Uncategorized
South Philly Biennial sunshine
By roberta
June 5, 2008 · 5 Comments
On this gloomy day in Philadelphia I want to post some pictures of the sunshine and brilliant colors of the South Philly Biennial, a 21st Century Woodstock in a parking lot that pulled a couple hundred people together to celebrate the thriving art community that’s sprung up in South Philly and loves it there.
Libby and I spoke briefly and received an award for helping art grow. Our gold statuettes (they remind me of the Oscars!) were utterly sweet just like the whole event organized by the energetic and community-spirited artist, Athena Barat.
More photos at my flickr and here are Libby’s photos.
Athena Barat, organizer of the event.
Ryan Trecartin was there under the nom de hair Goallana Roomtone. Here he is giving Athena some blonde extensions.
Trecartin told us the extensions were a little hard to get off (they go on with latex and it’s best to get them off with olive oil). When I asked him what he was working on now he said he was getting ready for a new movie and was making some sculptures for it with Lizzie (Fitch). He also said he was talking with the Fabric Workshop about screening his most recent film I-Be Area there (which would be great because many of us missed it when it was at Bobos on 9th).
Jesse Greenberg’s megabinxes.
Greenberg told me that the Bobos on 9th crew (Drew, Nick and Phil) were curating an art show at Foxy Productions in New York that opens in July. The show will include his work and other works shown at the Bobos on 9th gallery. There will be a Philly component and the plan is to have a live video feed between the two galleries.
Sweatheart!
Andrew Jeffrey Wright and Andrea Kirsh
When I arrived, Andrew Jeffrey Wright and Andrea Kirsh were sitting on the ground (Andrew was on his skateboard) in the only shade in the entire place. I joined them immediately.
Liz Rywelski as Bonnie Showcase.
Colorful hut
Colorful sculpture
This hanging birdcage-like sculpture in front of the colorful abstract wall piece was great and went nicely with all the glitter and sequins and bright colors on peoples costumes. Notice the red dot — someone bought the work. The pole from which the cage hangs looks like a hospital iv drip stand.
Live Karaoke band signup sheet
K-Fai Steele’s cat ladies
Our gold statuettes were awarded “for helping art grow.”
Tags: andrea kirsh, andrew jeffrey wright, athena barat, liz rywelski, Ryan Trecartin, south philly biennial, sweatheart
More Uncategorized
This was a cool event and I applaud the organizers for getting it together.
But the art was just terrible. It all looked like freshman art student garbage.
I thought the art was pretty nice. But context is …if not everything, then important. Just like museum walls and floors will elevate most anything sited there, art seen outside on a parking lot in the midst of a rough-and-tumble, youthful and kinda-crazy street fair will be seen as one with what’s around it. I wouldn’t toss any of it in the garbage — and I wouldn’t be so quick to judge it without knowing more about it (some of the works have been in galleries around town and are hardly tossed off works.)
Ouch, Roberta your response was very patronizing. As an old art professor once said “You can’t polish shit”. I have found treasures in junk shops and junk in galleries and museums.
I do believe our point is that you made an unfair, blanket statement saying the art was terrible and student garbage. That tars the work that was not terrible, not freshman art student garbage, and in fact was pretty good.
hi anonymous, i’m sorry you thought i was being patronizing. I wasn’t and am not. But your use of the words terrible and garbage — coming in anonymously — was so inflammatory it needed a serious response. Basically, you made a judgment and didn’t back it up and that’s just not fair. Ten years of working as an art critic has taught me it’s wise to slow down and consider instead of tossing off a judgment. I’ve also learned that snap judgments are as often wrong as they are right no matter what Malcolm Gladwell says. I’ll stand by what I said, the work wasn’t polished shit it was mostly good.