Rist and Dumas -- My take is backwards from most all other reviewers

 


I realize I'm a bit late in the game to join in on the whole Marlene Dumas fray, but I saw her retrospective at MoMa last week, Measuring Your Own Grave, and quite enjoyed it. It wasn't anything earth shattering by any means, but it was certainly worth the admission price (free, in my case.) If you like cadavers, morose subject material, and basic visual diagrams on proper use of light and shadow, this is your show. It's up through ther 16th.

On the other hand, the Pipilotti Rist show bored me to tears-- floating strawberries, naked feet, dirt, flowers and nipples, oh, my! Next. It was basically a combination of texture and objects, and not much else, but on a massive scale. I personally do not think that massive scale equals great art. Truly great Rist work is when she deals with feminine anger straight on, such as the below legendary Ever is Over All. Now THAT has personality. You can keep your flowers, boobies, and dirty furniture filled with lazy people leaving their bacteria all over. That, in a nutshell, is my Rist MoMa review.



 

Jerry Saltz's coming out on Facebook

 

(Those wild and crazy kids, Jerry and Bill, showing each other some love.)

Venerated New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz has graced us with his surprise Facebook presence for the past month and a half. To say that Saltz must have one of those little bird bobbing toys clicking yes to his many "add friend" requests the whole day through is no understatement. 1,800 friends and counting, Saltz has just added his first art review snippet as a "note" on Marlene Dumas' much maligned Moma showing. Now, it's one thing for ravenous commentary to spring up on the Winklemans, the ArtFagCities, or the other such like, but with his little paragraph slamming Ms. Dumas, Jerry has now entered the world of online criticism like a full-on wrecking ball. With 72 interactive comments as of this hour, Saltz may forever be changing the voice and nature of the print critic and online community with what I would call a unique olive branch (or is it a piece of bloody meat for the wolves?) I'm loving every moment of it, and it will be interesting to see what more will develop out of Mr. Saltz's online presence. This here blogger is eager for much, much more.