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THE ART NEWSPAPER, No. 205, SEPTEMBER 2009 Features 41

Flotsam Jetsam Missing: Meyer’s mail Canvas on a landscape? to Dash’s grandma That can’t be right… What Sotheby’s man had to say about Snow It all depends on the in-tent, of course

to Soviet Russia and Gilbert & George to Simply smashing! NEW YORK Communist China, is about to pull off the LONDON coup of his career by staging a full-scale One of the most dramatic pots in Grayson DIARY McLaren retrospective in… Pyongyang! That DIARY Perry’s forthcoming show (see the North Korean p40) is The Westfield Vase, a mighty vessel ADRIAN state should happily LOUISA which has been deliberately smashed and then host a major painstakingly put back together again, with all DANNATT McLaren exhibition BUCK the broken edges highlighted in gold leaf. But boggles belief, but while Perry did the smashing, he left the apparently the reconstruction to the nimble fingers of maestro Who stole Toby’s tribute? clincher was vintage The great outdoors conservator Bouke de Vries, who miraculously footage of the New restored Jetsam’s very own Perry pot a few No sooner had Triple Candie announced their York Dolls as The art world is never averse to a spot of Festival- years ago when it fell victim to her teenage son latest exhibition entitled “Maurizio Cattelan is presented by their going, but this summer saw an especially strong and a gym ball. But it turns out that Perry’s Dead”, than everyone started dropping then-manager Malcy, live on American TV artistic presence vase is not De Vries’s first foray into unexpectedly, from Michael Jackson to Dash beneath a giant hammer and sickle. at musical reconstruction for art’s sake, for he is now Snow, the latter unleashing a media frenzy events across the gaining an impressive parallel reputation for unmatched since Basquiat. Impressive indeed Clifton’s designs on Deyn? countryside. At his own sculpture which uses his mending skills was the appearance at a “tribute” show to Glastonbury, a to dramatic effect. Earlier this summer Kay Snow (pictured), Ricky Clifton (pictured) may be Manhattan’s green-painted Saatchi put him in deftly assembled most modish decorator, a man “never seen twice the launch overnight at in the same trousers”, as renowned for his social made an anarchic departure from his own family- exhibition of art Deitch Projects, ubiquity as his connections in the contemporary friendly “ of Fairytales” performance website of a long art world, but Flotsam was still surprised to catch extravaganza to storm the stage during Richard Murmurart at message from him in the upstate-town of Hudson with none Strange’s set, where he provided an impromptu Selfridges where Sotheby’s other than super-super-model Agyness Deyn. cabaret element throughout; while the Big Chill all five pieces were Tobias Meyer. “We’ve just bought an amazing coral table for saw the inauguration of Cedric Christie’s “Blank quickly snapped Sent to Snow’s only $300,” explained the designer gesturing to Canvas” project, an installation of specially up, with Anita De Menil the Stair auction house commissioned works of art by the likes of Tracey Zabludowicz keen grandma, across the road. Clifton went Emin, (pictured), Jake and to acquire his

Adam Reich Christophe, it on to reveal that so famous is Dinos Chapman and Sir Peter Blake made from sculpture NO NO detailed Meyer’s love for his work, including his young friend that he went 15 army issue “pup” tents to be auctioned for NO, in which a pieces he owns himself, one of which was to meet her at the very homeless and human rights charities next year. broken 19th- prominently on display, and his last vision of early one morning only to The artistic adaptation of these unconventional century Dash setting off by foot into the dark Los discover she was already canvases ranged from writing on and Samsonware Angeles night. Surrounded by “street” art, surrounded by hungry then burning hers, Christie paintballing one side statuette devoted wild graffiti and sprayed RIP tags, this epistle paparazzi. “Let’s pretend and machine-gunning the other, Sir Richard to the muse of struck an elegant elegiac note and after a few you’re my new boyfriend!” jested La Deyn, with Rogers parcelling up a human figure in his and music is given a days was either removed for being too rumours of their improbable liaison reaching the substituting theirs for a new contemporary incarnation as an utterly revealing or was pinched by some teen outlaw international gossip industry soon after. pink girlie version bought at Argos. convincing Amy Winehouse, resplendent in fan of Meyer’s impeccably ingratiating prose. beehive and full Glastonbury costume with Once a punk… Women have the final word the addition of a syringe protruding from her Callow youth revisited arm. “It’s a tribute—she’s amazing but Nicholas Hall (pictured) has transformed The chips were certainly down at the ICA’s broken—and often these things go together,” The crushed “Cold Wave” concert hosted by Mac Christie’s old masters, not least recently recent one-night performance of artist Liliane the artist declares. cosmetics to launch their collaboration with folding it into their 19th-century department, Lijn’s Power Game, which transformed the Richard Phillips at his Chelsea studio at least but some of us cannot forget his rather wilder capital’s favourite art house into a pop up Hydra-therapy for artists boasted the appearance of star-curator Francesco jeunesse as a King’s Road punk rocker, his casino, complete with leafy palms, sexy music Bonami (pictured) bracing himself for his appearance on the cover of a Clash record and killer cocktails dispensed by cross-dressing Of all the art world’s invitations, few are more forthcoming Whitney Biennial. Waxing nostalgic sleeve now reverently framed in his SoHo waiting staff. Originally staged in 1974, this eagerly anticipated than the opening of the annual one recalls when, as a humble Flash Art hack, bathroom. If Hall’s 50th gambling game of words was given a boisterous exhibition at The Hydra Workshops, collector Bonami himself interviewed the curators of the birthday dinner was cause for 21st-century revisiting with artists and writers ’s warehouse space situated 1997 Biennial, posing such still-pertinent celebration—Le Bilboquet engaged in vigorous directly on the harbour of this idyllic Greek island questions as: “You didn’t release the final list until booked for the occasion— interpretive debate where, every summer, a select gang gathers to very late. Is that a matter of secretive strategy or, revellers were shocked to as they betted and view the latest show and stay for a sybaritic long as I thought, more a matter of work in progress?” receive an official Christie’s battled over which of weekend of sun, sand and sea, hosted with Or: “Do you feel like you are participating in the email a week later revealing the words inscribed legendary generosity by Mrs K. and organised making of a career when you decide to select an they were actually expected to on their hand of with quiet efficiency artist or not to select another one?” But best of all pay their way for this festive cards carried the by Sadie Coles. This Bonami’s Biennial may be accompanied by a feast, Hall himself having generously offered most “power”. One year super-trendy special show of his own paintings, for when the only the wine. This nearly led to Hall having a particularly New York artist Nate young Italian first arrived in New York it was very “white riot, a riot of my own”. animated skirmish Lowman (pictured much as an artist. Flotsam can reveal that his involved writer Hari Kunzru going head to with some of the biggest fan, who has long Salander: the catalogue clues head with the female contingent including Lijn younger guests) planned a show of this work, is herself (pictured, with ICA director Ekow produced a none other than Andrea Rosen, Preparing to move to Paris (ciao, Manhattan!), Eshun) over whether the word “zero” carried Warholesque installation of over 70 paintings who way back then was a Flotsam has been going through 20 years of more power than “woman” (Jetsam is pleased derived from photographs of his friends and desk-girl at Bonami’s East papers and coming across many an oddity, not to report that “woman” carried the day). Hydra regulars—including girlfriend Mary-Kate Village Sharpe Gallery. And least the Butler Institute catalogue for its 2004 Significantly at the end of the evening the only Olsen, fellow artists Adam McEwen and Dan Deborah Sharpe herself has exhibition of that renowned part-time painter card missing from the pack was the one Colen, Tate Modern director Vicente Todoli and gone on to glory with her and full-time gallerist Lawrence Salander bearing the word “sex”. photographer Johnnie Shand Kydd—all of whom eponymous line of linens, (currently facing charges of massive fraud in the were present in the flesh to view their artistic “coordinating bedding for hundreds of clients’ US courts). His chosen painting titles are oddly No smoke without Hockney incarnations, with J.S.K. providing many of the homes, yachts, and even a plane”, with famous revealing, whether Never Asked Questions or his original images. But a certain pall was cast on the fans including Oprah, Dustin Hoffman and such self-description as a Nothing Man, and the No nicotine abstention at the public street parade proceedings by the untimely death of Lowman’s collectors as Sylvester Stallone and Vidal Sassoon. accompanying essays are rich indeed. Thus his organised by Jeremy Deller for the Manchester friend Dash Snow, with Snow’s partner Jade So expect a celebrity-packed opening next March old friend Leon Wieseltier admits: “It is not an International Festival Berreau and young daughter Secret amongst the for “Bonami: the Early Years” at the Andrea appetite that can ever be appeased. Give this where one of the most New York contingent. It was therefore up to the Rosen gallery. hunger what it wants and it grows.” A perfect vigorously cheered British posse to inject some levity into the description of Larry’s lust for lucre, followed by: participants processing proceedings which they did with a vengeance, McLaren and the “Dear Leader” “There is no New York swagger here. down Manchester’s most notably in the form of an impromptu Grandiosity has been pulled down by privacy. It Deansgate was “In the waterborne cabaret courtesy of theatre designer Legendary Sex Pistols manager Malcolm is not a void that Salander displays…it is a Air”, a diehard band of Christopher Woods, who choreographed a flurry McLaren was in fine form at a recent plenitude.” Even more prophetic is the other unrepentant smokers all of midnight synchronised swimming from a bevy townhouse drinks bash, revealing that his essay which concludes: “He was trying, often puffing away and of eminent curators, including Xavier Salomon of blossoming career as a visual artist is about with heartbreaking honesty, to imagine how we brandishing an ashtray-emblazoned banner Dulwich Picture Gallery and Maria Balshaw of to receive a deliciously improbable boost in endure the colossal and often arbitrary forces specially designed by David Hockney, the art Manchester’s Whitworth Gallery as well as unexpected Asian quarters. For that equally arrayed against us.” ■ world’s most committed smoke-o-phile. The 72- Jetsam herself. The display was deemed so notorious art world entrepreneur James ❑ This will be Adrian Dannatt’s last New York diary, as he is relocating year-old artist had planned to take part in the successful that considerable pressure was applied Birch, best known for taking Francis Bacon to Paris, though not the end of his association with The Art Newspaper procession but was unable to attend on the day, a to fellow guest to incorporate it little too short of breath perhaps? into this year’s Frieze projects programme. ■ THEARTNEWSPAPER.COM