September 2004 in Artforum
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“‘Revolution’ today sounds anachronistic, something almost never heard in any conversations about art or culture, no matter how ‘engaged’ the participants. Indeed, the word is nearly less provocative for its meaning than for its air of unreality and naivete. Why should that be?” –Tim Griffin (from the introduction to “The Art of Politics”)
Leading off the discussion, Arthur C. Danto considers the national consciousness of the American artist, provocatively arguing that the infamous photographs from Abu Ghraib –like the Rodney King video before them –have raised the stakes for what an image can accomplish politically. Gregg Bordowitz examines the work of Critical Art Ensemble (CAE) and their controversial strategies of tactical resistance, while Jennifer Liese reports on the FBI prosecution of the group’s cofounder, Steven Kurtz. On the eve of the Republican National Convention and its attendant ballyhoo, Jeffrey Kastner discusses the Friends of William Blake’s guide for delegates and protesters alike (possibly the first map of the city to pinpoint both strip joints and defense contractors). And in “Electoral Collage: A Portfolio,” fifteen artists, including James Rosenquist, Elizabeth Peyton, Barbara Kruger, Kelley Walker, Jeremy Deller, and cover artist Tom Sachs, respond to an open-ended call to contribute new works to the magazine on the occasion of the American presidential election.
And: Geoffrey O’Brien pays homage to the martial-arts films of Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers studio, while Glenn Ligon considers the work of David Hammons alongside that of a number of young black artists, including Julie Mehretu, Steve McQueen, and Marc Robinson.
“‘African-American’ or ‘African-American Art’ has always been a complicated place to live. A noisy cul-de-sac at the end of a long and winding road that a lot of folks are curious about but only want to visit during the summertime.” –Glenn Ligon
Plus: Eric Banks visits a Las Vegas exhibition of paintings by the late great colorist commonly known as Ol’ Blue Eyes; Michael Fried sees Jeff Wall through the lens of “Art and Objecthood.” Don’t miss Martin Herbert on the 2004 Turner Prize or Janet Kraynak’s introduction to the work of Doron Solomons; Dennis Cooper traces the intertwined fortunes of cult bands the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre via Ondi Timoner’s new rockumentary Dig!; J. Hoberman anticipates the release of Godard’s Notre Musique and surveys the state of the war film since Saving Private Ryan; David Rimanelli eyes XXX –Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’s book of porn-star portraits; Jordan Kantor hits Manifesta; and Choire Sicha lists his Top Ten.
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