Douglas Druick Named as New Director of the Art Institute of Chicago

Douglas Druick, Director of the Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago has looked within its own ranks to replace James Cuno. The famed museum announced today that Douglas Druick, a 26-year veteran at the museum who has served as acting director and president since the former director's departure in June, will be taking the reins of the institution permanently. He has been named the Institute's president and Eloise W. Martin Director, effective immediately.

A 66-year-old museum veteran, Druick is respected within the Institute, where he has been chair of its core Department of Medieval to Modern European Painting and Sculpture as well as the Department of Prints and Drawings. Until now, however, he has had a lower profile on the national and international stage.

In a statement announcing the appointment, Art Institute board chairman Tom Pritzker praised Druick's tenure at the museum, which since 2006 has involved managing its vaunted collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern art. "Douglas is one of the leading curators in the world, and his contributions over more than two decades have been immeasurably important to the development and presentations of the collections as well as the exhibitions at the museum," Prizker said. "As we looked for a new director, the search committee kept returning to Douglas' experience, intellect, and vision for the museum."

Druick, who received a PhD in art history from Yale University in 1979, has curated numerous exhibitions at the museum, including the highly regarded "Cézanne to Picasso: Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde" in 2006 and "Jasper Johns: Gray" in 2007. "I have served this institution for more than two decades because I have the greatest respect for it and believe it to be one of the finest museums in the world," the new director said in the statement. "To now be asked to lead the Art Institute is a great privilege."

Welcome! Or should I say, Thanks for Staying! 

The Age Old Question - Does Size Matter? *I'm not afraid to ask

Seward Johnson, Forever Marilyn

Since it's unveiling, Seward Johnson's 'Forever Marilyn' has seen a mixed-bag of critical responses. While I personally want to gouge my eyes out over this kitschy schlock, apparently Chief Curator, Michael Darling, at the Museum of Contemporary Art expresses that it's size - works. Darling says, 'One thing (to consider) is just the very basic human instinct to take a photo of something that's out of size.  We think about how weird something looks, but also I definitely don't mind the notion of spectacle - and creating something big and impressive and unusual in a site like (Pioneer Court) - that can galvanize the public's interest.'  He touts that the work 'commands the space,' but so can a litany of other large-scale installations, just look at Marilyn's peers.

Scale, specifically - larger than life scale, seems to be a major recurring theme in Chicago's public sculpture. This, summer less than a mile north of Marilyn, an enormous coat hanger is bent into the plaza in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art. To the east, a miss spelled plea for help, FIX-ICE MACHENE, in 12 foot wooden letters on Navy Piers Front Lawn. And in the Loop, a nine story mural on a building at State and Washington reads 'GO DO GOOD' in large black block letters against a highlighter yellow background. If bigger is better than Chicago is the best when it comes to public art. Don't forget last year's Tony Tasset sculpture of the Eye that stood sentinel near Harold Washington Library. Even Picasso's flamingo stands merrily gargantuan. But can something like 'Forever Marilyn' really make it's claim as serious public art based on scale alone? No.

I can make a great case for the Chicago's other large scale art installations and - admittedly - a  tenuous one for 'Forever Marilyn.' Does anyone remember Warhol's Athlete Series or iconic paintings of Elizabeth Taylor and even good old Marilyn? or JEFF KOONS ENTIRE CAREER? Needless to say, Seward Johnson's 'Forever Marilyn' is a throw-away piece of public art. It does not challenge or engage the public.  It's too easy, according to Darling. '(The image) Is so well known, its banal, in a way.' Darling goes on to compare the aesthetic of 'Forever Marilyn' to the saccharine interior of a dentists office.

But let's look at the upside. Even though Chi-City is stuck with this vomit inducing sculpture, that is the kitsch equivalent of a porcelain kitten plate, for a while it reads as a great barometer for the public's reaction to the art that is thrust upon it. And what is the public saying? 'Give us some credit - we're more sophisticated than that.' Bravo people of Chicago, Bravo!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/art/ct-ent-0830-arts-focus-sculpture-20110829,0,3221562.story?page=2

I Will Not Wear Any More Boring Tattoos

If any of you follow me on twitter or facebook, you may have noticed my reaction to the new Japanese trend of Teeth Tattoos.  The tattoos are decorative, some even look like tiny lady bugs crawling across your teeth - gross! If you interested in a tattoo I definitely can get on board with I would recommend waiting until fashion week when mega-art collector and fashion maven Dasha Zhukova unveils her inaugural edition of 'Garage.' One of the potential covers features  a Hedi Slimane photograph of a lower half of a nude model, whose crotch is covered by a green butterfly sticker created by Damien Hirst. The sticker peels off (inspired by the Velvet Underground album art by Andy Warhol) to reveal a butterfly tattoo, also of Mr. Hirst’s design.  Teeth tattoos = taboo; Damien Hirst temporary Pubic Tattoo = must have fashion forward fall accessory!

'Garage' is slated to be one of the more intriguing magazines to come around in years. A hybrid of Vogue and ART + AUCTION, it is not entirely clear whether this is a fashion magazine that takes more than a passing interest in art, or an art magazine that knows its stuff about fashion.

The magazine, created by Dasha Zhukova, a former editor of Pop, and named after the contemporary art center she opened in Moscow in 2008, includes collaborations between prominent figures of both worlds and blurs the boundaries to such a degree that even the artist Dinos Chapman said his work in the magazine could be described as “a full-blown fashion shoot.” Working with the photographer Nick Knight, Mr. Chapman created a creepy dollhouse in which a puppetlike version of the model Lily Donaldson wears designer duds from Marc Jacobs and Mary Katrantzou.

In a newsstand environment dominated by digital perfection, Garage stands out because it looks almost handmade. The type is an amalgam of fonts, set to appear randomly. Some pages are pure mystery, like a spread that shows a dress called “Lettuce by Alexander McQueen.” It appears to be made of romaine, a creation by Ms. Battaglia and the photographer Fulvio Bonavia. Also included is a Prada dress made of citrus and a Moncler coat of anchovies.

“I hope nobody reads our e-mails back and forth,” Ms. Battaglia said. “We were writing things like, ‘yes, Prada is an orange, that’s genius! And Moncler is a fish!’ ”

Would that make Lanvin a Skyscraper? The real question is - where can i get the pubic tattoo?

I Will Not Wear Any More Boring Tattoos

If any of you follow me on twitter or facebook, you may have noticed my reaction to the new Japanese trend of Teeth Tattoos.  The tattoos are decorative, some even look like tiny lady bugs crawling across your teeth - gross! If you interested in a tattoo I definitely can get on board with I would recommend waiting until fashion week when mega-art collector and fashion maven Dasha Zhukova unveils her inaugural edition of 'Garage.' One of the potential covers features  a Hedi Slimane photograph of a lower half of a nude model, whose crotch is covered by a green butterfly sticker created by Damien Hirst. The sticker peels off (inspired by the Velvet Underground album art by Andy Warhol) to reveal a butterfly tattoo, also of Mr. Hirst’s design.  Teeth tattoos = taboo; Damien Hirst temporary Pubic Tattoo = must have fashion forward fall accessory!

'Garage' is slated to be one of the more intriguing magazines to come around in years. A hybrid of Vogue and ART + AUCTION, it is not entirely clear whether this is a fashion magazine that takes more than a passing interest in art, or an art magazine that knows its stuff about fashion.

The magazine, created by Dasha Zhukova, a former editor of Pop, and named after the contemporary art center she opened in Moscow in 2008, includes collaborations between prominent figures of both worlds and blurs the boundaries to such a degree that even the artist Dinos Chapman said his work in the magazine could be described as “a full-blown fashion shoot.” Working with the photographer Nick Knight, Mr. Chapman created a creepy dollhouse in which a puppetlike version of the model Lily Donaldson wears designer duds from Marc Jacobs and Mary Katrantzou.

In a newsstand environment dominated by digital perfection, Garage stands out because it looks almost handmade. The type is an amalgam of fonts, set to appear randomly. Some pages are pure mystery, like a spread that shows a dress called “Lettuce by Alexander McQueen.” It appears to be made of romaine, a creation by Ms. Battaglia and the photographer Fulvio Bonavia. Also included is a Prada dress made of citrus and a Moncler coat of anchovies.

“I hope nobody reads our e-mails back and forth,” Ms. Battaglia said. “We were writing things like, ‘yes, Prada is an orange, that’s genius! And Moncler is a fish!’ ”

Would that make Lanvin a Skyscraper? The real question is - where can i get the pubic tattoo?

ArtTactic - Podcast

I love listing to ArtTactic's podcasts - here is the new one featuring Christiane Fischer, President and CEO of Axa Art Insurance Coporation. First, Christiane discusses how the global expansion of the art market has impacted art insurance. Then, she tells us how often art collectors should have their collections re-appraised, especially considering recent market volatility. Christiane also shares her thoughts on art as an asset class, details current competitive challenges for Axa and elaborates on recent developments in the art insurance industry.


For individual private collectors I prefer CHUBB Masterpiece insurance, while Axa Art Insurance is a wonderful specialized insurance corporation providing a team of in house experts, however bundling all of your insurance policies under one provider makes life so easy! However, if you are a serious collector with a large contemporary collection, experts monitoring the value of your collection is a definite added bonus in a volatile market.


At the end of the day everyone should have their collections every 2-3 years.


http://www.arttactic.com/podcast.php?id=83

Breath of Life for the Merchandise Mart & Art Chicago?

Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc has promoted Steven Levy to become the organization's new senior vice president of the art group, putting him in charge of the Armory Show, Art Platform - Los Angeles,Volta Basel, Volta NY, Art Toronto, Art Chicago, and NEXT. He will fill the shoes of Mark Falanga, who was promoted to become president of the mega-sized property management firm and trade show operator in June after the resignation of longtime head Christopher Kennedy.


As a native Chicagoan who happens to work in the contemporary art market the possibility of bringing new life to Art Chicago is something I am optimistically anxious for. Over the past few years, the Merchandise Mart's biggest fairs, Art Chicago and  the Armory Show, have received flagging reviews from gallerists and the media due to its lax admission standards for exhibitors. Have you noticed none of the big name, blue chips participate, opting to be more selective with their fair choices: notable Art Basel - and its Miami counterpart - and Frieze. 

Levy's hire follows a string of summer staff changes at Merchandise Mart. In June, museum curatorStaci Boris was appointed to run Art Chicago. Company veteran Myron Maurer took over as COO when Falanga took over as president. 

Hopefully with these staffing changes the windy city arts scene can catch it's breath and get gallerists and collectors alike singing, 'sweet home chicago'!

www.artchicago.com