| How about a hand for the hands-off art movement or how it is or was or continues to be done as Tom Wolfe. Wolfe, who in his new novel, Back to Blood, set in a sun drenched city by the sea ties in an artist whose work is in hot demand; soon to be purchased by track-shoe-wearing billionaires writing checks at the opening night preview of ArtBasel Miami Beach. Wolfe’s artist creates smut in the round with the help of an army of assistants (his own hands off) in actuality Koons, Kostabi, and Hirst have been hands off for a very long time. |
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In the Land of Pirates, Confection, and Art
By Lee Klein
How a bout a hand for the hands-off art movement or how it is or was or continues to be as depicted by Tom Wolfe. Wolfe, who in his new novel, Back to Blood, set in a sun drenched city by the sea ties in an artist whose work is in hot demand; soon to be purchased by track-shoe-wearing billionaires writing checks at the opening night preview of ArtBasel Miami Beach. Wolfe’s artist creates smut in the round with the help of an army of assistants (his own hands off) in actuality Koons, Kostabi, and Hirst have been hands off for a very long time.
Speaking of hands on, all hands were under deck at Salon 94’s offering by Jon Kessler whose teenage droids or anonyms supposedly hand crank computers and devices such as Ipads; one of which then spins around while reflecting your transmitted countenance. It was perhaps the most concentrated and well-orchestrated piece of his there.
As for the porno-performance art piece Wolfe depicted happening on opening night in the Wynwood design district, which caused the billionaire with the lewd online video addiction to be shuttled out of the place, it was pointed out to me by a friend that this was seemingly lifted from a Carolee Schneeman performance of many years prior. As for me, on Thursday night driving back to go upstate, I saw sirens turning and projecting in crisp coloration. And although Miami is a city for those who choose their chromatics well, I bypassed this opportunity and was off to sleep.
The Cuban art collective Los Carpinteros exhibited at Sean Kelly Gallery and were getting quite the play. Not only was there a huge red Lego work called Kosmaj Toy which is a play upon the sculptures the soviets erected in Satellite lands but they did the elliptical seaside pavilion Guiro where parties (one of which I attended as an accessory of the artist Colette) were held with an inner bar and outer patios.
Meanwhile the collectors I saw were at galleries like Aquavella or Michael Rosenfelt, checking on say their Wesselmans as if it they were shares of I.B.M.
The fun ride I had was not only taking the shuttle back and forth to Wynwood with the estimable Colette Lumiere but on Peter Anton’s Sugar and Gomorrah, (whose giant ornate confections you have seen for years in ads in the art magazines) a real carnival ride converted into an art spectacle.
Entering, I thought my head would be severed, but inside as the car raced along dancers gyrated, kissed as you came close to them, and one I swear even did a banana split. I was having a great time and rejoined the done up Tunisian-born pirate lady to take the shuttle back. We landed back at the W Hotel parking lot to show her the Val Kilmer art truck.
Earlier, making it over to the W, I saw a U-Haul with the words Val Kilmer Art written on it. I asked if it was really Val Kilmer’s art and they said (here was like twelve people lined up against the wall) that Val Kilmer had been to one of their exhibitions and bought nothing, but this was what they thought he would like if he were to come again. So they opened up the truck, led me up the ramp through the door, handed me a candle, and told me to view. I looked momentarily at the things I could not really see but upon exiting told them what I say about the former batman on my bus tour…. now we are coming into Tribeca let me have Jay-Z introduce it to you:
“’I was down in Brooklyn, now I am down in Tribeca
right next to DeNiro, I’m the new Sinatra’
… De Niro called me up
He said ‘Lee I am down in Tribeca Right next to Jay-Z
I’m the new Marlon Brando
got a lot of method on Pacino’
I said ‘Bob you’re not the new Marlon Brando
That’s Val Kilmer have you seen him recently
I did… He walked right by me at the Prince Harry polo match
in a seersucker suit on the way to the porto john
I had no idea that was Val Kilmer until I saw him on the society page
Which I can guarantee you that I’m not on….”
Across the street from the W is the Bass and here it was that public installations were displayed; one by Jaume Plensa, who recently placed a giant Bhudda head in Madison Square Park in Manhattan. In a work entitled, “Poets” two large figures atop mounts change illuminated hues in a delayed synch. In Miami, where all is unexploded before the first drop of the electrical storm falls—poets continue to choose their colors well—as lime melds into avocado and black cats encircle one another in front of a burnt orange restaurant.
