April, 2010

Published April 27, 2010 Artists, Events, Works, Exhibitions, In Review
James David Morgan

In Review: Cultural Elites and their Paychecks, Interference 2010, DIYing the Work Projects Administration, The Arts Politic Contemplates Bias

Adam Friedmans No Vestige of a Beginning No Prospect of and End 492x500 In Review: Cultural Elites and their Paychecks, Interference 2010, DIYing the Work Projects Administration, The Arts Politic Contemplates Bias
Adam Friedman’s “No Vestige of a Beginning, No Prospect of and End” (2010)

Big Shots | Take a look at the rich, white men at the top rung of the NYC cultural ladder. [NYTimes]

DIY WPA | The Work Projects Administration is experiencing a revival, at the hands of public artists and community organizers. [WPA]

Reason to Interfere | Invitations are being solicited for work combining art, politics, and protest, for Interference 2010. [Artsadmin]

Preference & Prejudice | Tackle the issue of bias where art and politics  meet. [The Arts Politic]


Published April 20, 2010 Artists, Events, Works, Exhibitions
James David Morgan

Art, Autonomy, and Resistance: The relationship of art to politics today

In the spirit of their mission, Platypus is turning its attentions to the questions we address here:

Can art really have a stake in making political change? If so, has contemporary art been at all successful in doing so? How must art’s relationship to politics be understood, and what must be rethought in light of our present?

platypus art autonomy resistance 194x300 Art, Autonomy, and Resistance: The relationship of art to politics today
Platypus gathers at the New School April 28th.
Click flyer to enlarge.

If we are to accept the maxim put forth by Platypus and others, that the Left is not, at least right now, a capable force to be reckoned with, then these questions are seen in a wholly different light than what Groundswell proposes.  However, it being necessary to continuously revisit (especially our most dearly held) assumptions, this union of practicing artists and critical theorists could present a valuable opportunity to those interested in critical cultural production.

Participants include:

Coco Fusco (Artist, Writer and Professor at Parsons ), Andrea Geyer (Artist and Professor at Parsons), Jim Miller (Chair of Lib. Stu. and Professor of Poli. Sci. at the NSSR), Haseeb Ahmed (Platypus Affiliated Society)

The event takes place Wednesday, April 28, at 7:00PM in The New School’s Wollman Hall (Map).

Published April 15, 2010 Artists, Events, Works, Exhibitions
James David Morgan

In Review: Red Sun Press Retrospective, Papercut Zine Library Re-opening, and NYPD Raids Anarchist Film Fest

Emily Larneds Stock Project 202x300 In Review: Red Sun Press Retrospective, Papercut Zine Library Re opening, and NYPD Raids Anarchist Film Fest
Emily Larned’s Stock Project

More Repression | NYC cops and Federal agents raided the headquarters of the fourth annual Anarchist Film Fest. [Infoshop]

Reason to Celebrate | Our friends at Red Sun Press celebrate 35 years with a retrospective show this May.  Here’s the video (Facebook required) for those who can’t make it to Boston. [Red Sun Press]

Notes from Underground | Boston’s local zine library celebrates its reopening this weekend with some lovely friends.  Come say hello! [Papercut Zine Library]

Published April 12, 2010 In Review, Work by Groundswell
James David Morgan

In Review: GenderArtNet, Critical Strategies in Art & Media, and Sheepless

 In Review: GenderArtNet, Critical Strategies in Art & Media, and Sheepless
Heather and Ivan Morrison’s How to Survive the Coming Bad Years

Sweet Release | Autonomedia’s dropping their new book, Critical Strategies in Art and Media, and throwing a big party. [Eyebeam]

Eponymedia | The conference that inspired the book, also titled Critical Strategies in Art and Media, featured Steve Kurtz, Bifo, Brian Holmes, and more.  The video documentation can be watched online. [World-Information Institute]

We ♥ Geo-Affinities | Spend some time with this experimental mapping project exploring the interrelation of gender, ethnicity, race, class and sexualities in contemporary European art. [GenderArtNet]

Groundswell Gains | We wrote a piece on how we work, and what we do when we work. [Sheepless]

Published April 9, 2010 In Review, Work by Groundswell
James David Morgan

In Review: UK Denies Iraqi Artists, UC Regents Target Ken Ehrlich, and Groundswell Journals Sold Out

ds4si art work 225x300 In Review: UK Denies Iraqi Artists, UC Regents Target Ken Ehrlich, and Groundswell Journals Sold Out
The scene at DS4SI’s At Work conversation Wednesday night

Oh, so Democratic | The UK Border Agency has denied visas to five artists participating in a group show at Cornerhouse Art Gallery. [Animal]

Not One, but Two | Not only Ricardo Dominguez, but also Ken Ehrlich is targeted by the UC Regents, just when it seemed they couldn’t possibly do any more wrong. [b.a.n.g lab]

Sold Out | Every copy of our journal that we had in stock has moved from our shelves.  These spots might have a few left.  [Red Emma's, Bluestockings, Ada Books, Half Letter Press]