Posts: Bay Area

With the wide-eyed hype of early dot-com mania resoundingly over, many of us are breathing a collective sigh of relief. In fact, as business gets back to normal, the creative future of the web looks especially bright as online arts and related projects continue to flourish. Read about the new work Driven by a Higher Calling, Not Dot-Com Dollars in this New York Times article. (free registration required)

- David Lawrence [Thursday, January 3rd, 2002]

While we’re on the subject, here’s what David Bonetti and Kenneth Baker have to say about the Bay Area’s “Top Ten,” 2001. They get a few things right, but could they have missed Irene Pijoan’s majestic cut paper works at the Bedford Art Center? Or Francesca Pastine’s sparkling abstractions at Rena Bransten Gallery? Or Adaline Kent’s stirring modernist works at 871 Fine Art? The Elmer Bischoff retrospective at the Oakland Museum of California will shape the understanding of this important artist’s work for decades; True Gritat the Mills Museum was a creative recasting of pre-feminist work, but the prize for an eye-opening show goes to the Berkeley Art Museum for the Teresa Hak Kyung Cha retrospective. Yes, Martin Puryear’s work was more fun to look at, and he deserves a spot on the list, but Cha’s work was a real discovery/recovery.

- Meredith Tromble [Monday, December 31st, 2001]

It’s time for “Best Art of 2001” lists. Peter Plagens passes judgment; Doug Harvey’s list, with an LA twist, is linked below. They don’t agree.

- Meredith Tromble [Saturday, December 29th, 2001]

While at a friend’s house for Christmas, I was exposed to that old social satire chestnut MAD Magazine whose January issue features a rather astute satire advertising the “Controversial Artist Instruction School”. It assesses your potential by asking such questions as “Do you frequently doodle, make sketches or finger paint with your own bodily secretions?” and so on. Damien and Traci all sent up proper. Very clever. Required reading for all freshmen art students arriving for the Spring semester.

- Dale Hoyt [Friday, December 28th, 2001]

Art Issues is gone but Doug Harvey writes on. His latest: 12 Art Moments. Too much happening in LA for a 2001 Ten Best list, apparently…

- Meredith Tromble [Friday, December 28th, 2001]

What’s more popular than chocolate, more Californian than the peace sign, and more future-enhancing than a great SAT score? Would you believe public funding for art? A whopping 90% of Californians are for it, according to a rigorous new study.

- Meredith Tromble [Thursday, December 27th, 2001]

From the editors