Still from Matthew Barney’s “River of Fundament,” Image courtesy of Phaidon
- It appears that Carolina Miranda’s campaign of #BlouinShaming has been vindicated. Two top Art + Auction publishers have sued Louise Blouin for a total of $250,000 in withheld pay. For years, they also claim to have been classified as independent contractors, not full-time employees. Now they’ve joined ex-editor Ben Genocchio to start Artnet News. Blouin has responded by calling the plaintiffs “greedy,” “evil,” and that they “stole”. [New York Post]
- Looking for a Valentine’s Day art listicle? Here’s an enormous, imageless list of “power couples” in the art world. [Artspace Magazine]
- Wash that down with a special tour. New York’s sewage treatment plant is offering Valentine’s Day tours. [Metro]
- L Magazine film critic Jeremy Polacek gives Matthew Barney props for successfully melding avant-garde sensibilities with the aesthetic sorcery of a high-quality film production but ultimately dismisses the film. “The awful truth is that River of Fundament is occasionally attenuated and overwrought, a scatological Tower of Babel.” We’d be curious to hear Polacek’s thoughts on Barney’s 2006 movie, “Drawing Restraint 9” which Village Voice critic Ed Halter near eviscerated for its poor editing and insipid editing. The Barney backlash continues. [The L Magazine]
- From the slides and description of the Pawel Althamer show of figurative sculptures, animations, and visitor tags at the New Museum it’s hard to think it’s anything other than cheesy and terrible, but Holland Cotter likes it. It’s “stirring” and about “community and impermanence”. [New York Times]
- The White House has nominated Jane Chu for the new head for the NEA. [TAN]
