Shows
Art ProblemsEP 85: What is Killing the New York Fairs, Part TwoIn this second part of our two-part series on New York Art Fair Week, William Powhida and Paddy Johnson discuss the standout artworks from Independent, NADA, and Spring Break. Despite the thin crowds and economic challenges explored in Part 1, there were notable works worth celebrating. The conversation highlights vintage game boards at Independent, playful Nancy Drew-inspired paintings at Spring Break, and meticulously detailed highway landscapes at NADA.
Most significantly, we explore how the most politically relevant work happened outside the fairs, with an extended conversation of Mitchell Chan's "Insert Coins" – a deceptively simple video game installation that re...2025-05-2139 minArt ProblemsEP 85: What is Killing the New York Fairs, Part TwoIn this second part of our two-part series on New York Art Fair Week, William Powhida and Paddy Johnson discuss the standout artworks from Independent, NADA, and Spring Break. Despite the thin crowds and economic challenges explored in Part 1, there were notable works worth celebrating. The conversation highlights vintage game boards at Independent, playful Nancy Drew-inspired paintings at Spring Break, and meticulously detailed highway landscapes at NADA.
Most significantly, we explore how the most politically relevant work happened outside the fairs, with an extended conversation of Mitchell Chan's "Insert Coins" – a deceptively simple video game installation that re...2025-05-2139 minArt ProblemsEP 85: What is Killing the New York Art Fairs, Part OneIs New York Art Fair Week losing its momentum? This week, artist and critic William Powhida and I spent time at Independent, NADA, and Spring Break—and the energy felt deflated across all three.
In this first part of our two-part series, we dig into what went wrong. Thin crowds. Dealers complaining about slow sales. International collectors staying away due to political uncertainty and travel concerns. The overall market recession.
But is it just market fatigue, or something deeper? We explore whether New York has simply become too expensive for emerging galleries to self-subsidize, whether po...2025-05-1632 minArt ProblemsEP 85: What is Killing the New York Art Fairs, Part OneIs New York Art Fair Week losing its momentum? This week, artist and critic William Powhida and I spent time at Independent, NADA, and Spring Break—and the energy felt deflated across all three.
In this first part of our two-part series, we dig into what went wrong. Thin crowds. Dealers complaining about slow sales. International collectors staying away due to political uncertainty and travel concerns. The overall market recession.
But is it just market fatigue, or something deeper? We explore whether New York has simply become too expensive for emerging galleries to self-subsidize, whether po...2025-05-1632 minArt ProblemsEP 82: Has Culture Come to a Standstill?Doesn't it seem like everyone is talking about crappy things are lately? This starts with the state of politics and extends all the way through to culture. Is culture in stasis? And if not, why does it feel like it is to so many people?
On this episode of Art Problems, the artist William Powhida and I discuss the following articles:
“Why has culture come to a standstill,” Jason Farago, The New York times
"The Painted Protest, How Politics Destroyed Contemporary Art", Dean Kissick, Harper's Magazine.
“The One Word That Describes Art Now...2024-12-0649 minArt ProblemsEP 82: Has Culture Come to a Standstill?Doesn't it seem like everyone is talking about crappy things are lately? This starts with the state of politics and extends all the way through to culture. Is culture in stasis? And if not, why does it feel like it is to so many people?
On this episode of Art Problems, the artist William Powhida and I discuss the following articles:
“Why has culture come to a standstill,” Jason Farago, The New York times
"The Painted Protest, How Politics Destroyed Contemporary Art", Dean Kissick, Harper's Magazine.
“The One Word That Describes Art Now...2024-12-0649 minArt ProblemsEP 70: Is There a Dead Body Trend in Art?What's with the dead bodies? Yes, that's an actual question from the New York fairs.
This week on the podcast, I invited the artist William Powhida on to the show ostensibly to discuss what we saw last week.
The discussion, though, ended up going far deeper. On the podcast, we talk about:
What we want from art in an increasingly tumultuous world
What landscapes, florals, and a dead body trend at the fair say about the world.
The shifting landscape of art, which includes many new faces and names2024-09-111h 22Art ProblemsEP 70: Is There a Dead Body Trend in Art?What's with the dead bodies? Yes, that's an actual question from the New York fairs.
This week on the podcast, I invited the artist William Powhida on to the show ostensibly to discuss what we saw last week.
The discussion, though, ended up going far deeper. On the podcast, we talk about:
What we want from art in an increasingly tumultuous world
What landscapes, florals, and a dead body trend at the fair say about the world.
The shifting landscape of art, which includes many new faces and names2024-09-111h 22Art ProblemsEP 68: Behind the Scenes of Zero Art Fair with Artists Jennifer Dalton and William PowhidaIs there a scenario in which giving your work away for free is preferable to storing it? For more than 80 artists, the answer to this question is called the Zero Art Fair. (In other words, if the storage fees become too high, then yes, free is better than the trash.)
The fair, which took place last weekend at Upstate Art Weekend, helped artists place more than 200 works and close to half a million dollars in art.
Today on the Art Problems Podcast I talk to the artists behind the fair, Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida...2024-07-2539 minArt ProblemsEP 68: Behind the Scenes of Zero Art Fair with Artists Jennifer Dalton and William PowhidaIs there a scenario in which giving your work away for free is preferable to storing it? For more than 80 artists, the answer to this question is called the Zero Art Fair. (In other words, if the storage fees become too high, then yes, free is better than the trash.)
The fair, which took place last weekend at Upstate Art Weekend, helped artists place more than 200 works and close to half a million dollars in art.
Today on the Art Problems Podcast I talk to the artists behind the fair, Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida...2024-07-2539 minArt ProblemsEP 30: How to Combat The Rising Cost of Being an ArtistIn this podcast, Paddy Johnson and artist William Powhida discuss the increasing cost of museums, art fairs, application fees, and travel impacting artists and how to beat them.
You'll learn:
Where to stay when visiting New York that won't cost $500 or more a night
How to avoid a large fair entrance fee
And how to lower the cost of museum fees
2023-09-1928 minArt ProblemsEP 30: How to Combat The Rising Cost of Being an ArtistIn this podcast, Paddy Johnson and artist William Powhida discuss the increasing cost of museums, art fairs, application fees, and travel impacting artists and how to beat them.
You'll learn:
Where to stay when visiting New York that won't cost $500 or more a night
How to avoid a large fair entrance fee
And how to lower the cost of museum fees
2023-09-1928 minArt ProblemsEP 24: How Has The Art World Changed?In this episode, William Powhida joins Paddy Johnson to talk about the changes in the art world, since 2017. Powhida and Johnson focus on Upstate Art Weekend and a recent New Yorker profile of Larry Gagosian to examine these changes, and use Powhida's 2017 show, "After the Contemporary" at the Aldrich Museum of Art, which imagines the art world of the future, as a starting point.
Relevant Links:
The World According to Larry Gagosian. FT.com
Upstate Art Weekend
How Larry Gagosian Reshaped the Art World. The New Yorker
Aft...2023-08-0144 minArt ProblemsEP 24: How Has The Art World Changed?In this episode, William Powhida joins Paddy Johnson to talk about the changes in the art world, since 2017. Powhida and Johnson focus on Upstate Art Weekend and a recent New Yorker profile of Larry Gagosian to examine these changes, and use Powhida's 2017 show, "After the Contemporary" at the Aldrich Museum of Art, which imagines the art world of the future, as a starting point.
Relevant Links:
The World According to Larry Gagosian. FT.com
Upstate Art Weekend
How Larry Gagosian Reshaped the Art World. The New Yorker
Aft...2023-08-0144 minArt ProblemsEP 21: Fairs for the RichIn this episode, artist and critic William Powhida joins Paddy Johnson to discuss the context surrounding an expanded art fair cycle in New York. What once lasted a week now spans two, which, in this year's depressed market, amounted to a much longer timeline to lose money.
We discuss Frieze, NADA, Future Fair, and Spring Break, and why the growing exclusiveness of the fairs hurts art.
Relevant links:
Hat tip to Michael Anthony Farley and Whitney Kimball for their summary of Spring Break in BMore Art.
https://bm...2023-06-0554 minArt ProblemsEP 21: Fairs for the RichIn this episode, artist and critic William Powhida joins Paddy Johnson to discuss the context surrounding an expanded art fair cycle in New York. What once lasted a week now spans two, which, in this year's depressed market, amounted to a much longer timeline to lose money.
We discuss Frieze, NADA, Future Fair, and Spring Break, and why the growing exclusiveness of the fairs hurts art.
Relevant links:
Hat tip to Michael Anthony Farley and Whitney Kimball for their summary of Spring Break in BMore Art.
https://bm...2023-06-0554 minArt ProblemsEP 9: The Year of the Comeback PlatformIn this episode, artist William Powhida joins Paddy Johnson to discuss changes to social media and what we expect to see in 2023.
Mentioned:
Bluesky - a decentralized social network protocol that allows social media networks to interact.
Mastodon - A twitter alternative
Emily Weiner's Instagram
Peer Review - A publication of reviews for artists by artists
2023-01-0339 minArt ProblemsEP 9: The Year of the Comeback PlatformIn this episode, artist William Powhida joins Paddy Johnson to discuss changes to social media and what we expect to see in 2023.
Mentioned:
Bluesky - a decentralized social network protocol that allows social media networks to interact.
Mastodon - A twitter alternative
Emily Weiner's Instagram
Peer Review - A publication of reviews for artists by artists
2023-01-0339 min
Explain MeDefining Contemporary Kitsch: Part 2 of The New York Art FairsWhat does contemporary kitsch look like? In this episode, Paddy and William use a discussion of the art fairs and New York gallery scene to lead a defining of the term. From its generic definition of objects described to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, to the current nostalgia driving a tasted for recycled art movements, all kitsch lacks in originality.
Listen in for the whole conversation.
THE INDEPENDENT
Kenny Schachter at Allouche Benias Gallery
Renate Druks at The Ranch,
Olivia Reavey at Hele...2022-06-2147 minExplain MeWhat The New York Art Fairs Tell Us About ArtArt media does a great job at looking forward to art events, yet rarely looks back to reflect on what these happenings say about the cultural moment. In this episode of Explain Me, co-hosts Paddy Johnson and William Powhida do a deep dive into the fairs to discuss the deeply conservative sales landscape we've been sinking into over the past ten years.
ARTISTS DISCUSSED
Carlos Jacanamijoy’s 2020 ab ex painting “Carminos de Luz” at Harper’s
Laurie Reid’s “Ballast” at Et Al. Gallery
The Baboon Chair by Margaux Valengin at Pact
Paul...2022-06-1449 minExplain MeWhitney Biennial Report: Care and CautionWe're baaaaack! After a four month break William and Paddy return with some big news about the podcast and an in depth conversation on The Whitney Biennial. We do the full dive here: What are the themes? How is it organized? Is it worth seeing? Is it too cautious? Who are the notable omissions? Why do these omissions matter?
Artist discussed:
Cy Gavin
Rebecca Belmore
Guadalupe Rosales
Lucy Raven
Kandis Williams
Raven Chacon
Na Mira
Alex Da Corte
T...2022-05-031h 08Explain MeFlux Factory Buys Building, Retains Soul
How many times have we seen artist-centered communities lose their grass roots identity when they buy property? High profile organizations that have shed their founders vision as they gained visibility such as the New Museum and Meow Wolf serve as cautionary tales. The quality of the work they produce suffers and their poor treatment of employees makes headlines. That's to say nothing of personality-less art complexes like The Shed, which cement the wealth of their funders while meagerly contributing to the city's cultural life.
But these types of cultural outcomes are a choice and not an inevitable...2021-11-231h 29Explain MeWhat Does a Return to the Art World Mean?In this episode artist Chloe Bass’s tweet pointing to the hypocrisy of the art world leads to a discussion of labor, the New York art fairs, and unions.
We discuss:
Max Lankin’s observations for ArtForum on the Armory Fair about how the new digs at the Javits Center improve upon the Piers, which were literally falling into the water. Funny how easy it is to forget that the Javits Center, just two months ago, served as a mass vaccination center, and the year prior a makeshift hospital for COVID victims. Mostly people were just h...2021-09-221h 59Explain MeExplain Me with Laura Raicovich: Art and Museums in An Age of Protest
This week hosts William Powhida and Paddy Johnson sit down with curator, writer, and former museum director Laura Raicovich to discuss her new book Culture Strike: Art and Museums in An Age of Protest. We do a deep dive with her not just on the subjects in the book, but her latest project, The Art and Society Census. Relevant links below.
Culture Strike: Art and Museums in An Age of Protest, VERSO
The Art and Society Census, HYPERALLERGIC AND THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Deinstutitional Research Team. (A project William Powhida worked on mentioned in the book.) L...2021-07-161h 46Explain MeThe NFT Explain Me with Marina Galperina and Amy Whitaker
On this episode of Explain Me we do a deep dive on Non-Fungible Tokens, NFTs, pronounced Nifty, by also N-F-T. Joined by guests Marina Galperina, features editor of Gizmodo, and former curator and writer on digital art, and Amy Whitaker, author and assistant professor of visual arts administration, hosts William Powhida and Paddy Johnson navigate the headlines generating news around this new digital currency, the basic definitions, and the potential and dangers it poses to artists.
Timestamped resources
6' 21'' Explain Me's episode Related Utopias: Bitcoin and the Artworld with Kevin McCoy.
7' NFT definitions and the blockchain
13 Do artists need t...2021-03-101h 24Explain MeExplain Me With Art Critic Ben Davis: The Year That Wasn't, Part Two
Immersive Van Gogh
In this episode of Explain Me, we continue our conversation with Artnet's National Critic Ben Davis as we take stock of 2020.
In this episode:
We discuss the biases of algorithm sorting
Ben Davis coins the term cultural inflation, a term that refers to franchise media properties.
We examine the relevance of ART CLUB 2000 the recent subject of Ben Davis' review, Why the New ART CLUB2000 Retrospective Offers Lessons for Today’s Artists That Transcend Pure ’90s Nostalgia
We name check Davis' The State of Culture, Part One.
2020-12-1458 minExplain MeExplain Me with Art Critic Ben Davis: The Year That Wasn't, Part One"Immersive Van Gogh"
In this episode of Explain Me, we take stock of the year in art with Artnet's National Critic Ben Davis.
What happened in the art world in 2020? We ask this knowing that we obviously have not seen a lot of art or attended anything remotely like a normal opening. But, a lot happened this year, even if we experienced it all at a distance.
We know that, with the vaccine slowly rolling out now, the art world will return, but what are the implications of the pandemic for the art world this c...2020-12-141h 34Explain MeExplain Me with Andy Adams of FlakPhoto: From Idyllic Photos to The Surveillance State
Image via: Andy Adams instagram.
In this episode of Explain Me we talk to Andy Adams (FlakPhoto on instagram), a culture producer and long time digital director. Andy is the founder of FlakPhoto Projects, an international community of photographers that operates in a parallel path to the one Powhida and Johnson come from—the New York based studio and museum world. Andy, William, and Paddy began working online around the same time—2003-2005, so we start our conversation there. We track through the exuberance and possibility we saw online in the early aughts, the economic colla...2020-11-022h 06Explain MeZombie Figuration Isn't a Thing: A Critical Autopsy with Antwaun Sargent
In this episode of Explain Me, critic and curator Antwaun Sargent joins us to discuss the effects of the pandemic and Alex Greenberger's Zombie Figuration, a confusing essay that appeared earlier this month in ARTnews. In the first half hour we discuss the disparate effects of the pandemic and general politics. Then we move on to art, zombies, race, and why art has limits.
BIOGRAPHY
Antwaun Sargent is an art critic and a writer who has contributed to The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vice and more, as well...2020-08-042h 06Explain MeInstitutional failure, Trump's Agenda, and Meme-Driven Conservative Movements: A Talk with Nayland Blake
Artist Nayland Blake joins the podcast to discuss the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer, mass protests, and the resurgence of COVID as the backdrop for public art and how museums are addressing diversity. Spearheaded in large part by Blake, we discuss all of these issues through the lens of what people need and how art makers, art workers and arts institutions answer that need.
We started the conversation with Blake's recent twitter thread on art criticism.
"Art criticism is the activity of thinking with and through art...2020-06-291h 47Explain MeRevolution for the Family: Heather Bhandari and Nikki Columbus on Pandemic Parenting, art, and Activism
This week on Explain Me, co-hosts William Powhida and Paddy Johnson talk to arts organizers and activists Heather Bhandari and Nikki Columbus about the challenges for mothers during the pandemic, and the challenges for arts workers seeking to make changes to a system that no longer works for them.
Of the family-focused topics discussed we take on pandemic screen time for kids (Bhandari describes DinoTrux as terrible for kids, but a necessary evil), what to do if your toddler licks a bodega door, and disrupted schedules that make it impossible to find or look for w...2020-05-191h 52Explain MeFrom L.A. With Love: Thoughts on Online Viewing Rooms, Museum Layoffs, and More with Carolina Miranda and Michael Shaw2020-04-201h 47
Explain MeExplain Me with Jonathan Schwartz of Atelier4 and Magda Sawon of Postmasters
Serkan Özkaya's Proletarier Aller Länder (Workers of the World) 1999, Image via Postmaster's Gallery.
In this episode of Explain Me, hosts Paddy Johnson and William Powhida talk to Magda Sawon of Postmasters Gallery in New York, and Jonathan Schwartz, the CEO and founder of Atelier4, an arts logistics company based out of New York. The discussion includes stories and conversations you won’t find anywhere else.
Schwartz reports that at least one logistics company is currently breaking the law to ship art, and that Fedex trucks are in short supply because they’re being use...2020-03-291h 27Explain MeExplain Me: We're Baaaaaack!
Welcome back to Explain Me! In an effort to produce content a little more regularly we're trying something new: no editing. This means a little more baseless speculation, and off the cuff commentary, in return for actual podcasts! Yes! In this episode we discuss news, art, and trends seen at The Armory, Spring Break and The Independent. Highlights include: The Armory
News! They're moving to the Javits Center! Speculation about what that means.
Adrian Wong with animal spiritual guide Lynn Schuster at Carrie Secrist Gallery
Austin Lee at Jeffrey Dietch
Kumasi J. Barnett at Ryan...2020-03-101h 25
Explain MeStanding in QuicksandWe cover a lot of ground in this episode of Explain Me. That ground looks something like this:
The Velvet Buzzsaw is a bad movie.
Mary Boone is still awaiting sentencing for falsifying tax documents—a whistleblower could get as much as $300,000 in reward for the tip.
Dawn Clements is remembered at Pierogi.
Dana Schutz's first show since the controversy over her painting of Emmitt Till at the Whitney Biennial.
Chelsea is more woke.
W.A.G.E. is asking artists to withhold their art from the Whitney Biennial until the museum adequately address the issue of their boa...2019-02-121h 34
Explain MeMuseum Board Members Fail Moral Challenges, Museum Exhibitions Exceed ExpectationsDonna DeSalvo assembles some of Andy Warhol's greatest work for his retrospective at the Whitney Museum, while revelations that Whitney Vice Chair Warren B. Kanders owns a company that sells tear gas used at the border shake museum staff. Soul of a Nation at the Brooklyn Museum looks at the history of political activism, while Jack Waters offers a mix of bag of awe inspiring abject art paired with groan inspiring sculptures and paintings. Jack Whitten at the Metropolitan Museum dazzles, Art and Conspiracy flops, and Amazon is going to drive us all out of our homes. Relevant links b...2018-12-041h 08
Explain MeLive From Forward Union: Four Women Who Are Using Art to Change the WorldIt's been a rough news week. Between Thursday's testimonies of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Kavanaugh's near appointment to the Supreme Court Friday, many of us are exhausted. We would like a win for women.
Sometimes the quickest way to achieve that is to do it yourself. As such, this episode of Explain Me celebrates women who have made waves in the world of art and activism, through a series of interviews with four major figures—Mia Pearlman, Jenny Dubnau, Nancy Kleaver, and Mira Schor.
In the fi...2018-09-291h 39
HyperallergicThe Rebel Women of 19th-Century New YorkThe stories of trailblazing women continue to inspire but many of these figures, who occur throughout history, have been written out of the history books or relegated to accounts of their time and ignored by historians. Now, curator Marcela Micucci talks to use about these figures who had a big impact on all aspects of city life, including the so-called "Witch of Wall Street," Hetty Green. It's an exhibition full of colorful stories.
And then I talk to critic Paddy Johnson and artist William Powhida, co-hosts of the Explain Me podcast, about the fall season, New York...2018-09-0737 min
Explain MeWhat it Really Means to be A Mid-Career Artist: A Talk with LoVID's Tali HinkisIn this episode we talk with LoVID's Tali Hinkis about the challenges of being a mid-career artist outside of New York. We discuss how to engage a general audience to getting grants and networking. A refreshingly frank talk about what mid-career actually looks like for artists and what it takes to even get there.
2018-08-211h 22
Explain MeExplain Me: The Case for Taxing the Hell Out of Peter BrantIn this episode of Explain Me William Powhida and Paddy Johnson discuss the horrific business practices of Peter Brant and Interview Magazine, a fundraising campaign at University of North Carolina so misguided that firing is in order, and the latest headscratching Creative Time project. To help us discuss all of this, and how the new tax code will affect artists accountant and painter Hannah Cole joins us.
2018-07-171h 11
Explain MeExplain Me, Part II: Doug Aitken New Era, Worst Show of 2018In Part II of Explain Me, William Powhida and Paddy Johnson discuss the difference between relational aesthetics and social practice, the whims of the auction market and the perilous affect it can have on artist careers, and Doug Aitken's train wreck of a show at 303 Gallery along with a handful of truly remarkable shows. Those shows listed below.
Doug Aitken at 303.
Painted in Mexico 1700-1790 at The Met
Huma Bhabha at the Met
A Luta Continua The Sylvio Perlstein Collection
Mel Chin at the Queens Museum
#OE2018
2018-06-071h 01
Explain MeExplain Me: Bags of Cash Help New GalleriesIn this episode we discuss how the Frieze Art Fair's failing air conditioning units won't help global warming, sales strategies for emerging artists, and galleries that have come and gone.
2018-06-0646 min
Explain MeRelated Utopias: Bitcoin Economies and the Art WorldThis week on Explain Me, William Powhida and Paddy Johnson talk with artist Kevin McCoy about Blockchain, Bitcoin and the Monegraph. This episode is your ultimate bitcoin/blockchain/monegraph explainer.
Links:
Monegraph
Seven on Seven, 2014
Public Key/Private Key
Reading List:
China, Crypto-Currency, and the World Order
Tribute and Tribulations - http://wdwreview.org/desks/china-crypto-currency-and-the-world-order/
Digital Denominations - http://wdwreview.org/desks/china-crypto-currency-and-the-world-order-part-2/
Clone Wars - http://wdwreview.org/desks/china-crypto-currency-and-the-world-order-part-3/
A modern classic
Hito Steyerl - If you don’t have bread, eat Art!
http://w...2018-05-011h 33
Explain MeExplain Me: The New Museum Triennial—Two Critics Perform Their Own Acts of SabotageIn this episode of Explain Me, Paddy Johnson and William Powhida discuss the New Museum Triennial "Songs for Sabotage". Both Johnson and Powhida agree this show has more of its fair share of bad art but only Powhida sees this as a dealbreaker. Debate ensues. The ad in which Pepsi and model Kendall Jenner create world peace gets a mention.
All images discussed can be viewed on Art F City.
Thanks to Explain Me sponsor, Superfine
2018-04-1754 min
Explain MeSpring Break Part Two: The City and the City (Part Two)In part two of Explain Me William Powhida and Paddy Johnson discuss at the following exhibitions:
“Secret Identities” The Amazing Blackman and other comics by Kumasi J Barnett. Curated by Jac Lahav
"Freedom School" by Elektra KB
"A Pressing Conference" by Macon Reed. Curated by Helen Toomer
"Bobby’s World" by Bobby Anspach
"Psychic Pharmacy" by Howard Hurst curated by Helen Toomer
"Hard or Soft Option" by Fall on Your Sword. Curated by Amber Kelly and Andrew Gori
“Ours” co-curated by Dominic Nurre and Lynn Sullivan
2018-03-101h 02
Explain MeThe Spring Break Art Show: A Good Time Show Disrupted by the Specter of Trump (Part One)In this episode of Spring Break we discuss the fairs in general and where Spring Break fits in, themes, trends, the over all quality of the art, and a few pieces that stuck out for their overall failure. We also asked four participants to give us their elevator pitches for the show. Those guests included: Lynn Sullivan and Dominic Nurre's exhibition "Ours", (artists anonymous), Kyle Hittmeier and Amanda Nedham curated "The Last Equestrian Portrait" (a group show), Kumasi J Barnett "Stop it Whiteman: You're Wrecking the World" curated by Jac Lahav, and Mark Joshua Epstein and Will Hutnick present "The S...2018-03-0952 min
Explain MeThe Stink of Met Admission Hikes EnduresBack in January, William Powhida and I recorded an episode of Explain Me on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new admission policy. Earlier that month, the museum known for housing some of the world's greatest treasures announced its admission price would no longer remain "pay-as-you-wish". As of March 1st, their suggested admission, $25 will become mandatory for anyone living outside of New York State. Children under 12 get in for free.
Given that there's less than two weeks until this policy change goes into affect, we thought it might be a good time to release our discussion and revisit the de...2018-02-2148 min
Explain MeWhat Curators Really Think: A Cringe Worthy ReportOn this episode of Explain Me we discuss a disastrous curator conference at SVA titled "Curatorial Activism and the Politics of Shock", the Miami art fairs, and three shows— "Talon Rouge: Six Mexican Artists Revisit José Juan Tablada and His New York Circle" at PROXYCO, "Johnny Abrahams: Threnody" at The Hole and "Molly Zuckerman-Hartung: Learning Artist" and "Maryam Hoseini Of Strangers and Parrots" at Rachel Uffner.
2017-12-291h 07
Explain MeGentrification, Income Inequality and Donald Trump Baby TurdsIn this episode of Explain Me William Powhida and Paddy Johnson talk about the 450 million dollar Leonardo Da Vinci of disputed authenticity and the Boyle Heights activists who follow artist Laura Owen's from L.A. to New York to protest her non-profit 365 Mission while she visited The Whitney. Activists believe the presence of her gallery will lead to displacement. Additionally, we discuss the following exhibitions:
Tiger Strikes Asteroid: Didier William, "We Will Win"
The Museum of Human Achievement (in Austin TX)
Five Miles: Nicholas Cueva, "The People Games Play"
Trestle Projects: Traci...2017-11-241h 27
Explain MeAn Interview with Kenny Schacter: There's No Bubble in the Art Market and No Solution for Struggling ArtistsHosts Paddy Johnson and William Powhida talk to art advisor Kenny Schacter about the art market at the upper levels and the art market in the middle and emerging tiers. Our central question: How Trumpian is the Art World. We learn about that, plus Schacter's great love for art and dealers. A word of warning though: some of Schacter's conclusions for struggling artists are bleak at best.
2017-11-071h 10
Good Point Podcast53 - AestheticsThis week we talk aesthetics, Rafael coins the term Klingoncoco and Jeremy declares anti-social aesthetics impossible.
Explain Me, Paddy Johnson and William Powhida’s new art podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/explain-me/id1292346467?mt=2
Kickstarter PWL camp https://storify.com/GloryEdim/pwlcamp2016
Relational Aesthetics https://www.amazon.com/Relational-Aesthetics-Nicolas-Bourriaud/dp/2840660601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297140777&sr=8-1
A Happening https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happening
Jeremy’s accelerator for artists, Lean Artist http://www.leanartistchicago.com/
A Vernacular Web http://art.teleportacia.org/observation/vernacular/
Nam June Paik https://theculturetrip.com/asia/south-korea/articles/nam-june-paik-the-father-of-contemporary-video-art/
Theaster Gates https://art2...2017-10-231h 07
Explain MeMaking Monstrosity Visible in Three Parts: Paglen, Ga, and FastThree shows. Three reviews. The Trevor Paglen exhibition at Metro Pictures is creepy as fuck. We take issue with New York Magazine critic Jerry Saltz's review on the subject. Ellie Ga at Bureau sensitively touches on the horror of the Syrian refugee crisis. Omer Fast at James Cohen produces some powerful videos about the role of the artist in times of crisis, but they are overshadowed by protestors. They believe his decision to transform the front of the gallery into a waiting room in a Chinese bus station amounts to yellowface. Our thoughts on this and just about everything els...2017-10-1858 min
Explain MeThe Turd of Gentrification Floating in the Pond of UrbanismThis week on Explain Me William Powhida and Paddy Johnson chat with Los Angeles Times staff writer Carolina Miranda about David Geffen's $150 million donation to LACMA and the questions surrounding the gift. Will he bequeath his collection to the museum? Later, we discuss the recent gentrification wars in Boyle Heights, a rather strange description of the non-profit 365 Mission and solicit Miranda's advice on must-see LA shows!
2017-10-171h 01
Explain MeThe Broken ToiletThe inaugural episode of Explain Me, an art podcast with critic Paddy Johnson and artist William Powhida! A round of woos and hoos please! Explain Me looks at politics, money and the moral of responsibility of artists working in the art world.
In this episode, we discuss Documenta's massive overspending and near bankrupcy, the closure of Bruce High Quality Foundation University, and a new development along the 7 line describing itself as New York's best installation. We also talk about a few shows we've seen recently in Chelsea, Kara Walker at Sikkema Jenkins, Christian Marclay at Paula Cooper, To...2017-10-021h 05