Nicole Kidman (x2)

This week's unveiling of a new waxwork of Nicole Kidman at London's famous Madame Tussaud's is a chance to comment on one of the most extraordinary cover pictures of the year, but one that passed by with almost no attention. Taken by Patrick Demarchelier for the October Vanity Fair, it shows Kidman in a jaunty nautical cap opening her blouse to reveal her victorianly white skin and a Carine Gilson bra. Her eyes are unfocused, her lips parted as seductively as her current face allows. It's a strong and surprising image with an almost Arbus-y subtext as the subject seems pinned into her moment of odd revelation. It's a great cover shot.

Demarchelier is so prolific I'm not always sure people recognize quite how good he can be. But what I found so surprising about the image is: a) that Kidman found the need to do it; and: b) that once done it seemed so un-noteworthy. Did she want us to see that as she approaches 40, she looks every bit as good as her waxwork likeness (in the red dress)? In the age of photoshopped covers and nip and tuck, a glossy magazine cover picture is more an illustration of a concept than something with any great basis in reality. However, I would have thought there would have been at least some feminist outrage at the sexual objectification of one of the more accomplished women of her age. Perhaps in a time of panty-less celebrities a pale poitrine and expensive underwear is just the touch of class we need!

Weekend Video - Billy The Kid

For several years prior to opening Danziger Projects, I shared an office floor with Jennifer Venditti. Jennifer specialized in casting for fashion shoots and shows and was credited with being one of the pioneers of street casting, i.e. finding non-professionals in far flung places. To say Jennifer was a force of nature would be an understatement. She worked her assistants hard and herself harder and during the time I shared space with her she decided to take a course on documentary film at NYU because she knew that was a direction she wanted to pursue.

Now four years later, Jennifer's first film, "Billy The Kid", which was almost that long in the making, editing, releasing, etc... has just opened in New York having worked its way round the festival circuit picking up prizes wherever it was shown. It's a funny, sad, and touching, verité portrait of an outcast teenager from Lisbon Falls, Maine, with the kind of troubled head that comes from having a sweet soul that's been immersed in too much heavy metal and pop culture. It's a subtle and impressive debut - good honest film-making, and a testament to the power of will and talent.

The Life Aquatic

I left Miami on Friday morning after visiting the Aqua fair. If you're not sated after 7 or 8 fairs I imagine there's something wrong with you. So I was happy to leave, but especially happy that after the dull start of the main Miami Basel fair, the peripherals brought back the sense of discovery and pleasure that art fairs should be all about. So just a few additional pictures....


The j-pegs don't do justice to this picture by Richard Barnes but it's a pretty spectacular print and wry comment on both the human condition and on the concept of exhibition.


Arne Svenson is following up his popular black and white series on sock monkeys with a new color series of stray cats photographed against patterned towels!


I really liked these collages made from cut up Art Forums by Keith Holbrook.

As I was finishing Aqua the skies opened up and with all that art and inspiration and influence fresh in my soul I couldn't resist taking this Darren Almond/Thomas Ruff/Matthew Spiegelman tribute.

Fair Weather

Thursday started off with a visit to Photo Miami.

First pictures to make an impression were by the young California photographer Alex Trager and her faux voyeuristic images (above and below).




Miklos Gaal's pictures, while hard to see here, employ a highly selective focus that makes every scene seem unreal and have looked interesting for two years running now.


Two great pieces by Robert Polidori.

Needless to say there was lots of Asian photography this year, much of it heavily reliant on photoshop and of mixed success. This is one of the better images by Cui Xiuwen.


Wout Berger creates original still lives in nature.

John Divola's cars were pretty and mysterious.

Then it was off to AIPAD Miami.

This unusual August Sander portrait of a child was one of my favorites of the whole day.


Luis Gonzalez Palma showed both old work and this new color piece (above).

I like Michael Wolf's portraits of Chinese copy painters.

Bob Dylan was much in evidence with different pictures at many booths. This 1966 picture by Daniel Kramer.

An untitled John Divola.


A David Hockney polaroid at Keith DeLellis with a great accompanying card to Heny Geldzahler postmarked 1976. (It says "Swimming pools are such marvelous subjects don't you think?")

Shinuchi Maruyam (at Bruce Silverstein) gets interesting results manipulating liquids in his own studio.

This by the great colorist Martin Parr.

How to match the artist with the work. (Robert Glenn Ketchum.)

A remembrance of times past.


At NADA, Matthew Spiegelman had an interesting selection of pictures.



Walead Beshty made photograms by folding the paper and exposing different sides to different light.


Matt Ducklo's strange images are of actual "Touch Tours", organized for the visually impaired by different museums.


Kate was in the house. The above installation piece by Nico Vascellari is titled "I Kate You" and consisted of neatly organized sheafs of K.M. clippings in plastic folders inside frames.

An My-Le's new series records the American navy's protection of Gulf oil platforms.




Melanie Schiff - that's her in the bottom picture - was a standout and has apparently already been tapped for the next Whitney biennial.



The bargains of the fair were Mark Borthwick polaroids selling for $60 each to benefit the Journal.


Meanwhile at Art Miami, the Starns were showing large new work.

An unusually small and delicate (given the subject matter) Thomas Ruff.

Ruud Van Empel's pictures still look fresh.

Meanwhile many photographers are working with the same selective focus as Miklos Gaal. Here a print of a Japanese race track by Naoki Honjo.

A particularly good Massimo Vitale.


Lastly, lenticular photography - usually a gimmick - finds an appropriate subject and usage in this commentary on the vanishing presence of native americans. As you walk past the image, Edward Curtis's subjects appear and disappear before your eyes.