Detroit artist Scott Reeder’s compelling show at Lisa Cooley is full of wise-ass text-based work that features masking, airbrush and more. In the back room, two large canvases are painted to look like old-fashioned blackboards. The one on the left, Alternative Titles for Exhibitions I’ve Seen, has been selected as today’s Painting of the Day. It reads:
ALTERNATIVE TITLES FOR EXHIBITIONS I’VE SEEN:
Indoor Street Art
Abstraction for Beginners
Believe it or Not, I Own a Computer
Painting is Dead, But These Paintings Are Still Available
The Book Was Better Than The Movie, But This Show is Worse Than Both
Illusion Of Intelligence (Part 3)
Popcorn And Hammocks
Warhol Did It Better, But Warhols are Hella Expensive
Fluxus Redone But Not Mentioned
Even Smaller / Less Impressive
Punk For Sale
We Do It 4 The JPEGS
LAZY Arangements
If Not The Walls Then Where?
(Just Kidding We’re Just Going To Lean It Or put it On the Floor Like Everyone Else)
And Your thought You Were Bored Before?
Fake Casual
Post Good
Mad At Museums (Part 6)
Not For Sale! (Until Late)
Just Think Of Me As A Philosopher Who Sells Things
Important Art Referenced Unimportantly
Bad Art In Good Taste
Good Job! (100% Like Everything Else)
Forgetable Objects Arranged According To Current Trends
We Should Just Throw This Shit Right Into A Dumpster But…
The Men’s Movement
Can’t Say I Hate It
We’re Still Doing Black And White Right?
Are Reeder and William Powhida pals? If not, they should be.
“Scott Reeder: People Call Me Scott,” Lisa Cooley, LES, New York, NY. Through December 22, 2013.
I find it interesting that this artist comes from Detroit, a bottomed out urban center where an artist can truly start things over with cheap rent and no NYC wealthy bullsht. I am hearing the same from painters settling in Baltimore. Ballmer, as they say, though has warmer weather and the Amtrak to nyc, if you want.
I find it thoroughly disappointing that this artist repeats the now academic formula of text painting, with this home-made font as opposed to that font, blah blah snore. New York has become L'Ecole Des Beaux Artes and this artist is like Gerome or Cos doing yet another take on Ingres contraposto beauties. Painters need to get out of the sterility of NY Money and embrace a tradition or start one free of Pop sensibilities. Anything but this rehash one can find in pretty much any graduate painting department. Mike Kelley died for your sins. Amen.
I find it thoroughly disappointing that pompous gasbags excrete dyspeptic comments containing cliched, presumptuous observations and incoherently drop names instead of cogently offering ideas.
True that text ptg is everywhere and has been for some time. I won't drop names here…. But these works are more of a writer's creation than a painter's. It doesn't matter where you are making your art anymore, it is what you are making. You could live in the " middle of nowhere" and be heavily influenced pretty easily. I just viewed the Chris Wool exhibit online ( albeit) but certainly got an understanding of it. The big question for artists to be asking themselves is "where is the meaning in the work".