University at Buffalo (UB)
November 11–13, 2016
The Burns Building, 25 E. Huron Street, Buffalo NY
Since 2005, Lori Waxman has conducted a work of performance art about art criticism through her ongoing performance 60 wrd/min art critic. During these performances, Waxman reviews artwork by area artists and provides a brief written review on a first-come, first-served basis.
For three days at the storefront of the Burns Building at 25 E Huron St, Waxman will receive artists seeking reviews as part of 60 wrd/min art critic. Reviews, which are free of charge, will be scheduled and written in twenty-five-minute increments. The performance dates and times are November 11, 12, and 13 between 10 to 4 pm.
Reviews will be signed, “published,” and ready for pick-up within the timeframe of the performance. Artist, artwork, critic, and review will all exist in the same space simultaneously, thereby helping to demystify the art review process. In addition, the reviews will be published in The Public—both in print and on their website.
Waxman describes the 60 wrd/min art critic as many things: “an exploration of short-form art writing, a work of performance art in and of itself, an experiment in role shifting between artist and critic, a democratic gesture, and a circumvention of the art review process.” She says that at a time when newspaper and magazine art columns are disappearing, the 60 wrd/min art critic “aims to get a community thinking about where the responsibility for art criticism resides…the project deals comically and literally with the idea that there are too many artists and galleries, and not enough critical venues to cover it all.”
Waxman has focused her project on regional arts communities in a wide variety of locations across America, including Detroit, Michigan; Portland, Maine; and Kansas City, Missouri. In the summer of 2012, a 100-day version was included in dOCUMENTA (13), the major survey of international art held every five years in Kassel, Germany. An artist book of those reviews was later published by Onestar Press, Paris.
The 60 wrd/min art critic is a project of the Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program. More information on this national project can be found at http://www.60wrdmin.org.
This presentation is organized by Buffalo Arts Studio, CEPA Gallery, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Squeaky Wheel and UB Art Galleries. Waxman will also give a public lecture on Monday, November 14th as part of the UB Department of Art Speaker Series.