10 June, 2011

10 June - Spiral Jetty in Danger


05 June, 2011

5 June - John Waters in Venice



From Artforum International:

"In anticipation of the Venice Biennale's opening, Monopol has published an interview with the celebrated director John Waters, a member of this year's biennale jury. When asked if he was surprised to be selected, Waters said, "Others are probably more surprised than me . . . I'm a great fan of this year's curator Bice Curiger. So I feel very honored. There must be some people in the art world who are irritated to see that the master of bad taste is on the jury of the most important art show. But contemporary art and bad taste have more in common than many might like to admit." Surprisingly, Waters has never been to Venice. "I've been almost everywhere, even to Bologna, the Italian capital of the blow job as I was told," he said, adding, "but a jury is lots of work, so I don't think I'll have a lot of time for wild nights, but who knows?"

And as interviewed in ARTINFO.com

What aspect of the Biennale are you most looking forward to?Jury folie a famille

How many times have you been to the Biennale before? Zero

What's your plan of attack for this Biennale? Ruthless exploration

What's your position on gondolas? If they tip over I can swim.

What's the last show that you saw? Louise Lawler at Metro Pictures Gallery, New York

What's the last show that surprised you? Ellsworth Kelly at Matthew Marks Gallery, New York

Why? How NEW all the work seemed.

Do you collect anything? Buildings of Disaster by Boym Partners

What's the most indispensable artwork you own? Oversized Fischli & Weiss "Airport" photograph

What's the last artwork you purchased? Karin Sander mold painting, "Gebrauchsbild"

What's the weirdest thing you ever saw happen in a museum, gallery, art fair, or biennial? Glory holes in bathrooms

What's your art-world pet peeve? Outrageous escalation of auction house surcharges

What's the last great book you read? "Humiliation" by Wayne Koestenbaum

What work of art do you wish you owned? "Carpet #9" by Mike Kelley

What would you do to get it? If I was younger, burglary. Now that I'm older I guess that I'd sell my soul.

What under-appreciated artist, gallery, or work do you think people should know about? George Stoll

Who's your favorite living artist? Cy Twombly

What are your hobbies? How dare you presume I'm a dabbler!

images: John Waters in Venice, Water's artwork, the famous Divine