Saturday we went to the Contemporary Arts Center- (admission is free on Sat till noon). They had one galley just for Arcangelo Sassolino. (google or Youtube or something- worth it) ‘Not Human’ is the exhibit name and there were 4 or 5 sculptures in the room.
The BEST ONE was ‘Untitled’. A 8x8 block of timber was cabled to an industrial pneumatic cylinder. The pressure slooooooooowly extends the piston against the block of wood being held tight by the cables, and makes these loud popping and cracking noises. It’s of course unpredictable when it will make a noise- and its LOUD in the quiet and whispery gallery. Like a gunshot or something. The guard told us that it takes about 8 hours for the wood to completely split, and the next day they put in a fresh one. While the log is under this pressure it weeps out sap from the cross-cut ends. It might fracture or split or chunkify or break clean- depends on the wood, humidity, temperature. The only thing constant is the mechanism- it has the same gauge and demand valve settings each day. Inexorable expansion of the piston-nothing stopping it, like a fist or a flood or a tree tearing up a concrete sidewalk like crust over the course of twenty years.
We stayed about an hour – which is a long time to have one’s attention on something like that. Fucking loved it.
One of the joys of the NFL championships is that we get a chance to see the owners up close. Rich people, especially old rich people, can be pretty fucking weird. Take for example the wife of the Bronco's owner. Please.
Of course, if I owned an NFL franchise I would definitely have a couple of those miniature giraffes, a solid gold toilet and a fur coat made out of panda skins so I shouldn't talk.
If any of us (except maybe Chip Ahoy) took a potato photo it would not be worth $1.5 million. Why is this worth $1.5 million? Is the guy who took the photo already famous for doing art? Have we all never "really" LOOKED into the eyes (heh heh) of a potato and this photo is what's going to make us do it? Is the potato the new soup can? Socially, are we in need of potato commentary? Is modern art all just an elaborate tax dodge/social promotion program for Richie Rich combined with subsidization for Richie Rich's kids who didn't do well in school?
Ha! The photographer does celebrity portraits. A "European businessman" saw the potato and wanted to buy it. It must have been the wine! "Abosch's trademark portraits on black backgrounds have become collectors' items among the wealthy, with each commission regularly earning him upwards of £200,000." He knows how to work the wealthy. C'mon over. We'll have some wine and black background paintings that you can write off.
"It should be noted that it's an organic spud, from the spiritual home of the potato, Ireland" Of course. Only the most authentic and spiritual tater will do.
5 comments:
Ireland spiritual home of the potato. I know. Whatev.
Saturday we went to the Contemporary Arts Center- (admission is free on Sat till noon). They had one galley just for Arcangelo Sassolino. (google or Youtube or something- worth it) ‘Not Human’ is the exhibit name and there were 4 or 5 sculptures in the room.
The BEST ONE was ‘Untitled’. A 8x8 block of timber was cabled to an industrial pneumatic cylinder. The pressure slooooooooowly extends the piston against the block of wood being held tight by the cables, and makes these loud popping and cracking noises. It’s of course unpredictable when it will make a noise- and its LOUD in the quiet and whispery gallery. Like a gunshot or something. The guard told us that it takes about 8 hours for the wood to completely split, and the next day they put in a fresh one. While the log is under this pressure it weeps out sap from the cross-cut ends. It might fracture or split or chunkify or break clean- depends on the wood, humidity, temperature. The only thing constant is the mechanism- it has the same gauge and demand valve settings each day. Inexorable expansion of the piston-nothing stopping it, like a fist or a flood or a tree tearing up a concrete sidewalk like crust over the course of twenty years.
We stayed about an hour – which is a long time to have one’s attention on something like that. Fucking loved it.
One of the joys of the NFL championships is that we get a chance to see the owners up close. Rich people, especially old rich people, can be pretty fucking weird. Take for example the wife of the Bronco's owner. Please.
Of course, if I owned an NFL franchise I would definitely have a couple of those miniature giraffes, a solid gold toilet and a fur coat made out of panda skins so I shouldn't talk.
If any of us (except maybe Chip Ahoy) took a potato photo it would not be worth $1.5 million. Why is this worth $1.5 million? Is the guy who took the photo already famous for doing art? Have we all never "really" LOOKED into the eyes (heh heh) of a potato and this photo is what's going to make us do it? Is the potato the new soup can? Socially, are we in need of potato commentary? Is modern art all just an elaborate tax dodge/social promotion program for Richie Rich combined with subsidization for Richie Rich's kids who didn't do well in school?
Ha!
The photographer does celebrity portraits.
A "European businessman" saw the potato and wanted to buy it. It must have been the wine!
"Abosch's trademark portraits on black backgrounds have become collectors' items among the wealthy, with each commission regularly earning him upwards of £200,000."
He knows how to work the wealthy. C'mon over. We'll have some wine and black background paintings that you can write off.
"It should be noted that it's an organic spud, from the spiritual home of the potato, Ireland"
Of course. Only the most authentic and spiritual tater will do.
Post a Comment