Your Social Life While MOCA Still Exists

So as I said yesterday the MOCA drama is taking front page and continuing. Christopher Knight In Shining Armour is reporting on it, and Tyler Green over at MAN is imagining all sorts of solutions. It's interesting to think about a concerted Getty-LACMA-Broad bailout, but I'm not sure that:
a) it's legally possible for the Getty to fork over some money for that purpose (it may well be, but I don't know anything about it),
b) LACMA sure doesn't have the money for acquiring the collection at its current value, and if it did it would be at such a discount you'd want to weep over the waste that happened
and
c) Eli Broad? really? it would be a great opportunity for him to actually act as the philanthropist he thinks he is, but hhhhmmm, somehow I don't see it happening, at least not in a way that would satisfy all parties involved.

The idea of MOCA ceding its collection for cash to bail itself out and become an exhibition-only space is lugubrious. If only because, when you want to stage large-scale exhibitions of international renown, you need your collection as currency to obtain loans. I'm sure if LACMA was to get into a shared-collection scheme with MOCA to bail them out, they would oblige in lending out (as collateral, so to speak), but what if it conflicts with their own loan exchanges? Unpractical at best.

In any case, if I were you I'd run over to MOCA this weekend to go see the Kippenberger retrospective, or the Louise Bourgeois one if you're inclined that way (being French, I've seen at least 3 Bourgeois retrospective sin my lifetime, so I'll give it a pass). I sure hope the museum's Dan Graham retrospective (initially scheduled to open at the Geffen, now at Grand Avenue) will still be held in February.
Whatever the fate that awaits MOCA, when everything will be said and done, someone should look at why and how the practice at dipping in the endowment while expanding staff and exploding budget had been allowed, and by whom. It's nice to blame the trustees, but the blame should be shouldered by the museum's administration as well.


Aside from giving MOCA a cautionary glance this weekend, there are lots of other options. First of all tomorrow evening is Groupshow Without Andre Butzer, an artist-curated exhibition filled with FBC! pals. 1711 N Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (enter at back on Baker Street). It starts at 8 PM and is a 2-day affair which I'll be unable to attend as I've got other obligations.
At exactly the same time tomorrow, if you're in Eagle Rock you can go attend LA Lit: Clouds at the beautiful Eagle Rock Center for The Arts. It's a two-day conference on everything literary and experimental in Los Angeles, and includes some performances by the likes of Teresa Carmody.
Saturday evening at Otis is the closing reception for When It's A Photograph, from 6 to 8 PM, with the likes of Marnie Weber (hi Marnie!), Paul Sietsema, James Welling, Doug Aitken, etc.
And Sunday evening, what are you guys doing? Phone banking for MOCA? Yup, that would be nice, but I have a feeling instead you're going to attend the opening of Sundays Gallery, with Michael Rashkow, Eli Langer and Rowan Wood.
Life goes on on Tuesday when, if in Van Nuys, you can attend Doug Harvey's Mouldy Slide Show from 8 to 9PM at Los Angeles Valley College. Click on the link for the exact info.
If you happen to be in London next week instead of celebrating Thanksgiving, I conjure you to go attend the opening of Sphinxx curated by FBC! special pal Alexis Vaillant, at Stuart Shave's Modern Art gallery.

FBC! will attend none of these. Not only because I'm still grieving, but also because I've signed up for this and I'm pretty sure I won't be in any sort of shape to attend and socialize at any art thing this weekend.
Lastly, there won't be any YSL next week, and I'm not sure I'll post anything anyway, but I'll be back for certain on the first week of December.

Pics: Doug Harvey's Mouldy Slide stolen from his blog.

Norms, La Cienega On Fire, 2008 Edition

You Edward Ruscha fans of course all know his 1964 masterpiece, The Los Angeles County Museum On Fire, currently (and probably forever) hanging at the Hirshhorn in DC. It has a lesser-known little brother (or sister, depending on which side of the Gorilla Grrls you're standing on) called Norms, La Cienega on Fire, belonging to the Broad Art Foundation.
It depicts a defunct La Cienega branch of what was a classical googie-architecture diner on fire, as its title indicates. There is still one Norms on Pico boulevard, well-known for being open 24-hour and serving cheap (but alas, not very good) breakfasts.
So it was only fitting that after the post-BCAM opening extravaganza brunch at the Broad Art Foundation, my pal Daniel and I stopped at the real Norms for a (sub-standard) meal. I felt like entering an Edward Ruscha painting to discover inside a Dan Graham photograph (see pictures above).

Your truly hasn't seen BCAM yet and is waiting for a bit of the madness to calm down before getting there so there will be a couple of weeks before I can post veni, vedi, scripsi*. In the meantime I'm having artist Vincent Johnson give us his opinion in a subsequent post.
Anyway, before seeing LACMA getting flamed over Eli Broad and his collection and his new building there as in the Ruscha painting, Daniel and I headed over to the Broad Brunch in sunny Santa Monica. Every year there's a bash to celebrate the new installation of the collection showcasing some of the new acquisitions. So, ground floor: all Andreas Gursky. Not my cup of tea, you give me Thomas Ruff any day instead, but I've always liked his 99cents store picture (so LA!). There are a couple early photographs in the pure hardcore, post Bernd & Hilla Becher style installed at the Broad that really show how Gursky was talented if derivative before going all commercial in his photoshop-retouched monumental arrangements. The Becher were presents in the installation, as was Struth on a different floor with some continuation of his "museum viewers" series. I didn't see any Ruff though.

Upstairs, in a combination of floors I don't remember were Pierre Huyghe's phenomenal video "A Journey That Wasn't", another artist whose name escapes me at the moment (but I know I don't like the work. Tansey maybe?), Franz Ackerman in a weird installation-cum-painting that is somewhat recent (I'm not a huge fan either) shown with Neo Rauch, an artist who is so overrated and clearly destined to be a forgotten little master in a century or so. Some good Albert Oehlens, Christopher Wool ditto, a bunch of Ellen Gallhager (an artist who can look good in group shows but I'm not sure her work really stands alone, I'd rather get Sue Williams myself), shown with William Kentridge, an artist I am not sure deserves all the veneration he gets. I mean, it's nice, but...
There was also a very good recent Jeff Wall, alas not very well installed. I mean, if Andreas Gursky whose work wouldn't even exist without Jeff Wall gets an entire floor, at least Wall's work should get better placement. I'm glad Wall finally enters Broad's collection any way, though I doubt Broad will be able to collect Wall in depth as works by the artists are rare on the market.

The event itself was rather relaxed, FBC! being thrilled to meet Jeff Wall in person, as well as his lovely (and extremely funny) wife Jeanette. FBC! counts Wall amongst her private Gods, another one being Dan Graham, so it totally made my day (and yes, I've made Dan Graham in the past).
There were a bunch of LACMA people present of course, Michael Govan and Melody Kanschat in full schmoozing mode with smiled glued on their faces. Marian Goodman was here with her son Michael. Marian Goodman was very nice in person, and also shorter than FBC!, something very rare in the artworld (and probably elsewhere) so I felt like mentioning it. Aside from our short stature she and I also share a taste for colorful designer glasses, so maybe if I'm lucky the resemblance won't stop here and I'll end up as the Marian Goodman of the 2030s. One can always hope... In passing, if you're in NYC this Saturday, there's a new Jeff Wall show opening at Marian Goodman.
It seems I've also shaken Tyler Green's hand but if it was so it was at the end when I was developing a headache so I don't remember it and I probably didn't introduce myself as FBC!. Sorry Mr. Green, another time maybe.
Anyway, FBC! isn't artforum.com so I'll stop here with the name-dropping. Have a nice end of President Day, and be careful when you elect the next one.

* My Latin is becoming shaky, so scripsi it may not be.
**pictures are copyright Daniel Congdon, 2008. Daniel is an artist, so please don't repost/publish before contacting FBC! for permission and without mentioning the author. Thanks!

SPIRAL JETTY IN DANGER: ACT NOW!

Saw that post on Tyler Green's MAN right this minute. I'm a bit in a hurry and can only copy and paste Green's text (apologies for blatant appropriation). As you will see in his post, Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty is threatened by oil drillers. Anyway, I've been fortunate to visit Spiral Jetty twice, and whatever Smithson's writing about entropy, etc. I'd like to remind you all this is only one of a handful of original, not-reconstructed, not-recreated Smithson's artworks. As well as an iconic 20th century masterpiece.
Green also underlines the ecological implications of drilling oil in the Great Salt Lake region.

I'm not 100% certain of the veracity of the information except that the information is quoted as originating from Nancy Holt. You can read Green's post here, and then act accordingly if you wish to do so. I'm a bit surprised at the "act today before 7PM" note (is the information new? is the emergency now?). If you have reliable info from Nancy Holt herself, or the Center For Land Use Interpretation, please let me know.
UPDATE: I've just received confirmation from former museum colleagues that the email (which has been forwarded to me) originated from Nancy Holt (Smithson's widow).


Anyway, please, act today as best as you can if you wish to help, you art and non-art people alike.
Thanks!

Green's post below:

Spiral Jetty threatened by energy development

Nancy Holt, Robert Smithson's widow, recently sent an email out detailing specific threats to Smithson's masterpiece, Spiral Jetty. Click below to read it -- and please take action before 7 pm ET today.

Yesterday I received an urgent email from Lynn DeFreitas, Director of Friends of the Great Salt Lake, telling me of plans for drilling oil in the Salt Lake near Spiral Jetty. See Attachments. The deadline for protest is [today] Wednesday, at 5PM. Of course, DIA has been informed and are meeting about it today.

I have been told by Lynn that the oil wells will not be above the water, but that means some kind of industrial complex of pipes and pumps beneath the water and on the shore. The operation would require roads for oil tank trucks, cranes, pumps etc. which produce noise and will severely alter the wild, natural place.

If you want to send a letter of protest to save the beautiful, natural Utah environment around the Spiral Jetty from oil drilling, the emails or calls of protest go to Jonathan Jemming 801-537-9023 jjemming@utah.gov. Please refer to Application # 8853. Every letter makes a big difference, they do take a lot of notice and know that publicity may follow. Since the Spiral Jetty has global significance, emails from foreign countries would be of special value.

They try to slip these drilling contracts under the radar, that¹s why we found out so late, not through notification, but from a watchdog lawyer at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the group that alerted me to the land leasing for oil and gas near Sun Tunnels last May.

Thank you for your consideration of this serious environmental matter.

Clearasil and the Getty, Part Deux

There's an update about the Getty Antiques Troubles in today's LAT, and some commentaries on Tyler Green's. I'm too tired by the Praxiteles post to comment, so I'll lazily link to MAN.
Kudos to Green for correctly pointing out Marion True real unforgivable sin, the loan she received from a collector. Before this was announced I thought she was paying for the institution longstanding collecting practice (which, BTW, has always been an open secret in the Greek and Roman art history world).
I don't know if True's trial involves this loan too, but that IMHO is the real shocker. I vaguely remember the Fleischmann loan was to repay the first one she got through a lawyer, but I cannot check sources so there you are.