Author Archives: mostperfectworld
Wallpaper
There are two kinds of beauty, free beauty (pulchritudo vaga) and merely accessory beauty (pulchritudo adhaerens). Free beauty does not presuppose a concept of what the object is [meant] to be. Accessory beauty does presuppose such a concept, as well
Philip Guston’s “Don’ts”
Don’t paint to prove an idea. Don’t paint prove what’s right. Don’t paint to be loved. Don’t decorate rectangles. Don’t accept notions, myths, shibboleths. Don’t accept. Question. Everything. I don’t want to feel caught by my own ideas. I don’t
Philip Guston’s “Don’ts”
Don’t paint to prove an idea. Don’t paint prove what’s right. Don’t paint to be loved. Don’t decorate rectangles. Don’t accept notions, myths, shibboleths. Don’t accept. Question. Everything. I don’t want to feel caught by my own ideas. I don’t
Spectres of James Lee Byars
I began to look at the work of James Lee Byars last year, after the death of Thomas McEvilley, when a number of the subsequent obituaries and reminiscences mentioned that the scholar had been one of the artist’s champions. To
Spectres of James Lee Byars
I began to look at the work of James Lee Byars last year, after the death of Thomas McEvilley, when a number of the subsequent obituaries and reminiscences mentioned that the scholar had been one of the artist’s champions. To
Permanent Collection: The Celebration of the Mass, ca. 1930-35
“In his seminar on the gaze Lacan retells the classical tale of the trompe-l’oeil contest between Zeuxis and Parrhasios. Zeuxis paints grapes in a way that lures birds, but Parrhasios paints a veil in a way that deceives Zeuxis, who
Permanent Collection: The Celebration of the Mass, ca. 1930-35
“In his seminar on the gaze Lacan retells the classical tale of the trompe-l’oeil contest between Zeuxis and Parrhasios. Zeuxis paints grapes in a way that lures birds, but Parrhasios paints a veil in a way that deceives Zeuxis, who
Art for Airports
The San Francisco International Airport showcases some surprising, serious art. On my way from the arrival gate to ground transportation, I encountered a big Jay Defeo painting. A Wayne Thiebaud and a Robert Bechtle followed. Ned Kahn’s Wind Portal, a
Art for Airports
The San Francisco International Airport showcases some surprising, serious art. On my way from the arrival gate to ground transportation, I encountered a big Jay Defeo painting. A Wayne Thiebaud and a Robert Bechtle followed. Ned Kahn’s Wind Portal, a
Printers and Proofs
“Proof”at Planthouse gallery in New York presents the work of three master printers and publishers: Leslie Miller (The Grenfell Press), Ruth Lingen (Poote Press), and Jennifer Melby. Printers’ names are not generally household names. There are a handful—Aldo Crommelynck, Stanley William Hayter,
Printers and Proofs
“Proof”at Planthouse gallery in New York presents the work of three master printers and publishers: Leslie Miller (The Grenfell Press), Ruth Lingen (Poote Press), and Jennifer Melby. Printers’ names are not generally household names. There are a handful—Aldo Crommelynck, Stanley William Hayter,
Two Palaces at Four A.M.
Duncan, a Bottom-headed monarch, writes an autobiography. Regret wells. An underling composes a letter to the king’s former lover, who is a bogle.1 In the letter, pomp and reminiscence alternate until, finally, desperate entreaty breaks through. Reading the epistle, we
Two Palaces at Four A.M.
Duncan, a Bottom-headed monarch, writes an autobiography. Regret wells. An underling composes a letter to the king’s former lover, who is a bogle.1 In the letter, pomp and reminiscence alternate until, finally, desperate entreaty breaks through. Reading the epistle, we
Dialogue 1: Forrest Bess
GLS: Robert Gober seems nice. RMW: [Crosses the room. Fills a glass of water.] The Neuberger Museum was interesting. Their permanent collection surprised me: that early Guston, Night Children, the big Diebenkorn you pointed out, the Hartigan with all the
Dialogue 1: Forrest Bess
GLS: Robert Gober seems nice. RMW: [Crosses the room. Fills a glass of water.] The Neuberger Museum was interesting. Their permanent collection surprised me: that early Guston, Night Children, the big Diebenkorn you pointed out, the Hartigan with all the
Oil on TV
Ken Okiishi recently showed some ten or so works from his Gesture / data series at Reena Spaulings. The idea’s quite simple, really. It’s a wonder no one’s done this before. Actually, I didn’t check— because it’s difficult to imagine
Reflections on Johns’ “Regrets”
The series of images from Jasper Johns’ “Regrets” show at MoMA derive from a photograph of Lucian Freud taken by John Deakin around 1964. The photograph was commissioned by Francis Bacon for his Three Studies of Lucian Freud—the triptych that
Reflections on Johns’ “Regrets”
The series of images from Jasper Johns’ “Regrets” show at MoMA derive from a photograph of Lucian Freud taken by John Deakin around 1964. The photograph was commissioned by Francis Bacon for his Three Studies of Lucian Freud—the triptych that
Delineation v. Eating
If you didn’t see Richard Serra’s Delineator at MoMA, sorry: for the time being, you seem to have missed your chance. I caught the work back in the fall but, stopping in again the other day, was told it had
Delineation v. Eating
If you didn’t see Richard Serra’s Delineator at MoMA, sorry: for the time being, you seem to have missed your chance. I caught the work back in the fall but, stopping in again the other day, was told it had
The New Art and the Anthological
I worked for a time at a used book seller— not at a bookshop, mind you, but one of those vendors you see listed on Amazon or Abebooks. We’d buy books in bulk, generally from overstocked thrift stores, sort through
The New Art and the Anthological
I worked for a time at a used book seller— not at a bookshop, mind you, but one of those vendors you see listed on Amazon or Abebooks. We’d buy books in bulk, generally from overstocked thrift stores, sort through
Measure for Immeasure: Chris Burden at the New Museum
The film begins with an extreme close-up shot of a young man’s face, his forehead and chin partially cropped out of the frame, his head centered on a nondescript, mottled black background. He has light skin, dark hair, thick eyebrows,
Measure for Immeasure: Chris Burden at the New Museum
The film begins with an extreme close-up shot of a young man’s face, his forehead and chin partially cropped out of the frame, his head centered on a nondescript, mottled black background. He has light skin, dark hair, thick eyebrows,
mostperfectworld 