Reader, I think that my last couple of posts reveal the following truth: that my brain has become a bit fried from exposure to art and other things, and it's a good time to just do some linking and shout-outs to cool things found 'round the interwebs. So here we go—some good stuff to see and watch and listen to if you ain't already holiday-nogged out of your mind:
Art Fag City's Year-End Fundraiser
Blogger extraordinaire Paddy Johnson has commenced her second annual year-end fundraiser to support her web-crit outpost Art Fag City. She's looking to raise $8,000 by January 1 to keep the blog going. All donations get a tax receipt, and also get a Travis Hallenbeck ringtone. The top donor will get the Saul Chernick print pictured above. Genius, and a great way to support art/art crit in a time of shrinking column-inches for same.
"The irrelevance of museums as social institutions is a matter of record"
I came across this video via prolific museum-ops blogger Nina K Simon. In this five-minute video, Robert Janes, editor of Museum Management and Curatorship, calls out the problems he sees in the current museum world—namely, that museums are already irrelevant in the social sphere thanks to an emphasis on marketplace rather than quality exhibitions. I'm not 100% in agreement with his take, but it's a helpful reminder that we in Toronto are not alone in our displeasure/frustration with our museums. I hope we can find ways to change this situation for the better in the year to come.
Don’t Call Him a F*$@ing Starchitect!
This one comes via thoughtful writer Hrag Vartanian's blog. As Vartanian notes,
When London’s Independent newspaper used the “s” term in front of Frank Gehry, the Toronto-born architect went nuts: "I don’t know who invented that fucking word ’starchitect’. In fact a journalist invented it, I think. I am not a ’star-chitect’, I am an ar-chitect…" Yikes, chill dude you are a starchitect, you really are.
Well put. (Image via Curbed)
Canuck Art Best-of Lists Begin!
Yesterday, both Akimblog and Canadian Art released their year-end best-of lists. I work for the latter, but I honestly think it's still worth a read. Torontoites should also peruse David Balzer's year in review piece from this week's Eye and Torontoist's Heroes and Villains lists, in which the Power Plant gets a shout-out. And yes, I will plug Sally & LM's top ten fiesta yet again, which hasn't started publishing yet but is accepting submissions until December 27.
Lead photo taken by me at the Toronto Sculpture Garden
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ReplyDeleteGlad to see the Automatiste exhibit ranked number 1 in Canadian Art.
ReplyDeleteThere is too much focus on ideas, thinking and planning, in today's art making.
Apart from its historical significant, perhaps the re-introduction of the Automatiste's approach can bring some balance to contemporary art.
Hey Pixo,
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the pick!
Yes the Automatistes were really into the paint... but I'd suggest they were into ideas too... albeit in a less "conceptualist" way than we are used to today.