The Montreal Art Review Round Up (edited version)

Howdy!

I just posted to Metroblogging Montreal, the round up. 1,228 words about every darn article I can find that was published this week about Montreal Artists or Montreal Art. Click here to read it in its full glory.

If you want just the highlights, or a teaser, try this:

Murray Whyte at the Toronto Star writes 1,297 words about Istvan Kantor's upcoming show at the Art Gallery of York University. Ummm, maybe I should take it back, what I said about articles of more than 1,000 words. First Whyte screws up who the artist was in the most recent blood throwing incident, and then, second, he just doesn't get it. Cinque Hicks, over at Bare and Bitter Sleep, put it best, "when you've built your whole identity on being against something, only to have that something turn around and suddenly admire you without transforming itself in any way, it means that you've failed..." - link - C

Update, February 9, 2004: I have just been informed that I am in fact the one who is wrong with regards to the piece that Mr. Whyte refers to in his article. Mea Culpa, and apologies to Mr. Whyte and anybody else that took offense. I am in discussion as to whether I am the one in fact who doesn't get it, and as soon as we have figured out an answer, I'll let you know. In the interim, I should revise Mr. Whyte's grade upward - B+

Number 3: This one struck me as just flat-out weird. A 1,111 word article by Ève Dumas about a French from France actor, Denis Lavant, playing British Painter, Francis Bacon, on a stage (yes, theater!) here in Montreal, in French. I saw M. Lavant in the last piece of theater he did, and man, can he growl. As the article is about theater, I figure it is ineligible to be graded. If I get to see the play, I'll try to let you know.

Then we switch from the dailies, to the weeklies, and despite Isa Tousignant's shameless self-promotion of her increasing the arts content of Hour Magazine a gazillion percent, this week the Mirror stomps her on her keyboard and throws it into the snow. They have six articles, compared to her one book review.

Mr. Bottenberg was forced to think on his feet. Good thing, he gets a priceless quote from Chloe Lum, "it's like, bang on shit for an hour and then get the fuck out." - B

And if there is anybody out there that can tell me what the Mirror's definition of a "Noisemaker" is, I'd love to know. In going back through their archives and looking at who the previous "noisemakers" were I can't figure it out for the life of me.

Serge Fisette is freakin' incredible by writing 2,753 words about what happened in the Sculpture field in 2004. Good on Espace for publishing it (although I am certain it helps being the editor to get articles that length published). Umm, I don't have the time to read it all right now, and I'm certain that once I do, there will be a whack of things that get my dander up. But for the time being he gets an A++ just for the amount of words. Props and kudos!