Category Archives: Chelsea Galleries

The only artform left in Manhattan is Graffiti. street art, not ‘gallery’ art, rocks.

On my way into DUMBO, under a scaffold, in a mouldy corner, was this little bit of wall. Check out that mini-cairn of rocks on the ground, giving the image a 3-D, shrine-like feel. Nice. Perfect for place where it was sited. Dark. Not a place you’d want to linger; indeed, something I passed, feeling lost, but [...]
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Start a blog about art. Or even, a blog about writing about art. It’s a free world.

Sometimes the best way to get comfortable writing is to…write. Now, not every artist wants to start a blog. I understand that. However, if an artist had something really specific on his mind, and a good sense of focus, and a desire to help others…Well, I’d say he should start a blog. Why not? After #hashtagclass, a [...]
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Too cool for school? Never.

As this week of free advice on artist’s statements comes to a close, here’s Two Things I’ve Learned: 1) Don’t give your work away for free (artists, writers, this means You); even if it’s for a nominal fee, your work must get valued. 2) Try not to treat your attempts at writing-to gain-clarity-and-objectivity as a [...]
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[#hashtag] Class Dismissed. Everyone gets an A for Effort. Well, Almost Everyone.

William Powhida makes transgressive, self-reflective, art; and his subjects are often people—or prevailing notions of—Power. Hence, I shouldn’t have been surprised last night when he suddenly called me out as conducting the most in-your-face, authoritarian, put-people-on-the-spot-to-give-a-right-answer #hashtagclass session that he’s seen yet. [Sorry, I have to paraphrase on the above; I was writing on my computer [...]
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An open letter to Ed Winkelman, SVA, Dan Cameron, or anyone in a position to help artists speak Truth to Power: we do need “A New Currency”

No wonder artists have a hard time writing statements. Rebelling against the need to write is the only self-defense/self-preservation mechanism they have left in a system that seeks to compartmentalize them. Do you want funding? [asks the foundation] Explain how what you do fits in with our criteria for what’s worth $. Want me to [...]
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Critic writes half-ass artist’s statement on a paper bag at Cafe Grumpy

My friend (if he still is my friend), Kurt Strahm, seems worried that I may not be able to hack writing artists’ statements in 15 minutes at Winkelman this Wednesday; so, I offer to write him one on the spot—only he’ll have to wait ’till after I use the rest room.  He insists (to toughen [...]
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Jerry Saltz stole my focus @hashtagclass; he wrote an artist’s statement faster than I did. (Updated 03/14)

[I just updated this post to include the statement I wrote—all the way at the bottom.-SS] Mild-mannered writer (that’s me) walks into Winkelman, looking for a willing/unsuspecting artist who will let me test out my ability to write an artist’s statement in under 15 minutes (in prep for my statement-writing event, next week). Enter, one [...]
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i will attempt to write artists statements—in real time, at #hashtagclass

You may think it’s hard to endure writing or reading artists’ statements; so please take heart that I’m now turning statement writing into an endurance piece. We shall see if I can come out standing. Read about the show on the blog, or just come to Winkelman Gallery in Chelsea. I was inspired by Lucy van [...]
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Roberta Smith: WooHoo! Crowd-hungry museums, following “latter-day Postminimalism” get their comeuppance

In the New York Times, Sunday. As you prob know. RS sounds off masterfully on the subject of why museum solo shows of work by contemporary artists all feel cool, distant, alike. Or, rather, “part of a big-box chain featuring only one brand.” …What’s missing is art that seems made by one person out of intense [...]
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busy photo dealer, Pamela Schoenberg, in this month’s “Photograph” mag

Gotta love the cover of this month’s Photograph, to which I contribute. It’s an image by French photographer Denis Darzacq, courtesy of Laurence Miller gallery, as described by Lyle Rexer. On my end, I got to talk to a swell photo dealer, Pamela Mayers Schoenberg, her profile excerpt, below: Want to get a job done? Ask a [...]
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