Stories from the Libby and Roberta archives
[Ed. Note: Libby Rosof and Roberta Fallon, two collaborating artists, began a blog about art in 2003. So began their disappearance. As these tales relate, the disappearance didn’t happen all at once. It was a step by step stripping of their individual identities until nothing was left but Liberta, the phantom of the blogosphere.]
Roberta and Libby both writing for the blog
Tale 1: Will the true author of the blog please stand up?
Loretta said to Libby, Roberta writes most of the blog doesn’t she? Libby was a little surprised since Roberta had been in Wisconsin for two weeks, during which time she, Libby, had posted 15 items and Roberta had posted nothing. Libby said to Loretta, I occasionally write a little for the blog too.
Tale 2: Being two places at once
Libby posted some stories from Los Angeles where she was visiting. That same day Jennifer wrote Roberta an email: I know you’re in Los Angeles but I need some help. Roberta wrote back: Sure I’ll help you, and it’s Libby who’s in Los Angeles.
It didn’t make a bit of difference.
Tale 3: Say it once, say it twice.
Libby and Roberta added their bylines to the top of each post as well as at the end. It didn’t make a bit of difference.
Tale 4: Miss Manners and the accomodation factor
Roberta ran into Barbara in the ICA and Barbara said I really loved your piece on Slought in your art blog the other day. It got to the heart of things. Roberta said, thanks, it was a great piece. Libby wrote it. Dana congratulated Libby for her wonderful piece in the Weekly. Libby said thanks, it was a great piece. Roberta wrote it.
Roberta and Libby used to be two people.
Tale 5: Momism, first step to identity blur
Roberta and Libby used to be two people. One was short, one was tall. One had curly hair, one had straight hair. They were married to different people who never got them confused. It was true that they both turned their heads when someone yelled Mom!
Irritated by the confusion
Tale 6: Acceptance is death, second step to identity blur
Sometimes Libby and Roberta got damned irritated by the confusion but sometimes they thought it was funny and shrugged their shoulders. They didn’t know how to nip the confusion in the bud.
Libby and Roberta manipulating the New York art market
Tale 7: Fame and fortune
All the while, Artblog kept getting more and more readers, many of whom made fantastic donations to keep the great blog going. In 2009 Roberta and Libby were asked to appear on the Daily Show. Jon Stewart couldn’t understand why anyone was reading about art let alone writing about it. Stewart’s ratings skyrocketed thanks to Artblog. By 2010, Libby and Roberta were billionaires from manipulating the New York art market.
Billionaires Libby and Roberta on the cover of Artforum
Tale 8: Even money can’t sharpen the picture.
In hopes of immortality Libby gave $500 million to the Philadelphia Museum of Art so they would re-name the museum in her honor. Next time Roberta was at the museum, Anne d’Harnoncourt thanked her for her gift.
Tale 9: Government confusion 1
Libby wrote a screed against the Patriot Act, which survived into the Obama/Clinton administration. In short order, Homeland Security arrived at Roberta’s door and took her to an undisclosed location in bucolic Europistan.
Roberta without her computer in Europistan
Tale 10: Government confusion 2
Prior to her abduction, Roberta wrote a post about the effect of Islamic script on grafitti art. The next day, FBI Chief Dick Cheney, clone of the original who died in 2009, arrived at Libby’s door, took her away and put her on an orbiting space station lacking internet service.
Libby orbiting without internet service
Tale 11: Phantom of the blogosphere
In spite of the irritating loss of Libby and Roberta, posts by Roberta, Libby and Liberta continue to appear on Artblog.
Where are Libby and Roberta?
Respectfully submitted,
Archivist for the Committee on Identity Theft
A p r i l F o o l !!!
