Entertainment - Tuesday, November 25, 2008 10:02 - 1 Comment

But If We’re All Poor, Who Will Buy My Modern Art?

It’s been two months since our lives were supposed to end and money matters are still getting more frightening each day. But where does that leave the art world? Sure, the status of the arts should be one of our least worries, but New York City is one of the world’s major centers of culture and we should start being more concerned.

Are our museums going to start closing and are the wealthy going to stop buying art? Continue…

Entertainment - Wednesday, October 8, 2008 11:24 - 2 Comments

Elizabeth Peyton’s Work Shines in New Museum Opening

Democrats are more beautiful (after Jonathan Horowitz), 2001 (via New Museum)

Elizabeth Peyton has been widely credited with “bringing back” portraiture. Perhaps she brought it back from wherever Warhol dropped it when he died. She paints portraits from clippings, photographs, and sitters. To study her subjects is to get to know who she is or what she wants to be: classical, yet relevant; intellectual, yet sincere; attractive, but shy; independent, but still fragile.

Elizabeth Peyton is very serious about her work. But not in the same sense as Koons, Hirst, or Murakami with their 100+ studio assistants. Peyton is the only person touching her canvases. She treats her studio like her own private chapel.

In her new show, which opened last night at New Museum, you can find portraits of those who fascinate her (or at least did at one point in time). Live Forever features historical figures, rock stars, fellow artists, ex-lovers, fashion designers, and even herself. Elizabeth Peyton only paints those she feels some connection with, allowing sincerity and earnestness to be present in her work.

“My work is my life,” she said to me over a cup of tea. Continue…

Entertainment - Tuesday, September 16, 2008 8:43 - 4 Comments

You Are Nothing Without Your iPhone and Facebook Status

On September 13th, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, a seminal gallery that launched the careers of many of today’s big contemporary art-stars (commence eye-rolling?), opened their new Rob Pruitt show, “iPhotos.”  No, you heard me right: iPhotos. Continue…

Entertainment - Thursday, September 11, 2008 0:09 - 2 Comments

The Met Goes Younger… (Well, Younger Than McCain)

As the art school kids already know, The Metropolitan Museum of Art have named their next director. Back in January, current director Philippe de Montebello announced that 2008 would be his last year in the position and the museum has been searching for a new director ever since. The job, one of the art world’s most prestigious, is obviously an honor, but is also doubtlessly pretty damn hard.

Apparently up for the challenge, Thomas Campbell was named on Tuesday as the Met’s ninth director in 138 years. Unlike vice presidential slots, they apparently don’t just hand this job out. Continue…