Now, a few of you are complaining loudly about this one despite the fact that you know most newspaper local listings are thrown together with little or no fact checking . . . Very much like blogs that paper newsies like to tout their superiority over.
Anyhoo . . .
Here's a quick round-up . .
The Star's report mixed in with First Friday listings:
September’s First Friday explodes with things to see and do
"At the Beggar’s Table Gallery, Mark Allen has organized a posthumous show and sale of works by his twin brother, M.A. Alford, whose will stipulates that all of his works be destroyed after this final show. Alford may be best known for his 2010 work featuring a bouquet of helium-filled condoms attached to a baby doll, made to raise awareness of teen pregnancy rates and the need for sex education in public schools. The exhibit at Beggar’s Table will feature his paintings, photographs, videos, sculptures and serigraphs."
However . . .
First Friday Hit List:
"The opening of M.A. Alford's last major showing of work under that persona. Like Gerhard Richter, he's marking the transition with fire. Selections from the nearly 1,000 works the artist "left behind" (the exhibition is being pimped as a show by "the late" Alford, curated by his "twin brother," Mark Allen; uh, he's alive, and there's no twin) include photographs, paintings, videos and sculptures, and everything that doesn't sell this month goes up in flames in a ceremony. It's at Beggar's Table - site of Alford's first solo show before the gallery moved to 2010 Baltimore."
First off . . .
KUDOS TO M.A. ALFORD FOR THE UNIQUE ARTSY APPROACH TO A BLOWOUT KANSAS CITY SHOW!!!
Yes, M.A. Alford is the son of Fox4 morning anchor Mark Alford and he's becoming a Kansas City artsy force to be reckoned with . . .
Now, now . . . A couple of you are touting a newsie connection where there is none . . . Insiders know that M.A. Alford is an up-and-coming artist while Mark Alford is a morning newsman - In other words, they both have their own thing and neither one is publicly plugging the career of the other . . . Soooooo, forcing a connection betwixt the two would be COMPLETELYunfair GIVEN that M.A. Alford is making his own way unlike so many political spawn who invoke their connections at every turn.
The bottom line . . . This quick tidbit is worthy of note because it catches the newspaper running the same kind of content mill that everybody else endures despite Dead Tree protestations otherwise.
So let me ask you this:
ReplyDeleteA tax-exempt church owns the gallery, BeggarsTablechurch.org. And they sold work to the public, knowing this was a hoax--or as the non-denominational minister, Jon Bowles, called it, "a gimmick" by the artist.
So Tony, if the Catholic church sold fake relics, eg pillows made out of the Shroud of Turin, would that be "all in good fun" as well? Or a violation of ethics and their tax exempt status? If KU sold fake copies of the first basketball used by Naismith, would that be perhaps legal FRAUD?
Very weak connections.
DeleteIsn't WDAF a Fox News station?
ReplyDeleteThey never check their facts!
Kudos to your source
Criminal law, as explained to me, is all about intent. If the promotion was intended to be tongue in cheek and no one can prove otherwise, that the only recourse would be a civil action for return of monies spent on items, the value of which was fraudulently increased by way premeditated false claims.
ReplyDeleteYes?
I would assume, if in fact, there was a dramatic increase in sales on this paticular weekend and a dramatic increase in profits, which followed an increase in asking price, based on the specious claim that the artist was dead, then you could show cause for civil and maybe criminal prosecution.
Again, I am just some blue collar dumbass in front of a keyboard, but Mr. Alford didn't escatly cover himself in glory here.
P.S.
ReplyDeleteIt was very funny though.
Hey, Chuck--
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can go grab one of Alford's condom art pieces! But expect to pay alot more, for it, because now that he is pretending to be dead, it's necrophilia art!
4:12
ReplyDeleteI would complain until condom come if I got fucked like that.
Most art is a scam anyway, at least this kid is being creative.
ReplyDeleteNext up: George Brett has jaw cancer, from chewing tobacco, dying in one month, signing baseballs for $5000 each. So now you decide; is that "tongue in cheek" humor? Or fraud?
ReplyDeleteAnd where is old Hearne Christopher on this scandal? The Star, caught once again with an ethics violation--will he and KC Confidential be all over this?
ReplyDeleteStop trolling. This isn't an "ethics" lapse, it's just a fun side note.
ReplyDeleteoh it's an ethics lapse, alright--for the Star reporter who mis-reported the hoax. A clear violation of their ethics policy--or incredibly lazy reporting. Since the Pitch came out BEFORE First Friday noting this as a hoax, and the Star refused to correct their story, this Tracy Abeln will either have to apologize, big time, or she will lose her job.
ReplyDeleteYou want some condom art?
ReplyDeleteI'll hand you a fistful of condom art!
I'm saving up all my condoms for the next 30 days, and having Harley piss on them. Then what doesn't sell, I burn at the end of 30 days.
Oh wait.
I forgot. I don't use condoms. Black Barbie doesn't allow it.
GLAZER
Speaking of Hearne and art scams, perhaps the greatest one is the dude who painted Hearne bigger than life, and of course he wanted to hondle for it. NPR, Hearne--Never Pays Retail. But since there was only ONE mega-portrait, Hernia just couldn't decide which of his twins to give the portrait to. And unlike the king in the Bible, he didn't want to cut himself in half. So--he gave it to his fiance for Christmas. (It was NOT on her list!) If you drive up to their house in Lawrence, there it is, visible from the front window. That's how ya know it's not his neighbor's house...
ReplyDeleteBack on topic, people...
ReplyDeleteIf an artist has to fake his own death in order to sell some mediocre derivative work, including copies of everone else's style including Warhol, just how bad of an artist is he? How often can he pull off that scam?
I don't want to be vulgar or crude, but Gemma Atkinson has the most beautiful tits in the world.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kansascity.com/2013/09/12/4477063/posthumous-exhibit-was-all-about.html
ReplyDelete