Emvergeoning

Anne Hamilton’s installation at SFMOMA takes working class artifacts and transforms them into a monumental homage to indigo blue. The pile of 18,000 janitors’ uniforms was accompanied by a humble “attendant” that sat patiently at a desk and proceeded to erase names from a small book. You can watch a funny time lapse video of the 3-week installation and listen to an interesting interview with the artist about this piece that she originally made in South Carolina.

No Comments »

A few days ago a friend sent me this article reporting that stock in Sotheby’s dropped in value by over 11% in two days due to concerns that the super-duper rich are now only super rich, and won’t be buying as much art. That is to say, market performance in general  impacts on the art market specifically. Now Todd Gibson, Tyler Green’s stand-in at Modern Art Notes, points out that the art market has been growing too quickly, and was due for a realignment anyway.

This is probably true, but in my opinion, the art market will continue on a long-term upward trend. As China becomes more liberalized, we will see its economy grow substantially, and a new upper-class elite, participating economically and culturally with the Western world, will start buying up more and more art. Similar trends could emerge in India and other countries as well.

But I’m also interested in what the economic situation does to the actual art. There has been concern lately that the overheated art market is leading us to a point where the art follows the money, rather than the other way around. The importance of critics and curators is ebbing as value is determined more by major private collectors than major art institutions. So if these concerns are valid, then perhaps a cooling of the market will lead to more meaningful work as the artists try to create markets rather than following them. It’ll be interesting to watch, in any case.

1 Comment »

The Dark Matters show at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts stunningly displays contemporary artworks that puncture complacency and give us a glimpse into clandestine military operations, death and starling migrations . Initially, I plotted an epic post full of everything I saw in San Francisco. However, the work was so different and so in depth that I’m just going to write reviews seriatim to keep things succinct and accessible.
David Maisel is a photographer that I can’t stop thinking about. The artist’s initial interest stemmed from this question:
What happens to our bodies when we die? And, too, what happens to our souls?

These copper canisters contain the unclaimed remains of patients that inhabited the Oregon State Insane Asylum [in the days before euphemisms like "San Antonio State Hospital"]. Maisel said he was photographing the corroding urns when a prison worker assigned to clean up at the facility leaned into the room and whispered “The Library of Dust…”

2 Comments »

This is the initial post on a series of artists I discovered at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts current Dark Matters exhibition. Joachim Schmid Selected Photo Works 1982-2007 is a mid-career retrospective for the Berlin based, self described “professional looker.” It features found photographs that the artist ripped, carefully framed or shredded and reconfigured like the postcard inspired example below.

Finding photographs at the largest flea market in Berlin, Schmid appropriates the dismissed evidence of other people’s artifacts. The shredded pieces reminded me of Jessica Barnett DeCuir’s cut up record album covers as well as the CutUp Collective occasionally documented on Wooster…You can read more about Schmid’s work in the companion monograph.

No Comments »

Everybody has their own story about who won this year, Please post yours in the comments below.

All of these photos (and bunches more with labels) are located here.

click on the link below for more action!

Continue Reading »

6 Comments »

3 Comments »

Zane Lewis strikes again, this time hitting the lovely white walls of the Mark Moore Gallery in Santa Monica, California. If you’re in the LA area, the show is called Ultrasonic International II and it runs until August 25th.

1 Comment »

Such amicable weather is a nice respite from the typically sweltering month of too many shows and never enough snacks. In honor of Louis Armstrong’s birthday yesterday, I thought I would share this lovely song with everybody. Thank you KRTU for playing a full day of heartwarming songs from such a timeless character and supporting Contemporary Art Month. The hamsters that run this website will keep you posted on the latest events as they happen!!

3 Comments »

During the whole Paris Hilton jail saga (which is maybe a little unfair after all…), I saw this photo by Nick Ut which really made an impression on me as a powerful image:

As it turns out, this guy has taken some notable photos in the past — including this one from the Vietnam war. One of Andrew Sullivan’s readers notes that the two photos were taken 35 years apart to the day. Amazing.

6 Comments »

*photo of flooding going on tonite under the bridge on Roosevelt near Brackenridge High School. It seems a water main broke up behind the location of the Mattress Factory and the Red Room, in the middle of the Railroad tracks.   Water spilled out and filled the street, forcing Police to block the underpass for several hours.   I stumbled on it by accident while out for a Bicycle adventure.

2 Comments »

Daniel Finkelstein discovers the real meaning behind the new Olympics logo…

1 Comment »

Just a short and sweet congratulations to curator/performance artist Leona Scull Hons for her recent award. Her inaugural, curatorial debut at Volitant “Take Me to Bed or Lose Me Forever” won best Group Show 2007. Congrats to all the artists as well as Volitant Gallery director and artist Xochi Solis! This show wouldn’t have been possible without all the helping hands at the gallery space. This year, the Austin Critics included lots of the Austin Chronicle entourage of critics as well as the Austin American Statesmen’ theater/visual arts writers. The list of awards looked exhausting but the breadth of arts that the critics covered was quite significant.

No Comments »

The Team of Ray-gun, Eddie Rabbit, and Jay-Possum completed their first foray into the contemporary art world this morning with a completed 4×8 foot woodblock cutout print run over by a steamroller (albeit a small one) .  Take a look :

setting up for a print..the tension builds

and dissipates.  The first print of the Ray-rabbit-jay team.  *Note the fine Keep San Antonio Lame T-shirt.

just turn it sideways (white part down) in your mind, it’ll all make sense..

local rabbit hero (and EMVG co-host) Bunnyphonic, playing accordion on Gary Sweeneys Steamrolled woodcut.

the rest of the pie.

Gary Sweeney.

Alex Rubio had us humbled right tastefully.

sweenco.

art hero bunnyphonic.

3 Comments »

Local art staples like Chris Sauter and Richie Budd are capturing out-of-town attention. The perfumed Budd brings his Rube Goldberg contraptions to Priska C. Juschka Fine Art Gallery in New York city this month and Sauter’s silos popped up on I Heart Photograph last week…In other news, local performance provocateur, Jimmy Kuehnle {pronounced Keenly}, won a Fulbright free ride to Japan for a year. I hope the land of the Rising Sun is prepared for the wrath of inflatable wearables that Jimmy will unleash onto their unsuspecting landscapes. Mothra VS Jimmy coming to theaters in 2008…

No Comments »

I experienced this today on a weird wading walking type of thing..

1 Comment »

Rell Ohlson brings saturated color to the Austin scene and she’ll be showing new works at the resuscitated space known as Rose Amarillo later this summer. Ken Little plans on renovating his warehouse to open up a new art space in downtown San Antonio. More news on that during Contemporary Art Month. Check out Rell’s video animation collaborations with Josh Rios, it is .

No Comments »

Our Favorite San Antonio Art-rock icons Buttercup recently celebrated the release of an ep called “Captains of Industry.”

The show was a rousing bit of fun, following up with an amazing backmassage from a man wearing a t-shirt that said “300 lbs of poetry.”  (Thank you Richard!)

Check out a mass of arty-rocky photos on this here fancy flickr doo-dad .

Heres a sneak preview :

2 Comments »

The Museo Alameda Smithsonian Affiliated museum of Latin American Art opened its doors to the (ritzy) public this past Thursday, with a $250 dollar a head gala.  Heres a few highlights from the opening.  go Here for the entire story.

(the king of party, Karlos with a K)

(this is what happens when you over-photograph david zamoras casas)

(yes, thats our own Ben “Jammin” Judson right there)

It sure was fun.  Check out my Flickr page for more.

2 Comments »

Just a quick note to point out two Flickr accounts with some photos of note: our own Justin Parr has been going on a Flickr binge, posting everything from Barcelona street art to Tacoland’s final moments.

Meanwhile fellow blogger Salvador Castillo has been documenting central Texas art events including the Texas Biennial and First Friday.

These accounts will be worth keeping an eye on…

2 Comments »

A group of satisfied Bike Gangers looks on at the renegade video projection stumbled on in “Tacoland Park,” this last Saturday Night. The Bike gang stopped by the SWC Club, Tacoland Park, The Cherry street Bridge, Brackenridge Golf Course, Pine Street stretch, above Sunken Gardens, Ghost Train Field, and La Tuna to name a few. (some of these place names are local lore and quite unofficial) . A collection of photos outlining the entire evening in its entirety can be found here.

Shouting at an oncoming train on the Cherry Street Bridge

Legend has it that when the moon is jussssst right you can still see the trains turning on imaginary tracks out here, emptying herds to slaughter at the union stockyards.

the Lebowski Rollers + many more can be seen here.

If you were one of the many who took part, Thank you!

1 Comment »