Ed Ruscha will represent the US at the next Venice Biennale. Read Carol Vogel‘s piece in yesterday’s NY Times. (user: lrrfartblog, password: artblog). Quoting,
This is the second time that Mr. Ruscha’s work has been included in the American pavilion at a Venice Biennale. In 1970 he created “Chocolate Room,” an installation consisting of 360 sheets of paper silk-screened with chocolate, as part of a larger exhibition that included other American artists.
No chocolate this time. Apparently two longtime major funders of the US Pavilion, Pew Trusts and the Rockefeller Foundation, dropped out to concentrate their money on grant giving and the State Department is still trying to get money together for what can cost $1 million. So meanwhile, decision makers went for Ruscha, now 66, because of the bottom line! His work — paintings, drawings and photographs — were “feasible.” They wouldn’t require costly construction of walls and would be ready to ship and hang. Jeez. I love Ruscha and I’m glad he was chosen but such decision making is shameful.
