Friday, September 03, 2004
The Times Tries to Go all Art in America on Us
I know the culture desk at The New York Times is all topsy-turvy these days, but what's up with today's Fine Arts section?
In today's issue Roberta Smith reviews Andy Goldsworthy's installation (which opened on May 4) on the roof of the Met, and Ken Johnson describes Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler's video (which opened on July 22) at the Whitney's Altria branch.
Even evergreen copy has an expiration date, and these two pieces had passed theirs--one by a little, one by a lot. For a daily to be reviewing a local show by a brand-name artist four months after it opens is embarrassing.
But try as it might, The Times still can't take the title of "Least Timely Publication" away from the reigning champion, Art in America. September's issue, with its feature article on the Whitney's Lucas Samaras show (which closed on February 8), shows that Art in America is serious--really serious--about retaining its crown.
In today's issue Roberta Smith reviews Andy Goldsworthy's installation (which opened on May 4) on the roof of the Met, and Ken Johnson describes Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler's video (which opened on July 22) at the Whitney's Altria branch.
Even evergreen copy has an expiration date, and these two pieces had passed theirs--one by a little, one by a lot. For a daily to be reviewing a local show by a brand-name artist four months after it opens is embarrassing.
But try as it might, The Times still can't take the title of "Least Timely Publication" away from the reigning champion, Art in America. September's issue, with its feature article on the Whitney's Lucas Samaras show (which closed on February 8), shows that Art in America is serious--really serious--about retaining its crown.
