Pablo Picasso, Marie-Thérèse avec une guirlande (1937), Gagosian Gallery
- Usama bin Laden is dead. The Times dedicates seven pages to an obit of the man. Those looking to invest a little less time and intellectual effort in the story can visit The Huffington Post for shots of newspaper headlines (newseum.org is down, but a screengrab can be found here.) Thanks to Alex Balk, who notes over at The Awl that there may be serious consequences following bin Laden’s death. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have postponed their honeymoon.
- Canadians who care about preserving the arts funding they have should vote strategically today to prevent the Conservative Party’s Steven Harper from winning a majority. As a Canadian who has lived outside of the country for more than five years I can’t vote, but I deeply care about these election results. Make your vote count.
- This weekend: New York Gallery Week! This means scads of openings, free events and programs. I’m looking forward to the Hilary Harnischfeger talk at Rachel Uffner Gallery May 7th (1:00 – 2:00 pm), New Directions in Curatorial Models at Sean Kelly Gallery (even though none of the panelists have been announced), May 7th (3:00 -5:00 pm) and Paper Monument‘s discussion of “the art assignment” at Rachel Uffner. May 8th (4:00 – 6:00 pm).
- Attention all printmakers: Apply online to the Dieu Donne residency program! Deadline May 31st.
- Attention all arts writers: Apply online to the Arts Writers grant program! Deadline June 8th.
- Some bad art will never be forgiven, much less forgotten. In 1977, a then-25 year old Tom Otterness killed a dog he had adopted from a shelter in the name of art. He’s now received a commission to produce some cute lions for the Battery Park City branch of the NYPL, and PETA isn’t happy. His 30 years of apologizing for the work hasn’t done much to appease the group.
- At the request of its visitors, the Aldritch launches a portraiture show, and the results are traditional. No Facebook or cell phone pictures, complains Martha Schwendener for The Times, but apparently there’s enough good art in the show to warrant a trip.
- Everyone and their dog is talking about that Gagosian Picasso and Marie-Thérèse show. I’m putting it on this week’s to-see list, but enough with the “museum quality show at no cost” story. This is just another way not to talk about the art.
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I thought it was hilarious that the Tom Otterness story was front page of Metro today — the morning after bin Laden was shot! I know it’s because of when they went to press & how late the big story broke, but the placement certainly made me do a double (or triple) take. Anyway, Otterness sold his soul to the devil for fame; I won’t stay awake at night knowing he’s still experiencing negative repercussions for that decision.
Otterness just makes a lot of bad cutesy work. The dog thing is separate and at this point should be let go.
I am so sick of Tom Otterness and the ridiculous commissions he gets from NYC to make “public” eye sores. Very disturbing.
Well, now that’s a separate and an actual issue. But what would media have to talk about if we were forced to discuss real stories? Calendar management stories like today’s news item about Ai Wei Wei’s sculpture unveiling being post poned by bin Laden’s death could be sidelined!
I don’t think we’ll ever get everyone to stop talking about the no admission re: picasso at gagosian, but at least tom otterness can shut their dog up.
There’s also a Soutine/Bacon exhibit at the Helly Nahmad Gallery that opens to the public today. (I almost went to the opening party yesterday save for an acute sickness, and now feel like penitently mentioning it.)
As for bin Laden, for a moment I was wondering if the networks would somehow find a way to mention his death and the royal wedding in the same breath.
And Otterness is a worthless ass.
isn’t the cutesy art penance for killing the dog?
Want people to keep talking about you? Kill a dog, submerge a religious symbol in urine, or do anything else that generally would be seen as being bat-shit insane. It is interesting how so many are known not so much for what they have done today– but for who they pissed off decades ago.
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