feature: the art awards

8/14/2019 Feature: The Art Awards

1/5

THE FIRSTANNUALART

AWARDS

Presented by rob Pruitt

at the GuGGenheim museum

FEATURE:TheArtAwards

48

Citys tak e oN . . .

The art world could use a little pick me up these days, so what better time to hand out a few prizes? Intended to celebrate the creative community,

Rb Pruitts First Annual Art Awards hav a lt mr in cmmn with a bwling cmptitin (whr vryn gts a trphy just r trying) than a

bauty pagant (whr vryn gts a spray tan). In art, thr isnt rally such a thing as th bst, Pruitt says, s h nvisins th awards ullling

a lir purps rcgnizing th art cmmunity as a whl. As th vnts rganizr and an artist himsl, Pruitt says, I hp that th awards will

intrduc art t a largr audinc and als mak ppl qustin th ly status art, which can n b alinating.

Rathr than mulat vr-glitzd vnts such as th Vogue Cstum Institut Gala, Pruitt nvisins th Art Awards prmting a vib mr in kping

with his wn Rb Pruitts Fla Markt. Sm ppl hav qustind th apprpriatnss giving ut awards r art, h says, But I s this as an

xciting cuntr t all th magazin cvrs and binnials that ar chsn by an lit w. Pruitt himsl prsss nt t knw th winnrs, sinc th

nmins wr slctd by a larg cmmitt artists, critics, and gallrists. (Wr gussing that, sinc PricwatrhusCprs isnt handling scu-

rity, hs pkd in th nvlp).

Nvrthlss, with th crmny bing hld in th rtunda th Guggnhim Musum, and with prsntrs drawn rm th wrlds ashin and

clbrity, thrs n dnying th incipint glamur th ccasin. But as th musums Brnwyn Knan nts, In additin t th spirit cm-

munity-building, th vnt will undrais n bhal th musum, Whit Clumns gallry, and th innvativ Studi in a Schl prgram. S

hpully, n day a spnsrd studnt will b standing n stag, clutching th scrappy award Pr uitt has dsignd r th ccasin A classic

silvr ic buckt hlding a champagn bttl that I cnvrtd int a lamp. In kping with th th rit rquird t succd as a struggling yung

artist, Pruitt says that its unctinal as wll as cmmmrativ. KEN MILLER

on ocbr29, h r cmmuniy in Nw Yr will b hnrd inh yl f Hllywd wrd hw. Rb Prui will highligh hb f h b in hi yr gllry hw, muum inllin, ndvn l ifim chivmn. and h Nmin r . ... .

Photography: Eddie Branna n / Illustr ation: Gant Powell


2/5

W cant think a bttr rcipint r th litim achi-

vmnt award than Jan Jnas, n th rst artists t

pinr th us prrmanc, multimdia and vid.

Mrvr, as a prminnt mal artist, Jnas was a lad-

ing gur in th 70s Sh l scn that has cm t d-

n th Nw Yrk art cmmunity. Jnas has nvr rcivd

th statsid rcgnitin sh dsrvs, in part bcaus

prrmanc-basd art has always bn a tugh sll

arund hr. But as part a gnratin scruy innva-

trs (alng with Dan Graham and Vit Accnci, t nam a

cupl) wh placd thir wn crativ idntity at th cn-

tr thir wrk and wh rly mixd thatr, installa-

tin art, and vid dcumntatin, sh hlpd crat a

tmplat (r prhaps brak dwn sm lngstanding

ruls) that has allwd svral gnratins t innvat.

Whn in dubtput n a Picass xhibitin. Whn h wasnt busy rtting his sta abut pr sals,

thats xactly what Larry Gagsian did this summr, and th crwds lind up at his dr. Wh ar w t

cmplain abut a gallry xhibitin with th drawing pwr a majr musum rtrspctiv? Picasss

latr wrk shws him t b, wll, Picass.

And dont forgetWhil Gagsians Picass xhibitin may hav drawn th crwds, th sam gallrys Yayi Kusama

shw this summr arguably had a biggr prsnc n th Intrnt. Thanks t cnstant Facbk mbil

uplads, hr Innity Rm rally was vrywhr.

Joan Jonas

& Kasper Knig

N o M I N a T e D

Piero Manzoni, Gagos

Pablo Picasso, Gagosi

Cindy Sherman, Metro Pi

Paul Sharits, Greene Na

LIFETIMEachIEvEMEnT

SOLO GaLLERY ShOW/gallery


50

oscar sasn runs rm octbr thrugh Dcmbr, and that sam schdul can b applid t prstig

musum shws. S vn thugh Urs Fischrs xhibitin at th Nw Musum is pning almst simultan-

usly t th Art Awards, his shw is ur pick t tp th yar. Bst knwn in Nw Yrk r Yu, his 2007

xhibitin with Antny Grmly at Gavin Brwns entrpris, in which h xcavatd a giant cratr in th

cntr th gallry, Fischr is a surprisingly varid and whimsical sculptr. ovr th past w yars,

wv sn svral prminnt lcal artists rciv sl musum shws, nly t undr-whlm whn askd

t ll a big spac. Fischrs cmbinatin mnumntality and lightnss maks him prct r a crwd-

plasing musum xhibitin t cls ut a yar that culd us a pick-m-up as it winds t a cls.

N o M I N a T e D

Louise Bourgeois

Urs Fischer

Dan Graham

Mary Heilmann

aRTIST OF ThE YEaR

Th mastrmind bhind th Nw Musums Yungr

Than Jsus xhibitin, Massimilian Gini had th guts

t tak n th Whitny Binnial and stablish a nw tri-

nnial survy shw. Th rsult was an intriguingly divrs

cllctin artists that intrducd us t sm ptntial

stars. Nw th trick is t pull it again in thr yars!

And dont forget

Kathy Graysns Nw Yrk Minut xhibitin a-

turs a whpping 80 artists, s vn i w didnt lv th

artists shs cllctd (and w d) sh dsrvs cnsidr-

atin just r hr rganizatinal ability. Mrvr,

Graysns pnnss and ngagmnt with th artists rp-

rsnts a rrshing challng t th t-n stuy and

snbbish art stablishmnt.

N o M I N a

Klaus Bies

Daniel Bir

Connie B

Massimilia

cURaTOR OF ThE YEaR

The mastermind behind the

useums Younger Than Jesus e

assimiliano Gioni had the guts

on the Whitney Biennial.

Jn Jn prfrmnc pic frm

The Shape, The Scent, The Feel of Things

^ Ur Fichr Yu Gvin Brwn enrpri

^ Pbl Pic

Curr Mimilin

Gini th Nw MuumPicassoinstallationViewsuccessionPicasso.Pho

torobMckeeVer,courtesy

gagosiangallery;MassiMilianogioniPhotograPhedbydorothyhong.

JoanJonasPerforMancePiecefroMtheshaPe,thes

cent,thefeelofthingsatdia:

beacon,ny2005;PhotograPhedbyPaulacourt;ursfi

scher,installationViewyou

gaVinbrownsenterPrise,newyork,iMagescourtesyofgaVinbrowneenterPrise.


3/5

Hw culd w nt lv an xhibitin that includd wrk by ntriusly lvabl Art Awards rganizr Rb

Pruitt? Nt t mntin that Whs Araid Jaspr Jhns was rganizd by th prviusly mntind

Urs Fischr (alng with th abut-t-b-mntind Gavin Brwn) and als includd wrk by Rirkrit

Tiravanija (wh can b crss-rrncd with elizabth Pytn), Cindy Shrman, Francis Bacn and nu-

mrus thr nams n this list, all pild n n tp anthr in a uniqu prsntatin that was qual

parts cllag and xhibitin. T answr th qustin psd by th xhibitins titl: nt any ambitius

artist placing thir wrk n a pdstal alngsid th mastrs (i.., any artist wrth ur dvtin).

And dont forget

Anthr grup shw that saw multipl gnratins Nw Yrk artists happily mixing it up was th

unrtunatly titld Th Living and th Dad at Gavin Brwns entrpris. Dspit ccurring in th

dad summr, th shw was vry much aliv and lt lik a blck party as much as an xhibitin. With

nams ranging rm Ann Cllir and Spncr Swny t Matthw Higgs and Lizzi Bugatss (alng

with th pripattic Fischr and Pruitt), it was a happy rmindr that th utur still lks prmising r

Nw Yrks crativ cmmunity.

Th 80s ar back! But which vrsin th 80s th dgy mpty bank accunt 80s r

th scary-slick ast mny 80s? Prhaps bth. With wrk by Cindy Shrman, Rbrt

Lng, Richard Princ, Lauri Simmns and Barbara Krugr, Th Picturs Gnratin

ncapsulatd a mmnt in tim that sms t spak vry clarly t th currnt stat

aairs in th art wrld. By layring instantly gratiying pp icngraphy vr a plitical

xaminatin ur mdia saturatd cultur, ths dwntwn lgnds cratd wrk that

managd t b bth strikingly th mmnt and surprisingly timlss.

And dont forget

W wuld lik t stablish a dialgu btwn th artists In & out Amstrdamat MMA and ths slctd r utur itratins Th Gnratinal at th Nw

Musum. Bth shar an nticing yuthul nrgy that wll nvr tir , but mr than

that, th Dutch cncptual artists th 60s dmnstrat that trric art dsnt rquir

a budgt, just imaginatin, dtrminatin, idalism and a ds gd humr.N o M I N a T e D

A Twilight Art,Hrris Librmn

Whos Afraid of Jasper Johns?,Tny Shfrzi Gllry

Your Gold Teeth II,Mrinn Bsky Gllry

ZERO in New York,Sprn Wstwtr

N o M I N a T e D

After Nature,Th Nw Musum

The Pictures Generation, 19741Th Mtrplitn Musum f a

The Quick and the Dead,

Wlkr art Cntr, MinnplWACK! Art and the Feminist Revo

P.S.1 Cntmprry a rt Cnt

GROUP GaLLERY ShOW/gallery

GROUP GaLLERY ShOW/MuseuM


52

Fw phtgraphrs hav xplrd th ptntial th mdium as thr-

ughly as Wlgang Tillmans. Frm prsnal diary t cncptual prjcts

t classic still livs t thral abstractins, h has prtty much dn it all.

In kping with Tillmans intrst in cusing n th mst basic lmnts

phtgraphy, Brlins Hamburgr Bahnh installd an astunding va-

rity Tillmans wrk tackd straight t th wall, ramd, r laid ut n

display tabls in a multiplicity sizs. With digital mdia taking vr

rm classical phtgraphy, it was nic t b rmindd that a phtgraph

will always b a pictur.

N o M I N a T e D

Francis Bacon, Tt Britin

Jeff Koons Versailles,Chtu d Vrsills

Mike Kelley: EducationalComplex Onwards: 19952008, Wils

Cntmprry art Cntr, Brussls

Wolfgang Tillmans: Lighter,Hmburgr Bhnhf, Musum

fr Ggnwrt, Brlin

ExhIbITIOnOUTSIdE ThE U.S.

With wk by Cindy Shman, Rbt

Lng, Richad Pinc, Laui Simmns andBabaa Kug, Th Pictus Gnatinncapsulatd a mmnt in tim that smst spak vy claly t th cunt stat

aais in th at wld.

th Living nd h Dd

Gvin Brwn enrpri >

^ Wh afrid f Jpr Jhn?

inllin tny shfrzi Gllry

< th Picur

th Mrpli

Hnn

B

Wlfgng

Frichwim

installationViewofthePicturesgenerationcou

rtesyofMetroPolitanMuseuMofart,newyork;

installationViewatMoMa,Variousissuesofart&ProJectbulletin.theMuseuMofModernart,newyork.

art&ProJect/dePotVbVrgift,PhotograPher:Jason

Mandella;wolfgangtillMans,ostgutfreischwiMMer

installationViewofwhosafraidofJasPerJohns?

tonyshafrazigallery,newyork,Photo

credit:JaMeswalton/tonyshafrazigallery,2008;theliVingandthedeadatgaVinbrowns

enterPrise,July1-august7,2009,iMagecourtesyofgaVinbrownsenterPrise,newyork.


4/5

W hav a lv/hat rlatinship t Ryan Trcartin. Yah, w gt it: his ambyant wb vids cmmnt n th uidity

idntity plitics in an ra whr sl-invntd clbritis littr a racturd, attnd mdia nvirnmnt. But w kind

gt th sam pint whn Adam Lambrt bcam a biggr clbrity by cming ut as gay than h did by cming in

scnd n Amrican Idl.

And dont forget

In cntrast, Cyprin Gaillards art is unabashdly rtr, lking back t th ailurs 20th cntury scial nginr-

ing. Gaillards wrk cuss n th mnumntal apartmnt blcks und in pr nighbrhds in eurp and th

Unitd Stats, which srv as th backdrps r scns rightning vilnc (as in a gang ght in St Ptrsburg), ab-

surd cmdy (with a sund and light shw in Paris) and srn bauty (whn a building is hauntingly dmlishd in th

UK). In a similar vin, Tauba Aurbachs ntrancing wrk sms a thrwback t 60s p-artists such as Bridgt Rily.

Smtims its just nic t lk at smthing prtty r in th cas Aurbachs cllabrativ wdn rgan (which

can nly b playd by tw prrmrs in unisn), listn t sm bautiul music.

Prhaps w shuld rally say that Jrry Saltz was th

talkr th yar. Sur, h has always bn a trric and

insightul art critic, but this yar w gt t s a nw sid

t Saltz: I ntrnt suprstar. Wandring arund intrna-

tinal art airs, inquiring abut xhibitins with a dilignt

air amusd dtachmnt, h managd t mak th artwrld as gly amiliar as a nighbrhd a markt.

Yu gt th sns thats rally hw Saltz ls abut sm-

thing that t many ppl tak t sriusly.

N o M I N a T e D

Elad Lassry

Daniel McDonald

Marlo Pascual

Ryan Trecartin

Martin Kippenberger was a master at both grabbing attention and

alienating a crowd. Proficient at many genres, completely satisfying at almost no

he tore through the art world like a brilliant but over-stimulated child.

N o M I N a T e D

Tim Griffin

John Kelsey

Walter Robinson

Jerry Saltz

nEW aRTIST OF ThE YEaR

WRITER OF ThE YEaR

During his li, Martin Kippnbrgr was a mastr at bth grabbing attn-

tin and alinating a crwd. S, t, his psthumus rtrspctiv at th

MMA, which shwd th Grman artist at his mst multiactd, mastr-

ul, whimsical, and inuriating. Prcint at many gnrs, cmpltly sat-

isying at almst nn, Kippnbrgr tr thrugh th art wrld lik a

brilliant but vr-stimulatd child. Walking thrugh th MMAs massiv

array his wrk, it was hard nt t giv in t his mrcilss sns play.

And dont forget

W hav t admit t bing xtrmly surprisd nt t s Marln

Dumass nam n this list. Th Suth Arica-brn, Hlland-basd paintr

cmbins a thrugh mastry paintrly tchniqu with a luminus

cntrl light t mak vn th mst mrbidly prngraphic scns

ntrancingly lvly. In a way, Dumass ld-ashin dvtin t th cra,

as wll as th art, painting maks hr sm t timlss r an annual

award. Bsids, sinc sh hats t travl, sh prbably wuldnt mak th

trip t NY t accpt it.

N o M I N a T e D

Dan Graham: Beyond,MCa Ls angls, nd Whitny

Musum f amricn art

Lawrence Weiner: As Far as theEye Can See, MCa Ls angls, nd

Whitny Musum f amricn art

Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton,Th Nw Musum

Martin Kippenberger: The ProblemPerspective, MCa, Ls angls nd

MMa, Nw Yrk

SOLO GaLLERY ShOW/MuseuM


54

^ a vid ill frm

Ryn trcrin Sibling Topics

Cyprin Gillrd xhibiin

th Gnrinl: Yungr

thn Ju th Nw Muum >

^ ar wrir Jrry slz

Mrln Dum Jul-di Vru il n cnv >

Mrin kippnbrgr

MartinkiPPenbergeruntitled,1988estateMartin

kiPPenberger,galeriegisela

caPitain,cologne;JerrysaltzPhotobyraVisawhney;MarleneduMas,Jule-die

Vrou,iMagecourtesyofthesaatchigallery,lond

on,MarleneduMas,2009.

ryantrecartin,siblingtoPics(sectiona),2009;Phot

ograPhby

benoitPailleyatthegenerational:youngerthan

Jesus,atthe

newMuseuM,newyork,cyPriengaillard,desnianskyraion,2007.


5/5

dIY GaLLERYSPacE OF ThE YEaR

Ppl lik t talk a lt abut th dwntwn scn with-

ut vr rally dning what that mans. S lav it t

lcal it by Trnc Kh t writ his wn dnitin with

his scruy, cmmunity-rintd Asia Sng Scity, a

thrwback t th nn-cmmrcial Sh and east Villag

gallris ystryar.

cOMEbackOF ThE YEa

It was hard t miss M

yar in which sh xhib

Tims Squar and pr

r Madnnas latst

causd a lt cntrv

hr apprpriatin p

ry, but wr mr am

qualitis sh nds in th

rial lmnts. evn in M

abstractins, th clrs

imags hav a viscra

dwnright smutty.

REbIRTh OF ThE YEaR

Hpully thy didnt clar ut th ghsts whn Frank

Stllas ld studi was rbrn as Taxtr & Spngmanns

nw gallry spac. ovr th past dcad, th gallry has

guiddartistssuchas LutzBachrandKalupLinzyt mu-

sum-lvlprmi nnc, s whatvr is haunting th rm

smstb payingincncrtcrativinspiratin.

ROOF PaRTY OF ThE YEaR

This summr was a bummr, with th ntabl xcptin th X Initia-

tivs cnsistntly stimulating sris talks, xhibitins, and scrnings.

Bttr still was thir antastic cnvrsin th Dia Art Fundatins r-

mr nd Strt hm int a rp rmpr rm r art kids, cmplt

with paddd rs and nn lighting in th stairwll. Hanging ut n a

rar sunny vning, it was hard t argu that thr was anything mr

asthtically rwarding than a summr sunst.

FOndLY REMEMbEREd

Histry will b th nal judg r th uvr Dash Snw; in ur pinin, it will judg him quit wll.

In his shrt li, Dash managd t manuactur an utsizd prsna thrugh his art a prsna that

many mistk as his wn. Twnty-v yars ar Haring and Basquiat, bringing th strts Nw Yrk

int a rnd gallry spac shuld nt still l lik a radical intrvntin, but it still ds. Dash was a

scnd-gnratin idalist rafrming th v itality dwntwn Nw Yrk. As anthr nt, amng

many gallris that hav shut thir drs, w will particularly miss Rivingtn Arms (Dashs ld gallry),

whr Mlissa Bnt and Mirabll Mardn did an unusually gd jb prmting nw talnt.

IMITaTIOn IS ThESIncEREST FORM OF FLaTTERY aWaRdAdvrtisrs lv t stal inspiratin, s w culdnt gt t wrkd up abut BMW blatantly rcrating

Aarn Yungs Grting Card prrmanc (in which mtcrss racrs paintd n th r th

Park Avnu Armry) r a tlvisin ad. But w hld an institutin such as MMA t a highr standard, s

wr surprisd t s thir summr ad campaign (and rlatd wb graphics) blatantly cpycat th m-

tinal charts Andrw Ku has bn crating r bth The New York Times and his wn xhibitin at Taxtr

& Spngmann. At th vry last thy culd hav askd Ku t d it himslh ds a bttr jb.

. . . ANDothercAtegoriesCITYhAscreAteD


56

Mailyn Mint has causd a lt cntvsy in th past happpiatin pngaphic imagy, but w m amazd by thtic qualitis sh inds in th mst basic pictial lmnts.

MarilynMinter,courtesyoftheartistandsalon94,newyork;asiasongsocietyiMagecourtesy

ofterencekoh;MattJohnson,suPersysteM,installationView(iMagecourtesyofMarkwoods).

dashsnow,PhotograPhedbyruVanwiJesooriya,froMthebook,allnightnewyork,dfa

records;bMwz4,anexPressionofJoyfroMbMwag;

courtesyofinabaandxinitiatiVe,newyork.

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