Wait, what are you doing here? You’re not in Miami? You’re not sneaking your way into an early breakfast with the Rubell’s, filling your coat pockets with caviar, chugging champagne in bathroom stalls, passing-out in the sand, bum-rushing the preview party gate to get your hands on the latest Theaster Gates?
Oh well. So we’re in Dallas, while Art Basel kicks-off in Miami (and without Steven Cohen! Gasp!). So cue the requisite article decrying of the art world’s smug insularity, bloated self-importance, and disposition towards hedonistic schlock. That piece comes from fashion maven Simon Doonan, whose recent article in Slate if called, simply-enough, “Why the Art World is so Loathsome.”
Yes, yes, yes, sure, sure, sure. And yet, there’s something that left me cold about Doonan’s piece. Most of those objections were tackled in this rebuttal to the article written by Jillian Steinhauer on Hyperallergic. Steinhauer calls Doonan’s Slate piece “naïve” and “sweepingly dismissive.” And round and round the merry go round we go.
Art Mart
Anyway, ‘tis the season for conspicuous consumption, and the weekend in Dallas brings plenty of opportunities to get some art shopping done without heading to Miami or mortgaging your condo. There are a number of holiday art sales, parties, and pop-up gift shops open this weekend (details in the listings below), and a couple of note. The Dallas Contemporary will be selling art, books, furniture, and fashion at the Pop-Out Shop Friday through Sunday.
And speaking of the Dallas Contemporary, last week they announced two new adjunct curators, Pedro Alonzo and Lilia Kudelia. Alonzo’s name should be familiar. The former adjunct curator at the Institute of Visuals Arts in Milwaukee and guest curator at Estacion Tijuana in Mexico was around last year during the Contemporary’s Shepard Fairey exhibition. Kudelia is from Ukraine,and she has curated exhibitions at Mystetskyi Arsenal, a new art institution in Kiev established in 2003.
Also popping-up this weekend beginning tonight is WIGWAM, the eclectic art-shop and brain child of curator Cynthia Mulcahy. This is the fourth incarnation of WIGWAM since the inaugural pop-up, which was at the inaugural Better Block project back in 2010. The show will be open today through Sunday at the space next to Oil and Cotton in Oak Cliff. If you want to know what to expect, Jamie Laughlin has a peek inside over on the Mixmaster.
And speaking of Cynthia Mulcahy, it is worth noting that she and Charles Dee Mitcell will co-curate a show called “The Engines of War” at the Gasser Grunert in Chelsea next year.
Video Screenings
One-time Screenings of 2 Videos: Strike Anywhere (2009), by Benj Gerdes & Jennifer Hayashida + Ici Rien (Here Nothing) (2011), by Daphne Heretakis at CentralTrak – December 6: 7 p.m. 800 Exposition Ave. Dallas, TX 75226.
Carolyn Sortor & Michael A. Morris’s mostly video exhibition at CentralTrak, Co-Re-Creating Spaces, is hosting a screening of two additional videos tonight. Strike Anywhere (2009), is a video essay described by the filmmakers as “both a prehistory of neoliberal economics and an allegory about social relations and desire in the wake of global capitalist expansion and excess.” The piece draws a comparison between the early 20th century financial strategies of Swedish “Match King” Ivar Kreuger and contemporary financial organizations like the IMF and WTO.
As for tonight’s second offering, Ici Rien (Here Nothing) (2011), I couldn’t find much about Daphne Heretakis’ film. All CentralTrak’s write-up says is that it is a video you don’t get to see easily, which is reinforced by the fact that I couldn’t find anything about it that wasn’t in Greek. I’ll just assume it is probably about finance, Europe, the crisis, revolution, and predatory international finance, because that’s the touchstone of much of the work in Co-Re-Creating Spaces. It all starts at 7 p.m.
This Week’s Must-See Lecture
“Brandon Kennedy in conversation with Peter Simek” at The Reading Room – December 9 at 3 p.m. 3713 Parry Ave. Dallas, TX 75226.
Yes, this week’s must-see is a shameless plug for my convo with Brandon Kennedy, whose show, Exit for Sale, is up through December 22. It will be a haltingly brilliant dialogue, to be sure. Leave suggested questions in the comments.
Here are the Gallery Openings:
“In The Spirit Of The Moment : A Mixed-Media Installation” by Jerry E. Smith, at the Collin County Arts Gallery – December 5 : 4-7 p.m. 2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, Tx 75074.
“Gallery Talk with Jack and Beverly Wilgus” at PDNB – December 6: 6 p.m. 1202 Dragon St. Ste. 103 Dallas, TX 75207.
“From Here to Eternity” by Hunt Slonem, at Gremillion @ Co. Fine Art Gallery – December 6 : 6-8 p.m. 2251 Vantage Street, Dallas, Tx 75207
“Post Future” by Matt Koons at Ro2 Downtown Gallery – December 7: 6-8 p.m. 110 North Akard St. Dallas, TX 75201
POST PARIS – Ash Fridays PopUp Studio Gift Shop by Mark Villanueva at Ash Studios – December 7: 10 p.m. – 4 a.m. 3203 Ash Lane, Dallas, TX 75226.
“Happy Birthday Artists’ Showplace Gallery!” by Rebecca Alexander, Gay Banowsky, Juju Bartush, Kathleen Bishop, Nancy Brown, Sabrina Bunce, Mark V Colson, Sherry Davis, Jane Matwijecky, Danah Moore, Barbara Park, Bob Wilson and Deanna Wilson, at The Artists’ Showplace Gallery – December 7 : 6-9 p.m. 15615 Coit Rd, #230, Dallas, Tx 75248.
“Christmas Art Sale” by Roger Allen, Alejandra Almuelle, Brenda Benson, Carl Block, Jim Bowman, C. J. Bradford, Randy Brodnax, Doug & Beth Brown, Jan Byron, V. Chin, Glo Coalson, Richard Cohen, Nancy Cole, Marla Cook, Mark Epstein, Angela Gallia, Valery Guignon, Deana Hinchcliff, Mike Haley & Susy Seigele, Gary Huntoon, Jo Jennings, Sharon Johnston, Cindy Kelly, Lynn Kelly, Audrey Legatowicz, Lezlee Liljenberg, Kathie Leppard, Trudy Maslonka, Ron Marrs, Leslie Kregel, Donna McKelvery & Danny Phillips, Lisa & Cecil McKenzie, Michael Obranovich, Barry Perez, Donald & Peggy Pimpler, Patricia Pusateri, Marty Ruiz, and Zeke & Marty, at Randy Brodnax and Friends – December 7: 5 -9 p.m.Sons of Herman Hall, 3414 Elm Street, Dallas, Tx 76226.
“Nasher 360: Artists, Curators, and Writers” with Sally Pemberton, Author, and Richard Brettell, Ph.D. Margaret M. McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetic Studies, University of Texas at Dallas at the Nasher Sculpture Center — December 8, 2012, 1 p.m.
“A Celebration of New Art Works” by Ernestro Rodriguez and Amalia El Masri, at Eliseo Studios : December 8 : 4-9 p.m. 120 Express Street, Dallas, Tx 75207.
“Art in Motion: An Ode to Graffiti” by Chris Bingham, at the Norwood Flynn Gallery – December 8: 6-8 p.m. 3318 Shorecrest, Dallas, Tx 75235.
“Christmas Art Sale” by Roger Allen, Alejandra Almuelle, Brenda Benson, Carl Block, Jim Bowman, C. J. Bradford, Randy Brodnax, Doug & Beth Brown, Jan Byron, V. Chin, Glo Coalson, Richard Cohen, Nancy Cole, Marla Cook, Mark Epstein, Angela Gallia, Valery Guignon, Deana Hinchcliff, Mike Haley & Susy Seigele, Gary Huntoon, Jo Jennings, Sharon Johnston, Cindy Kelly, Lynn Kelly, Audrey Legatowicz, Lezlee Liljenberg, Kathie Leppard, Trudy Maslonka, Ron Marrs, Leslie Kregel, Donna McKelvery & Danny Phillips, Lisa & Cecil McKenzie, Michael Obranovich, Barry Perez, Donald & Peggy Pimpler, Patricia Pusateri, Marty Ruiz, and Zeke & Marty, at Randy Brodnax and Friends – December 8 : 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sons of Herman Hall, 3414 Elm Street, Dallas, Tx 76226.
“Oh What Fun” by Daniel Padilla, Manuel Padilla, Luis & Arazeli Torres, Randy Gonzales, Pamela Rabin, and Adam Spigel at the PADILLA GALLERY – December 8 : 6-11 p.m. 829 W. Davis Street, Dallas, Tx 75208.
“Christmas Art Sale” by Roger Allen, Alejandra Almuelle, Brenda Benson, Carl Block, Jim Bowman, C. J. Bradford, Randy Brodnax, Doug & Beth Brown, Jan Byron, V. Chin, Glo Coalson, Richard Cohen, Nancy Cole, Marla Cook, Mark Epstein, Angela Gallia, Valery Guignon, Deana Hinchcliff, Mike Haley & Susy Seigele, Gary Huntoon, Jo Jennings, Sharon Johnston, Cindy Kelly, Lynn Kelly, Audrey Legatowicz, Lezlee Liljenberg, Kathie Leppard, Trudy Maslonka, Ron Marrs, Leslie Kregel, Donna McKelvery & Danny Phillips, Lisa & Cecil McKenzie, Michael Obranovich, Barry Perez, Donald & Peggy Pimpler, Patricia Pusateri, Marty Ruiz, and Zeke & Marty, at Randy Brodnax and Friends – December 9: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sons of Herman Hall, 3414 Elm Street, Dallas, Tx 76226.
“GARAGE ART” by Clay Stinnett, Jackie Dunn Smith, Tony Bones, Lesli Marshall, Alison Marie Welsh, and Judah Hoag, at Smoke and Mirrors Gallery – December 9 : 4-8 p.m. 406 South Haskell Avenue, Dallas, Tx 75226.
“2nd Annual Arty Party Holiday Sale” by Denny Doran, Katrina Doran, Art Garcia, Patricia Guerrero, Linda Helton, Chris Howell, Annie Howell, Elizabeth Hurtado, Susan Justus, Diane Lavin, Larry Pile, Jerrel Sustaita, Luis Torres, Arazeli Torres, and Rob Wilson at the Davis Foundry Gallery – December 9 : 1-10 p.m. 509 W. Davis Street, Ste 100, Dallas, Tx 75208.
Image from “Strike Anywhere” (2009), showing at CentralTrak on December 6 at 7 p.m.
