LOOK INTO MY OWL

Other Press sent me a copy of their latest release from author Richard Polsky. “I Sold Andy Warhol. (Too Soon)” is a follow up to the successful, “I Bought Andy Warhol”, penned five years earlier.

Andy Warhol, Self-portrait (Fright Wig), synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas, 1986.

The last two decades has seen a meteoric rise in auction value for work created by the late Andy Warhol. The book is a first person account of attempts to procure several different variants of the painting, “Fright Wig” (above). Polsky has been a private dealer for more than thirty years. He has also lent his authorship in the form of a regular column to Artnet online.

His experiences as collector and dealer inculcate his latest book with a credibility that could be found in few other places. Anyone involved in the art world will delight in Polsky’s honesty and humor. The work should also attract a larger audience as a tense narrative of business with millions at stake.

I do occasionally read about the “art market” for reference as an artist and gallery owner. It is usually a hunt for a few bits of useful information in a heap of uninspired text. I found “I Sold Andy Warhol. (Too Soon)” to be quite the opposite, it is engaging on a level that exceeds its genre. I was recommending it to some friends before the last page was reached. You can pick up your copy here.

Richard Polsky, I Sold Andy Warhol. (Too Soon), 2009.

Richard Polsky
I Sold Andy Warhol. (Too Soon)
Released: September 2009
Other Press

A series of photographs from Juergen Teller is currently showing at Lehmann Maupin in NYC. The work was initially commissioned by the French magazine, Paradis and will be encapsulated into a limited edition book at the end of the month.

Juergen Teller, Paradis, c-print, 2009.

The images were accomplished in a single session after hours at the Musee du Louvre in Paris. Juergen Teller had worked with models Charlotte Rampling and Raquel Zimmermann previously but perhaps not in such an extraordinary setting.

Juergen Teller, Paradis, c-print, 2009.

Visitors to art museums expect to be confronted with bare flesh so the concept seems almost wholesome. The sanctity of the location begs for a large crew and sophisticated lighting scheme. Teller took the opposite approach, meandering alone with his subjects taking candid photos complete with harsh flash and crooked horizon. The guerrilla approach captured the sensation of disbelief from the participants and positions the viewer as accomplice to their sublime prank.

Juergen Teller, Paradis, c-print, 2009.

Juergen Teller
Paradis
10 September – 17 October 2009
Lehmann Maupin
NYC

I’ve stood in the Marcel Duchamp area of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for many hours. Visitors often mistake the artist’s final work for a service entrance. “Étant donnés”, the exhibition marks the 40th year since the piece was installed in Philadelphia. This is a great opportunity to shed some light on the world behind the door.

Marcel Duchamp, Exterior: Étant donnés: 1 la chute d’eau, 2 le gaz d’eclairage (Given: 1. The Waterfall, 2. The Illuminating Gas), 1946-66.

In the mid 1940’s, Marcel Duchamp publicly gave up on art to pursue his passion for the game of chess. Privately, the master would work on the creation of “Étant donnés: 1° la chute d’eau, 2° le gaz d’éclairage (Given: 1° The Waterfall, 2° The Illuminating Gas)” for twenty years. The influential artwork was discovered shortly after Duchamp passed away in 1968.

Marcel Duchamp, Interior: Étant donnés: 1 la chute d’eau, 2 le gaz d’eclairage (Given: 1. The Waterfall, 2. The Illuminating Gas), 1946-66.

The exhibition contains all known studies and reference relating to the piece. Examining this material in it’s totality is a treat for the public and scholars alike. A fully illustrated 450 page catalogue written by Michael R. Taylor is available online here. I just ordered my copy.

Marcel Duchamp, Landscape collage on plywood (study for landscape backdrop of Étant donnés: 1° la chute d’eau, 2° le gaz d’éclairage), 1959.

The museum will also be showing a number of Duchamp’s “Erotic objects.” Many of these sculptures utilized the same casting technique employed by the artist for the reclining nude in the celebrated assemblage.

Marcel Duchamp, Torture-Morte, 1959.

Marcel Duchamp
Étant donnés
15 August – 29 November 2009
Philadelphia Museum of Art

In two weeks Ron English is opening “Lazarus Rising” at the Elms Lesters Painting Rooms in London.

The paintings in the exhibit were all created within the past year. English has kept up the saga of his familiar characters for these recent works with an aesthetic twist. The technical aspects of many of these paintings have taken a great leap forward. The simple faded backgrounds present in earlier works have been replaced with an intricate network of collage elements that weave the surface to a new level of finish.

Ron English will be on hand at the gallery on May 9th to sign copies of the book that was produced to accompany the exhibit. The 48 page monograph is limited to one thousand copies and features varying paper stock and inks. If you can’t make it there in person, unsigned copies are available online at the gallery store.

Ron English
Lazarus Rising
8 May – 6 June 2009
Elms Lesters Painting Rooms
London

Coming this fall to a theater near you, “Choke“. It’s easy to become obsessed with Chuck Palahniuk, the writer of the book from which this film has been adapted. Yes, he wrote “Fight Club”, it was a great book and the film was excellent too but Chuck doesn’t end there. Palahniuk has written eleven books (we recommend them all) and started a cult.
It’s rare that we get out to the theater but this one could be worth the trip. Check the official trailer below.

The world has lost a most important mind. Influence and prediction from this exceptional human have been felt throughout science and art. Arthur C. Clarke was best known for “2001: A Space Odyssey” but his legacy extends far beyond. Read his Rama series!