Art Fag City at The L Magazine: Wendy White and Delusional Downtown Divas

by Karen Archey on September 2, 2009 · 11 comments Events + The L Magazine

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Delusional Downtown Divas Desperate Decadence

In this year’s Fall Preview at The L Magazine I discuss the work of and buzz surrounding up-and-comers Wendy White and the Delusional Downtown Divas. The teasers below.

Wendy White

Wendy White shot by Robert Teten for The L Magazine

Wendy White's career hasn't exactly been lackluster. In fact, at this point her multi-paneled spray paint canvases have been exhibited so many places she's almost too successful to be highlighted as an “up and coming” artist. But despite recent shows at Leo Koenig (New York), Andrew Rafacz Gallery (Chicago), and Galeria Moriarty (Madrid), White has yet to see the kind of attention other artists of her generation—Matthew Day Jackson, Dana Schutz, and Jules De Balincourt to name a few—have received. White's work has mysteriously been passed over for survey shows such as the Whitney Biennial and PS1 Greater New York and she has yet to collect comparable levels of press coverage as the aforementioned artists.

To read the full piece, click here.

Delusional Downtown Divas

The Delusional Downtown Divas shot by Kathryn Yu for The L Magazine

Most emerging artists expect their friends to come out to their first opening, and hope a critic or two will at least take a look at it. The Delusional Downtown Divas did far better than this — their opening reception was a literal who's who of the art world. Dealer Mary Boone, critics Jerry Saltz and Roberta Smith, and a smattering of well-known painters were all in attendance. It helps that their series of videos parodying brats of the art world stars the children of established artists like Peter Halley. Though nobody has the patience today to watch video unless it's at least mildly compelling, director Lena Dunham more than achieves this end with The Delusional Downtown Divas.

To read the full piece, click here.

{ 11 comments }

Helene Forbes September 2, 2009 at 9:17 pm

Downtown Divas…adorable and very now! FUn!

Helene Forbes September 2, 2009 at 5:17 pm

Downtown Divas…adorable and very now! FUn!

Jim VanKirk September 2, 2009 at 11:25 pm

What’s with you and Jerry promoting only women? Are you both trying to present such an obvious bias you should be disregarded?
JVK

Jim VanKirk September 2, 2009 at 7:25 pm

What’s with you and Jerry promoting only women? Are you both trying to present such an obvious bias you should be disregarded?
JVK

Art Fag City September 3, 2009 at 2:49 am

@JVK Overall, this blog features far more men than women, so I don’t see how you could possibly complain about these picks on the basis of reverse gender discrimination. I picked these two artists because they seemed the most appropriate. Their gender played no part in the decision making process. That’s not always the case in every curatorial endeavor but it was in this instance.

Art Fag City September 3, 2009 at 2:49 am

@JVK Overall, this blog features far more men than women, so I don’t see how you could possibly complain about these picks on the basis of reverse gender discrimination. I picked these two artists because they seemed the most appropriate. Their gender played no part in the decision making process. That’s not always the case in every curatorial endeavor but it was in this instance.

Art Fag City September 2, 2009 at 10:49 pm

@JVK Overall, this blog features far more men than women, so I don’t see how you could possibly complain about these picks on the basis of reverse gender discrimination. I picked these two artists because they seemed the most appropriate. Their gender played no part in the decision making process. That’s not always the case in every curatorial endeavor but it was in this instance.

ghostfuk3r September 4, 2009 at 12:24 am

wendy white is amazing. glad to see she’s getting some attention. one of my favorite painters right now. great ideas and execution – and somehow never feels contrived – very tough to pull off.

ghostfuk3r September 3, 2009 at 8:24 pm

wendy white is amazing. glad to see she’s getting some attention. one of my favorite painters right now. great ideas and execution – and somehow never feels contrived – very tough to pull off.

mike September 4, 2009 at 4:31 am

Is D-D-D trying to make us feel funny and smart by using in-jokes and references that are easy to understand? If that is the case (I’m not sure it is), they’re coming off a bit like network television. 🙁

mike September 4, 2009 at 12:31 am

Is D-D-D trying to make us feel funny and smart by using in-jokes and references that are easy to understand? If that is the case (I’m not sure it is), they’re coming off a bit like network television. 🙁

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