~FAN MAIL
or: THEY SHOOT P.R. WOMEN IN L.A., DON’T THEY ?
veteran film publicist RONNI CHASEN was shot dead – in a drive-by “professional” hit – in Los Angeles last Monday, Nov 21, 2010.
reference: THE MURDER THAT ROCKED HOLLYWOOD/slaying of New York-born PR diva . . ./NEW YORK POST
wow. my pre-holiday post elicited some serious email response. who knew ?
1. first-off: about 10 seconds after it posted – in came a one-word rave from CHARLIE FINCH, my mentor and I guess the guy who eggs me onto even greater literary heights. he wrote: “CRACKADOODLE-DOO” – and I was down with that !! the most I thought was wow – some guys have all the luck – they just have to come up with that one sweet phrase – that one-word wonder – that says it all – and cracks you up – at the same time. while I do all the heavy lifting . . .
I shoulda known right then and here – ‘trouble’ is my middle name.
2. the next day – oh oh – the first email from Gavin, as in GAVIN BROWN, in about 6 months – the subject line read: “i’m sorry” – I just assumed it said . . . sorry your mom died. and let it go at that, unread. then a couple of hours later – the thought began to slowly dawn on me – maybe it actually said: i’m sorry – you are not allowed in my gallery any more !!
wow. I don’t know who’s living in an a bigger bubble. me or Gavin.
Gavin for not knowing the word on the street was that his ROB PRUITT – ‘Rumspringa’ Fall spectacle was the spectacle that wasn’t. or, as the simple and prevalent, not to say lively – one liner that bubbled up from the street – so neatly summed up this over-hyped & low in oxygen non-event: Rumspringa was – a fizzle.
and, that’s also why – the mainstream critics in this town – scribble so many purely descriptive phrases in their ‘reviews’ – or, art ‘criticism’ as the genre used to be called. back in the century when the big boys could throw as good a punch as they got, and nobody got shot. or de-friended. de-listed. or un-invited. well there were probably a lot of drunken fisticuffs, if truth be told . . . a couple of suicides by over-dose, whatever.
the problem with the Pruitt show was, one – it was over-hyped. there’s nothing New Yorkers hate more than being told a restaurant is 4 stars – and then trek over only to find a fair to average meal on their plates. not that there weren’t brilliant moments – but the effect was not united – even among the highs. I liked the work in Maccarone’s space – still like the Panda paintings. alot. and the ‘Kitler’ wallpaper. ha. Simon’s camp thought the Pandas played-out, and the Kitlers dumb, not to mention: ‘been there seen that’. his crew liked the segmented self-portraits in the GBE space proper. everybody hated that cinnamon bun wall, thought the gilt chairs were stupid. nobody even bothered with the black and white tires offering up $50 worth of candy. and don’t get me started on all his ‘quilt’ research. as if . . .
though one heavy breathing art critic did call the show: “dickswinging” ? (he likes Marilyn Minter, too – so go figure.)
but, then what to do about the recent Pruitt P.R. – that popped over the Thanksgiving weekend ? in the New York Times. written up by Carol Vogel, no less. maybe some guys do need – getting hit with a swift kick – to the side of the head – every now and then, and Rob Pruitt just might be one of them. he does seem to enjoy saying – every chance he gets – how much he had to rebound – re critical mass ostracism – for that legendary ‘cocaine line right down the middle of gallery floor’ jig – and, then that still not to mentioned – politically incorrect black African art gaffe – of a few years back. !! though wow – too bad I wasn’t taking pix – then – cause both those sound like rockin’ scenes – to me. in fact – they top – my ‘wish I had been there’ list. of all time. for sure. double dutch for sure.
I mean, if I am (imaginary for now – but maybe) banished – should I play sour baby back – and just put it down, at best, ignore it – or at worst, ‘fake’ trash it ? no. it’s too good of a game. esp after coming hard upon the heels of a grand fizzle wipe-out. bottomline – ya gotta give credit where credit is due – and the projected – ROB PRUITT – ANDY WARHOL MONUMENT – scheduled to go up in Union Square – this Spring 2011 – is Rob Pruitt back in ‘Viagra Falls’ – fine form. top form – esp if he gets the fabricator to make the supposedly 10 ft. tall bronze sculpture – really and truly – Andy Warhol life-like. brilliant. right-to-the-edge hard core fun.
3. but then, of course, yesterday, Sunday – Simon had to go and burst my bubble – completely – when he came back from his usual morning bagel and coffee read-the-papers – jaunt – to tell me that the RONNI CHASEN L.A. murder – was lookin more and more to be a professional hit – not a random act of violence or your typical road rage thing. in fact these were his very words: “I don’t think Gavin is out to get you, but I bet KATHY GRAYSON is . . ”
. . . or, I’m thinking – her backers. better hope they’re not Russians.
I should only be so lucky. well, maybe that’s not such a joke.
on the eve of such epic battle – of course, the only logical course of action left – was to go see the new HARRY POTTER movie. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS !! – wow. one of the best. if you wanted one concrete vindication that the art world in New York City, is for the most part in a vacuum, is in fact a wasteland except for the solitary bright light every here and there — you need go no further than purchase a movie ticket.
but we’ll give and Andy & Rob – the last word !!
the projected ROB PRUITT bronze sculpture for Union Sq. – Spring 2011 – ANDY WARHOL !!
IMAGE COURTESY/NEW YORK TIMES
reference: CAROL VOGEL/NOV 25, 2010/’THE PUBLIC WARHOL in a PUBLIC SQUARE’/NEW YORK TIMES !!
and come to think of it; not only is ‘Warhol’ a great a name for a Harry Potter villain – but – hey it actually breaks down into – War and Hole – get it ?!! my theme song for 2010.
yeah, I got some serious revenge issues – better believe it.
or: catch this – if you can.
one of my pix – is greater than all 160 of your pix – on twitter . . . double dutch. high five me.
bout Joe Grillo. not only – been there done that – but made that baby. period.
lookin’ around – don’t see anybody else – taking up the slack, either. dude. talk about vacuum. top 10 tunes about ‘soul sisters’ – done & over – it’s all about ‘too school for cool’ – now. in the popular culture.
on the musical air waves.
what are they – mind readers ?