Painting: Now and Forever, Part II at GREENE NAFTALI

[jeffreycollins]

Looks like they had a really nice Kelly Piece there and could have used some better lighting on it as you say. Only wish I could see the show in person. Looks like a lot of crappy painting, but with the good always comes the bad too. Oh well...

[jameskalm]

I hate to pop your bubble, but the pronghorn here, again is an image that is dealing with kitsch, debased aesthetics and visual irony. Smart kids shoving imitation truck stop tchachkas in the face of the New York intelligentsia. (and I like pronghorns) Missed the Fort Hall Pow Wow this year.

[jameslour]

When will we get through with all this mind art and get back to basics. Is it so uncool to care about painting? Was Albert Einstein correct, "perfection of means and confusion of goals seem, in my opinion, to characterize our age" ?

[jameskalm]

17th century French academicians asked the same question. Evolution moves in only one direction. Ab-Ex and the "New York School" are over. Post-Modernist thought and hermeneutics are not "confusion of goals" but a questioning of norms People will start caring about "painting" again when it becomes so compelling they can't ignore it any longer, JK

[jameslour]

So you are saying that people do not care about Sean Scully?

[jameslour]

Basics go way beyond Ab Ex.  People care about Sean Scully. He does not fit the Post Modern mold. I do not think cleverness will win out, no mater how intellectually compelling it is.

[LawrenceCharlesMille]

I'm with you Jameslour. The excessive intellectual slant seems like an affectation to me. It feels Teutonic. Has the glint of harshness-from scientific instruments, of weapons or metallic minds. Lately I've been admiring the work of hapless native artists who have less apparent ideological armature: Homer, Hopper, Ryder, Kline, Pollock, Warhol.

[jameskalm]

It's not my place to posit artists as examples of where painting is or isn't going. Scully, Marden and Ryman all achieved recognition but their names don't come up often in the conversations I have with young painters and critics. Your discomfort is a sign of this works potency, though a lot of it isn't my cup-a-tea.

[MrWowforever]

the title, Painting now and ......., is misleading here. theses are just 'some paintings now, for a month'. Ab ex died because the notion of 'movements' died. the New york school passed because some of the artists got successful and others gave up. Mary heilmann's 'rediscovery' is proof (i hope) that painting has sincere deep fissures running beneath the surface of whatever irony farts up on stage. just my opinion.....:)

[RonSchira]

What can I say, you say it already, great coverage. Thank you.

[LawrenceCharlesMille]

Loved the Christopher (didn't catch last name?). The one with benday dots. Was he like that Graham dude making an arrogant joke? Oh God I hope not - or I might have to give up on this art business.

Of one thing I'm sure. You James are for real. Thanks!

Best-

[jameskalm]

Christopher Wool, very hot artist, not so much an arrogant joke as questioning the expectations of the viewer.

This was a less conceptual grouping of works, though from a New York view they'll all pretty "dry ball" JK

[davidfstarr]

Thanks James.

[LawrenceCharlesMille]

Thank you for the info. I will check out Wool's work.

You are an important link. And the discussion here is enlightening. Best-

[jameslour]

To me these paintings have more body than the last video. Thanks

[MrWowforever]

thanks....merlin carpenter was a kippenberger assistant 4 years...thanks for a great show

[CapricornArtist73]

Thanks James loving these videos! ;)Nice to learn whos hot and who's not lol.