News (or at least, PR Newswire) item:
Smack Sportswear Signs Licensing Deal with National Volleyball League
Art items:
Viva Border Volleyball!
Volleyball Court, Confessionals on the US-Mexico Border?
Volleyball sculpture -- or, "trophy" for purchase.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Another Artists' Call, Answered
On the heels of both TAM's Telephone exhibition and Mat Gleason's related show comes another local example of distributed curating, or giving-up-control-curating, or process equals the point a-curating...
The LAT's art critic, Christopher Knight, reviewed yesterday Chain Letter, an exhibition at Bergamot Station's Shoshana Wayne Gallery through August 23.
Chain is said to have begun with Dough Harvey and Christian Cummings each emailing ten artists, requesting a work for the show, and requesting that those artists email ten other artists.
(Presumably, if they didn't email ten people, a great harm would befall those ten people. Probably a great harm written out in all capital letters, too.)
The end result? Some 1,600+ artworks in the Bergamot space. (See the Chain link above for photos.)
Beyond curatorial practices, what does all this demonstrate?
That exponents matter? TAM's one-artist-ask-one-artist-ask-one-artist-until-the-number-hits-forty-total-artists paled in volume when compared to SW's ten-artists-ask-ten-artists plan.
That artists and writers who are also curators like to shake the same-old up a bit? TAM's Max Presneill is a working artist and writes catalog and other texts. Doug Harvey is an artist and a highly-regarded art writer and critic.
Or that telephones and chain letters are nowadays quaint anachronisms or, like the telegraph, the precursors to links, retweets and hangouts?
The LAT's art critic, Christopher Knight, reviewed yesterday Chain Letter, an exhibition at Bergamot Station's Shoshana Wayne Gallery through August 23.
Chain is said to have begun with Dough Harvey and Christian Cummings each emailing ten artists, requesting a work for the show, and requesting that those artists email ten other artists.
(Presumably, if they didn't email ten people, a great harm would befall those ten people. Probably a great harm written out in all capital letters, too.)
The end result? Some 1,600+ artworks in the Bergamot space. (See the Chain link above for photos.)
Beyond curatorial practices, what does all this demonstrate?
That exponents matter? TAM's one-artist-ask-one-artist-ask-one-artist-until-the-number-hits-forty-total-artists paled in volume when compared to SW's ten-artists-ask-ten-artists plan.
That artists and writers who are also curators like to shake the same-old up a bit? TAM's Max Presneill is a working artist and writes catalog and other texts. Doug Harvey is an artist and a highly-regarded art writer and critic.
Or that telephones and chain letters are nowadays quaint anachronisms or, like the telegraph, the precursors to links, retweets and hangouts?
Friday, July 22, 2011
TAM Jam The News
Farmers Markets Beat Starving Artists
In them olde days, starving artists were considered the key urban revitalization force.
Now, farmers markets are planners' manna.
News Item:
Market Watch: A bumper crop of new markets in the L.A. area:
Thousand Oaks, Hollywood and Torrance are among the new venues, adding to the competition for true straight-from-the-farm produce. (From Los Angeles Times.)
Art Item:
From post-industrial artists’ den to condo community (From Baltimore Brew, but you know the story from all over, even if not this particular example.)
Now, farmers markets are planners' manna.
News Item:
Market Watch: A bumper crop of new markets in the L.A. area:
Thousand Oaks, Hollywood and Torrance are among the new venues, adding to the competition for true straight-from-the-farm produce. (From Los Angeles Times.)
Art Item:
From post-industrial artists’ den to condo community (From Baltimore Brew, but you know the story from all over, even if not this particular example.)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
New Feature: TAM Jam The News
News item:
Torrance police bust nets 8 arrests, more than a ton of marijuana (from the Daily Breeze).
Art item:
In California, Pot Is Now an Art Patron (from the New York Times).
Torrance police bust nets 8 arrests, more than a ton of marijuana (from the Daily Breeze).
Art item:
In California, Pot Is Now an Art Patron (from the New York Times).
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Yes, Yes, And Absolutely
This blog received answers to the first trio of these recent Carmaggedon-related questions... (All the questions are here.)
Q: Did the reception take place?
A: Yes.
Q: If so, did attendance pale in comparison to recent well-attended TAM openings?
A: Yes.
Q: If so, did the stay-at-home honking about Carmaggedon have anything to do with numbers?
A: Absolutely.
Of course, attendance was still better than Saturday at the Getty.
Q: Did the reception take place?
A: Yes.
Q: If so, did attendance pale in comparison to recent well-attended TAM openings?
A: Yes.
Q: If so, did the stay-at-home honking about Carmaggedon have anything to do with numbers?
A: Absolutely.
Of course, attendance was still better than Saturday at the Getty.
Monday, July 18, 2011
TAM Greater Than Getty?
Continuing from this previous post....
Throughout both museum's histories...
On how many Saturdays has TAM's attendance been larger than the Getty's?
So long as TAM stayed open yesterday, then that answer is at least once.
Throughout both museum's histories...
On how many Saturdays has TAM's attendance been larger than the Getty's?
So long as TAM stayed open yesterday, then that answer is at least once.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Did Honking About Carmaggedon Hurt TAM Opening?
Baker's Dozen III, the latest TAM main gallery exhibition, was scheduled to open with a reception last night, July 16, 2011...
Did the reception take place?
If so, did attendance pale in comparison to recent well-attended TAM openings?
If so, did the stay-at-home honking about Carmaggedon have anything to do with numbers?
If so, does that indicate that TAM's mix-and-mingle occasions are heavily attended by people from outside the South Bay?
If so, does that indicate that a group show with forty or so artists (Telephone) will draw more people to an opening than a group show with thirteen? (Baker's.)
Even if bigger-named artists are part of the latter show? (Examples: Martin Durazo, Alexandra Grant.)
Did the reception take place?
If so, did attendance pale in comparison to recent well-attended TAM openings?
If so, did the stay-at-home honking about Carmaggedon have anything to do with numbers?
If so, does that indicate that TAM's mix-and-mingle occasions are heavily attended by people from outside the South Bay?
If so, does that indicate that a group show with forty or so artists (Telephone) will draw more people to an opening than a group show with thirteen? (Baker's.)
Even if bigger-named artists are part of the latter show? (Examples: Martin Durazo, Alexandra Grant.)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
About TAM vs. About Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
About TAM:
About LAMAG:
About TAM:"The Museum encourages all people to develop and increase their understanding and appreciation for modern and contemporary artwork via a variety of exhibitions offered in its two gallery spaces, as well as educational programs, artist talks, lectures, and symposia.
Through its emphasis on contemporary artistic expression in Southern California and globally, the Torrance Art Museum brings together visual artists and community members; fosters personal and civic well being by inspiring understanding and appreciation of the visual arts; promotes meaningful experiences in the arts to strengthen creative and critical thinking skills; and builds bridges between the visual arts and other disciplines in the humanities and sciences."
About LAMAG:
"The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery Associates (LAMAGA) is a private non-profit corporation founded in 1951, whose primary mission is to promote, assist, and serve as advocates for the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery. LAMAGA provides financial, marketing, and public relations support for the Gallery’s exhibitions, publications, and educational programs. Its principle mandates have been to enhance the exhibition programs, promote visitor understanding and appreciation of art through the education program, and to insure the Gallery’s accessibility and involvement with City-wide audiences and the surrounding immigrant communities. LAMAGA supports the Gallery financially through grant writing and the administration of grant funds, personal solicitations, production and sale of exhibition catalogues, ancillary programs, and fundraising events developed with Gallery staff to compliment the exhibitions."
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
About TAM vs. About Norton Simon
About Norton Simon:
Excerpt, first sentence only: "The Norton Simon Museum is known around the world as one of the most remarkable private art collections ever assembled."
About TAM:
Excerpt, first sentence only: "The Norton Simon Museum is known around the world as one of the most remarkable private art collections ever assembled."
About TAM:
About TAM:"The Museum encourages all people to develop and increase their understanding and appreciation for modern and contemporary artwork via a variety of exhibitions offered in its two gallery spaces, as well as educational programs, artist talks, lectures, and symposia.
Through its emphasis on contemporary artistic expression in Southern California and globally, the Torrance Art Museum brings together visual artists and community members; fosters personal and civic well being by inspiring understanding and appreciation of the visual arts; promotes meaningful experiences in the arts to strengthen creative and critical thinking skills; and builds bridges between the visual arts and other disciplines in the humanities and sciences."
Monday, June 27, 2011
About TAM vs. About MOCA
About TAM:
About MOCA:
About TAM:"The Museum encourages all people to develop and increase their understanding and appreciation for modern and contemporary artwork via a variety of exhibitions offered in its two gallery spaces, as well as educational programs, artist talks, lectures, and symposia.
Through its emphasis on contemporary artistic expression in Southern California and globally, the Torrance Art Museum brings together visual artists and community members; fosters personal and civic well being by inspiring understanding and appreciation of the visual arts; promotes meaningful experiences in the arts to strengthen creative and critical thinking skills; and builds bridges between the visual arts and other disciplines in the humanities and sciences."
About MOCA:
"Mission & Vision Statement: MOCA's mission is to be the defining museum of contemporary art. MOCA engages artists and audiences through an ambitious program of exhibitions, collection, education, and publication. MOCA identifies and supports the most significant and challenging art of its time, places it in historical context, and links the range of the visual arts to contemporary culture. MOCA provides leadership by actively fostering and presenting new work, emerging media, and original scholarship."
Sunday, June 26, 2011
About TAM vs. About SMMOA
About TAM:
About SMMOA:
About TAM:"The Museum encourages all people to develop and increase their understanding and appreciation for modern and contemporary artwork via a variety of exhibitions offered in its two gallery spaces, as well as educational programs, artist talks, lectures, and symposia.
Through its emphasis on contemporary artistic expression in Southern California and globally, the Torrance Art Museum brings together visual artists and community members; fosters personal and civic well being by inspiring understanding and appreciation of the visual arts; promotes meaningful experiences in the arts to strengthen creative and critical thinking skills; and builds bridges between the visual arts and other disciplines in the humanities and sciences."
About SMMOA:
"Mission: Through its exhibitions, education, and outreach programs, the Santa Monica Museum of Art fosters diversity, innovation, and discovery in contemporary art—local, national, and international."
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Star 69
Telephone is scheduled to close today.
The show was an experiment in deregulation, like when the courts took Ma Bell down.
This blog, for whatever its worth, wasn't impressed with the majority of the works in the show... but so what? the conceptual idea was of more interest. Any single great work in the show would be extra, like a *69 feature from a Baby Bell compared with more competition and lower rates.
Contemporary parallel: ATT / T-Mobile proposed merger.
Contemporary parallel: Mat Gleason's show.
Festival style spectacle: Adam's Telephone To Telephone Tweets.
All world tweets: About telephones.
Next TAM curatorial concept cum pragmatic crowdsource: Opening in mid-September.
The show was an experiment in deregulation, like when the courts took Ma Bell down.
This blog, for whatever its worth, wasn't impressed with the majority of the works in the show... but so what? the conceptual idea was of more interest. Any single great work in the show would be extra, like a *69 feature from a Baby Bell compared with more competition and lower rates.
Contemporary parallel: ATT / T-Mobile proposed merger.
Contemporary parallel: Mat Gleason's show.
Festival style spectacle: Adam's Telephone To Telephone Tweets.
All world tweets: About telephones.
Next TAM curatorial concept cum pragmatic crowdsource: Opening in mid-September.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Photography: Holding Its Own
Mid-exhibition run, checked in with TAM's Max Presneill for an assessment of the artists' chain-curated show, Telephone. (Closing June 25.)
The director said he's pleased with how the show turned out. Said, too, that "photography is holding its place," and "being used in a '70s conceptual way."
And said he sees in the show "a re-engagement with craft and technological prowess," noting that the videos, for instance, display high production value.
Also, the show has more drawings than he would have guessed, the artists display a greater ambition, and it would appear that "slacking is gone."
If so, what will become of Bob Dobbs?
The director said he's pleased with how the show turned out. Said, too, that "photography is holding its place," and "being used in a '70s conceptual way."
And said he sees in the show "a re-engagement with craft and technological prowess," noting that the videos, for instance, display high production value.
Also, the show has more drawings than he would have guessed, the artists display a greater ambition, and it would appear that "slacking is gone."
If so, what will become of Bob Dobbs?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Six Twenty Three
Telephone's artists be told: eight foot wide maximum, height can hit ceiling. Just need room for all forty artists.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Social Investment
The current TAM exhibition, Telephone, closing June 25, relied on one artist to select the next artist to select the next artist to select the next artist and so on to appear in the show.
Love, hate, or feel indifferent about the resulting show, putting it together via this conceptual curatorial outsourcing turned out to be a smooth operation, according to TAM's chief, Max Presneill, with works arriving on time and installations including artists assisting one another.
This blog: "That's because of the social contract?"
That man: "The social investment."
Love, hate, or feel indifferent about the resulting show, putting it together via this conceptual curatorial outsourcing turned out to be a smooth operation, according to TAM's chief, Max Presneill, with works arriving on time and installations including artists assisting one another.
This blog: "That's because of the social contract?"
That man: "The social investment."
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The City Seal As Art
This is the official seal of Torrance.
"Torrance," the text reads, "A Balanced City. Industrial, Residential, Commercial."
What would the seal look like if TAM was in charge of re-doing it?
What would the seal look like if artists whose works appear at TAM re-imagined it?
What would the text say if TAM's staff or visiting curators re-wrote it?
Is the blog the only one confused by the official Torrance history of its seal?
Have the past and present seals been created by a trustee and a fireman? What happened to the entries in 1966 by all the children? The current design couldn't possibly be by a kid -- unless the tot is history's most precocious urban planner.
"Torrance," the text reads, "A Balanced City. Industrial, Residential, Commercial."
What would the seal look like if TAM was in charge of re-doing it?
What would the seal look like if artists whose works appear at TAM re-imagined it?
What would the text say if TAM's staff or visiting curators re-wrote it?
Is the blog the only one confused by the official Torrance history of its seal?
Have the past and present seals been created by a trustee and a fireman? What happened to the entries in 1966 by all the children? The current design couldn't possibly be by a kid -- unless the tot is history's most precocious urban planner.
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Rest of This Post Being Written by Feet
This is not the piece by Eric Yahnker that starts TAM's Telephone.
Six Miles By Car
Six miles, by car, from TAM: Freshia Market, home to digi toilets available for sale and the $1.50 tuna croquette.
Closer, still, a refinery.
Even closer, the swimming pool for youth sports.
Closer, still, a refinery.
Even closer, the swimming pool for youth sports.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Time Flies
Forty days ago, this blog wrapped up a string of posts.
We joined the hundreds and hundreds (and hundreds) of others who attended opening night of TAM's Gateway Japan show. We watched the sumo wrestlers performance / sculpture. We bought one of the $50 artworks for sale to benefit the Japanese red cross. We patronized TAM's event sponsor, Bar One.
And of course, we took in the show, doing the best we could to separate the surrounding weeks' sadness, poignancy, and the opening night revelry from the works' themselves.
Forty days later, the show is gone. Forty days later, Japan is all but out of the daily headlines -- replaced by news from Libya, Syria, Yemen, and now most of all, Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Anyone reading this know without looking elsewhere online how many of the Fukushima six nuclear reactors are fully under control now?
Forty days...
TAM runs their shows fast, like a larger venue's project room.
This so-often take-downs and set-ups taxes the institution's skeleton staff -- like flying, it's the takeoffs and landings that matter most.
But it's a boon for the South Bay and visiting public -- getting ten main shows, say, instead of three or four that the institution could get away with running.
The down side -- time be flying. Forty days. The opening seemed like yesterday. How many times did you get back?
We joined the hundreds and hundreds (and hundreds) of others who attended opening night of TAM's Gateway Japan show. We watched the sumo wrestlers performance / sculpture. We bought one of the $50 artworks for sale to benefit the Japanese red cross. We patronized TAM's event sponsor, Bar One.
And of course, we took in the show, doing the best we could to separate the surrounding weeks' sadness, poignancy, and the opening night revelry from the works' themselves.
Forty days later, the show is gone. Forty days later, Japan is all but out of the daily headlines -- replaced by news from Libya, Syria, Yemen, and now most of all, Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Anyone reading this know without looking elsewhere online how many of the Fukushima six nuclear reactors are fully under control now?
Forty days...
TAM runs their shows fast, like a larger venue's project room.
This so-often take-downs and set-ups taxes the institution's skeleton staff -- like flying, it's the takeoffs and landings that matter most.
But it's a boon for the South Bay and visiting public -- getting ten main shows, say, instead of three or four that the institution could get away with running.
The down side -- time be flying. Forty days. The opening seemed like yesterday. How many times did you get back?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
L.A. Times Story About Gateway Japan, and Recap Of Our Recent Posts About Japan, The Disaster, and The Exhibition
Mike Boehm writes this about TAM in today's Los Angeles Times.
Rounding up our previous posts on the topic, on the day of the disaster relief sale and Gateway Japan opening:
All Artists Well; All Art Arrived or Arriving
Logistics Report -- How Much of the Art is Still Stuck in Japan?
Art As Irrelevant? Museum Faces Seeming Dilemma; Cancel Show Or Not?
Can This Sculpture From Japan Still Mean The Same?
Japanese Artists Said To Be Uninjured
Hopes, Thoughts With Japan]
Rounding up our previous posts on the topic, on the day of the disaster relief sale and Gateway Japan opening:
All Artists Well; All Art Arrived or Arriving
Logistics Report -- How Much of the Art is Still Stuck in Japan?
Art As Irrelevant? Museum Faces Seeming Dilemma; Cancel Show Or Not?
Can This Sculpture From Japan Still Mean The Same?
Japanese Artists Said To Be Uninjured
Hopes, Thoughts With Japan]
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