One step forward for CAM

by Rainey Knudson June 15, 2007

The CAM has named Linda Shearer, former director of Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center and the Williams College Museum, as interim director while they conduct an extensive search for a permanent director to replace Marti Mayo, who leaves at the end of the month. According to the CAM, Shearer has been clear that she looks forward to helping out, but is not interested in the permanent job, making her an ideal candidate to lead the museum for the next year or so while the hunt for the next director goes on.

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b.s. February 9, 2007 - 07:33

how can you see that much in those boring paintings?

minimalist-cum-genocidal interior decoration? come on, yer just huffing paint and blowing smoke up his ass.

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titus_obrien February 9, 2007 - 16:59

re: “The American way is the Jewish way, and vice versa.” I just have to express my discomfort with your very holly-go-lightly lumping Judaism whole cloth in with Zionism, in with being American, in with Neo-con imperialism. Jews do not by any stretch all believe in the state of Israel, nor all Israelis with “preemptive pugilism”, nor at least half of Americans with how our president is mis-handling our foreign poilcy. Maybe you could assert that the American way might be the Israeli way, if you’re wont to lump. The two nations are inarguably closely tied. Though the phrase seems mainly geared to stir up sh it. Which shocks, coming from you!
I generally agree with the rest of your estimation of Noah and this show. It’s a good one, by one of Texas’ better artists. I think he’s genuinely breaking new ground.

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bacon February 10, 2007 - 09:35

i think your show looks good. but, it borrows too heavily from sol lewitt to be considered accomplished, mature work. throwing in religious iconography just makes it sophomoric in a dry, humorless way. you are someone whose work has some potential. i hope that this potential will be realized and that you will not have to depend on reviews from authors who are too close to you to see the merits and the shortcomings of your work.

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titus_obrien February 11, 2007 - 09:43

I think both of Simblist’s critics here are *exactly* missing the point. Any resemblance between Simblist’s work and some high modern/minimalist’s, or interior decoration, is a totally intentional tactic to initiate another discussion. I don’t really understand how you can miss it as some errant theft or lack of imagination. “throwing in religious iconcography?” what? that’s the substance of the work, not just some hook to make it look cool. He’s taking the barren language of an abandoned (if rabidly lauded) aesthetic, and those ubiquitous/loaded symbols, and turning them on their heads, usng them in a really sharp, smart way (much more Hans Haacke than Sol Lewitt) . Not to mention the show is very moving. Did those critical here even see it, listen to it, read the texts? I doubt it. If so, you didn’t get past the most casual glance.
And a lot of really good writing about art comes from those closest in- Greenberg on Pollock, Judd on Flavin, Smithson on Holt, etc.
Your criticisms show potential. We hope that this potential will be realized and you will next time actually see the art that you are so antsy to dismiss.

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bacon February 11, 2007 - 15:28

thanks what would have been a dismissive but perhaps more importantly, extremely amusing post. to the point, friends don’t make the best critics of their friends’ work. you wrote the review for the fw star telegram. terranova wrote the review for glasstire. neither of them are an accurate assessment of the artist. if the artist would like constructive criticism that will help him develop as an artist (a lifetime project), he will listen to me. if he simply wants to surround himself with yes-‘people’, who will sing only his praises, no matter how hollow the tune may ring, he’ll listen to ‘yous guys’. regardless, i don’t have to take what you say at face value, and i don’t have to be quiet about it, either. hugs and kisses, a.w.s. bacon, esquire

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bacon February 12, 2007 - 14:55

thanks so much for your pretentiously dismissive, and extremely amusing post. to the point, friends don’t make the best critics of their friends’ work. you wrote the review for the fw star telegram. terranova wrote the review for glasstire. no doubt, terranova also wrote a piece for that rag they call the observer. none of your pre-planned comments are an accurate assessment of the work. if the artist would like constructive criticism that will help him develop as an artist (a lifelong project for everyone), he will listen to me. if he simply wants to surround himself with yes-‘people’, who will sing only his praises, no matter how hollow the tune may ring, he’ll listen to ‘yous guys’. regardless, i don’t have to take what you say at face value, and i don’t have to be quiet about it, either. the problem with the younger generation of ‘deconstructionists’ is that they seem to have sold their services to the highest bidder and are only in it for themselves, and their pitiful, little, pretentious cliques. hugs and kisses, a.w.s. bacon, esquire

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titus_obrien February 13, 2007 - 11:00

you’ll get there. it’s shaping up nicely.

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bacon February 13, 2007 - 11:25

the problem with the younger generation of ‘deconstructionists’ (the term is meant as an insult. i offer this explanation in case you are as dense as you are pretentious and insincere) is that they seem to have sold their services to the highest bidder and are only in it for themselves, and their pitiful, little, pretentious cliques.

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titus_obrien February 13, 2007 - 12:08

for laughing a little. I don’t think Chariissa is getting any richer than I am off our little art conspiracy racket, with the coterie of art stars we are currently grooming (hey, somebody show me the money!) And while Noah is a very cool dude and a talented artist, and I would welcome chances to spend more time with him, I don’t really know him all that well. I wish we had a big pretentious clique. It sounds like fun. I’m mainly just at home trying to make art, and find some cash to pay for my wedding reception. Adjunct teaching, and making sort of dumb, unmarketably-oversize charcoal drawings, is (newsflash) not a get rich quick scheme.
Not to mention that you’ve probably just offended some Deconstructivists. I couldn’t really live further from Derridasville. Though I would like to gently deconstruct that chip on your shoulder, and help convince you that you have nothing to fear, that Noah’s show is quite admirable from some fairly objective criteria, and …that you are loved.

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bacon February 13, 2007 - 12:13

derrida didn’t care much for the clowns who wanted to make his writing methods into a self serving, load of rhetoric. why should i?

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titus_obrien February 13, 2007 - 12:21

I’m so confused.
But I still love you, Bacon. In an general humanitarian, ignore all the stupidity kind of way.
Peace.

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bacon February 13, 2007 - 12:29

noah’s show does look good. but,it is not ready for prime time and he needs to move further away from the work of sol lewitt before he can find his own, unique ‘voice’. and by the way, ‘hybridity’ is not something new that just sprang out of the latest whitney biennial. it has been explored fully and more successfully by mike kelly, tony oursler and paul mccarthy, who have all been at it since the 70’s.

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sagebrush February 13, 2007 - 14:53

🙂

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mammal February 14, 2007 - 13:44

art that forces some socio-political statement or agenda makes me sleepy *yawn*
Happy Valentines! 🙂

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