Art in One Form or Another

Tom Sachs + White Bic Lighter

Artist and sculptor extraordinaire Tom Sachs has opened the doors to his (online) store and that means it's time to bust out the credit card. From skateboard wheels to t-shirts, there are a few gems that must be had.

 

My favorite? The White Bic Lighter! "Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain were all left-handed, all died at the age of 27, and autopsies reported each having a white bic lighter in their pockets. This is why it is said that white lighters are unlucky, but always in good taste."

Having a hard time starting conversations at parties? The "Kill All Artists" t-shirt is sure to remedy those that problem!

Losing Hope for Barack Obama (posters)

In early October we bought 3 of Jonathan Hoefler's "Possible" posters from Barack Obama's site. We were psyched to not only contribute to his campaign, but Hoefler's interpreation of one of Obama's most important speeches was going to be a gift for a few special people.

It's been nearly three months and they still haven't come. After being so excited about the purchase, now we're just bummed. Dear Team Obama: miss.

Happy to be the 25th fan of 1stfans

My last post expressed a frustration with the art world's foray (or lack thereof) into the digital/social media space. Then a glimmer of hope when I learned about Brooklyn Museum's 1stfans initiative. A membership program that is tagged as "a socially networked museum membership, 1stfans is designed to give art hungry fiends (like me!) access. Members have the chance to interact with other likeminded members, Museum staff, and contemporary artists.

From behind-the-scenes insight from Museum staff links to other cool stuff going on in the art world the Museum team will be sending updates via Facebook, Flickr and Twitter. Their Twitter feed has 24 followers so far and it looks like the program officially kicks off on Jan. 3 when artist Swoon will do a live printing event for 1stfans members at the Museum.

Museum and gallery directors note: Follow what the Brooklyn team is doing to create community, dialogue and value. It's well worth the $20 to see what happens next!

Art World: Get on Twitter!

I was stunned when prepping for this year's Art Basel trip and organizing our survival guide (a compilation of VIP passes, maps, party tickets and other resources in preparation for culture overload). I was trying to find the event organizer's Twitter account so I could follow their updates when I got to Miami. No dice. I then looked for galleries, then artists, then art lover's Twitter feeds. Dead ends on every front.

If you don't know, Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging  service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. People don't want their news daily, but by the minute (even the second). That's where Twitter comes in.  
When I go to Twitter Search, I see what's happening (or not) on this front. The right and left coasts are starting to get in the game, and that's about it. The MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, Getty, and PS1 are among the  pioneers to create communities and make connections with their fans.  As for artists, Jenny Holzer's Twitter feed has nearly 4,000 followers! I live for the days she posts one of her epic insights.

I'm the guy walking down the street with a Blackberry in one hand and my iTouch in the other. And if I had to bet, there's a world of people who live digitally that are hungry for valuable content (and access) just like me.

This platform is legit and will continue to become a valuable tool to learn about emerging artists, shows and a resource to get my finger on the pulse of the art landscape. For a group of people who consider themselves progressive and on the cutting edge, I feel like the art community is still playing cassettes in their cars...Let's go, smart people!

Utility Poles As Art? Hell Yeah!

We first learned about Atlanta's Get This! Gallery from our new friend + artist extraordinaire Scott Ingram. One of the its artists, Scott Bennett's most recent work focuses on utility poles.

The series  is an examination of what we have learned to ignore. These poles, and towers, are engineered and designed for functionality with no appreciable concern for their outward aesthetic.

Charmingwall's Holiday Gift Guide

The art of marketing can be as fascinating as art itself. That's why Charmingwall's Holiday Gift Guide caught my attention. A self-proclaimed "different kind of fine art gallery," the crew at Charmingwall is spreading its holiday cheer through a pocket sized guide about its budget-friendly (starting at $20), blue chip works from emerging artists. Who needs a $20 million Damien Hirst? Well, I do. But, in the meantime, Charmingwall offers a great alternative.

Jen Beckman's 20x200  created an incredible entry to the market for art buyers and I'm psyched to see that other galleries are drinking the Kool Aid for artists and collectors alike!

Waiting to be "Suprised" by Visionaire

I was first introduced to Visionaire, an art and fashion publication, a few years ago. Since then, it's become another art addiction that I have no intention of getting on the wagon for.  Their latest release, "Surprise," is an homage to the art of pop up books where they bring photos to life.

Contributers include contemporary artists and designers inlcluding  Sophie Calle, Andreas Gursky, Cai Guo-Qiang, Steven Klein, Yayoi Kusama, Alasdair Mclellan, Steven Meisel,Guido Mocafico, Nicola Formichetti/Gareth Pugh and Mario Testino. The 55th edition of Visionaire is brought to you by champagne house, Krug.

I Love Window Shopping

My flight to Art Basel in Miami gave me the opportunity to catch up on my reading. One of the best articles that I read was New York magazine's "Is Urban Lonliness a Myth?" The article explains that despite popular belief, urban dwellers (yes, like those in NYC) who live alone are quite happy.

While the article was interesting, it was the pictures that grabbed my attention. Enter MiamiPulse. There were a lot of gems at the show, but when we walked up to Robert Mann Gallery's booth, there were two familiar photographs. The pictures in the article were Gail Albert Halaban's from her series   'Out My Window NYC.'  

One of my true joys of being in the City is to look into windows. Halaban's work speaks to that point and  shows that even when New Yorkers are alone, they really aren't. Want It. Need It. Got It!

Say Cheese (Shop)!

Did you know that if you ate at a different New York City resident everyday, it would take 50 years to enjoy every establishment? I bet the same would be the case if you tried every little gem at Murray's Cheese Shop in the West Village.

Not only is their staff extremely knowledgeable about the blinding array of cheeses, but there is a dairy selection, bread, and several jelly, nuts and dried fruits to go with the cheeses. Not to mention my Achilles heel: cooked and cured meats. Yup, the salami is the real deal.

Whether you are a rookie coming off of the bench or a cheese eating machine, Murray's has something for anyone willing to clog some arteries.

The Power Book

I have an art book addiction. The latest to the family is The Power Book by Jacqueline Hassink.  Originally a sculptor, Hassink picked up her first camera in 1994 and I'm so glad she did. Her photographs deal methodically and precisely with the themes of globalisation and economic power.

In this series of work, Hassink photographed the boardroom tables of Europe's forty largest multinationals, which alone is impressive. Hassink doesn't stop there. She also goes on to document the top female executives' dining rooms in the world.

 

One step further, she moves from the dining room to the dressing room as she continues to intrepret executives' spaces of power. If I were a betting man (oh wait, I am!) I'd say Chanel's dressing room will become a permanent fixture on our walls in the near future. The Power Book is available at NYC's Cohen Amador Gallery.