Originally published on: November 18, 2008

The new James Cohan Gallery in Shanghai is currently exhibiting work by Dutch sculptor Folkert de Jong. The artist’s large scale narrative installations often reference themes of war, big business, and global greed, as well as the history of art. This particular body of work takes Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” theory and applies it to competition between the nations.

The new work, entitled Thousand Years Business as Usual, includes three sculptural tableaux composed of industrial Styrofoam and Polyurethane insulation foam. The main installation, Early Years, consists of 7 anthropomorphized monkeys arranged in a loose circle, alluding to Matisse’s The Dance of 1901. They are precariously positioned atop oil barrels, with one foot suspended in the air. Covered with a sloppy application of black pigment, these simian characters appear to be plucked from a horror movie. This circular format not only quotes a Modern master, but also references the cycle of life and evolutionary (and artistic) progression. In addition to their role in evolutionary theory, monkeys are also the most versatile sign in the Chinese zodiac. In Business As Usual-The Tower, 3 monkeys are stacked one on top of the other on an oil barrel, miming the cautionary statement “See no evil, hear no evil, say no evil.”

De Jong’s choice of materials holds symbolic significance, for the insulation itself is a petroleum product. Styrofoam has no sculptural precedent and was originally used by Americans in World War II to create blue lift rafts that were barely visible on the water. After the war, Styrofoam was absorbed into our daily lives after several companies developed the “Styrofoam Plan” in the 50s, an effort to replace other materials. War leads to innovation and progress and slowly this technology is incorporated into mass culture. While both Styrofoam and Polyurethane are mixed with the same chemical components, Styrofoam has a rigid closed cell structure, while the Polyurethane foam allows the artist to develop more organic forms due to its fluidity.

Folkert de Jong studied at the Academy of Visual Arts and the Rijksacademy for Visual Arts, both in Amsterdam, where the artist currently lives and works. He has had several solo shows, one at James Cohan in New York in 2007 as well as Peres Projects in Berlin. de Jong won the Prix de Rome in 2003 for sculpture and has been influenced by artists such as George Grosz and Otto Dix.

Marc Horowitz, a self-described “maximalist,” has permeated American culture with his socially-oriented projects and playful enterprises. His work includes video, drawing, cultural experiments, and the dynamic use of networks like twitter and youtube. In 2004, while working as a photo assistant for Crate & Barrel, Horowitz wrote “Dinner w/ Marc 510-872-7326″ on a dry erase board that was included in their fall catalog. He received over 30,000 requests for dinner dates, and began driving around the country to dine with people. The National Dinner Tour garnered attention from numerous press outlets; Horowitz appeared on The Today Show and was named one of People Magazine’s 50 Hottest Bachelors in June 2005.

In 2009, Horowitz embarked on The Marc Horowitz Signature Series, for which he signed his name on a map of the United States and drove that route, stopping at 19 towns along the way. He documented these adventures in short webisodes. In Nampa, Idaho, Horowitz established the first Anonymous Semi-Nudist Colony (complete with complimentary jean shorts and ski masks). In Battle Mountain, Nevada, he pitched an idea to local politicians that involved changing the name of the town to something less pugnacious, suggesting the gentler alternative “Tender Pie Hill.” Other notable projects include Google Maps Road Trip and Talkshow 247.

In December 2009, Horowitz participated in a panel discussion as part of Art Basel Miami Beach’s Video Art Program, “Video Art and Mainstream Distribution,” curated by New York’s Creative Time. Short films from The Marc Horowitz Signature Series were shown prior to the discussion. DailyServing’s Rebekah Drysdale was able to ask him a few questions about his past projects and future pursuits during an interview conducted over Skype in December.

Rebekah Drysdale:  At your discussion in Miami, you mentioned you studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute after leaving the business world. Do you think the tools you are using now, such as YouTube and Google maps, are the new media for this generation of artists?

Marc Horowitz: I think so. Painting and drawing will never die, obviously, but with the advent of the internet and the accessibility of video and broadcasting, I think that there is going to be such an insurgence of artists using these media.

RD: Your work engages the public, but seems very personal as well. What is the most influential encounter you have had in the making of your films?

MH: Omigod, there are so many of them!

RD: Can you pick one or two?

MH: The most memorable project is probably one you have never seen before. It was one I did while at the Art Institute, called Free Ideas. I went down to the corner of Market and Powell streets in San Francisco, where they turn the cable car. There are all kinds of tourists and homeless people there, the Seven Galaxies guy, preaching about the end of the world, religious people, preaching about God, and then there was me. I had two blank white sandwich boards that I made. I was handing out blank sheets of paper saying “free ideas.” People were confused. Most of the business people didn’t want to deal with me. One guy came up to me and said I was doing God’s work, for whatever reason. Several tourists thought that I was always there and wanted to have their pictures taken with me. Homeless people wanted me to write letters to their family members, so we would, and when we were done, they wouldn’t have their address. Kids wanted to have paper airplane throwing contests. I honestly think that project was what got me started in most everything I’m doing now.

RD: How did Free Ideas influence your later works?

MH: It was just taking such a simple idea as a blank sheet of paper and putting yourself out there in the world with that one element and then seeing what happens. I think that notion informed a lot of my projects after that. The Dinner Tour is the simple idea of dinner, at its least common denominator. Driving your signature across the United States is just a signature, something we use everyday. The Google Maps Road Trip was me and my friend wanting to take a simple road trip together, but not having the time or money, so we had to do it virtually.

RD: Tell me more about the experience and execution of the Google Maps Road Trip.

MH: The Google Maps Road Trip was a fascinating way of seeing America. It was also a really great way to get to know Peter (Baldes). In 2003, he e-mailed me saying I should have a blog. I had no idea who he was and why he was contacting me. Nevertheless, I immediately called him up because he put his phone number in the e-mail. We talked for a bit and he seemed nice enough, so we loosely kept in touch. I didn’t actually meet Peter in person until last year at a friend’s wedding. So all in all, we had only spent about twelve hours together in-real-life before we executed GMRT, and then we shared 40+ hours together “driving” across the country virtually. For me, it was like the Dinner Tour, except I got to know a single person, Peter, much more in depth.

The technical aspects of the project get a little complicated, but basically we left my house in LA and began driving together to Pete’s place in Richmond exclusively on Google Maps. For nine straight days, we “virtually drove” across the country by zooming in all the way on Google Maps and continuously pressing the Google Maps arrow keys eastward. We broadcast the entire experience live on googlemapsroadtrip.com. This meant that folks were able to not only see and hear us as we traveled, but also join us in a real-time chat room. Just think of it as an invitation for someone to hop in the backseat and ride along with us for part of the adventure.

RD: It sounds like your interaction with Peter during the Google Maps Road Trip was similar to what travel buddies may experience on a real cross country road trip. Do you think virtual travel will become more popular?

MH: Google Maps Road Trip is very lo-fi and basic. I would love to see it be implemented in schools. You could have an American fourth grade class travel around Europe, and (time zones permitting) they could travel with European students. They could go back and forth and talk about the things that are local to them. With the accessibility of Flickr photos, YouTube, and Panoramio (Google’s photo program), you can see all kinds of stuff you wouldn’t otherwise see. You can even bring up peoples’ live broadcasts while you are traveling. So, yeah I definitely think it is the start of something.

RD: In terms of your creative process, it seems that projects like The National Dinner Tour or the Marc Horowitz Signature Series would require much more planning than something live like the virtual road trip. Do you prefer to work with a plan or broadcast live?

MH: The Dinner Tour involved a serious amount of logistical planning more than anything else. Getting places on time, setting up dinner dates, etc. And I had no help. It was just a one man army. But that was a not-for-broadcast type of project. It was more experiential. Then I did the Signature Series, which was highly planned. A lot of it was written. We had to have all of the props, the locations secured, etc. It was a different way of working for me, but I really enjoyed it. Through all of the planning, there was still a lot of room for chance because we were doing the project in public, and in that way it felt very improvisational, like my previous works.

After that, I did Talkshow 247, where I broadcast myself live for three months, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on talkshow247.com. This project about destroyed me. There was always a live audience chatting away, commenting on my every action. It made me feel like I constantly had to be entertaining an audience that wasn’t even physically there. I really just wanted to live my life, but it became addictive to look at the chat and see what the audience was saying, and then do things to make my life more exciting. I didn’t really like that. So, to answer the question, I would much rather do some more planned out projects in the future, like the Signature Series. That is the direction I want to head with these projects.

RD: What type of work do you show in galleries?

MH:  I had some shows in Europe that were mostly drawings and sculptures because it is really hard to sell video art. It’s almost impossible. At some point, you have to make a product if you want to make a living as an artist, which is weird, you know? I did a show in Italy, called More Better. In it, I had made a drawing on how to make a helicopter out of a disassembled brick house and GMC truck. Really futile stuff, like a remote control bearskin rug. I made a suit of armor out of kids’ shin guards that is designed for people with a fear of sharp objects who are on a budget. Also included was The Tragedy Car Series, drawings of cars dedicated to terrible moments in history. For example, The Titanic Car.  The drawings are interesting to me because I can really go way far out there, without actually having to execute these proposals. For a show I had at Nuke Gallery in Paris, I did a series called At Least You Don’t Have it This Bad. One of the drawings is a guy with circular saws for hands, and he’s trying to eat chicken McNuggets. That stuff is more fantasy-based. It’s really one big joke, they’re one liners. I like that.

RD: What are you working on now?

MH: I’m about to launch a new project called The Advice of Strangers. I’ve been working on it for about a year, but haven’t told anyone about it yet. Basically folks will be able to vote online on all my life decisions, small to large. Should I comfort the girl across from me who is crying? Do I tell my mom she should work out? Should I eat the noodle that fell on the floor that my roommate jokingly offered me? Should I start looking for a new place to live cause my landlord is an asshole? Do I move in with my girlfriend? Each decision will have a time constraint depending on the magnitude of the choice. And when the poll closes, I’ll post photo and/or video documentation of what happened as a result of the poll so people can see how their vote has effected my life.

The website for the project is www.theadviceofstrangers.com. If you are interested in participating, please check the site for the launch date.

RD: Your work certainly has a refreshingly witty appeal. Is there one last thing you would like DailyServing readers to know about you or your practice?

MH: A big component of my work is my blog, www.ineedtostopsoon.com. I am always posting fresh stuff there. Another thing that I am really into is Twitter. I’m so addicted to it. I’m using it as sort of a diary! You can follow me at www.twitter.com/marchorowitz.

Courtesy of the artist and Civilian Art Projects

Civilian Art Projects in Washington, D.C. is currently presenting Don’t Look Now, a multimedia exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist George Jenne. Don’t Look Now consists of manipulated movie posters, sculpture, and graphite drawings, all reflecting the artist’s interest in the horror movie genre. Jenne sees a correlation between the unease and trauma delivered by such films and the unsettling experience of early adolescence. The artist states in the press release, “For me, there is a strong connection between the act of warning or revealing and the portentous atmosphere of pre-pubescence, thus a strong connection between the abject, mutated form of the monster, and a person’s tenuously pristine state of mind during early adolescence.”

Hellion (2007), a mixed media sculpture constructed of plastic, resin, embroidery, Fun Fur, polyethylene, wood, sound and light, both tantalizes and torments the viewer. The sculpture resembles a boy scout, but the formidable stance, monster’s head, and bloody knees indicate something more malevolent. Upon closer examination, the viewer encounters such sinister details as cigarette and swastika “merit” badges carefully adorned to the sash, and a wooden plank with the words “Be Irreverent” emblazoned beneath a crest.

Courtesy of the artist and Civilian Art Projects

George Jenne, who currently lives and works in New York, received his B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995. He is the founder of Bandolier, Inc., a commercial prop making company. Jenne has recently shown his work in New York at Exit Art, Jack the Pelican Presents, Envoy Enterprises, and PS122.

Originally published on: October 30, 2008

Now that DailyServing has published over 1300 original articles, interviews, reviews, daily features and artist videos, we have decided to reach back into our archive and highlight some of our favorite past features each Sunday. We invite you to email us and let us know which are your favorite DS features. If we choose your selected feature, we will credit you for the selection. Just email us at info@dailyserving.com.

In the decade since her breakout success in 1996, Liza Lou has won a $500,000 genius grant from the MacArthur Foundation, kept a studio in Durban, South Africa, and continuously mesmerized the world’s critics and collectors. She works with millions of tiny glass beads, taking the traditionally craft-oriented medium and elevating it to astonishing artistic heights.

Liza Lou is currently showing work at L&M Arts in New York City, where two stories of her complex and captivating sculptures and installations can be viewed. The artist works with accumulations of tiny beads, meticulously applied with the help of studio assistants. The works exhibited at L&M Arts reference themes of injustice, captivity, and religion.

Entering the gallery, one encounters Continuous Mile, 2007-2008, a large circular sculpture composed of cotton and white beads, resembling densely coiled and intertwined rope. The beads send light dancing into the eyes of the viewer, creating a tension between beauty and bondage. The rear room houses the dramatic Security Fence, 2005-2007, an imposing and elegant cage structure composed of steel and glass beads. The work stands at over 10 feet tall, crowned with glistening concertina wire and theatrically placed in a room by itself and situated at an angle. The threatening connotations of confinement are tempered by the jewel-like quality of the surface. The silver beads reflect light and visually entrance the viewer despite this undercurrent of violence.

As you ascend to the second floor via a grand winding staircase, you are able to circle Tower, a latticed steel structure composed of five cages stacked on top of one another and covered with white beads. Tower extends over thirty feet, into the third story of the gallery, which is roped off, adding a forbidden quality to the work. On the walls of the front and rear rooms of the second floor, Liza Lou presents her new series, Reliefs. These are vertically oriented panels that represent Muslim prayer rugs and mix strict geometrical patterning with abstraction, such as in Offensive/Defensive, 2008. They are larger than human scale and are executed with an impressive precision. The panels have a topographic surface, carefully and meticulously constructed to achieve stunning variations in depth and color.

Self-Portrait (Face Down), 2006 is a cast resin pillow covered in glass beads with the impression of the artist’s face, an uneasy suggestion of suffocation. This work of art captures the qualities that are pervasive throughout the exhibition, the tension between the threat of imprisonment and the astonishing beauty of the works themselves. The architecture of the gallery itself provides an interesting juxtaposition to the glistening contemporary works of Lou. The winding staircase, the crown moldings in every room, and the arched windows provide a formal environment for her sparkling works.

Liza Lou’s choice of medium, her incredible compulsion to create, and the dedication to her process are truly amazing. While she often receives the label “obsessive,” Lou shrugs this off by stating, “What’s far more frightening for people is to consider the possibility that I’m completely aware of what I’m doing.” Liza Lou transforms the bleak apparti of bondage and imprisonment into astonishing works of art, evoking, at once, the tragedy and beauty of life.

Best of 2009

Yayoi Kusama
Originally published on April 27, 2009

Gagosian Gallery is presenting two major exhibitions in New York and Beverly Hills to celebrate Yayoi Kusama’s eightieth year. The artist, born in Japan in 1929, started painting with polka dots and nets as motifs around the age of ten. She moved to the United States in 1957, where she showed large scale paintings, soft sculptures, and environmental installations using electric lights and mirrors. From 1998-1999, a major retrospective opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and traveled to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo.

The exhibition in New York, which opened on April 16th, features a large yellow pumpkin sculpture with black spots in a specifically designed space at the front of the gallery. This piece is based on a similar work Kusama showed at the Japanese pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1993 – a mirrored room filled with pumpkin sculptures in which the artist resided in color-coordinated attire. The pumpkin, made of fiberglass and reinforced plastic, represents a type of self portrait or alter ego for the artist, whose compulsive covering of surfaces and infinite repetition of dots, patterns, and forms is characteristic of her entire body of work.

Ignacio Uriarte began his career in business administration before quitting “to work as a full time artist,” as he describes in his statement. Translating his administrative expertise to a creative context, Uriarte incorporates the quotidian tools and habitual methods surrounding the office environment into his artistic practice. His materials include Bic pens, Xerox machines, ink cartridges, and other office paraphernalia; his process is driven by routine and repetition. His new video work, which was displayed in Nogueras Blanchard’s booth at Art Basel Miami Beach earlier this month, comments on the iconic machine, the typewriter, and its decline into obsolescence.

The History of the Typewriter Recited by Michael Winslow documents the actor’s recreation of the distinct mechanical sounds generated when using a typewriter. Michael Winslow is known for his role in the Police Academy movies, as well as his uncanny ability to simulate sound effects using his voice. In the video, Winslow attempts to mimic the sounds of various typing machines from the 1870s to the 1980s. Uriarte recorded the sounds of over 3,000 typewriters from the Schreibmaschinenmuseum in Partschins, Switzerland and the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin. The artist then chose 68 models for Winslow to work with. The actor was only able to recreate the sounds of 32 models in the film, a powerful reflection on the interaction between man and machine, and the limitations of both. The specific timeframe of the work points to the invention of the typewriter and its ultimate demise with the launch of the first personal computer and accompanying word processing software by IBM in 1984. The first Police Academy movie was also released in 1984.

Uriarte received a degree in Business Administration in 1995 before studying audiovisual arts in Guadalajara, Mexico. Born in Krefeld, Germany, he currently lives and works in Berlin.

The Art Video Program at Art Basel Miami Beach, curated by New York’s Creative Time, presented three short films by Tom Sachs and the Neistat Brothers at the Oceanfront area last night, Waffle Bike, Obstacle Course, and Space Program. The Neistat Brothers (Casey and Van), based in New York, have made several short videos and have a new show coming out on HBO. They started working as assistants to Tom Sachs, making movies with him about his work; their collaborations are often humorous and technically uncomplicated.

Waffle Bike, 2008 (8:06), meticulously describes the construction and function of a bicycle that has been converted into a mobile waffle-making station with several peculiar features. The short film documents the maiden voyage of the bike from Manhattan to Brooklyn, in search of a pair of chickens to lay the eggs for the batter. A cage on the back houses the chickens, directly beneath a call to prayer public address system that plays as the bike makes its way through the streets of New York. The bike stores other ingredients and supplies needed for the preparation and consumption of waffles, including boxes of batter, cans of Pam cooking spray, an electronic waffle maker, forks, and a refrigerator storing whipped cream. The inclusion of unusual amenities such as a padded passenger seat and two Winchester shotguns, accessible while riding, elevates the captivating absurdity of Waffle Bike.  The film was presented as part of the night’s topic Video Art and Mainstream Distribution, along with several short films by Marc Horowitz.

Tonight at the Oceanfront area, an exclusive work-in-progress sneak preview of the feature documentary film Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, 2009, directed by Tamra Davis, will be shown at 8:30pm.