Correction – the gallery is named Pierogi 2000 is now corrected on the headline – sorry!

Did art star Judy Rifka have it in for Billy The ArtStar? (BTA) There is conjecture on the subject when during yesterdays press interview with BTA. As he was talking about his new work all attention was suddenly diverted as Rifka began taking the room apart. Can Judy play nice with others? Dr. Lisa Levy gives analysis for GalleryBeat at the scene, DUAL.

Camera by Paul and Hosted by Lisa and Paul – Dual curated by Savannah Spirit  - All Rights Reserved GalleryBeat and Paul H-O 2011.

DUAL – curated by Savannah Spirit. Artists include BTA, Chambliss Giobi, Max Langhurst, Christopher Lee, Tara Meisenheimer, John D. Monteith, Judy Rifka, Sadie Weis, Agnis Zotis, Frantic F Emme (performance)

In the battle of the art fairs this weekend I wouldn’t even dare to put odds on anything other than to say the Gershwin Hotel has a head start on eccentric. It is a genuine oddity and a throwback to another decade from the last century. In the location (7 E 27th St. NYC) just look for the red building with huge white horn shaped things protruding from the facade. In that is it’s strength. Savannah Spirit has some very strong artists in her suites and it’s looking very good as a hometown team. The Duel rooms were mobbed in one, and quiet in the other for the press preview but I’m sure that is changed by now.  As for Pool, it is all over the map. It’s actually in some cases, astoundingly a free-for-all for any artist or rep that can come up with the $1600 to get a room. It’s the anti Armory Show. There are some true believers and it just pulls on your heart. You may not like some of these unrepresented artists work at Pool, but there are some like Judy Rifka, Chris Lee, and John D. Monteith to name three that know what they’re doing, and it looks mighty good against the dozens of other artist suites at Pool.

From the Cooking with GalleryBeat Live Show at BravinLee Programs in New York on 1/29/11. Hosted by Paul H-O and Dr. Lisa and starring Phoebe Hoban (author of the new biography on painter Alice Neel), Pat Daughherty (composer/musician working with Snoop Dog to Ornette Coleman). Jena Friedman (comedian/actor TV & film) Peter Bolte (director – Dandelion Man, The Greims) and John Post Lee of BravinLee gallery.

The big question was from me was; why 1959? What is it about that year that Kaplan could make that bold pronouncement? He does make a good argument, the book is a truckload of sometimes searing facts and the occasional ‘huh?’ moment. How do I steer it around to the art question? No problema para Senor Kaplan! He deftly blasts through the usual boilerplate we in the art industry generally are subjected to, into the time when the entire planet was in fear of Cold War extermination of a good chunk of the western world and simultaneously exploring space travel with drugs, jazz, beatniks, and rockets.

This is just a part of the show that we will trundle out in bits so the webheads may in fact, not choke on long play video. Miss this at your peril, for history is that one thing we have for self-awareness, it’s called the memory.

GalleryBeat is- Paul H-O,
Lisa Levy,
Samantha Schlaifer,
Ron Rocheleau,
Tamara Weg,
Aimee Graham,
Gaia Baldini,
and brought to you by Rafik Video.

All Rights Reserved 2010

Btw: Note to Ken Johnson of The NY Times re this comment: “But he is not a big risk taker, and not one to stir up the censors.” I find it hard to perceive  a man who runs into burning buildings is not a risk taker. -Dr. Lisa

“Edward Koren: The Capricious Line” continues through June 12 at the Wallach Art Gallery, Schermerhorn Hall, Columbia University, Morningside Heights; (212) 854-7288, columbia.edu/cu/wallach. “Edward Koren: Parallel Play, Drawings 1979-2010” is on view through June 2 at the Luise Ross Gallery, 511 West 25th Street, Chelsea; (212) 343-2161, luiserossgallery.com.

This video was created last August when Dr. Lisa spent 2 days interviewing the hundreds (thousands?) of artists, outside of White Columns, who are vying to be cast in the new Bravo TV reality show, “Work of Art, The Next Great Artist.”

I’ve been married to a wonderful woman for 5 happy years. The issue is my art work is highly sexual and needs to be continuely fed new inspiration so I can continue to create. My wife knew what my painting was all about when she married me. I always assumed from her seeing my work, that she knew anonymous sex was part of my process. In other words, I have sex with other women, but I don’t discuss it with her. 

I guess with this whole Tiger Woods thing now I’m getting a bit paranoid. This unspoken don’t ask don’t tell arrangement has me somewhat anxious lately, as my wife is talking about getting pregnant and I want to have a more secure arrangement before we have a child. When we got married, I thought that maybe someday we would have kids, but I didn’t know that 5 years of sleeping around would go so fast.

So, do I tell her or go with the status quo which has been working quite well? My painting is important to me and I don’t want to have to give it up. The married sex just doesn’t work for me.

Tight Lipped

Dear Tight-

Let’s be honest. Sleeping around is fun. And using your painting as a reason to do it and not tell your wife is a load of crap to you, me, her and likely everyone reading this letter, although I do think YOU believe that you think your painting is a legitimate reason for having anonymous sex.

Okay, so I think it’s bullshit, but supposing you don’t agree with me, then it still seems like a conversation you should have with your wife anyway if she is to understand and support you and your art.

And if she’s not okay with it, and if your art is important enough to you, then go with the consequences and negotiate up front next time with the next partner about your artistic process.

The good news is, that since you’re an artist, unlike Tiger Woods, it’s highly unlikely that any of the women you’ve slept with are going to crawl out of the woodwork looking for hush money.

LOVE U!!

Dr.Lisa

Do you have a question that you would like answered by Dr. Lisa? Send it to lisa@gallerybeat.net

I just graduated from a good college with a degree in fine arts. I’ve been considering hooking up with a “Sugar Daddy” from a site like www.seekingarrangement.com, to help me start my art career. I know if I can just get started, I will make it as an artist quickly, and then I can find someone and get into a real “love” relationship.

The reason I’m writing to you is because my best friend is saying she doesn’t want to know me if I do this. We went to college together and now that I have a plan like this, I think she’s jealous. What do you think, how should I handle this with her? I wish I’d never told her, but now she’s been asking me if I’ve signed up on the site.

Thanks!

-Sugar Baby

Dear Baby-

You’re missing one important, essential ingredient: R-E-A-L-I-T-Y. Think about this, you will be trading your making art for sex. Which means you’ll be selling your body, not your work.

I also get a sense of defensiveness in your self-assurance you “will make it as an artist quickly”. Andt  your sense that your friend is “jealous”. If your work was really that good or if you believed it was that good, why would you need an ‘art-for-sex’ deal? A lot of promising students have galleries and serious interest in their work before they leave school.

I suspect that you are trying to take the easy way out. And if you really want to make it as an artist, or in pretty much any successful career, that doesn’t exist. Ask yourself if you are really committed to your work. Are you motivated to make art?

Many artists start careers working in galleries, coffee shops, etc. until they can make a living off their work or otherwise. I suggest you look into the backgrounds of many well-known women artists you admire and find some good role models. And I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that being attractive and charming is helpful in furthering ones career, but it won’t sell unworthy work to any intelligent collector.

One of the smart choices that you’ve made is in your friend. Hold on to that friend, you’re going to need her.

LOVE U!

-Dr. Lisa

Her current projects: As Dr. Lisa, she the resident psychotherapist for the new GalleryBeat web series from Paul H-O. She answers questions and does therapy sessions on artists, and then posts as videos. She also performs psychoanalysis on comedians in “Stand Up. Lie Down,” her show at Comix/Ochis’ Lounge, www.comixny.com on the third Thursday of every month.

Lisa also makes conceptual art and has exhibited widely at venues such as White Columns, Artists Space, Printed Matter, The New Museum and the Scope Art Fair. See some of Lisa’s art here: http://www.psychotherapylive.com/art.html

And as an advertising art director, she has worked at top ad agencies such as McCann-Erickson, TBWA and Ogilvy & Mather on accounts like American Express, Absolut Vodka and Crest Toothpaste. In addition to a Clio, she won a Grand Prize of $83,000, in a national search for a new Hebrew National Salami advertising campaign. 

Her other performances include “Psychotherapy LIVE!” where she plays
shrink to the audience and “Red Carpet LIVE!” where she is a red carpet host. She has also created hamster bowling, culminating in an appearance on David Letterman in Stupid Pet Tricks.

For more about Lisa’s projects, go to www.lisalevyindustries.com