It’s not enough that 20×200 has been getting all sorts of press lately (NY Times, Houston Chronicle, WIred Magazine just to name a few), or that they’ve featured some big shot artists like Brian Ulrich. They now have added to their accomplishments an edition by two people in the highest level of art stardom, Mike and Doug Starn.

I am really bummed to have missed out. I was in meetings during the middle of the day when the announcement came out, and I’m sure it sold out in minutes- everything was long gone by the time I got to it. I will be waiting with my trigger finger on my mouse for part 2 of the edition, and just hope I am lucky enough to be at my computer when it is announced.

This is a crazy time of year in the academic world, so I’ve let up a little on the blogging. However, if I have any readers in the local area, I want to let you know that Catherine Chalmers will be speaking at Eastern Michigan University in the Halle Library auditorium tomorrow (4/8) at 6pm. I’m excited to have her coming. It should be a fascinating talk. Be sure to say hi if you come (I’ll be the one introducing her).

Someone help me out here.

I haven’t had a chance yet to look at work from all the artists in this year’s Whitney Biennial. It’s on my to-do list, but so are a lot of things right now. However, a post on Justin James Reed’s blog got me looking at Olaf Breuning’s work.

My first response was that it is the type of work I don’t usually give much notice to- all over the map, and an anti-aesthetic sensibility that seems to come more from technical incompetence than a conscious denial of the canonized art aesthetic.

Yet since my first visit to his web site a few days ago, I have returned multiple times, and watched probably 30-40 minutes of his video work (that’s saying something, as I usually have little patience for video pieces). I am completely captivated.

So my question is, am I interested in his work from a smart conceptual art type perspective, or from a “Jackass” “Viva la Bam” type perspective? In this day and age, does it even matter?

I’m happy to report that “Somewhere in Middle America” made the top 50 in this year’s Critical Mass. I am in good company, joined by  fellow photographer and blogger Susanna Raab and grad school colleague Ian Van Coller. I look forward to going through the work of the other winners.

Beth Dow also made the top six, who are eligible for one of the book awards. I’ve admired her field work series for some time.