Every year the Turner Prize is able to kick up a storm of comment and controversy about something, whether that is in regards to the art and artists that have been chosen or events surrounding the competition and the Tate itself.
Before we have even gotten to the standard expected questions of 'is this really art?' or 'what qualifies this to be part of the Turner Prize?', this year we had a controversy over a potential boycott by angered photographers.
It was reported that the Tate, in an effort to discourage negative news around the event, had asked photographers to sign a form which prevented them from using photographs taken at the event alongside negative stories in the press. The form is also reported to have said that any pictures taken of the Turner Prize show could be used by the Tate for whatever they desire, free of charge.
Disgruntled photographers threatened to boycott the media view of the exhibition of shortlisted Turner Prize artists due to the request for this level of censorship.
It's said that any press is good press, but the Tate might not think so. The situation has transpired to produce the type of news that the Tate was hoping to avoid in order to give this years Prize a chance to shine on it's own without any peripheral controversy.
However, regardless of the circumstances, this incident has certainly got people reading about the Turner Prize, so it can't all be that bad.
Anybody that keeps up to date with what's happening on the big stage of the contemporary art world will definitely be familiar with few of the names that have made it on to the ArtReview Power 100 for 2010.
As stated by ArtReview, this is more than just a list of the most favoured people in the art world at the moment, or a who's who of the faces on the contemporary scene. What the list represents is the group of people who are actively shaping the art world, who are key to current trends and who form some of the most important networks in terms of market development and the proliferation of contemporary art across the world.
Whatever you think of the list and the people on it, you can't argue that it isn't interesting to see who made it onto the list, where they sit in the list and why they got there.
The top 10 are all reconisable art world giants, for a range of different reasons. Gallerist Larry Gagosian made it in at number 1, beating curator Hans Ulrich Obrist who held the top spot last year. It's no surprise that Gagosian is sitting pretty this year; he now has 9 gallery spaces around the world, beating the likes of David Zwirner who is also in the top 10, and seems to have unlimited powers when it comes to dictating how things the art world around him should be orchestrated.
Hans Ulrich Obrist takes the second spot on the chart for continuing to be a serious power curator in a year when curatorial budgets were not looking too hot.
On the museum side of things, MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry comes in at number 5 and the leader at the Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota, comes in at number 7. Three million people descended on MoMA this year, in part to see some of the great contemporary exhibitions that the museum presented. It could be easy for MoMA to sit back and bask in the glory of their fantastic modern art collection, but they don't. They push forward and stick with the flow of the contemporary art scene, ensuring that MoMA stays relevant and at the centre of the art world. The Tate on the other hand has been critised a lot this year for things like their relationship with BP, but as ArtReview rightly points out, "if it weren't for Tate Modern, London wouldn't be the art centre it has become." Pat on the back for Sir Nick.
A certain power collector also made it into the top 10, and it's no surprise given his contemporary art empire. An art collection worth more than $1billion, an entire wing at LACMA, a hefty investment of $30 million in LA MOCA and even his own museum. Not bad going.
Visit the ArtReview 100 website to get the full listing and to take a closer look at some of the most powerful and interesting characters in the contemporary art world.
Fans of the Scissor Sisters will no doubt be familiar with the cover from their latest album, Night Work. Perhaps slightly less known is the fact that the artwork for the album cover is actually a photograph taken by artist and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
The work, entitled "Peter Reed", from 1980, was chosen by lead singer of the band, Jake Shears, and had caused rumours to circulate that it was actually a self-portrait of the band member. As further singles are released from the Night Work album it is said that they too will contain covers depicting the work of Mapplethorpe, showing some dedication from the band who are now set to also curate a show of Mapplethorpe's work.
The exhibition will be held next year at the Alison Jacque Gallery, where works by the artist can already be viewed and bought. The show will open in January and will be called "Filthy Gorgeous"; a call back to an earlier track by the Scissor Sisters which was released in 2004.
The exhibition is thought to explore the way in which Mapplethorpe has influenced younger generations of artist such as Matthew Barney and Gillian Wearing. With Jake Shears and guitarist Babbydaddy taking the reins on this one it should be interesting to see how it all turns out.
Last Sunday in the U.S., The Simpsons TV show aired an episode which had a particularly special opening-credit sequence featuring a "couch gag" story-boarded by Banksy. For those who didn't see it, here is what you missed:
The sequence depicts an evil sweatshop churning out Bart Simpson dolls using the fur from crushed up cute animals, rows and rows of regimented workers churning out the animation itself and the bones of dead workers lying about the caves where other workers still pack up boxes of Simpsons goods using a decapitated dolphin head with its tongue hanging out to seal the boxes. Then at the very end there's the tortured unicorn, whose horn is used to pierce the holes in The Simpsons DVDs.
As a giant mockery of the shows producers, Fox, it seemed particularly edgy and a little bit dangerous for the makers of the show to make such an opening for the long running show, so much so that members of The Simpsons team have stepped forward to talk about what was going on.
The New York Times spoke to Al Jean and published the conversation in the Art Beats blog yesterday, which gave an insight into how Banksy got involved with The Simpsons and how everyone has managed to keep their jobs despite the visual commentary Banksy provided.
The overall tone of the interview seems to be that Fox has been very gracioius about allowing The Simpsons creators to use their name and company in this way, and Jean is quick to point out that of course the comedy accusations made in the opening credits are not true. Everything was ok'd by Fox and given approval in terms of broadcast standards. Jean makes the poignant comment that "I think that we should always be able to say the holes in our DVDs are poked by unhappy unicorns." If that doesn't' set the tone of this whole event, I don't know what does.
Banksy is well known for his scathing critique of the system and the story boards that he designed for The Simpsons are a perfect extension to his usual working style; it's a little bit far fetched, and plays with amusing imagery, but ultimately conveys a point of view that's worth considering.
Tomorrow sees the official opening of the new installation in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern. As part of the Unilever Series, Al Weiwei has filled the cavernous space of the Turbine Hall with sunflower seeds....or are they....
The work, which is titled "Sunflower Seeds" is actually made up of millions of small works of art; each of these little sunflower seeds are actually life-sized replicas of sunflower seeds made out of porcelain. Each seed on the floor of the Tate has been hand-crafted and painted in workshops in China and represent the hard work of hundreds of skilled craftsmen and women.
Al Weiwei is a famed conceptual artist and a larger than life social commentator who was involved in the design of the "Birds Nest" stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, even so, the artist is said to have a strained relationship with the Chinese authorities.
Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds" are rumoured to be representative of the artists generous and given nature but also linked to our views of what it means for something to have been mass produced in China. The connotations that this particular concept has in Western society and the way that we perhaps take the availability of mass produced goods for granted are captured in this artwork that allows the viewer to walk over the tiny porcelain productions.
Certainly an installation for all of the senses, Weiwei's work will remain in the Turbine Hall until May 2011. As the 11th artist to be invited to make an installation in the Turbine Hall under the Unilever Series at the Tate, Weiwei has some tough acts to follow, with the former power station having played home to works by Doris Salcedo, Louise Bourgeois and Olafur Elliason.
Fred Tomaselli (American, b. 1956). Echo, Wow, and Flutter, 2000. Leaves, pills, photocollage, acrylic, and resin on wood panel, 84 x 120 in. (213.4 x 304.8 cm). Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York. James G. Forsyth Fund. Image courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum.
Brooklyn-based artist, Fred Tomaselli is now showing at the Brooklyn Museum. The solo show is dedicated to the artists two-dimensional works from the late 1980's through to the present day.
Tomaselli was born in California in 1956 and has made a name for himself in contemporary art creating detailed paintings that combine the practice of encapsulating weird and wonderful materials in a layer of clear, epoxy resin over the top. Amongst the materials that Tomaselli suspends in the resin are prescription tablets, hallucinogenic plants and images of flowers, birds, arms and legs. Combining traditional painting and more abstract collage, Tomaselli creates fascinating and intricate works that are stunning from a distance, and utterly captivating up close.
The exhibition in Brooklyn opened yesterday and will run right through until the 2nd January 2011. The show takes an in-depth look at the development of Tomaselli's work and how he went from early experimentation with photograms and collage, to his more recent paintings and print series.
Tomaselli is an interesting character in himself; fascinated with botany and ornithology and a hoarder of prescription pills and images of plants, birds and body parts cut from books. He amasses detailed visual archives from which he pulls influence and material for his works.
Around 40 works are being shown at the exhibition, including two which were specially created for the occasion. The first called "Night Music for Raptors" and the other "Starting". Both of these works are part of Tomaselli's recent exploration and investigation into the form and nature of individual birds, with "Night Music for Raptors" comprising the study of an owl, made up of hundreds of cut out eyes and the later being a striking creation of a starlings head.
The exhibition is already running at the Brooklyn Museum. Find out more about the museum and the exhibition on the Brooklyn Museum website.
With continuing talks of funding cuts in UK and the impact that it will have on vulnerable parts of the economy, like the arts, it's great to hear that the Mushroom Works will be opening new artist studio spaces in Gateshead, in the North East of England.
The Mushroom Works itself if an artist-led gallery and studio space that is home to a whole range of creative sector individuals, including painters, illustrators, jewellery makes, animators, architects, glass artists and furniture makers.
As well as housing the artists and their work, the Mushroom Works also run classes and events to get people more involved with the arts and to develop a strong creative atmosphere in the North East.
This year, the Mushrooms Works purchased an old church in Bensham in Gateshead with their sights set on turning the space into a series of studios that will be available for monthly rental. The plans are set for 12 affordable spaces to be created within the church, with people being able to rent the space for any number of creative pursuits on a month by month basis.
Named Brighton Road Studios, the church is about to host an exhibition, titled "In the Beginning..." which will allow a range of artists and creatives to come together and use the space as an exhibition platform before the renovation work starts to take place. The exhibition starts on the 15th October and gives people a chance to visit the space and take a look at the sort of work that already goes on as part of the Mushroom Works program.
Earlier this year there was also a call for anyone who knew anything about the history of the church on Brighton Road, to get in touch with the Mushroom Works. If you do know anything, or just want to find out more about this project, you can call the Mushroom Works on +44 (0)191 224 4011, or contact Justin Keeper.
The new exhibition that is set to open at New York's New Museum on the 20th October is titled "Free" and seeks to explore the impact that the internet has had on the way we interact with the world and spaces around us. Referring perhaps more to how 'free' we are to access vast amounts of information and images like never before, as well as the freedom we have to share our own and others experiences right across the globe.
From it's very distinctive building on The Bowery, the museum looks set to explore the new creative possibilities that the internet, and the freedom that it provides, gives us. The exhibition will include a vast array of media including video, installation, sculpture, photography and sound which will peer into issues of what freedoms and constraints we are subject to as a consequence of our online experience.
The show is curated by the Executive Director of Rhizome and New Museum Adjunct Curator, Lauren Cornell and will feature artists such as Liz Deschenes, Joel Holmberg, Lars Laumann, David Horvitz, Lisa Oppenheim and Alexandre Singh.
From write ups in anticipation of the show, there sounds like there is going to be a lot of interesting discussion over digital imagery and how the internet has altered the ways that we can access and spread images. Repetition, context and manipulation are amongst the visual challenges that we face as an image consuming public, and this exhibition certainly looks like the place to join in the conversation and soak up some new perspectives on how the internet has altered the way art is conceived, created, distributed and received.
"Free" opens on 20th October at the New Museum, New York City
I first came across The Girl with the Gallery while at Graduate school in New York. As it happens, I also learned about the focus of the current blog post on Art Market Views while in New York, and have wanted to visit it ever since.
Donald Judd Land, or Marfa, Texas as it's more commonly known, came into being as a consequence of Minimalist artist, Donald Judd buying up a range of dilapidated properties in Marfa in the early 1970's and turning them into exhibition, studio and living spaces for himself and a handful of friends and contemporaries. As Pollock describes in the blog post, amongst the buildings that Judd purchased at bargain prices were a supermarket, a bank, an old wool and mohair warehouse and an army barracks, which now houses Judd's Chinati Foundation. The 340 acres of space at the former army base looks to make a fascinating place for the Foundation, which displays works by many of Judd's contemporaries, such as Dan Flavin, Roni Horn, Richard Long, Carl Andre and Claes Oldenburg to name a few.
Pollock's blog post follows her visit to Marfa as part of one of the tours hosted by the Judd Foundation. The Judd Foundation was established in 1996 to "maintain and preserve Donald Judd's permanently installed living and working spaces, libraries, and archives in New York and Marfa, Texas." The Judd Foundation works hard to educate and facilitate an understanding of Judd's work and mission in life. Anyone interested in Minimalism, Judd himself of the work of his contemporaries should definitely add one of the tours to their long term 'to do list'.
So far, only part I of the tour of Marfa has been posted on the Art Market Views blog and already there are some great pictures of what is on offer in Marfa. Tune in to catch the next installment of the trip.
As an artist trying to make a name for yourself or trying to work out the best way to sell art online or through the gallery system, the road is littered with obstacles, uncertainties and lots and lots of questions. If you find yourself to be an artist and you are nodding your head right now, there is a book that you should definitely consider buying.
The Artists' Yearbook 2010/11 is an invaluable guide to just about everything an artist needs to get by, and get ahead in the art world. All 544 pages of the thing are published by Thames & Hudson every couple of years to stay up to date and as current as possible.
The book functions both as your mascot; to encourage you through the tough days, and also a comprehensive reference book of contacts, suppliers and need to know information. The current volume features some introductory essays by artist Boo Ritson and photographer Sam Taylor-Wood. There are also some informative essays on private galleries, public museums and the role that the internet plays in the arts today.
If that wasn't enough to get you to buy the book there is then the reference section listing art material suppliers, art bookshops, conservators, consultants, founders, framers, insurers, packers and shippers, photography specialists, printers and publishers and studio spaces.
Beyond that there is information on prizes, grants and awards as well as art fairs and festivals. There are also listings relating to funding and commissions, and art related publications.
The publication is aimed at UK artists, which is great if you are working in the UK, but wouldn't it be great to see a book like this for every artistic hub in the world! Maybe such books exist...if they do and you'd like to recommend them, please leave a comment for other readers.
You can purchase The Artists' Yearbook 2010/11 from most good book retailers at an extremely reasonable price. It's probably the best art resource book you'll buy this decade.
Tomorrow sees the official opening of the new installation in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern. As part of the Unilever Series, Al Weiwei has filled the cavernous space of the Turbine Hall with sunflower seeds....or are they....
With continuing talks of funding cuts in UK and the impact that it will have on vulnerable parts of the economy, like the arts, it's great to hear that the Mushroom Works will be opening new artist studio spaces in Gateshead, in the North East of England. 
