Here is an wonderful article about Man Ray's debauched bohemian muse from The Guardian.

Up in Seattle Jen Graves puts in a fine article on another bohemian moment, Cologne from the 80's till about 1995.

Yes, bohemian lifestyles and art are a hot subject right now and in case you missed it, PORT's own Jessica Bromer took on the Met's Glitter and Doom show last month.

There is no shortage of bohemian activity in Portland these days... I wouldn't know where to start. However, I do think Joe Thurston has stopped drinking absinthe though.

Does Joe have any absinthe left?

I knew this would happen...

But the answer is... as of the last time I did a studio visit (january I think) it was a no. His work has completely changed in way that might make you think he's drinking absinthe though. Everyone should be excited to see this new work, no more faces.

Regarding Cologne:

The thing that struck me about this show was not so much the content - but rather, how difficult it would be to bring a show like this to Portland. It seems fitting for the Portland Art Museum to showcase this work - but when? And where? Similarly, the other non-profit groups may not be able to bring in such a show due to the tremendous amount of handling, security and insurance - and OK - cash.

I dont really know what im talking about. It's just a hunch. Im not trying to suggest ideas that are not true. Maybe this show could have come here. But as I was walking through its halls, all I kept thinking was "good for The Henry."

I congratulated the curatorial staff - of which they nodded to Bennett Simpson's curation. And after a few other questions mentioned something like, "you know, we have never put on a show like this before and so many people are going to hate it."

Good job! Go see it.

Yeah Ive got to visit Seattle soon for that Cologne show (nice work Jen)... also the Bruce Nauman show which opens friday night. I grew up looking at many of those Nauman neon pieces at the Milwaukee art museum and Im thrilled they are coming around.

Bruce Conkle has told me a little of his interraction with Naumann when BC worked for Castelli. It's always nice to hear that someone you admire isnt a jerk. Clown Torture alone makes one wonder??? Art and life are completely different things some times. The bohemian impulse of course is about blurring that distinction. The two shows should be especially good in conjunction as they have such different roots but a similar iconoclastic bent.

Art and life are completely different things all the time. It doesn't matter to me if Bruce Nauman is nice or sadistic, it does matter that his work "works", which should at least for a moment cause me to forget about him and everything else and accept the work on it's own terms.

It's the sausage metaphor, some dont want to know how its made, others do. There is wisdom in both approaches...

For me, whatever provides insight without trumping the primacy of the piece is fine. Expecting a contextless world (with no artist) for art to exist in seems impossible. Sure, great art can transcend its maker too.

Still. at the end of the day the work has to stand on its own but sometimes knowing how it all came about is useful, especially if you are in the production side of the art world.

But isn't that precisely the point in "Make Your Own Life?" The 'work' was the making - not a product - or even further, that much of the work was anti-product. Anyway, I agree with Storm completely and was throughly impressed with the exhibition and the Henry for organizing (with compliments to Sara Krajewski and Bennett Simpson). It's one of the most 'contemporary' exhibitions I've seen in the PNW and actuallyinformed a lot of my thinking about the most recent Whitney Biennial - I highly reccomend checking it out.

Absolutely, right on... thanks Laurel! It is an important stream in contemporary art and part of why I love Beuys, Klein and that Kiki of Montparnasse story in the Guardian.

Oh my god Jeff... "the sausage metaphor." Why did I think that was so damn hilarious?