Daniel Johnston
Rizzoli
The majority of Daniel Johnston's musical work was co-opted by his barnacle of a "manager" Jeff Tartakov a long time ago. Luckily he wasn't prudent enough to obtain publishing rights to Daniel's artistic output. Or maybe he just thought it was garbage on par with the dick doodles fifth graders scrawl on the inside covers of their history textbooks. And that's kind of the dilemma here: There's no such thing as "on the fence" when you're talking about a chain-smoking fat guy who takes fistfuls of antipsychotic medication and plonks around on a piano all day. If you've ever taken even a sideways glance at the marker-and-ink universe of Jeremiah the Innocent, Joe the Boxer, Casper the Friendly Ghost, et al., you know exactly what to expect from a 160-page book full of them. The mini-essays from Jad Fair and Harvey Pekar are a nice touch, but they aren't going to change anybody's mind. You'll either immediately pre-order this book and spend the next year boring the shit out of your friends until they ditch you, or you'll write it off as yet another sideshow from the world's most exploited idiot savant.
Ryan McGinness: Works.
Rizzoli
This and the Johnston thing came in the mail at the same time, and our managing editor was immediately bummed because she thought it was a Ryan McGinley book that she somehow overlooked. I can't really think of a more appropriate sentiment, so let's just go with that. Anywho, art flunkies are constantly describing McGinness's work as "Warholian," which sounds more retarded than Corky saying the alphabet backward. I know lots of people wholeheartedly love his stuff, but Dancing With the Stars consistently lands in the top three spots of the Nielsen ratings so fuck lots of people. Most of it looks like something a failed-graffiti-rat-cum-burned-out-graphic-designer drunkenly Photoshopped for an Urban Outfitters t-shirt circa 2003. And don't even get me started on the fake street signs. I don't even like paying attention to the real ones, buddy. If that wasn't enough, he tends to use the same palette as Alex Grey, and you already know what we think about him. I was going to conclude this by saying that this is precisely the type of twaddle adored by people who work in marketing. Then one of my friends who does "business development" (by the way, what is that exactly?) saw it on my coffee table and said he already had it queued up on Amazon for $35. So I sold it to him for ten bucks. Thanks for being so shitty Ryan McGinness!
DARBY BUICK
i have mixed feelings on johnston's artwork. his music is a different story (i like it). they are interesting because of the way he sees things. they aren't pleasing to look at. and... i guess that makes it fall into what most call "outsider art," but i despise that term. so... yeah, it's interesting, but i think watching 'the devil and daniel johnston' gives you enough unless you really like knowing what a fourth grader with psychotics would draw like.
Posted by: DabblesInPacifism | 22/01/2009 at 20:42
damn. mcginness isn't *that* bad, is he?
Posted by: rami | 22/01/2009 at 20:52
yes, yes he is
Posted by: | 22/01/2009 at 21:20
i had classmates in middle school art that could beat mcginness at his own lame game. i don't know how he got where he is, but he's fooled a lot of people into thinking his "work" is worth a shit.
Posted by: | 22/01/2009 at 21:33
Incredible first sentence in the Daniel Johnston review. FYI I own plenty of Daniel's art but none of it was used in this book because those currently handling Daniel's career wanted to only use art that they owned instead of working with others to produce the best possible book.
Regards,
Jeff Tartakov
Posted by: Jeff Tartakov | 22/01/2009 at 23:10
damn jeff google alerts is really working for you. thanks for the clarification!
Posted by: uhh | 22/01/2009 at 23:29
yes! yes! i fucking hate ryan mcginness so much, his art is a combination of the worst aspects of snowboard graphics, shitty party promotional flyers, shitty street ware, so bad, i guess he did INVENT this shitty style he is the PIONEER of this shitty style, but still the style is shitty.
Posted by: | 22/01/2009 at 23:48
Being that I'm the "friend" who bought the McGinness book, I have to say that I'm very pleased with my purchase. I *am* wholeheartedly interested in his work and having worked with graphic designers for a time (in 03, as it were) - i know how hard they all sweat McGinness, and try to make their commercial work look like his art, simple as that.
I do agree the "warholian" comparison is lazy and wrongheaded, though. Personally I like the fact that he's always evolving, unlike some of the other poster boys for the whole beautiful losers thing. And hopefully some of the stuff of his I have will end up putting my kids through college. Thanks for being rad, Ryan McGinness, would be a hell of a return on my $10.
PS: Business Development is sales for people who don't want to admit they're in sales.
Posted by: Hugh Jassman | 23/01/2009 at 01:26
haha damn jeff! dudes quick
Posted by: Donovan | 23/01/2009 at 04:55
McGuinness definitely sucks by McGinley is pretty overrated too. Hey look naked, beautiful happy young people in the out of doors, I wish I was there!
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