BAM Benefit Auction Ends This Sunday!

by Art Fag City on March 25, 2010 · 10 comments Blurb + Events + Newswire

POST BY PADDY JOHNSON
William powhida, art fag city, banality, new museum
William Powhida, How the New Museum Committed Suicide with Banality, 2009, Archival Inkjet print on paper, 17.5 x 14 inches, Edition of 20, AP 4/4, Courtesy of the artist

Only three days left in the BAM Benefit auction and no one has bid on William Powhida’s famed New Museum drawing? Admittedly this isn’t news — people always wait to the last minute to bid — but I’m guessing this piece will be popular. It ignited debate over the New Museum’s Skin Fruit show and Dakis Joannou owns one of these prints. I do not, but I’m pictured in the drawing, which probably increases my interest in the work. It does after all,  impart a small amount of social capital.

Speaking to this, I was surprised last week when two Pratt students I ran into at a bar last week asked me how I felt to be part of that drawing. I told them that until that moment I had no idea the image was so talked about that I should be contemplating how my inclusion has effected my career. I’m still not sure what to make of its popularity but fielding questions such as those likely means I should afford Powhida a little more credit.

In the interest of keeping my various failures as a critic from becoming the next subject of Powhida’s drawings, let me disclose that I am a member of BAM’s Benefit Auction Committee this year. This  means I’m doing the same thing I did in 2009 — promoting the event — only now I get a fancy title for it. In other words, don’t miss BAM’s cocktail reception this Saturday 3-6, your best chance to chat it up with some of the artists and gallerists before the bidding closes Sunday March 28th, 8pm! Also, let me tell you about some art for sale!


Brian Belott, R, 2005, Paper collage, 9.5 x 9 inches (13.5 x 13 inches framed), Courtesy of the artist

IMG MGMT artist Brian Belott donates a paper collage currently maintaining a leading bid of $600 bucks. Looking at Belott’s work always feels a little like attending a great party to me. You can never predict how things will come together, but when they do, it’s both exhilarating and exhausting.

art fag city, Ted Riederer
Ted Riederer, 45 (diptych), 2006, Ink on paper, 9 x 18 inches, Courtesy of the artist and Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, New York

Ted Riederer ‘s 2006 45 Diptych is estimated at $500 and already has a $200 bid. No wonder. The ink on that paper is so sexy it’s a steal even at its estimate.
art fag city, Marilyn Minter
Marilyn Minter, Gold Tip, 2009, C-print, 20 x 24 inches, Edition 1/10, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York. Work on view at Bergdorf Goodman

Jesus, Marilyn Minter is popular. The leading bid on her gold tipped tongue is $5,500 which is just below the $6,600 price tag. For the record, if I could afford that photograph, I’d be all over it.

daniel davidson, art fag city, mirror</b>
Daniel Davidson, Mirror (TIE Fighter), 2009, 16.75 x 20.75 inches, Watercolor pencil on paper, Courtesy of the artist and Sloan Fine Art, New York

This is a really great drawing. Daniel Davidson captures the speed and darkness in this Star Wars scene executed in watercolor pencil and paper. I defer to Star Wars Modern for analysis of all things related to George Lucas, but as a fan of the subject matter and the drawing this piece gets a thumbs up from me. Related: Ted Mineo.

art fag city, yoko ono
Yoko Ono, Colours of the Globe, 2009, Globe on base with oil stick pencils, 12.25 inches high, 8.25 inches in diameter, Edition 43/50, Courtesy of the artist.

As I have mentioned previously on this blog, I hate Fluxus art. I’m not sure my influence is so wide though that this opinion accounts for the lack of bids on Yoko Ono’s Colours of the Globe. I wish it did. Color the earth with pencils? This piece is awful! But buy it anyway if you like it. (I know. I’ll never be asked back on the BAM Benefit Auction committee.)

{ 10 comments }

Star Wars Modern March 26, 2010 at 2:34 am

…and even though I wasn’t asked to weigh in, the Gold Tip is solid. Minter is is erotics sans Freud. She makes Picasso look positively last century (and he is). According to Greg.org Chris Burden did it first: http://greg.org/archive/2010/03/22/were_all_chris_burden_now.html
But she did it on Arsenio Hall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubw-FZFa8bg
And now that Google lets everyone advertise on TV, were all Marilyn Minter now: http://slatev.com/video/how-i-ran-ad-fox-news/

Star Wars Modern March 26, 2010 at 2:34 am

…and even though I wasn’t asked to weigh in, the Gold Tip is solid. Minter is is erotics sans Freud. She makes Picasso look positively last century (and he is). According to Greg.org Chris Burden did it first: http://greg.org/archive/2010/03/22/were_all_chris_burden_now.html
But she did it on Arsenio Hall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubw-FZFa8bg
And now that Google lets everyone advertise on TV, were all Marilyn Minter now: http://slatev.com/video/how-i-ran-ad-fox-news/

Star Wars Modern March 25, 2010 at 10:34 pm

…and even though I wasn’t asked to weigh in, the Gold Tip is solid. Minter is is erotics sans Freud. She makes Picasso look positively last century (and he is). According to Greg.org Chris Burden did it first: http://greg.org/archive/2010/03/22/were_all_chris_burden_now.html
But she did it on Arsenio Hall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubw-FZFa8bg
And now that Google lets everyone advertise on TV, were all Marilyn Minter now: http://slatev.com/video/how-i-ran-ad-fox-news/

Mead McLean March 27, 2010 at 12:52 am

Yoko’s work always reminds me of something a middle school art teacher would have his/her kids do in class. It’s too un-ironic to be taken seriously.

I always wonder why I don’t like her things in particular beyond the other Fluxus-type work. My latest theory is that she’s still doing what she did 40 years ago with the same dose of sentimental idealism that should be tempered by age and events.

That being said, I would totally buy some of those for my cousins if they were $3 at Wal-Mart.

Mead McLean March 27, 2010 at 12:52 am

Yoko’s work always reminds me of something a middle school art teacher would have his/her kids do in class. It’s too un-ironic to be taken seriously.

I always wonder why I don’t like her things in particular beyond the other Fluxus-type work. My latest theory is that she’s still doing what she did 40 years ago with the same dose of sentimental idealism that should be tempered by age and events.

That being said, I would totally buy some of those for my cousins if they were $3 at Wal-Mart.

Mead McLean March 27, 2010 at 12:52 am

Yoko’s work always reminds me of something a middle school art teacher would have his/her kids do in class. It’s too un-ironic to be taken seriously.

I always wonder why I don’t like her things in particular beyond the other Fluxus-type work. My latest theory is that she’s still doing what she did 40 years ago with the same dose of sentimental idealism that should be tempered by age and events.

That being said, I would totally buy some of those for my cousins if they were $3 at Wal-Mart.

Mead McLean March 26, 2010 at 8:52 pm

Yoko’s work always reminds me of something a middle school art teacher would have his/her kids do in class. It’s too un-ironic to be taken seriously.

I always wonder why I don’t like her things in particular beyond the other Fluxus-type work. My latest theory is that she’s still doing what she did 40 years ago with the same dose of sentimental idealism that should be tempered by age and events.

That being said, I would totally buy some of those for my cousins if they were $3 at Wal-Mart.

Adam March 29, 2010 at 1:23 am

Wow, Yoko did another lackluster piece for an auction I was volunteering at last year. I do like Fluxus somewhat, but the majority of it fails to elicit any positive response from me. Is it art or ideas? Are they the same thing? Who knows and frankly I’m not interested. I love the Minter and Davidson work though!

Adam March 29, 2010 at 1:23 am

Wow, Yoko did another lackluster piece for an auction I was volunteering at last year. I do like Fluxus somewhat, but the majority of it fails to elicit any positive response from me. Is it art or ideas? Are they the same thing? Who knows and frankly I’m not interested. I love the Minter and Davidson work though!

Adam March 28, 2010 at 9:23 pm

Wow, Yoko did another lackluster piece for an auction I was volunteering at last year. I do like Fluxus somewhat, but the majority of it fails to elicit any positive response from me. Is it art or ideas? Are they the same thing? Who knows and frankly I’m not interested. I love the Minter and Davidson work though!

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