Saturday, August 1, 2009

2 mediocer shows at Deitch

I'm back in NY and that feels good.
Have to say; there is so much happening here, even in august.
Lets start with 2 bad shows at Deitch projects in Soho.


Dash Snow died last month at the age of 27. For some reason this junky is a star;
And today an icon. Media loves a dead arty junky. And some of the artworld is not much better.
So there's a quick memorial exhibition at Deitch.
In Amsterdam (drugs capital of the world?) for some funny reason; it is really not done to be a junky artist. I mean; I really have to go back a long time to find real artists junkies in Ams.
But in the US they still love it. In France and Britain as well.
Just look at the French black-ELLE; Purplemagazine or the morbid obsession with junky popstars in the UK. Glamour & drugs.
The exhibition is a bit like a shrine, like the ones you see everywhere after a celebrity has died; people put flowers,foto's, little notes, candles and off course; teddybears!
But now all this on a gallery wall. The visitors are invited to hang their grief on the wall
(Yes;this is your chance to be in a Deitch show!!!).
So, who is this kid anyway?
A pretty blond white boy from a very wealthy and powerful art related family.The De Menil family, (one of the best private museums in the world (Houston,TX).
Ok, but so what? Does he has anything to say? What is his talent?
Off course there are many talented artists who are addicts.
He made a lot of polaroids of himself , his buddies and chicks being stoned, drinking, shouting, having a good & dirty time. And;
showing they're genitals (WOoooooW!)

Purplemagazine
lovvvvvessss that stuff!
-
The show in the big space is a total Christoph Büchel rip off by two artists named Justin Lowe and Jonah Freeman. Even when you read the pressrelease you think; Christoph Büchel!
··°°°o0O
-Deitch is a weird place.....

2 comments:

Unknown said...

hi Serge, you are pointing out few interesting things: most of contemporary artists are nowadays (or ever ? ) from wealthy family + they are very good on the marketing of "being an artist" + they know what the Art market and Art insitutions want from an artist to get you into in...they know what is the job to get themselves to Art basel : )
but in a way, dying from being what he was, give the feeling he was a sincere about what he was doing. Strategically, if i wanted to be a big artist, i would not dye at the age of 27 : )
but good point to you serge.

serge said...

You think being sincere is all what it takes? Being a junky is obsessive. Making art should be obsessive, right.
But then you also need some talent to be an artists.
To be a junky I guess you also need some talents but not creative ones.