's actually a good museum in MO!!

But, there's just something about many of these cut in half, edited images my heart crys out to. To see more from this project.. check out the Leslie Tonkonow Gallery Website.

Of course, she's put together an entire collection of these images to create a new book, and hopefully she's found a new boy friend!

So what do you think of this image? And the work of Nikki S.Lee?

Maybe a "cut" above the rest? LUV ha.. or Hate ha?

MAO Art Image of The Week - Kota Ezawa

So what do think of Art Appropriation ? Or more specifically, what about new young emerging artists, appropriating images from other, more established contemporary artists work?

Of course, OH SOO much has been spewed articulated on this topic of Appropriation in contemporary art. For example.. see these:

• Here (a total wow, super cool website),
• Here (OMG!! an entire book on the topic)   and
• Here (one of the more scholarly dull Journal articles I've seen)

Plus many a rich famous artist has based their entire career off of appropriation. Just to list a few.. Sherrie Levine, Andy Warhol, Richard Prince, Tasumasa Morimura, Vik Muniz, etc..

Which brings us to our image of the week by new artist Kota Ezawa. The image is called, "Photography Remix - After Nan Goldin, 2005" it's Duratran transparency on Light Box, 40 x 30 inches. Here is a posting, from the Tate's Collection of the Original classic Nan Goldin photograph from which it was stolen appropriated.

This 2003 Stanford MFA grad, Kota Ezawa, is most certainly already a quickly rising star of the new art millennium.

I first saw his work at Murray Guy Gallery last summer, and than again at Art Basel Miami in 2005.

Kota was a featured artist at the 2004 Shanghai Biennale, the 2006 Whitney Biennial's Wrong Gallery "Down By Law" Show, A Solo show at the Wadsworth Antheneum in Hartford, CT, plus he's also had some very gracious press already..

NY Times Review, Artforum, and Parachute.

Kota Ezawa, and his  Photo Remix series, was a winner of the SFMOMA 2006 SECA Art Award. Plus this image was featured on the cover of respected photographic journal, SF Camerawork the Wrong coast copycat of Aperture in the Fall/Winter of 2005.

So what do you think of this image? And the work of Kota Ezawa?

1. LUV it or Hate It? True Blue.. or just a Black and Blue?
2. Can't Beat-It! A great appropriation, or just an inappropriate artistic beating?
3. A visionary artist, or a photographer rip off with all flash and no focus?
4. Just another copy cat artist cashing in, or a true cutting edge digital genius?
5. A Warhol for the digital age, or just pain old tomato soup?

Art Image of the Week - Painter Jules de Balincourt

I've been feeling very anti-Bush political lately.. Maybe it's just all this Israeli Hezbollah hullabaloo.. and seeing our current administrations total failure to do anything helpful in the Middle East that's got me depressed. Maybe it's been reading about this naughty black sheep  Ex-Ohio bloggers trip home that keeps me thinking.. what were those stupid mis-informed people in OHIO thinking when they voted again for GW Bush! Yikes! Well.. Anyway...

So this weeks Art image is a painting by French born artist Jules de Balincourt.

It's titled "US World Studies III, 2005," Oil, Acrylic and Enamel on Panel, 150 x 183cm.

Jules is one of those young hot artists represented by the Dealer with the Golden touch Zach Feuer.

Jules has had several solo shows at the Zach Feuer/LFL Gallery, and was featured in Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the PS 1 Great NY show last year, and past Whitney Biennial just to name a few. He'll be included in the up coming USA Today show.

Here's an Art In America review by Brian Boucher, and a James Wagner "Terrific Show" review.

Plus Notes and Queries, Joao Ribas, just chose Jules to be his pick for the Salzburg HangArt-7 exhibition, saying Balincourt's work stands as some of the most affective and politically charged painting of the last decade..[more...]

So what do you think of this painting and of Jules de Balincourt's work??

• Outsider Art Genius, or just more Flat Folk Art Feuer Funk ? 
• A Jasper Johns want-to-be pop artist or a new Visionary Virtuoso ?
• An Artist on the Verge of a Breakthrough or Breakdown ?
• A 32 Year Old, Hunter M.F.A. in the prime of his career,or just another Hyper-Zack Attack ?
• Is it a psychedelic-palette of plain political paranoia, or simply smart social studied structures of sophisticated cynicism?
• Cartoonish, or future art icon?

All thoughts are welcome...

Art Image of The Week - Erick Swenson

OK.. The MAO Staff Summer Vacation is almost freaking over.. So next week we'll return to our normal dull posting schedule..

This week we're going to try something a little bit different..

This work of art is an installation by Dallas, Texas artist, Erick Swenson. Yes... some great artistic bright creative people do come from TX..just not above average presidential politicians!  These are the photo's of a single work...so we actually have three images this week.

I first saw Erick's haunting hyper realistic work at a show at the James Cohan Gallery.

Plus he also was included (and arguably one of the few standouts) in the 2004 Whitney Biennial.

This work spans more than seven meters, and is Untitled from 2004 - 2005. It's an allegorical winter scene made of Styrofoam snow, polyurethane ice which engulf a brick street featuring a white mystical frozen deer.   

For more info on Erick Swenson here is

• 1. An Art In America Review by Charles Dee Mitchell of one of his past shows.
• 2. A profile on Wikipedia
• 3. The artists most current  Bio from The Saatchi Gallery
• 4. He's in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art Forth Worth TX
• 5. A 2003 exhibit at the Hammer
• 6. A project at ArtSpace of San Antonio TX

So.. What do you think of Erick Swenson's Art and this specific work? Fan or Foe??

Art Image of the week by Barnaby Furnas

Sorry for the delay again.. Somehow I got screwed picked to be on a Jury Trail.. so I've been without internet all week. Can you image..? Picking someone as biased, jaded and judgmental as MAO to be on your Jury.. OMG.. talk about scrapping the bottom of the moral barrel! I almost feel sorry for the apparently totally guilty defendant! But that's another story... now ..back to our AIOTW...

So this weeks image is by Artist Barnaby Furnas.. This large painting is titled "Dual, 2004." It's an oil painting and measures 325 x 193 cm. I believe the scene "depicts two ex-presidents in battle, simply for the sake of seeing the beauty of the carnage in slow motion."

Interestingly.. For this young artist, I've not seen much written on Barnaby's work lately.. but you may remember him from his hot debut a few years ago.  He's one of the overhyped 2000 Columbia University, MFA super stars who had his first show at Marianne Boesky Gallery in 2002.

Barnaby's use of hot colors, and intense hyperactive narrative scenes have always been an attraction to collectors.

Here's some background info..

an  Artforum Review by Jordan Kantor,

His listing on ArtFacts

and a little more

from the Saatchi Gallery Website about the artist.

So what do you think?

A Young Art Star who burned out quickly?

Still a major force in modern painting of the new century?

All Washed up at age 33?

or A fresh voice, gliding effortlessly between the worlds of representation and abstraction?

All thoughts welcome..

Art Image of the Week by Kelley Walker

TGIF!! Which also means, time for our next Image of the week! First, Thanks to all the wise and thoughtful readers who shared their views on the Ryan McGinness painting last week. I was frankly surprised, given his popularity and museum credits, at the high percentage of commentators who totally trashed didn't appreciate Ryan's work.

This week, I choose an image from 2006 Whitney Biennial Artist, Kelley Walker. The image is titled "Disaster 2" 2001. It's a digital image CD Rom and print on Canvas 7 by 9 feet.

He started with an Anti-capitalist poster of a road collapse, where then he's filled the water regions with neon acid looking orange, giving us a somewhat apocalyptic image.

Much of Kelley's work has involved steeling appropriation of commercial and mass media images, but then he's twisting their meaning with his own not so subtle messages. Last year, he was voted one of the Top Ten "Greater New York" Show Artist Most likely to succeed by New York Magazine.

For additional information on artist Kelley Walker and this specific image, also check out this very helpful site by the Saatchi Gallery. Also, here's a review by the always brilliant Jerry Saltz of Kelley's March 06 show.

So what do you think about this image and Kelley Walkers work?

• "The Warhol" of the new millennium or just another copy cat artist riding the coattails of other masters?
• A powerful brilliant hybrid work of art & photography, or a seen that, done by everybody work?
• A great new media artist or sensationalized clumsy digital/photoshop print maker?
• Just another Biennial trash flash in the pan, or a provocative artist to be collected?
• A fresh new thought provoking artwork, or a common slick commercial like media ad image?

So?  Two Thumbs up to down?? All comments welcome!

Stay tuned.. The Next post will be the July MAO ART Quiz... FYI.. It may be a bit late due to a badly needed 4th of July mental vacation break..and plus.. I have not figured it out yet!

Ryan McGinness - Art Image of the week

Since last weeks Image of the week by Josephine Meckseper had so many interesting thoughts and comments.. Thanks much, very appreciated for all whom commented.. let's try this again this week.

This weeks pick, is by Artist Ryan McGinness.

He has made some really fanciful "Paintings." Ryan's work is included in some of the most prestigious museum collections around the world.

The image is named "Arab Cadilac Generator" and is acrylic on wood panel, 48inches in diameter.

For anyone going out to East Hampton this summer, Ryan McGinness has an impressive show of new work at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller on Newtown Lane, East Hampton which is on view till July 3rd. Plus Rizzoli published a book last year, Ryan McGinness, Installationview.

OK MAO painting experts.. what do you think of this painting and the Ryan McGinness work?

1. Love it or hate it? Trash or Treasure?
2. A Great visionary panting or just a simple graphic doodle?
3. Lots of emotional image depth, or just a typographical flourish which belongs somewhere on the margin of a hallmark card?
4. Clinical graphic gimmicks, or contemplative fields of intimate meditation?
5. Revolutionary artist to be collected, or passing commercial fad, just an icon of the over hyped age of contemporary art?

While I have to say, these drawings/paintings look much better in person, than on line, I think I'm still very much on the artistic fence when it comes to liking these. 

Introducing : MAO Image of the Week!

For the next few weeks, I was going to start something new.. looking for thoughtful art reader feedback..
The MAO Image of the Week.

So today.. I have an image from Josephine Meckseper. You may have seen it in the latest edition of Artforum as part of an Ad for the coming Royal Academy of Arts (Oct 06) USA Today,Works from the Saatchi Collection show. The image is titled "Pyromaniac 2"

Josephine Meckseper's mixed media work first caught my eye at this years art disaster Whitney Biennial.
But she wasn't showing any photography work.
The Saatchi-gallery website has some great info on Josephine and her work..

So seeing this new image in Artforum was a surprise.
Anyway.. What do you think of this photograph?
-Cool Image, Great Art Photography? or
-Flash in the pan?
-Strong and powerful..100% Glamourful?
-HOT ?
-Too much like fashion commercial  slick photography..or
-Just someone trying to make a quick art buck?
-Thoughtful commentary on today's consumer culture influence on art?
-Totally forgettable?

OK.. well.. you get the picture..
All thoughts/comments welcome...