reviews, features & interviews
New blahg on the block
November 9, 2009 · 40 Comments
We are in love. There’s a new blog out there that we want to recommend for its humor, its great design chops, its corporate anonymity and its snarky commentary on Philadelphia area art blogs like ours. artblahg
We just love the sleek two-column format, the blue, black and white colors and the cute use of arrows and invented type. How did they do that???
Anyway, do you see that it’s just like us–isn’t that fun? They must love us!
In addition to loving us, they seem to love Annette Monnier, Rob Matthews, the Funnel Pages, Philebrity and Edie Newhall.
By the way, we heard about this wonderful blog through Rob Matthews who found an email message from likesomebodycares@gmail.com when weeding out his spam folder. They must have alerted everyone and their brother.
Our husbands and a few family members took a look at the site and said to us “Boy they’re really hostile–they’re really mad at you!” Maybe — but artblahg may be the coolest smackdown yet. We’re putting them right on our links page.
Cute! Labeling the local art scene provincial and nepotistic isn’t exactly new or unique though – folks in NY have been saying that for years.
What I’d be more interested in seeing is something along the lines of a Philly flavored version of http://howsmydealing.blogspot.com/ …
anonymous, but participatory critiques of the local art scene. Maybe we could skip the death watch bit though.
Umm, that’s “Snob Ratthewns” to you. See you at the next uber-secret Cool Kids of the Philly Art Community meeting next week, where we will, as usual, plot how to keep everyone that isn’t one of our frenz from enjoying any sort of success around here. I’m looking forward to voting on which press releases we will ignore.
“Banana chips”
You know what I mean.
Should I be insulted that I wasn’t invited to next week’s meeting?
I didn’t want to ruin this surprise but this is scheduled to be your first meeting. That means you are kidnapped as you walk down the streets of Mt. Airy so you don’t know where we meet until after the blood initiation. Don’t panic when it happens. It’s all good. You get the tattoo, the secret handshake, and of course, you become a Mason. Because it all comes back to the Masons.
Saw it the other day and had a chuckle, however I think I’m already bored with it. Now, I know for sure I’m not part of the cool kids. Thanks for the clarification artblahh.
I’ll start practicing snobbery on my 3 year old son in preparation.
“I want gummies.”
“I’m sorry, have we met? I’m terrible with names.”
This is awesome!!!!! I think I know who it is too…this is not the first time I’ve heard someone say…”artblahg”. I think you should be proud to be satirized and so well too, the person who made this obviously reads your blog everyday. It’s important to criticize, but I would like the person who made this to come out of the closet…because just doing it anonymously means you’re a pussy. Either way, this is very funny…good job. I would like to buy an ad on the site.
Love the blagh, and yes, I too was eager to spend my spondolas on an ad on the artblagh…mais non! Le linque ne marche pas!
I put up a little post here about the Philly Blagh Wars :
http://storefrontwindows.blogspot.com/
I love the idea of a satirical art blog, but if they are going to do it, they should do it well. This is much more MAD magazine than Daily Show. The cheese factor makes me cringe.
@Long, I agree the cheesiness factor is nauseating. To each their own, but I have to mention I’m into it because it makes sense….it reminds me of perez hilton’s blog:http://perezhilton.com/, which makes fun of celebrities. The pictures and horrible writing on this site pretty much is perezhilton.com with an artblog face lift. So, it’s perfect, this person or persons is obviously a disgruntled artist and theartblog.org is the celebrity.
blahg blog blah …. and why does this person(s) have to be disgruntled? maybe they are not even artists. maybe they are you and me in techni-color candy coats waiting to get free. but the point should not be lost that Philly is a pretty cliquish scene with mediocre published critique. warm and cozy, yes. but not too much about anything but a lot of youthful vangloryizers with harmless notions of meandering and communalizing. it’s all for the good, i guess. i mean, what the f*rk else are we s’pose to do with our time.
AND… did you know that Arcadia’s works on paper contest got over 1200 entries? that means the jury had less than a minute to consider EACH submitted work over the course of what must have been a tortuous 8 hour day! the gallery got a nice windfall…estimated $20,000 at least. NOW THAT IS AN ART HAPPENING WORTH REPORTING ON!
[...] Artblahg, a satirical take on The Artblog, including a predictable response from Philebrity and a not-so predictable one from Artblog proprietors Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof. (They loved it! Um? Does that make them [...]
Steve, they don’t have to be a disgruntled artist, but it’s obvious that they are based on the fact that they obviously spent a lot of time to build a site that mocks this one that writes about art, obviously. And also did you read it? Anyway, I am sick to death of people complaining about the cliques. If you even care to make art wouldn’t you go out and look at it? If you care wouldn’t you go out and talk to people who make it? Wouldn’t you try to build and be a part of that community? So, go and do it, if you care. Like, somebody cares. What you project is what you receive, unless maybe your artwork does actually suck, but it would definitely improve based on communicating with living breathing people. And yes, I know about the 1,200 entries to Works on Paper….do you know about money? As much as artists, myself included, would like to ignore that it even exists…it does and it makes the art world go round. Do you think João works for free? Or for that matter the person who designed the card and the artists that got into the show who could get either $500 or $1,000 reward? And I’m sure they flagged a lot of the work, meaning he didn’t actually see every piece…and this too is a reality.
you are right berth, i’m sorry.
Kudos to you Roberta and Libby for appreciating this diabolical, snarky and hilarious spoof of your labor-of-love. It’s interesting and funny to see how these things are perceived.
Kudos also to the diabolical, snarky and hilarious blogger(s?) who put this together. It’s an impressive stab in the back that would unquestionably open the doors of the frenz clubhouse to you (should you be brave enough to reveal your identity…something to think over…).
I’m all for anonymous criticism. In a small town like this, for someone who’s up-and-coming or unknown on the circuit, unfortunately, it’s the only way. It could be healthy for everyone to have a venue where people don’t have to be responsible for every word they utter (and not just cathartic-healthy…)
I hope the Artblahg continues and accepts contributions from other anonymous writers who have a perspective to share and the need to speak “truth to power” – power being all so relative here.
I hope s/he/they also have something of their own to promote. That would be a great entree to opening up whatever may be currently be closed to them (if that’s even the case…).
We’re all interested…your move.
Most ultimate blog compliment EVER.
Long: Thank God for THAT. William Gaines could have eaten Jon Stewart for lunch. Gaines ruined minds when they were young. That lasts a lifetime. Stewart just affirms what’s already there.
Gadzooks.. 18 comments!!!
I didn’t realize that “gadzooks” is a euphemism for “God’s Hooks” (the nails on the cross). Jesus loves you by the way!!!
Satire and parody….Mer-ica was built upon it.
JM
HeartAsArena: perhaps because I know nothing of the relevant lasting effects of MAD magazine and should have gone with MAD TV. if you look at the artblahg, i think you’ll see what i mean. or is your cheese meter broken?
Maybe it’s just me, but it all seems pointless, insecure and childishly solipsistic. In other words, worth ignoring until it goes away.
Long: “or is your cheese meter broken?” might be the greatest thing anybody has ever said (er, written) to me.
thanks-but-no thanks
the sloppy humor only goes so far and then it’s just boring.
hypocrites
they are everywhere
here
there
and everywhere
so tiresome
so human
so boring
so uncreative
so cul-de-sac
blag blag blag to infinity
this is the US of A
or US of O as of november
the postive evolution of human conciousness looks bleak
has anyone seen the latest artblahhhhhg story http://artblahg.blogspot.com/2009/11/works-on-paper-how-they-did-it.html?
hmmm….did the germ of the seed of the idea start right here in this comment section? ah, the artblog has a beat left in it yet….
and hey, Beth, thanks for your early endorsement confirming the rumor that (is it really true??) student staffers for Arcadia Gallery ‘flagged’ entries for Arcadia Gallery Works on Paper competition:
“Do you think João works for free? Or for that matter the person who designed the card and the artists that got into the show who could get either $500 or $1,000 reward? And I’m sure they flagged a lot of the work, meaning he didn’t actually see every piece…and this too is a reality.”
to answer your question that you directed at me, no, i don’t think João works for free (by the way, how did you get that little curlykew over the a, i had to cut-and-paste from your comment box!!!) . and if i were an artist who paid to have my work SEEN by the ADVERTISED juror, i would be pissed to all get out if student gallery staffers were busy beeing gatekeepers before JOAO even stepped off the plane. What was the Director doing?
To answer your question, this is not a “reality” i would be willing to accept.
“you are right berth, i’m sorry.” That’s what she said!!!!!!
The whole artblahg enterprise reads less and less like satire and more like 9/11 conspiracy theory.
The critique that I think it’s meant to offer – which is probably a valid one – is pretty much lost in the conflation of fact, fantasy, and highly personalized attacks in the author’s brainpan.
It just comes off weird, vindictive, mean and disconnected with reality. Which is too bad because it should be hilarious, and is to my mind a missed opportunity.
beth, your quote of my quote is missing the point of my intent…i wish there was a computer font called irony. i was being slightly ironic when i apologized, with all due respect.
mr. colin keefe, a nonplussed voice of reason you seem, with humor to boot…you make very valid points. but i would refer you to a few of the comments following up on the blahhhg’s most recent controversial post…I myself don’t mind a bit of bile and spleen mixed into the drink.
Are there any Howard Beale’s to this local scene?
Steve —-> duh.
@steve: Yeah, I’ve been following the recent comments.
Here’s the gestalt takeaway reading I get:
A. The Works On Paper exhibition would only be above board if it were only for people who have no of exhibition history at all in any of the exhibition venues artblahg dislikes or the educational institutions he feels makes one ‘part of the conspiracy’.
Or:
B. The fact that I statistically had a 2.2% chance of being accepted had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that I am not on the list. It must be the Cabal of Philadelphia Insider Art Moguls keeping me down.
I didn’t get in either. I’m personally leaning towards B.
artists paying $25 to enter juried shows cold are suckers, artists who shrug their shoulders when told that the advertised juror did not even look at much of the work are pathetic, artists who defend that are morons.
did they really flag work before the juror arrived? has dick torchia responded to that here? if it’s true everyone who entered should demand refunds. it was false advertising.
Hi Martin, I agree with all your points. I don’t believe Arcadia has put out any information to dispute to the allegations. That’s an oversight on their part.
Roberta and Martin, I agree. And i’m over my bout of indigestion. I am curious if Arcadia is aware of this little rupture over the generally quiet environs they keep? My major point, as I first stated, was exactly this: that such a juried competition that attracted over 1000 local entrants (are there too many artists in this over-indulged society of ours?) should in and of itself be the topic of discussion! And i was surprised that artblog did not take a more critical perspective and chose to just applaud. I think there is far more interesting and critically valuable content to explore in context to the workings of the art industry and our Philly scene. And I hope artblahg will champion that cause. Artblog, with all respect due to your efforts, is more of a cheerleader. Not banal, at all. In fact, I would say some of Artblahg’s satire is quite on target.
If indeed the works on paper submissions were flagged by undergraduate staffers at Arcadia Gallery, then that exhibit, in my opinion, needs to be flagged. And money needs to be refunded. Has there been any comment by the Director?
There are power brokers and practices in your little art world that echo the incestuous culture of far more significant social institutions in the news these days. I am not implying that the power brokers of the Philly art scene are hoarding capital and living the high life at the expense of the stake holders (you and me). But these power brokers do have a huge influence on what is seen in the ‘scene’. Whose in charge of the money that gets awarded to all the art projects and programs in this city? Who are the gatekeepers behind the scenes?
At the recent GPCA annual meeting they celebrated spending millions of dollars (redirected from funding grass roots arts and community organizations and programs struggling for crumbs) to fund expensive marketing studies. What did they find????
From GPCA’s Research Into Action report (see — http://www.philaculture.org/category/research-category/report )
“The importance of non-white audiences: African-Americans and Hispanics report the highest level of cultural activity a compelling finding as virtually all population growth through 2020 in the region will come from non-white residents. ”
The actual numbers in something called the The Cultural Engagement Index stats indicate that hispanics scored 129, african americans scored 108 and whites scored 94.
By 2020 the Greater Philadelphia population change will break along demographic lines above goes like this: non-white, +35%; white -1%.
Millions of dollars spent on glossy reports that tell the predominantly white gatekeepers of our cultural institutions and granting foundations that they better start spending more money on THE community WHEN all that money could have been being spent on THE community. How much time and money was wasted reaching this all too obvious ‘epiphany’?
Don’t give the Kimmel Center or the Art Museum more money to enhance their programs. Spread the money and opportunities to smaller organizations that have practical ideas and direct access to THE community. It’s not about color lines, it’s about increasing the amount of smaller scale, grass roots organizaitions and thus increasing the real, on the ground opportunities.
and Gierschick, i’m sorry you feel this way about the artblahg: “Maybe it’s just me, but it all seems pointless, insecure and childishly solipsistic. In other words, worth ignoring until it goes away.”
Where’s my Maalox…
Can’t resist getting in on both these threads! Philadelphia has needed dialogue on the arts so here it is on oppositional art blogs 1 & 2. It can’t hurt because any “air-time” is good… I would, however, like to point out there is a big difference between bitching about the status quo when you are honestly disenfranchised and bitching about the bitching when you aren’t. It is hard to tell who is who. All I know is that I moved here 15 years ago with an MFA and hard time in the UK art world and it has taken all that time to land some college level adjunct teaching. If you call that now being an insider, fine, but recently I had to fight my way into a faculty show at UARTS! I have to conclude that incompetence and corruption are endemic. That only suits a minority.
I wonder if anyone has informed Arcadia of all of this hubbub. They may not be aware of this discussion…maybe someone should call them and allow them to respond (just a thought).
And to you Artblahg, I was excited at first, but honestly, when you accuse others of not playing fair, you need to be above board. In reading your responses to comments, I’m thankful that you’re not in a position to make decisions that effect artists in this city. Angry, reckless, selfish, childish and completely naive. What a shame.
OK, so I just got the official press release from Arcadia. It says:
“Exhibition juror Ribas reviewed a total of 1256 entries (a record for the “Works on Paper” series) submitted by 567 artists living within a 40-mile range of the University…
With only 22 works by 22 artists, “Works on Paper 2009” is among the most incisive iteration of the show in two decades. Commenting on the process of jurying the work, Ribas stated: “I was impressed by the diversity and quality of the entries. My encounter with specific pieces at the initial stages of the review process prompted a series of visual, conceptual, and narrative connections that established a thread I choose to follow to its conclusion as an exhibition.” The resulting exhibition, with its layering of organic, formal affinities and open, associative themes, can be read as a curated effort that expresses a decisive sensibility. ”
Nothing about student elves steering the boat…
ok ok, I was going to sit this brouhaha out. But really, I think the elliptical press release does not pass for a denial or a counter version. Nonetheless, I don’t really believe there were shenanigans, but I do believe that the accusers think there were, and that a more explicit process statement might be worthwhile. At the same time, I also don’t think the accusers will buy it no matter how countered, because it would run counter to their world view (whoever “they” may be). In short, the conspiracy crowd has shut itself off from a true conversation.
To bring a little sensibleness to all this, what benefit would there be to not looking? The goal of the show is to be the best possible, and that would involve looking at everything and picking out what’s best. Do you really believe that Richard just wanted to include his 22 “frenz” and not care if he had a good show? Give me a break!
Here’s some sensibleness,
1. Disallow arcadia employee’s from being allowed to apply. (It’s just the right thing to do)
2. Get rid of the size restrictions and the bringing the work nonsense. (Ridiculously old fashioned, often un-feasable and excludes large numbers of artists)
3. Create a short-list before finalizing the actual show and notify said shortlisted artists. This is common in many big open call shows. Provides some accountability of the process.
My two cents.
I learned of this issue yesterday, so my perception of the parody site is filtered through the Arcadia entry. Maybe I would have found artblahg more amusing had I seen it earlier, but I doubt it. This kind of humor is more successful when its overtly juvenile action is supported by some kind of underlying structure. The resourcefulness and energy that have gone into this project make it that much smaller. This attack begins as a top-heavy prank and eventually betrays itself as a gutless waste of time.
“He’d have been a show-dog, but his balls never dropped.”
We were the most recent lucky recipients of his/her/its/their bile.
I just think it’s funny they picked a venue that charges no commissions, shows total strangers and goes out of its way to attract a NON art-going crowd as an example of insider art elitism.
Where can I find this site? Not on google, and it appears you took the link down in this article. Can you re-post the link?