So we just got the “Artist Directory” for the New Museum’s youthie triennial Younger than Jesus. There are 50 artists from 25 countries in the show drawn from the 500 artists in this directory — a compendium of everyone they considered. Natch we had to search for our Philly posse. We already knew about Jesse Greenberg being in the catalog because he emailed us. But we knew there would be other Philly connections — and by Ben Franklin, there are!!
But first about the book. Its phone book aesthetic is great–one of the best designs we’ve seen in years. It’s an index of an index with a wraparound cover. And each page inside is a full color newsprint page with several images per artist and a short bio in plain, clear, no-nonsense English. The introduction, written by the 3-curators of the New Museum, is a three-column essay that is also readable (except for the tiny we guess 9-pt. type suitable for youthie reading). Curators Lauren Cornell, Massimiliano Gioni and Laura Hoptman beat the drum for what we’ve been saying for years — that the internet and globalism are fueling a new type of art. In the foreword, Lisa Phillips, museum director, dubbed this new trend “international esperanto”; good coinage, we say.
We intend to keep this handbook close at hand. Note: It costs $49.95 from the publisher, Phaidon, and $45 from the museum ($36 for members).
Now what you’ve been waiting for–who’s in the directory whom you may know.
Alex Da Corte, page 114
Isaac Resnikoff, page 405
Jesse Greenberg, page 196
Isaac Tin Wei Lin, page 481
The list, like the show, was compiled by a group of 50 nominators. Nominators, each of whom recommended three artists they believe represent generational change, included four from Philadelphia: Ingrid Schaffner and Jenelle Porter from the ICA; Jose Roca, from Philagrafika, who’s listed as a Bogota tipster; and Andrew Jeffrey Wright, co-founder of Space 1026 and currently doing stand-up comedy as a warm-up for Man Man on their spring tour.
Libby’s going to see this show tomorrow and Roberta and Cate will get there asap.
