Rashid Johnson: Message to Our Folks

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

Rashid Johnson, “Self Portrait in Homage to Barkley Hendricks,” 2005.

Why is Self Portrait in Homage to Barkley Hendricks not included in the MCA’s current Rashid Johnson retrospective, Message to Our Folks?  The photographic work is included in the exhibition catalogue, and MCA curator Julie Rodriguez Widholm writes that it is perhaps Johnson’s “most understood work.”  The work is an illustrative example of both Johnson’s “dialogue with black American creative and intellectual figures whose impact has transcended race” and his “dialogue with modern and contemporary art history, specifically abstraction and appropriation.”  Both these quotes are from the curatorial statement on the MCA’s website.  True, other self portraits (some of which engage in appropriation and cultural and intellectual figures) are in the exhibition, but they don’t compare in my opinion to the stark and confrontational Self Portrait in Homage to Barkley Hendricks.

Four Facts: Light Years at the AIC

I’m going to experiment with a new, more regular (hopefully) feature to summarize the exhibitions I come across.  (I still plan on a series of posts about private collectors who build museums for their collections, because “that shit cray.”) Also meet my colleague and art world partner in crime: Bonnie O; she’s going to be blogging about her art adventures (of which she has many).

Trying to get a few more days out of my leather Jacket.

This Week’s Four Facts:

Light Years: Conceptual Art and Photography, 1964-1977
At the Art Institute of Chicago, through March 11

1 – Early Eleanor Antin work is in the show, and it’s great to see something other than her historical tableaus.  Although a personal goal of mine is to be in one of those photo shoots.  I look great in a toga, Eleanor!

Summer Exhibitions

LACMA

LACMA’s near acre of new exhibition space, the Resnick Pavilion, means LACMA has a lot of exhibitions to program.  And they seem up to the task.  After the three inaugural shows (Olmec, Fashion, and Eye for the Sensual), LACMA has managed to keep the Resnick Pavilion at full capacity.  There are three shows currently in the space: David Smith: Cubes and Anarchy, Gifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic Courts, and LACMA’s ticketed blockbuster: Tim Burton.  The shows keep with Michael Govan’s strategy for offering unrelated coinciding shows in the Resnick Pavilion.

Across from the Resnick Pavilion, is Renzo Piano’s other LACMA building, BCAM; it too has been kept full. The top floor is still stocked with Broadworks, the second floor is being deinstalled from the recent permanent collection show Human Nature, and the ground floor just had one of the massive Serra sculptures deinstalled, to make room for a new Burden work, which is going to be AWESOME.

Marketing: Zara Window Displays

Koons Inspiration

It is well known fashion designers find inspiration from fine art (post on Balenciaga coming soon).  Walking around the loop, I discovered advertisers of fashion are inspired by fine art as well, contemporary art even.  The Zara store in Block 37 has window displays that look a lot like a certain contemporary pop artist.  After my two posts on museum advertising, I was blown away to see a specific, and familiar (familiar to some at least) contemporary art piece utilized in a window display of trendy clothing store Zara.  The florescent lighting and metallic cylinder forms shouted “Jeff Koons!” so loud to me I almost snapped my neck doing a double-take.

I’m not the only one who sees Koons here right?

Donors: Swarovski

J.Lo, Rodarte, and So Much More.

“It’s a new generation of party people.” Yes, yes it is J.Lo.  I’ve been listening to this song non-stop for the past few days, ever since I discovered the video.  Watch it.  You may notice within the first twenty seconds a blatant product placement for Swarovski (see below still taken from the video).  What’s could possibly be inside that box?—A huge-ass crystal earring, which J.Lo puts on, and that opens the flood gates to a crystal-filled club world.  Huge crystal chandeliers and curtains of crystals everywhere!