Man on Wire

I'm excited to see this new film about Phillip Petit, the tightrope walker who had a vision to cross the Twin Towers and did it. Late in the evening they shot an arrow with the metal cable attached at at 7:15am the next morning he crossed 1300 feet above the Manhattan sidewalks. I first read about him in an interview in Acne Paper and thought it was so romantic. He reminded me of a real life version of Baptiste from the film Children of Paradise, whom I might be for Halloween. The beauty of his falling in love with a woman who resembled the moon, forever constant in his mind and heart, but unattainable in his complex world. "Love can be so simple" she said. I haven't seen it yet, but know I will be moved and inspired. It's playing at the Sunshine Theatre in NYC where I'll be to launch the current issue of First Person mag and excited to see all NYC has to offer, and there is always plenty, and all my great ambitious warm friends. Here's to having a passion and vision in life and carrying it out in reality.

fpxbn

Thing is you will end up like me

Is the title of Paul Shiek's new exhibition which opened last night at Stephen Wirtz Gallery. Congratulations to the young emerging artist for being signed to their great roster of photographers. And to Stephen for noticing such bright talent. Funny thing is I've seen two great shows this week with piles of books. Paul's show had a stack of his catalogs on a palette in the middle of the painted white room still wrapped in shrink wrap. He said he wanted the area around the palette to stain with shoe prints to create some sense of aura, and he'd send me a catalog after the show was done. a student of Jim Goldberg, Todd Hido and Larry Sultan there's a bit of them in there mixed with a witty Wil Rogan and youthful Ari Marcopoulos. Paul's off to a wicked start. check it out on 49 geary. black and white photos,and be sure to check out his publishing imprint TBW. The other pile of books was by one of my fave artist collectives Claire Fontaine. Showing upstairs at the Wattis at CCA SF, the stack of bricks covered by French subversive book covers from the usual suspects makes an homage to Carl Andre and the collectives affiliation with 60's French radicalism. Other pieces in the installation include a home video on how to pick locks and a neon sign in Pharsee spelling 'Foreigners Everywhere'. And if you do stop by bring something blue to add to the nest installation upstairs. And be sure to check out the Wizard of Oz show downstairs. Use the elevator. There's a cool rendition of a Steve Martin record played by artist Tim Lee on the banjo! I heart "elevator art". I'm gonna coin that. It's gonnna be bigger than Electroclash, Larry T...

Dots Dots and Less Dots

So, I know you know Tauba Auerbach's conceptual letter and word series. And if you don't, you may find her reconstructed Bible at the SFMoMa amongst other objects in the Design section. Her new series based on chance, comprise of; an abstract minimalist painting of crumpled papers blown up. Her floor composed of randomly thrown tiles like dice resembling a pattern on a computer generated postage stamp, and airbrushed works on paper. Tomorrow at 5pm, Tauba gives a short talk at the Wattis on the 2nd floor in the gallery space featuring her work amongst others (I presume. As I didnt receive the official press release, but rather a hello letter from Tauba). I'm excited to see her new offering in a series of works that I hope are Tauba: totally fun, accessible but brilliantly brainy. She knows how to make conceptual works WORK. Like Sol Lewitt in aesthetic, and almost in practice, as she has a few assistants she could direct entirely like a Yoko Ono instruction painting, her works are thrilling to engage with and that simple kind of "why didn't I think of that" type stuff artists are envious of. In a recent collaboration with a scholar in Oxford, Tauba's research has yet again set her on another adventure deriving symbols for scientific formulas and theories. Good luck in New York and beyond, Tauba. You don't need our blessing! FPxBN

Mozz's got a new Single

So, I've been missing in action lately, drawing dots for Tauba Auerbach's new breakthrough abstraction works. Helping along roundtable of friends and assistants, I was filling in a slew of black acrylic watery dots. The dots are part of a half tone transformation from a crumpled up piece of paper when seen up close are just dots, but from at least 15 feet away looks like the original crumpled piece of paper. I think she just one-upped Bridget Riley! For an upcoming show at Deitch including Xyler Jane, Ara Peterson and Mitzi Pederson dealing with Popstractions.... go check it out soon in June. Tauba's been wonderful to work for and her fresh lemon squeezed on ravioli will forever remain a classic addition to my cooking lexicon. Here's to evolution in art, cooking and her move, everyone's moving it seems .... to .... New York.

SFMoMa Now Showing...

For some reason, the SFMoMa has paid all this advertising for the Lee Friedlander show across town. But it's kind of like saying the special on the menu for the evening is a bland hamburger, the kind of lunch you get for punishment on Hell's Kitchen for losing a round, when there is a beautifully complex frozen foie gras cured with sake, freshly caught sashimi and delicately robust arugula salad also on the menu in small print. The tightly curated and more individual pieces at the SFMoMa are simply wonderful. They are enjoyable in a sense that they make you feel like a kid on an art playground with friends and everyday objects transformed into something greater but not in a big showy way. In "Cut", curated by Henry Urbach, their new Architecture and Design Curator who also commissioned the visionary frozen BMW by Olafur Eliasson, Peter Wegner delivers two great installations: his photographs of upside down skylines which make you turn your head slightly and his sublime color piece of papers stacked on their side creating an industrial sunset. A Gordon Matta-Clark hallway shows his "Splitting" video documenting the physicality of sawing light through a house and slanting its foundation. Upstairs "wonderful" continues to describe the Joan Jonas video where you are transported to a playing field with her friends in the cold enacting games which could be warm up excercises for a Fellini film. Bundled up, they roll past the camera performing cartwheels, strike wooden blocks above their heads to make plonky sounds, follow chalk lines that lend structure to their movements, and have multiple conversations painting an audio depth of field for the camera. But perhaps the well-known name of Friedlander is a tool to bring in the masses and hopefully they will be lured into one of these other great pieces. Or, like the Guston exhibition that showed simultaneously with their well publicized Manet show years ago, perhaps the hardcore art fan can rest assuredly enjoy his or her trip in peace, while the general public cues up outside the museum in droves for what they have been told is important by textbooks. Afterall, their ticket stubs do help pay for these other shows, and illustrate how marketing can be successful. I guess... but maybe you decide.

Dream Date.

If you want to take your date somewhere private, somewhere other, somewhere magical, come to the Legion of Honor for their Cinema Supper Club. Completely unaware that they housed one of the most enchanting movie theatres in San Francisco, this quaint cinema house with hand-painted ceiling of winged horses and blindfolded maidens above, and comfy velvet opera antique seats below, made me giddy as a school girl, a Catholic school girl. That evening the screening was "The Ballet Russe" with a thorough introduction to the film by a knowledgeable and articulate programmer. The film was totally entertaining, educational, and chalk full of archival footage which brought the Ballet Russe to life. With regards to the film itself, my one critique was that I wished it included more on its originator, impresario Serge Diaghilev.

The kitchen and wait staff at the Legion Cafe have never let me down but for some reason there was a group with walkie talkies and badges at the entrance of the restaurant gathered round a cheeseplate chatting which kind of threw off the elegant ambiance of the room. Anyhow, initially trying out their restaurant for jazz brunch not too long ago, their dinner proved just as sumptuous, light and satisfying. Their aforementioned cheese plate which I was curious to try needed a bit more worldliness to it (Jack Cheese?). The menu selection is catered to an older crowd; fish and chips, but spiced up with special touches like tamarind ketchup, and meatloaf and mash potatoes were presented as a deliciously stacked mountain of homecooked perfection. I think it might give the cafe more of a restaurant feel if they painted some of the walls a richer, darker hue, because the high quality food deserves elegant surroundings. Or perhaps it's the best Museum cafeteria food, one will ever have priveledge of tasting. Next time, I might wear nice jeans and a jacket instead of a designer dress and heels?

Part of the Cinema Supper Club includes free access to the galleries without the daytime crowds. Having a somewhat private view is great as the Leibowitz exhibition takes some time to soak in with a video documentary, an entire nook of snap shots pinned onto bulletin boards, and noticing details like a Presidential belt buckle on George Bush, who stood like a proud warrior alongside Condie, Rumsfeld and the head of the FBI. The portrait was dated December 2001, shortly after the 9/11 intervention. Also on view, which is quite special to experience in the evening is a new installation of Dale Chihuly's works. Vibrant blown glass standing over 2 stories tall, the sculptures were in good company in the Rodin room and glowed outside in the courtyard. The contrast of the kinetic colorful work proves to be a wonderfully strong asset to the FAMSF collection breathing an unexpected contemporality into the classic atmosphere. Linked to an upcoming exhibition at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, the yellow Chihuly which seems as if it's growing out of their garden fountain is spectacular from a distance, like a mustard lorax tree from a Dr. Seuss story but up close its structural support kind of gives its organic quality away.

But, please do take advantage of the Cinema Supper Club while it lasts at the Legion. And, wear a coat because it can get quite windy up near the Sutro Cliffs. Driving recommended. Check the famsf.org site for program listings to this special affair and other events. I think they're making a wonderful attempt at programming exciting ways to access art and enjoy a refined and memorable evening out. Becoming a member wouldn't be such a bad idea. I think their offerings are unique and worthwhile, not trendy.

censorship is still prevalent

INDIA REFUSES MEESE SCULPTURE



A sculpture by Jonathan Meese has been turned away at the Indian border. As the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's Swantje Karich reports, Indian customs officials at Mumbai airport took a "drastic" approach to Meese's bronze sculpture Don't Call Us, We'll Call You, 2007, which was en route to the gallery Mirchandani + Steinruecke for inclusion in the exhibition "General Sweetie." According to Karich, the dealers attempted to persuade the airport customs officials to let the work through by citing "traditional Indian erotic literature." Just as the shipment was due to be checked again, the official in charge gave up and simply sent the sculpture back to Germany.