~CECILY BROWN & NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF
CECILY BROWN and NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF at the recent RITA ACKERMANN opening,
‘Don’t Give Me Salad (Nurses)’
ANDREA ROSEN GALLERY, CHELSEA, NYC, FRI SEPT 12, 2008
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
CECILY has a big one-person show up at GAGOSIAN/24th ST.
It runs SEPT 20-OCT 25, 2008
see: GAGOSIAN GALLERY/NYC
NICOLAI just published three major architecture reviews in the NEW YORK TIMES, probably the most important of which was the first, on the new RENZO PIANO – CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES,
SAN FRANCISO !! (Golden Gate Park !!)
The article, titled: ‘A Building That Blooms and Grows, Balancing Nature and Civilization’ – was published, with an amazing 1/2 page color photo – in the NEW YORK TIMES – WED. SEPT 24, 2008, in the ARTS SECTION/ARCHITECTURE REVIEW. the article – headlined the section’s front page. Mr. Ouroussoff manages to write in a style that is at once entrancing and informative – so much so, as to make his essays on architecture – transformative !!
you can read the article online, here: NEW TIMES ARCHIVE/RENZO PIANO REVIEW
do not miss the photos !! – there’s a small slide show of 10 photos of the building, linked to the article – it’s a – great – slide show.
if you missed the prompt in the article – here’s a direct link to the slideshow photos:
see: NEW YORK TIMES/RENZO PIANO/CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES/SLIDE SHOW
. . . this is how the article appeared in the paper . . .
and, here’s 2 photos from that slide show:
PHOTO: TIM GRIFFITH/COURTESY: NEW YORK TIMES ONLINE
(ok ok – I know its the same shot – just can’t let go of it, its so spec-tac-u-lar, esp. in digital hi-def.)
PHOTO: TIM GRIFFITH/COURTESY: NEW YORK TIMES ONLINE
. . . “If you want re-affirmation that human history is an upward spiral rather than a descent into darkness, head to the new California Academy of Sciences”.
– NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF
. . . then on FRIDAY, SEPT 26th, this season’s IT COUPLE, took a big hit. put briefly, in the very same NEW YORK TIMES – WEEKEND ARTS SECTION, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 – CECILY’S ‘GO-GO’ SHOW, WAS DEALT A CRUEL & PERHAPS FATAL, (that bad !!) BLOW, COURTESY Of MARTHA SCHWENDENER.
. . . WHILST, NICOLAI’S SECOND BRILLIANT ARTICLE of the week – ON THE NEW RE-DESIGN of THE MUSEUM OF ARTS & DESIGN – WAS PUBLISHED IN ALL ITS PICTORIAL & TEXTUAL GLORY – ALL OVER THE VERY SAME SECTION’S – COVER FRONT PAGE, AGAIN !! whoa, that’s mean !!!
. . . that’s why, we call this KILLER town – NEW YORK F*CKING CITY !!!
MARTHA SCHWENDENER, known mostly for her (usually annoying) negative soundbites, wrote, or better put, was allowed by the Times to write – her best review ever – the one she was destined for – just by finally writing what everybody else – had already thought. (SEPT VOGUE – notwithstanding – and, don’t you look the artworld, fool – again !!). The pivotal dart: “It’s difficult not to notice, when standing in front of Ms. Brown’s paintings, that she is merely a competent painter rather than a great one.”
And, in one paragraph, goes on further to decimate the DORE ASHTON penned catalog for the show – calling it a “doorstopper” – meaning a huge massive book – not good enough to sit on top of your coffee table, or to be read – best, and only use – propping doors – open !!
to sum it up: the ‘know-it-all’ artlovers field correspondent, who wishes to remain anonymous, so he can still go to after-parties in this town – threw down the paper and crowed, those fearful words: ” . . . she’ll never recover from that !!”
FILE UNDER: TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION: the very first line of Nicolai’s article in that fateful section: “It was fun while it lasted.”
Its one thing to marry an artstar when she is on the way up – its quite another, to catch her on the way down.
. . . speaking of which:, YO !! PAUL H-O – co-director of ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’ – wonder what YOU make of this novel twist on the ‘I married/dated an art star scenario’ !! and, NICOLAI . . . is even on the DOCUMENTARY side of the equation, too. wow. what a turnaround.
FINALLY:
and, if you are wondering how CECILY BROWN got so far in the first place – here’s a few clues for the clueless, put briefly. Well, besides riding in on her very famous daddy’s coattails, and he was/is the most famous ART CRITIC in BRITAIN – ANTHONY DAVID BERNARD SYLVESTER (!!??) – when she first hit these NYC shores, she partied very hard & wild – up to and including drugged-up BF’s who jumped from windows – to including a penchant, esp. on occasions when the ‘media’ – would be there – for sheer, 100% transparent designer blouses, sans underwear de toute. don’t believe me ? just ask CHARLIE FINCH, WALTER ROBINSON or ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST !! Anthony got so aroused at one downtown dinner party – he had to be restrained from trying to tear – it off her.
read more about CECILY’S old man, here: ANTHONY DAVID BERNARD SYLVESTER
UP-DATE: FRIDAY SEPT 26 2008
a source who wishes to remain anonymous – says that: “Charlie Finch has a shot of CB in the see-thru blouse.
I have it somewhere in my drives”.