~Luvvy . . .
I am still . . . floored that despite the global and far-reaching popular, tech world, and critical success of ‘WE LIVE IN PUBLIC’, and now the book, ‘TOTALLY WIRED: On the Trail of the Great Dotcom Swindle’ . . . that the art world, and in particular the local New York art scene from which it birthed – is (still) totally non-recognisant of the phenom that continues to steamroller – over the rest of the world, but lies unknown at home.
and this despite, Josh being labelled many times over, around the world, as: ‘the Andy Warhol of the web’ – !!
I mean come on, they are reading about Josh, Pseudo and the underground art scene of New York City – in Abu Dhabi, for god’s sake.
I guess . . it would have taken that other shoe to drop – the inspired dealer.
not to mention a few really enlightened art critics. and collectors.
well, if there is any justice to be had, the New York Times Art Review section is largely ignored now, or at the very least does not occupy anywhere close to the mandatory role it had a decade ago. if you look at the Times art section now – it’s largely for the institutional, i.e. museum coverage.
and even that sometimes they get wrong, CATTELAN at the Guggenheim, anybody ?
and of course – the Antiques column. ha.
and, if you turn to the supposedly swift flying underground blogsphere, MOST DEF NOT including these pages, duh – about all you get is: we know the art out there is bad – but what about the role of . . . the bad review, or something equally impeccably informative, NOT.
SO, WAS LUVVY TO BLAME ?
OR WAS THE JOSH HARRIS/PSEUDO EMPIRE just too big ?
for the ratworld, I mean artworld to contemplate . . seeing as how they like shows, and o.k. “installations” – that fit into a gallery space in one neat, even if deconstructed, package.
was Josh . . . a ‘performance artist’ of the near future, i.e. of now – rather than of then: a game player, a site specific commentator . . . and a shape shifter ?
just a couple of decades ahead of his time. art wise ?
JOSH HARRIS as his alter ego – LUVVY.
in a media-driven world, a sophisticated and graphic design-driven art world – this side of Luvvy, was a good bet, image-wise.
but, Luvvy the full-blown idiot savant clown, not so.
especially when he was hosting live sex competitions. though seriously – what is the web if not 3/4 porn and hook-up sites.
I mean the deal is, he also called the Facebook networking side of things, so maybe that kind of mind – has to let off steam ? has to roam free and wild.
I mean, who knows what you are ‘calling’ per se, as you seriously, and unconsciously for the most part – foray into an unknown future ?
especially one that is of the mind, or rather . . . the ‘alternative universe of the mind’ / the web, as it was to evolve.
I mean as GALINSKY aka underdog88 so eloquently put it: back in the early days of Pseudo, we’re talking the early 90s, the days of ‘dial-up’ . . . “we had to go to the Library at Yale .. to get a good signal.” (!!)
“No, I never walked into a board room as Luvvy . . . I’m not an idiot.” ~ JOSH HARRIS
“Luvvy is NOT a clown, he is all the media I have consumed in my life.” ~ JOSH HARRIS.
famous, last (!!) words. ha.
WATCH: LUVVY THE CLOWN . . . WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – DVD RELEASE !!
WATCH: LUVVY: PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ASK . . .
P.S.
this is JASON CALACANIS in that LUVVY THE CLOWN – WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – DVD RELEASE.
an important dynamic in the PSEUDO CREW, he went on to become a successful entrepreneur of digital media himself. Calacanis used to chronicle New York’s tech scene in his publication, ‘The Silicon Alley Reporter’, and
he is on record . . .
for stating that JOSH HARRIS . . . “is one of the 10 most important people in the history of the Internet.” (!!)
even more interestingly, in one of the ** truly ** underground NYC art scene’s more interesting & worst kept secrets, happening right now !! . . . ROBERT GALINSKY/underdog88 has been running a behind-the-scenes ‘thread’ that started up around the publication of Andrew Smith’s book: ‘TOTALLY WIRED’.
it’s been producing some really interesting debates, and some amazing first person factual contributions have arisen, perhaps none more provocative than those that addressed Josh’s ‘time sensitive’ message for ‘funds’ so that . . . the “Lou Ann” that runs his apparently seedy “hotel” in Nevada – wouldn’t evict him – “tomorrow”. and it included his payoal info – and Lou Ann’s phone no. !!
it was immediately followed by one cynical Pseudo ex-employee countering: “if you believe that . . . I have a planet for you.” !!
to which JASON CALACANIS replied, something to effect that: JOSH has stayed at my place for the past 16 months and I fronted him in 10+ poker tournaments, going on to state that . . “It was an amazing run, but when the new baby came – Josh had to leave the nest.” !!
JOSH HARRIS – PHOTO BY EVAN SUNG – for the NEW YORK TIMES
I think this, was that JASON CALACANIS gig . . . referred to, in this 2009 article in the NEW YORK TIMES, in their FASHION & STYLE (!!) SECTION:
“These days, Mr. Harris sleeps in a friend’s pool house in Los Angeles and earns a meager living playing poker at a racetrack.” (!!)
see: ‘For Digital Pioneer, the Web was No Safety Net’ – by ALLEN SALKIN, NEW YORK TIMES, AUG 28 2009
‘WE LIVE IN PUBLIC’ also scored a big full page write-up in the NEW YORK TIMES, MOVIE SECTION – when it scored that SUNDANCE 2009 TROPHY.
but never a word in the Art pages.
I mean come on – ‘QUIET’ the millennium party slash art installation that anchors the film, was first and foremost – an art installation !! with over 99 artists in residence, whose on-going work was open to the public – for 2 weeks, 24/7. and it was packed day and night . . . non-stop.
ha. For ‘Digital Pioneer, the Web was no safety net !!” – and, the art world, didn’t help.
just a bunch of short-sighted sheep, is pretty much it – the New York City art world, been going downhill ever since . . .
ever since ELI BROAD couldn’t move past early 80s stars CINDY SHERMAN & JEFF KOONS, and nobody else popped up, with the same kind of clout or money !! – who could keep the market evolving.
ART HISTORY 101 – in a nutshell.
P.S.S.
if you haven’t caught the WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – TRAILER, YET ? dude how lame ?
here’s the link: WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – THE TRAILER