Paintings such as this one, by art therapy patient Ria Pratt, are now being used by fake news websites as “proof” of the #pizzagate conspiracy theory, which seems especially unethical.
The #pizzagate trolls are trying their tiny hands at art criticism. Here’s one of several fake news articles examining the murals inside Comet Ping Pong for some nefarious symbolism. We would like to point out that the real murals at Comet Ping Pong are by Arrington de Dionyso, and that most of the images used in this article are from the website of art therapist Kim Noble, and were produced by trauma victims. Also, LOL, this “article” is written by “Liberty Belle” ….ugh, the alt-right has the worst drag names. [Fury News]
Following the deadly fire at Oakland’s Ghost Ship, artist-run spaces nationwide are in crisis. We’ve been getting calls from friends in various cities who’ve had fire inspectors show up at warehouses and tell them they have 30 minutes to grab their stuff and get out. Let’s not let this be the end of an era for counterculture. Now, more than ever, these places are so necessary. [The New York Times]
Just prior to the eviction of Denver’s artist-run space Rhinoceropolis, musician and urban planner Michael Semen discusses how important DIY spaces are to cities and what local governments can do to protect them. [Westword]
Meanwhile in Baltimore, the city has condemned the artist-run space The Bell Foundry, citing safety concerns. Imagine if we lived in the kind of society that went around giving poor people sprinkler systems instead of eviction notices? [The Baltimore Sun]
A massive profile on Jerry Saltz by Kenny Schachter appears in British GQ this January and in Artnet news. There have been a lot of profiles on Saltz over the years, but this one manages to shed new light on the critic, exploring his early home life and then beginning to track his career closely from 2010 on, with his appearance as a judge on Work of Art and a burgeoning social media star. [Artnet news]
Is History Painting making a small, international comeback? K.P. Reji, Michael Armitage, and Daniel Boyd are “de-colonizing” the genre with dreamy, politically-charged illustration-like works. [Artspace]