Mark Creegan, Download Smurfette (detail), 2006

Mark Creegan (an ArtCat artist) is the latest entry in J.T. Kirkland’s artist interview series. He was interviewed by Zachary Stadel. Mark (as part of a collective) is in the show that opens Friday at 3rd Ward. [different Mark it turns out]

In other ArtCat artist news:

• Jonathan Podwil has a solo show up now at Plane Space.
• Joe Ovelman has a solo show at Oliver Kamm/5BE opening Friday.
• Bari Ziperstein has a solo show in Los Angeles at Bank, opening Saturday.
• Susan C. Dessel is in a group show called Access: A Feminist Perspective at Rhonda Schaller Studio opening January 20.
• Meredith Allen is in Silicone Valley at PS1, opening February 10.

The website Daily Kos is one of the most influential political blogs / communities on the ’net. Their second convention, called YearlyKos will take place in Chicago August 2-5, 2007.

There is a new way for artists to get involved with this year’s convention.

Calling all artists, poets, performers, musicians and art lovers at DailyKos to check a new Yahoo group, ArtKos, which has been formed to develop and plan some arts and politics related activities and events for this year’s Ykos in Chicago. The idea was spawned recently in KingOneEye’s diary Join the Art Insurgency This groupsite is also a place to make connections, share art related political news, events, exhibitions, websites, and whatever strikes people’s interest, not to mention discussion and inspiration!  This group and our plans are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the Ykos organization, though they have been informed of our existence and our ideas.

[image from Join the Art Insurgency]

This was one of my favorite shows in December. It’s closed now, but here is a slideshow with some not-so-great images of Kate Levant’s work along with some installation shots. We met Kate when she came to Dam Stuhltrager to help Jacques Louis Vidal install his big lightbox for our show. The one up in the ceiling by the fluorescent light had a sound component too.

The other artists in the show were Brian Clifton, Jeffrey P. Porterfield, Joshua Smith, Mike Smith and Ned Vena.

Why do so many gallery sites insist on resizing my browser? I know what size my screen is, and this isn’t 1992 with 800px wide screens.

Thomas Eller and Hans Neuendorf, video still from VernissageTV

I just watched a video interview of Artnet founder and CEO Hans Neuendorf and Thomas Eller, the Editor-in-Chief of Artnet Magazine, on VernissageTV. The biggest story I found in the interview was the discussion of Artnet planning to launch an online art auction platform, a kind of eBay for the art world. The reason this would be a big deal for the auction houses, should they pull it off, is that they are talking about commissions in the 5-10% range. Neuendorf suggested that artists might use it, not just collectors and dealers.

Other highlights:

• Hans Neuendorf is very interested in the idea of market transparency, so that artists, dealers, and collectors have a better idea of how certain artists and works are really being priced.
• The importance of online platforms for art, since there are a large number of artists without access to the market. In an age with very high real estate prices, galleries can’t afford to rent more space to show more artists and works even if they wish to.
• Liquidity is a problem for the art market – galleries with big inventories have significantly more financial risk than auction houses.
• At least 40,000 artists graduating from art schools in USA each year.

I also like this point (paraphrasing): “There are easier ways to make money than being an art dealer, despite all the talk of money — they’re idealists.”

having one’s windows rattled by NYPD helicopters. Perhaps they should spend some of those fuel dollars on giving the NYPD better salaries. The starting salary for a new cop? $25K.

Cheney reminds us why we need to impeach Bush before anyone starts indicting members of his administration.

Cheney Hails Ford’s Pardon of Nixon

The nation honored Gerald R. Ford in funeral ceremonies Saturday that recalled the touchstones of his life, from combat in the Pacific to a career he cherished in Congress to a presidency he did not seek. He was remembered as the man called to heal the country from the trauma of Watergate.

Ford’s decision to pardon Richard Nixon, so divisive at the time that it probably cost him the 1976 election, was dealt with squarely in his funeral services by his old chief of staff, Vice President Dick Cheney.

“It was this man, Gerald R. Ford, who led our republic safely though a crisis that could have turned to catastrophe,” said Cheney, speaking in the Capitol Rotunda where Ford’s body rested. “Gerald Ford was almost alone in understanding that there can be no healing without pardon.”

I have to admit that Matt Greene’s show at Deitch was not one of my favorite things I’ve seen lately. Roberta Smith, in the New York Times, seems to agree. Her review begins:

Matt Greene’s résumé includes lots of the right names in terms of galleries, critics and museum shows, but the paintings in his New York gallery debut disappoint. They seem conservative, thin and calculated to appeal to young, straight, male hedge-fund managers with a yen for lap dances and a taste for magazine illustrations from the 1960s.