I’ll pimp out my drawing Post-Boom Odds one last time after some serious whoring exposure during Armory week. The drawing, which outlines my completely subjective odds of any art stars mattering in ten years is in Note To Self at Schroeder Romero. The drawing was made for Ben Tischer’s Artist-of-the-Month Club print subscription and the beautiful, digital-ink jet version was displayed at Pulse. It picked up a bit of press, which I suspect is part of the reason Ben selected me for the project. I was happy to oblige him with some provocation and a little self-doubt. The subscription for AMC costs $2,400 and you get a print a month for 2009, including my antagonistic contribution, but you’ll have to wait to find out who the rest of the participating artists are. I imagine they will make up for my lack of class. If you just want to get your hands on my print, I donated one of my artist’s proofs to an upcoming silent auction. Here’s what people are saying (shameless self-promotion)http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/30700/chins-up-on-day-one-of-pulse/ http://men.style.com/news/blog/2009/03/looking-for-gre.html

So, my Seattle dealer Stephen sends me an email saying “I didn’t think you were Buck Naked…” with a link to an interview with Buck Naked of How’s My Dealing by a writer named Qi Peng published on examiner.com out of Salt Lake City, Utah. The terse interview makes a couple of things clear. I’m not Buck Naked and it is indeed an art project. I feel bad for everyone who became so irate with the site, precisely because asking Buck Naked to alter it or change it is asking he or she to censor the work. Had people known it was initially an art project, it may have changed the nature of the site, although that didn’t stop people from saying terrible shit for my parallel enemies/allies project. Still, How’s My Dealing may very well be a brilliant relational artwork, creating a very social critique through others of the secretive nature of the art world and it’s (awful) reliance on perception to drive business. The commercial system is largely revolting, thus my fucking work. Anyway, if people feel duped or had by How’s My Dealing, I find it laughable that no one thought it might be an art project. Of the confusion about my participation, Qi Peng asks Buck Naked about why I might be a suspect? Buck Naked replies “William Powhida has a reputation for institutional critique within the commercial New York art world.”

I love it. I didn’t even do the fucking project, and yet, it seems so similar to what I’ve done or would do, that I manage to get something out of it anyway. So, if Buck Naked reveals him or herself, it will be great to share notes on harnessing the power of anonymous comments to paint a portrait of the art world. If not, I think the piece will be a stronger critique, but as a whorishBRILLIANT art world figure, I would never be able to keep out of it. Since I’ve already been dragged into it, I’ll stand in for Buck Naked on the institutional critique front until he or she ever steps forward to receive the brunt of ire from litigious dealers who feel defamed. I was actually talking with lawyer-blogger Jonathan Melber at Pulse yesterday who laughed at the threat of lawsuits, which would launch Buck Naked from art world insider to national sensation. The lawsuit, according to Melber, would have no merit, and the dealers would have to try and subpena the IP addresses of the anonymous comments, not Buck Naked, which is highly unlikely unless you are George Bush. It’s a no-win situation for annoyed dealers, and will only advance Buck Naked’s goal of auctioning off How’s My Dealing when he or she is satisfied with work.

Oh, it’s a brilliant move, but with the amount of loathing and hatred the site has generated, I am glad I didn’t do it. I think I would have used the word art visibly, to ensure that the project had a framing device to call its function or certainty into question. Especially when the artist is relying on the work, the comments, of others to produce the piece. In the Enemies/Allies project, it was evident from inception that the comments would be used for an art project to allow the community to participate in the selection of enemies and allies of New York, but knowing that an artist was involved, suggesting the possibility of intention. With How’s My Dealing, people were not privy to its meaning or possible meaning as art, and while Buck Naked’s role is limited to some moderation of personal attacks there certainly was an ulterior motive, money. It is going to be auctioned after all. It’s not an ideological or transparent move, which sort of negates the critique. Again, I’m not a purist (everything is always for sale), and I constantly undermine my work criticism by being an artist. How’s My Dealing suggests is what the art world needs transparency, even if it comes from behind opaque identities, yet it was never transparent, at least to fraying dealers.

Strangely, Qi Peng also sent me a series of engaging questions to answer for his column, as well as Ed Winkleman who passionately defended that gallery system, although, I’m sure now regrets falling into an art trap. Peng must be very savvy, so I am looking back over the questions with a jaundiced eye thinking about motives, because interviews with Buck Naked, William Powhida, and Edward Winkleman are clearly all about exploring the various connections here.

Pulse looked nice yesterday. It always looks nice. Also, Jonathan Melber has a book for artists dealing with the market coming out at the end of the month but you can get it on Amazon.com already. It’s called Art Work: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career. It’s probably something I should read, or have read a long time ago. I wish it had a chapter called…

I’m toiling away in the studio working on a solo show for April, but I have three drawings in Note To Self opening Friday from 7 - 9 at Schroeder Romero. The line up is awesome, including some of my favorite drawers, narrators, and self-haters self-reflectors… Note To Self Laura Ball, Amelia Biewald, Nancy Chunn, Dawn ClementsMary Coble, Jennifer Dalton, Eric Heist, Laurie HoginBarry Hylton, Deborah Kass, David KramerChristina Mazzalupo, Jonathan Newman, William PowhidaMichael Schall, Guy Richards SmitJim Torok, Michael Waugh, Julie Weitz February 27 - April 4, 2009Opening reception: Friday, February 27, 6-8pm Schroeder Romero is pleased to announce Note To Self a group exhibition featuring works on paper by artists using text-based and visual depictions of personal and universal reminders. How often has each of us blundered through a situation, only to reach the end, with painful lesson learned, archived for future reference? The artists in this exhibition make note of those lessons whether humiliating or hateful. Like notes for future reference, the works in this show remind each of us of human fallibility and the delicate relationship between past mistakes and our hope for a brighter future. Some of the artists in this show make note of societal missteps, collective disasters such as wars, environmental degradation, or the herd mentality formed around mass media. Other artists form their work around personal recollections, childhood neuroses, or positive affirmations. Still others find that uncanny middle ground where the headlines meet homelife. Ranging from photographic documentation to allegorical representation to straightforward note-taking, Note to Self narrates the complicated path toward self-knowledge.

Someone contacted me on Facebook the other day and asked if I was Buck Naked from How’s My Dealing?. The answer is no. I would like to think that my enemies/allies lists and projects may have served as some sort of inspiration for Buck Naked, but I’ve learned to make my attacks on the art world part of my art. I applaud Buck Naked for creating an open channel of communication for disgruntled dealers and artists, but if I were doing the project, I’d be sure to get some fucking credit.

So, I am not Buck Naked. It’s not my blog. I do think it’s an interesting bit of gossip and speculation, but without any verifiable sources, all the information remains just that, gossip and speculation. The fact that it seems to get so much attention is more indicative of how the art world operates than anything else. I would note that having been once again accused of being Buck Naked, (my own art dealer asked a few weeks ago), I stopped by the site today and scanned the death watch. Apparently back in October, someone said Schroeder Romero was closing. It’s not, unless they are just shielding me from the awful truth. Also, Zach really did cut his roster of artists. My assistant was just telling me how they were discussing the purge in grad school. Word moves fast, but you can verify it on his website.

Finally, it was more like a wake at Guild and Greyskhul last night than an opening. All the shaggy haired peoples of the world came out to pay their respects to the Deitch farm team. It was sort of pathetic and sad all at once. Sorry kids.

Publication is an amazing way to get the work out there especially to new audiences who have yet to experience the ‘mutant toddler’ GENIUS, William Powhida. Art Lies, a very smart journal (well most of the time) out of Houston, Texas published several works including two, Whitney Rejection Letter and Conditional Painting, that were only on display to the public during PulseNY 2008. The short public (free) lifespan of art fair art is one of the drawbacks of being an art fair whore participant like myself. I love art fairs, they put very different galleries on equal footing for a few days. They break down the strict perception of power based on geography (like whether your gallery based in Austin or if it isn’t ground floor in Chelsea, which may feel like being in Austin…) Hopefully, the fairs will adjust their prices and to remain economically viable in these dark days of economic ruin. If they aren’t responsive to the market, they will probably disappear.

That little rant aside, Art Lies extended the life span of my work past the fair expiration date by including it in the issue Death of the Curator. Editor Anjali Gupta, tired of the perpetual, protracted death of _________________ (insert whatever is becoming tired) decided to take a different approach. I’d like to think my work implicates the curator as part of the problem over the last six years of fun in the sun. I’m sure you can think of a few examples. Anyway, Art Lies kicks ass and I hope to work with them again in the near future.