Alfred Kubin at neue Gallery

I discovered a new really nice little museum. Neue Gallery New york , by central park, very german, with a conditorei where they serve a very nice apfelstoedel and swartzerwaldkuche. Classy german, friendly priced. Old Jewish german couples reading Die Zeit while nipping their mozart kugeln.


Alfred Kubin is a famous obscure artist. Very dark, very Austrian,1877- 1959. I have known his work for years, without really seeing it. It's one of those artists writers and other dark artists like. I was into that kind of stuff when I was 22-25 years; 19Century, symbolism, the devilish woman. etc.
He illustrate Poe and other dark matter..
But very likely I might never have seen his work for real.
Every drawing is tiny and looks like a etching. A etching someone has been working on for weeks by candle light. In the cold.
The images are sometimes really scary and horrible.
The show is great, but my verdict is that Kubin is not a very good artist. It's interesting, but not really good. First of all, it feels very dated to me. I don't get that feeling when I look at Goya, Redon, Rops, Bellmer, Ensor (he fits in this range but in their shadow) He's very scared with using colors. He does it in a few drawings and those are very nice. But it's a typical petit maitre. Does one thing good and doesn't dare to leave that. I don't feel a madness in his work. I think I often have this problem with these dark artists. Music, literature, etc. I seldom really truly
believe it.

One artists that can be rediscovred soon, here in NY, is Unica Zurn. Hans Bellmer's wife. Very good and at the drawing centre begining next year.

2 Financial crisis victims

The people who used to eat lobster all day, just because they could, can't anymore.
The prices have dropped to nothing.
I bought these two one pound lobsters in Chinatown for only 15$.
Would have been normally around 80$.
Hope the same thing will happen with all fancy condo's they're building everywhere. It's crazy; there's so much construction going on everywhere. Only luxury apartments. And I can't help myself from thinking; These under construction fancy apartment buildings; Are something of the past, not the future. Nobody's going to buy.
Even in Queens & Harlem they building apartments with swimingpools and full service.
Who's going to live there?
Maybe these lobsters can live in these swimming pools everywhere waiting for better times.

DRAWINGS ON WRITING J&L-booklaunch at HousingWorks

Caroline Copland dancing Kellon Tomlinson

Ethan Crenson writing in 3D

Serge Onnen writing Jason Fulford writing

Guy Richards Smit singing over Graham Gilmore


Debbie Nathan writing shorthand-Gregg a Robert Walser story read by Jason Fulford

Leanne Shapton interviews Debbie Nathan about the odd relationship between shorthand & sex in the US

the Kass-Johnson brothers

Jeff Perkins collaborating with the CIA

{all the above pictures by Yuki Deborah Altgilbers}


Serge translates a Xu Bin drawing in the back, someone writes a letter in the front

Ethan Crenson writes in metal, Agnes Bailey writes a letter

Jason Fulford finishing, Leanne Shapton watching
{All the above pics by Amanda Alic}

The New York Version of my drawings on writing booklaunch at HousingWorks.
Some acts where canceled the very last moment. Making us to improvise more. All went well.

Matt Mullican at the Drawing Centre

First time I see a floor to ceiling PACKED show that remains very calm. Impressive...

Samuel Vriezen in Good Sheperd Church (just one block from LincolnCentre..........)

Dutch Composer, poet, organizer of events, oorbeek-boardmember,Friend, etc,etc
was in town; one of his new compositions was being performed twice this week, by Lost Dog New music ensemble. (together with a couple of mostly american young composers, all people connected to this blog; sequenza 21.
I hadn't heard Vriezen's music being performed in a while. This new piece for Violin and piano called 2 suites, was very good. Simple, strong, and also funny in a way. (it's strange to describe music as funny. But we do.)
This is the second time Samuel's music is being picked by a new music ensemble in NY. That's already quite expectational. (They do these concert 3-4x a year).


In a week when the dutch newspapers are very excited about the good reviews Ivo van Hove received in NY for opening night at BAM. That very same NYTimes also included a review about Samuel's piece!
(& to continue this list; Three artists doing something now in MoMa live in Amsterdam; Marlene Dumas, Lonnie van Brummelen & Yael Bartana.
And the big Pipiloti Rist video, also in Moma, was shot by Rob van der Ven.
in a dutch tulip field!
Pride of Amsterdam!

the art of BABAR by Jean de Brunhoff

I grew up with it, so was excited to see some original work.
But; unfortunately; Quite disappointing..A few pencil sketches where more or less interesting. It's not the first time I see the original being less interesting then the final; The book.

Sol le witt at Mass. MoCa

Just opened and will close in 2033. 25 years to go to Massachusette If you like Sol.
I'm not really sure if I like that. It is so death.
Would be more interesting to see something really transform slowly over such a long periode as 25 years.
A exhibition of food, plants, animals... See life.
Something by Mark Dion, Dieter Roth or what the hell; Damien Hirst!
There's something very agressive about a show that will last 25 years.
In NY there's a few DIA spaces where they have these long term installations;
Dan Flavin, Walter de Maria, Richard Serra, Robert Smithson.......
.......always male, american, white, minimal artists......
It's the sublime supremacy.
The protestant ruling idea that art should be eternal, pure and sublime.

'la pureté est une invention de la police' to quote Roland Topor again...
(purity is a invention of the police)