museums

“The only valuable class I took in art school was from a guy who taught display lettering which was literally like sign painting,” says cartoonist (and screenwriter) Daniel Clowes of his formative years at Pratt Intstitute. “Everybody else was like, ‘Aww man, I can’t believe I have to take this cornball class,’ where I was front and center every week. Still to this day I use everything I learned in that class.” Clowes’s irresistible handlettering, groundbreaking graphic novels, beloved New Yorker covers, and much more are the subject of a retrospective that opens next Saturday at the Oakland Museum of California. “Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes” is accompanied by a splendid monograph out this month from Abrams ComicArts. Designed by Jonathan Bennett, the book includes essays by the likes Chris Ware and Chip Kidd. And feast your eyes on a test sample animation by Nicholas de Monchaux, who is masterminding the design of the exhibition:

The imminent museum survey earned the cartoonist a Clowes-up—”Humanity’s Discomfort, Punctured with a Pen“—in Sunday’s New York Times, where he shared the front page of the Arts & Leisure section with a Smurfily dressed Nicki Minaj. Among the diverse Clowes admirers that writer Carol Kino rounded up for the profile: Alexander Payne, who is directing the film adaptation of Wilson; Art Spiegelman; and (would you believe?) Neo Rauch. “Dan’s work stands out because of its precision,” Rauch told Kino. The artist was also “fascinated by its underground, slightly creepy aspect,” and added, “Plus, he has a very dark humor that appeals to me immediately.”

Better living through typography? See it, believe it, achieve it at The Happy Show, an exhibition of Stefan Sagmeister’s work that opens Wednesday at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania (it will travel to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles early next year). “I am usually rather bored with definitions,” says Sagmeister. “Happiness, however, is just such a big subject that it might be worth a try to pin it down.” The fruits, both literal and figurative, of the designer’s ten-year exploration of happiness will be on display through August 12.

The ICA promises a portal into Sagmeister’s mind as he experiments with potential happiness inducers ranging from from meditation and cognitive therapy to mood-altering drugs and maxims spelled out in jaw-dropping flights of typographic fancy. Visitors will also get a sneak peek at the Happy Film, his still-in-the-works documentary (check out the titles in the below video). Slated for release in 2013, the feature will offer “a proper look at all the strategies serious psychologists recommend that improve well-being,” according to Sagmeister, who decided to do the project as a film in part to stave off the complacency that can come from working in familiar media. “It might fail miserably,” he says. “But if I’ve gotten a hair happier in the process, it might have been worth my while.” Until you can make it to Philadelphia, check in with the ICA’s Happy Show Tumblr, which chronicled the preparation of invitations to next week’s opening party: slices of bologna laser-cut to reveal the word “HAPPY.”

It’s that time of year again, when the Art Newspaper looks back at the year that was to provide their annual rankings of most popular, and therefore visited, museums and exhibitions across the world. It’s no surprise in the slightest that the Louvre once again captured the top attendance record, as it has for the past billion years or so. In 2011, they his nearly 8.9 million, an impressive increase of roughly 400,000 over the year prior. The other success stories were from the usual roster, the Met for example, broke “the six million barrier” and stole away the number two spot from the British Museum, with lots of help from one of the world’s most popular exhibitions, “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.” Perhaps most surprising, and the leading talk of AN‘s coverage, is that the world’s most well-attended exhibition didn’t come from the usual three locales, the US, Europe, or Asia, but from Brazil. The Centro Cultrual Banco do Brasil‘s “The Magical World of Escher” landed this year’s top spot, pulling in close to 575,000 people and nearly 10,000 daily. On the opposite side of such positive numbers were the Tate Modern, who saw a dip, despite popular exhibitions like the well-timed Ai Weiwei sunflowers, and MoMA, who had a slight decrease as well. The Art Newspaper‘s whole breakdown of all the numbers can be found here (pdf).

The sight of crumbling modern architecture—buildings often conceived and built in a flurry of systematic optimism, zippy colors (or pure, grime-magnet white), and, less than enduring materials—can be soul-crushing, as can the laborious and costly process of restoring a modern marvel to its former glory. The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) in Los Angeles has committed to aid in this cause through the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative, an international program announced this week. “This research-based initiative will increase knowledge for the field and develop new tools to assist practitioners to conserve the architecture of the modern era,” said GCI director Tim Whalen in a statement issue by the The J. Paul Getty Trust. They didn’t have to look far for the first project: the Eames House in Pacific Palisades. A GCI team will undertake investigative work and analysis to understand the current condition of the house, built in 1949 by Charles and Ray, along with its contents and setting. They’ll also assist the Eames Foundation in developing a plan for the house’s long-term conservation and care. Architect Kyle Normandin, formerly of NYC-based Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, has joined the GCI to manage the new initiative, which is overseen by Susan Macdonald.

And speaking of valiant efforts to thwart the growing threats to modern architecture, our sharp-eyed friends at the World Monuments Fund are now accepting nominations for the 2012 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize. The $10,000 prize will be awarded this fall to a design professional or firm in recognition of “innovative design solutions that preserved or saved a modern landmark at risk.” The deadline for nominations is July 31. Click here for full details.

The Hammer Museum (of art), which is not to be confused with the Hammer Museum (of hammers), is introducing an $100,000 award as part of its “Made in L.A. 2012” biennial, opening June 2 across three venues: the Hammer, LAXART, and the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park. Funded by art-loving philanthropists Jarl and Pamela Mohn, the Mohn Prize will be awarded to one of the 60 artists from the exhibition and will be accompanied by the publication of a book on the winner’s work. The twist? A jury including MoMA’s Doryun Chong and Rita Gonzalez of LACMA will select the five finalists, but after that, it’s up to the people. The winner will be chosen by visitors to the exhibition through online voting. Would-be voters can register during their visit (photo ID will be required, so there’s no monkey business) before declaring their top pick using a highly secure digital platform.

Last spring, when the Smithsonian‘s American Art Museum both announced their The Art of Video Games exhibition and asked for crowd sourced submissions for what to include, it brought down their servers for a while as they were inundated with traffic. That was clearly an early sign that this might be a slightly popular show. Now, almost a year later, it’s nearly time to see just how swarmed the museum will be. The exhibition opens on Friday, March 16th, kicking off with a three day festival (pdf) celebrating the launch. Games will be available to play, 8-bit musicians will be on hand to perform, films like Tron and The King of Kong will be screened (the cast of the latter will even be on hand for a meet and greet on Sunday), and a number of panels with industry legends will be sprinkled throughout (the ones with Hideo Kojima and Nolan Bushnell are apparently already sold out). For those outside of DC, or who haven’t been able to get tickets quickly enough, the museum will also be webcasting the events throughout the weekend. We’re no psychics, but we have a sense that this might be a fairly popular show, all the way out through when it wraps up in September. Here’s a description of what the exhibition will look like:

Visitors to the exhibition are greeted by excerpts from selected games projected 12 feet high, accompanied by a chipmusic soundtrack by 8 Bit Weapon and ComputeHer, including “The Art of Video Games Anthem” recorded by 8 Bit Weapon specifically for the exhibition. These multimedia elements convey the excitement and complexity of the featured video games. An interior gallery includes a series of short videos showing the range of emotional responses players have while interacting with games. Excerpts from interviews with 20 influential figures in the gaming world also are presented in the galleries.

(Photos: Brian Forrest for Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles)

The life and work of Mike Kelley are celebrated in two tribute exhibitions. Born in Detroit and based in Los Angeles, the artist—and musician, critic, curator, and art historian—was found dead in his California home in late January. He was 58. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles wasted no time in mounting “A Tribute to Mike Kelley,” on view through April 2. The show presents 23 of Kelley’s works alongside those of artists such as Douglas Huebler, William Leavitt, and Marnie Weber (works donated to MOCA by Kelley).

“Mike Kelley had an immense impact on the art and artists of Los Angeles,” said Paul Schimmel, MOCA’s chief curator, in a statement issued by the museum earlier this month. “He was an intellectual force of nature, a real catalyst for a whole generation of artists.” Meanwhile, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University has prepared “Mike Kelley: Homage,” which opens tomorrow at the university’s Kresge Art Center. The special exhibition features three of Kelley’s video works, including his multimedia magnum opus “Day is Done” (2005-2006). Kelley’s work is also included in the Whitney Biennial, which kicks off tomorrow (and you still have a few hours to explain why you should be allowed to dance in it).

Elsa Schiaparelli in a 1932 portrait by George Hoyningen-Huené and Miuccia Prada, photographed by Guido Harari in 1999. (Photos: Hoyningen-Huené/Vogue/Condé Nast Archive and Guido Harari/Contrasto/Redux)

It’s Fashion Week in Milan, and between yesterday’s pattern-happy Prada collection and this evening’s Goth glam Versace looks, the Metropolitan Museum of Art took over the Sala delle Cariatidi in the Palazzo Reale for a press luncheon to announce details about the upcoming Costume Institute exhibition, “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations.” Museum president Emily K. Rafferty, curators Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton, and Anna Wintour were joined by Miuccia Prada (in a fresh-from-the-runway coat) and Stefano Boeri, who holds the enviable post of Milan Commissioner of Culture, Fashion, and Design, for a look at some of the Schiaparelli and Prada objects that will be featured in the exhibition, which opens on May 10 following the usual megabash (this year underwritten by Amazon).

“Juxtaposing the work of Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada allows us to explore how the past enlightens the present and how the present enlivens the past,” said Koda. The show will feature not only dueling iconic ensembles but also imagined conversations between the two designers in videos directed by Baz Luhrmann, creative consultant to the exhibition. “The connection of the historic to the modern highlights the affinities as well as the variances between two women who constantly subverted contemporary notions of taste, beauty, and glamour,” said Bolton.
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(Photo: Gregory Holm)

The art world calendars have aligned just so (just like the Mayans predicted they would!), and 2012 brings us both the New Museum Triennial and the Whitney Biennial. The former is in full swing, and the latter opens next Thursday, featuring the work of artists including the late Mike Kelley, Jutta Koether, K8 Hardy, deadpan documentary master Frederick Wiseman, and Liz Deschenes, whose large photograms will “address the architecture” of the Whitney’s Breuer building. You may have not made the shortlists of Biennial curators Elisabeth Sussman and Jay Sanders, but as Hannah Montana once told us, “If things don’t turn out the way you planned / Figure something else out / Don’t stay down, try again!” Translation: get in the Biennial on the coattails of participating artist Michael Clark. The Whitney Museum and Michael Clark Company are seeking volunteers (read: unpaid enthusiasts with a good deal of free time and no formal dance training) to work on a piece of “mass choreographic action” and perform as part of Clark’s latest work for the 2012 Biennial. This project follows Clark’s hugely successful commission for Tate Modern, which also involved a large group of untrained volunteers. Go here for full details, indicate your interest by March 1, and then stock up on leotards!

“In a profound way, the museum experience is a critical one, which is to say it begins by seeing the object—in the case of art museums, the work of art—as in itself it really is and not as our predilections and prejudices think it to be. The opportunity to look hard and long at works of art, to have our first impressions changed and deepened, our expectations challenged and rearranged, reconciled to the works on display, is the promise of art museums. The works of art preceded us. Experiencing them, as they are, requires that we put aside our self-centeredness. And this is good, in the sense put forward by the English moral philosopher Iris Murdoch when she said, ‘Anything which alters consciousness in the direction of unselfishness, objectivity, and realism is to be connected with virtue.’”

-James Cuno, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, in his new book Museums Matter: In Praise of the Encyclopedic Museum (University of Chicago Press)