Art
You Say Potato, I Say Potatoe
A few years ago when Whole Foods sprung up on the west end of North Avenue, their PR person put out a call for local artists. What this usually means when a new business materializes, is that artists are expected to hang their work for free. It’s a kind of art-as-wallpaper concept. Anyway, Mike Brenner (the former proprietor of Hotcakes Gallery) took the bait and arranged for a bona-fide exhibit of his gallery artists. They failed to pass muster with the powers that be, i.e. Whole Foods deemed the work a bad fit for their particular product. Susceptibletoimages.com picked up on the story and ran with it. What a difference a few years make. Recently, while shopping for things I don’t need, a group of paintings caught my eye as I was about to take the down escalator to the parking garage. Most folks would never know they were there, tucked in a dead-end corner just beyond a display case hawking hemp hats and plastic water bottles. They looked quite a bit like paintings Mike Brenner might have had in his defunct gallery, though of far lesser quality. In any event, they weren’t paintings of organic tomatoes and green peppers. The tag near the grouping identified them as the work of someone in the store, a “Team” member, who perhaps was laboring in the frozen food department. I couldn’t make sense of the artist’s name, but I swear it translated from Spanish into something akin to “Devil Lobster.” I could be wrong. Okay, so I’m near the parking garage downstairs and a pea-green “Call for Artists” poster catches my attention. It promises the artists that thousands of people monthly would view the artwork, that there would be an opening reception catered by Whole Foods’ in-store chef, and that the exhibit would be promoted in the monthly calendar, etc. It didn’t identify the three areas where the artists would have their work displayed, but I’d seen one of the areas and believe me it wasn’t exactly a high-traffic zone. I was the only one there, and that was sheer coincidence. Artists who want to take this bait can pick up an application at the store’s Customer Service desk or online at www.wholefoodsmarket.com. Just imagine how a show at Whole Foods would look on your resume. It’s not everyone that gets to exhibit near bunches of asparagus and heaps of organic fruit. Oh, I forget to mention that the exhibit opportunities include a chance to sell your pieces directly to the customers as they rush by. On the fun side of life: A late October sign on the inside of a door at the downtown M & I Bank advises: For security reasons, please remove your Halloween mask before entering the bank.
Nov 18th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Blog Meat
In continuing an explanation about the meat of blogs, I’ve been re-reading the November issue of the Atlantic, specifically, Andrew Sullivan’s “Why I Blog.” There’s more online at www.theatlantic.com/blogging. The secret seems to be links, Duh. I’ve been clueless. The other big deal clue is “if you don’t paddle, you’re dead in the blog waters.” Or something like that. This suggests that genuine bloggers, blog at least once daily, and often twice or more, and whoa! there’s a whole generation running around that have never written anything other than blogs, a frightening thought for one who really actually truly believes that writing is way beyond blogging. That said, I’m including a link to Milwaukee artist Tom Kovacich, http://www.thomaskovacich.com. He exhibits at Gallery 218, is a modernist, and from that standpoint, would seem a nice fit for blogging which Sullivan describes as postmodern communication. In a recent email he commented that he had read Judith Ann Moriarty’s vitalsourcemag.com feature about MAM’s Act/React exhibit, and also Dem Bones take on art critics. He sent me a fruit basket as a reminder.
Nov 12th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Artsy
www.artsyschmartsy.com Go there, then pick up the forthcoming (soon!) issue of INFO magazine, for a feature about artsy, a chap who wears cheaters and is learning about art. Interviewed by Judith Ann Moriarty in her digs overlooking splendid Milwaukee, Schmartsy reveals himself fully. Let Stella hear if you like it. As I write, susceptibletoimages.com seems to be down, but by the time you read this, hopefully it will be up. Who’s making paintings these days worth viewing? Tom Kovacich. kovacich@earthlink.net. See them at Gallery 218. Photographs? Kevin Miyazaki at inova/Kenilworth. Sculptures? Bernini, but he’s dead. Should VS have a sex column, or is sex dead? Can’t seem to locate Nikol Knows which was featured online at Milwaukee Magazine .Oh well, great sex usually doesn’t last forever anyway. I’m thinking of running a blog about “condo rules.” Some of them are hilarious. Here’s one:” If your doggie pees or poops on the elevator carpet, perhaps it needs diapers. It is not the job of the concierge to clean up what doggie does.”
Nov 12th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Blogging For Naught?
Maybe I don’t get it, don’t quite understand blogging and the point of it. The November Atlantic has a fine feature (Why I Blog), which explains the author’s take on blogging. I still don’t get it, even though he calls it “writing out loud,” and seems to think it beats regular writing with editors breathing down his neck. I’m beginning to think that I’m lost in blog land. It’s been around for a decade and the field is pretty crowded. Is there a secret that successful bloggers use to get attention? Nastier writing? Wildly controversial content? Or does one have to be a star? Should I cut back on my blog postings? Should I escalate my postings? Reinvent my persona? I’ve written hundreds of blogwords, and only received two comments: one was from fellow VS blogger Bobrow and the other you can read about in my “The Big Louse” posting in Dem Bones. I never go to blogs other than the VS blogs. Maybe that’s the problem. IS that the problem? Do successful bloggers spread themselves all over the place? Do they advertise in hardcopy publications? Do I even care? I guess I do, or I wouldn’t be blogging on about it. Frankly, the most fun I have with “Dem Bones” is digging up fun images from Wikimedia. Perhaps people are actually reading my blog and are too busy to comment. Or too lazy. Or too blogged-out. Perhaps the blog craze is reaching the bottom of the word-well.
Nov 11th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Shameless Shirt-Tailing
I’m going to be in Kansas City in December and plan to stroll over to the Kansas City Art Institute to see “Political Persuasion” Street Posters for Barack Obama.” The posters are from the private collection of a professor at the Institute. It’s near the splendid Nelson Gallery of Art (with a splendid new addition described by Paul Goldberger of the New Yorker magazine as the best museum addition of this decade). A few blocks away is the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. MAM’s current executive director, Daniel Keegan, was in charge there prior to his California sojourn. Interior, Steven Holl addition, Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City People imagine K.C. as a big cow town, and yes, at one time it was home to some impressive stockyards, but it’s way more than that these days. The Missouri river rambles through downtown, a downtown gripped in the condo craze, but also the site of the revival of a number of old venues. I’ll be Amtrak-ing there via the Hiawatha to Chicago and then on to the Southwest Chief for a ride across Iowa and south to Missouri. Seven hours and twenty cups of bad coffee and I’ll be in the grand old Union Station, and directly across from Liberty Memorial Hill where 175,000 Obama fans rallied recently. Like all cities, K.C. has some really bad public art and some awful galleries with awful art: schmoozy florals, cowboys on horses, big eyed kittens, etc. The Nelson will certainly be on my list of places to view art worth viewing, and the new addition features contemporary art, plus a Noguchi sculpture garden. The landscaping surrounding the building was designed by Mr. Kiley, who also designed the gardens at MAM, as well as the Chestnut Grove adjacent to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Exterior, Steven Holl addition, Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City
Nov 10th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
The Big Louse (Pl. lice)
I’m not going to give the louse who commented to my “Big Snooze” blog much space except to say thank heavens for the “Details” section that allowed me to track down the perpetrator. The lousy comments had nothing to do with my blog content (about a day at the Milwaukee Ballet), but instead was a rant about drug use. Eureka, I traced it back to a site that sells booklets on “How to Pass A Drug Test.” Oddly, it came from Sand Point, Idaho, where Sarah Palin grew up. I spent a week in that town, enroute to Seattle, on the trail of a louse-lawyer who screwed me out of quite a bit of money. It was a useless trip as the attorney I consulted in Seattle told me it would cost me greatly to chase the creep and get my $$$$ back Ah yes, Stella was a fool back then, but the trip wasn’t a total bust. I did get to visit the Pacific Rim, and (in Montana) was stopped by a cop who advised me not to be hot footing it across the countryside at night. Those were the days when Montana had no speed limit. In the pursuit of art, I’ve included a decent line-drawing of a louse. Just so you know.
Nov 7th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
November Fifth
Up in the morning; out on the trail. Actually Prospect Avenue was the former route of Sauk Indians, but yesterday, November 4, 2008, it’s treked by people headed to the Charles Allis Museum to vote. By 7:30AM, I turn around and head home because no way am I fighting that line. The sun was splendid, so instead, I sat on the south facing balcony and read the New Yorker’s cartoon issue. R. Crumb & company have a few pages poking fun at their family reunion in Minnesota. One of the drawings shows them waiting for a train in Columbus, Wisconsin. Hey, since when does a train run through Columbus? Below the balcony, a U.S. Navy destroyer has parked on the rim of the lake and cars are unloading people eager to see the latest in weaponry. Bob Barr, a Libertarian, remarked that we live in a cartoon world, and it seems he’s right. Pundits are already busy yapping about whether Obama will swing to the far left when he takes office. He won’t, but it’s a frightening thought. President O will be busy enough trying to unscramble the global mess. Even with a tsunami of Democrats in the Senate, I’m betting it will be a year before anything substantial is accomplished. I’m greatly offended by non-thinkers who rush forward to gush, “never in my lifetime, or even in my kid’s lifetime, did I think a black man would be elected to the office of the President.” This smacks of reverse racism, all schmoozy and woozy. Much to the disgust of my Republican family, I wrote in former Nebraska senator, Chuck Hagel, a friend of McCain’s who is likely to join Obama as Secretary of State. I decided to do so, shortly after reading a feature about him in the New Yorker.
Nov 5th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Sometimes A Donut Is Just A Donut
This morning on my way to Schwartz on Downer, I stopped in at the Obama headquarters and helped myself to a plain old unfrosted old-fashioned donut. The workers were busy firing up the troops for the final days of the world’s longest presidential election. On the north wall, a large portrait of Obama (resembling a Chuck Close painting), stood guard over the laptops and walls plastered with directions, instructions, phone numbers, blah, blah. I strolled around eating my donut trying to decide who I was going to cast my vote for on November 4. Earlier in the day, I drove by the Zeidler building in hopes of finding a parking spot to cast an early vote. No luck, but no problem either. On November 4th I have only to walk a few blocks north of where I live, and vote at the lovely Charles Allis Museum. The good news on Downer Avenue, is that the huge Gokhman parking structure has decided to get rid of the puke-green accent on the front of the building. In fact, it looks like the whole paint job has been changed. It’s much better….quieter in understated shades of ivory and white. The bad news is that Lixx is for sale, and well, Downer was spookily quiet, almost deserted. That section needs help big time. A block north, things are much livelier. It was quiet at Schwartz too, but they had my copy of Mishima’s “After the Banquet” ready to take home. There’s an air of tension everywhere this week, or is it just me? When you set your clocks back on November 2, you had a whole extra hour to feel tense. For many voters, the choice of our next president will be clear. Me? I’m still in a fog. The donut I ate weighs heavily as I write.
Nov 4th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Pea Green
With apologies to Edward Lear (1812 – 1888), author of The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat They took some honey, and plenty of money Wrapped in a five-pound note… Revised version pre-election 2008: Sarah and John went to sea In a beautiful Republican boat They took some honey, and plenty of money Wrapped in a stock market quote… I just returned from my second visit to the 2007 Nohl Fellowship exhibit at inova/Kenilworth. Seven artists, each with their slice of the competition’s modest money honey, dance by the light of the moon. The moon, the moon, they dance by the light of the moon. The show closes in January 09 and shortly thereafter our new President will be sworn in. Colin Mathes’ drawings and sculptural forms define America as honky-tonk carnival, and among the various installations, stand out as the most political.
Nov 3rd, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Monkey See, Monkey Do
I have three basic rules for reviewing art. They address the content, the craftsmanship, and the consistency of the work. Making art does not involve “magic,” nor does writing about it. What’s needed is an experienced eye, clear thinking, and, unless you are some kind of whiz kid, long hours. Computers are great tools, but I know of none that “think.” We live in a world fraught with “information” rushed to deadline: words mashed and tangled beyond recognition, words spewed from press release re-writes. Angry words, dumb words, and here and there, intelligent words shaped into cohesive thoughts before they are fired into space. I’m a big fan of the latter. All of this chaos makes me ponder the role of the art critic. Those two words, art critic, are attached to responsibilities, and words devoid of thought are zero. It’s easy these days to plunder websites (so many, so diverse) and pack a review with clever asides, so as to create the illusion that the writer has been thinking. Oh well, (you say), the virtual universe has infinite space, so what’s the excuse for not giving as many folks as possible their fifteen minutes of online fame? What’s the harm? Brain dead coverage is the harm. Description without opinion or conclusions well considered. One of the prickly problems in solid coverage of visual art, is that all artists yearn to be loved. They hope that writers covering the arts, will (naturally) rave on about what they’ve produced, and in return, the artist will rave on about the critic, and so goes the lie. Awesome, Astounding, Magnificent, Glorious, Amazing…. words tumble forth, even though it’s clear in almost all “preview” writing, that the writer has not seen the work. The same holds for “reviews” where the words may be pretty, but the writing is vapid. A weak reviewer (in Milwaukee) can not get lost in the crowd. My skin isn’t so thick that I desire running into an artist at an opening, an artist who will snarl that his or her work was not given the accolades he or she absolutely knows it deserves. On the flip side it makes me uncomfortable to meet up with an artist I’ve given a “good” review to. When they smile and pat my shoulder, I suspect it’s just another form of grooming. Consequently, I avoid art openings. I’ve observed that artists who receive lukewarm (or worse) reviews, are unable to separate reviews from their personal selves. I’ve been on the receiving end of a disaster review, written by Tom Strini who was sent to West Bend way back when, to cover an exhibition of my work. My phone didn’t ring for weeks, as friends who read the review were too embarrassed to call. I wrote Strini a note thanking him for his coverage. He told me years later that it was the only thank you he’d ever received for a devastating review. He moved on. I moved on. I continue to be a […]
Nov 3rd, 2008 by Stella Cretek
The Big O
No, not that one. Or the other O’s either. I’m talking here about the O that counts on Tuesday, November 4th. You’ll be setting your watches, clocks, and other timepieces back one hour on November 2, which means you’ll have an extra hour before casting your vote two days later. It’s almost over, all the months of waiting, considering, reading and arguing. I’m beginning to wonder what I’ll do with my time when the die is cast. And what will all those pundits do? The Atlantic has redesigned their magazine in keeping with the times, which is to say, they’re trying to be hip and with it. In the publishing biz for 151 years (1,791 issues), the November issue has a great piece on “China’s Neurosis,” and for the hipsters, a feature by Andrew Sullivan on “Why He Blogs.” Jeffrey Goldberg writes about the “Idiocy of Airline Security,” and there’s more, much more, between the screaming black, gold and red cover. And just so you know, the New Yorker is going to be publishing online (totally dude) in a few months. Yesterday I picked up a copy of John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany, a novel that set my hair on fire and set me on the track to reading everything he ever wrote. The lone copy of Prayer looked lonely sitting next to Irving’s unimpressive Until I Find You. Over the years I’ve purchased several copies of the former and have given all the copies to friends who I deemed worthy of reading his work. Sadly, it seems when the author went Hollywood, he also slipped into a deep depression and well, his writing hasn’t been the same since. Updike and Oates are still writing, so life isn’t entirely grim, but they’re getting old and soon I need to tap into authors of equal quality. Who are they?
Oct 29th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Visual Arts Picks
On Thursday, September 4, a video tribute dedicated to the victims of September 11, 2001 aired at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. It prompted a visibly upset MSNBC commentator, Keith Olbermann, to apologize for its insensitivity. A week later, he was yanked as anchor for the November 4 election coverage. “Razor blades. Pocketknives. Scissors. Corkscrews. Nail clippers. Lighters. Match boxes. Innocent, everyday items, once routinely carried onto planes, took on different meanings after the events of September 11, 2001.” So reads a press release for Michele Pred: (dis) possessions, now through October 12 at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan. Pred’s materials? Personal items (yours, mine) confiscated at airport security checkpoints. A California artist who exhibits globally, her “Fear Culture” features red, white and blue Petri dishes, each containing a seized object. Assembled to resemble an American flag, it challenges the core of American freedom – rather than preaching, it informs in a minimalist manner. It’s a good fit with the October 5 lecture in the Lubar Auditorium at MAM. Listen (for free) to “Monument Men” survivor Harry Ettlinger, who helped rescue artistic and cultural items plundered by the Nazis during World War II. Prints in MAM’s Gallery 13, titled The First World War: Its Horror and Its Aftermath, will prod you forward to November 4. On October 10, the 2007 Mary Nohl Fellowship Award event debuts at inova/Kenilworth. Photographer Kevin Miyazaki’s Camp Home series records the Tule Lake Japanese internment camp where his father and his family were placed during World War II. And on Gallery Night, October 17 the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design’s Media Projects 2008 (curated by artist/ MIAD professor Jason S. Yi) includes the work of Bethany Springer, who explores place and its relationship to biology, terrorism, communication and security; at Dean Jensen Gallery, The Newspaper House unfolds. Peruse the newsy walls, inside and out, while considering the fragility of nature, and further, the fragility of life as the elections loom. Stop.look.listen: an exhibition of video works (from 14 global artists) starts October 23 at the Haggerty Museum of Art. Janet Biggs’ two-channel video installation (Predator and Prey, 2006) will air on huge plasma screens, similar to those displaying the 9-11 video at the Republican Convention. Images: past, present, and future. What is their role in shaping our perceptions in the year 2008 and beyond? VS
Oct 1st, 2008 by Stella Cretek
