R U Still Painting??? Review: A Sloppy Afterimage of Bernadette Corporation
In Midtown Manhattan, a former office space spanning 3,700 square meters hosts 'R U Still Painting???', an exhibition featuring 177 pieces by 50 artists, curated by FALCON. This showcase commenced prior to the VIP previews of the spring fairs. FALCON was established by Paololuca Barbieri Marchi, Marco Boggio Sella, and Rebecca Reyes Rock, functioning under the nonprofit RRASP, which evolved from their for-profit studio management venture, Rockella Space. The exhibition draws inspiration from Reena Spaulings Fine Art, which was founded in 2004 by John Kelsey and Emily Sundblad, and is a branch of Bernadette Corporation. Highlights include works by Su Su, Austin Lee, and Edgar Bryan. Wu describes the exhibition as 'perfectly generic' and emblematic of contemporary art.
Key facts
- R U Still Painting??? featured 177 works by 50 artists in a 3,700-square-metre former office space in Midtown Manhattan.
- The show opened the night before VIP previews of spring fairs in early May.
- FALCON is composed of Paololuca Barbieri Marchi, Marco Boggio Sella, and Rebecca Reyes Rock.
- FALCON operated under nonprofit RRASP, which grew from for-profit Rockella Space.
- The press materials name-checked Reena Spaulings Fine Art (RSFA), founded by John Kelsey and Emily Sundblad in 2004.
- RSFA is an offshoot of Bernadette Corporation (BC), a collective founded in 1994 by Bernadette Van-Huy and Michael Alig.
- BC produced the novel 'Reena Spaulings' (2004), described as 'generic and perfect'.
- Standout works included Su Su's oil-on-silk nude, Austin Lee's psychedelic canvas, and Edgar Bryan's trompe l'oeil.
- Barbieri Marchi said FALCON built their artist list over dinners with friends for six years.
- The show's title and promotional flyers featured the 'You Guys are Getting Paid' meme.
Entities
Artists
- Jenny Wu
- Paololuca Barbieri Marchi
- Marco Boggio Sella
- Rebecca Reyes Rock
- John Kelsey
- Emily Sundblad
- Bernadette Van-Huy
- Michael Alig
- Su Su
- Austin Lee
- Edgar Bryan
- Merlin Carpenter
- Klara Lidén
- Robert Storr
- Patrick Conklin
- Donald Trump
- Slavoj Žižek
Institutions
- FALCON
- RRASP
- Rockella Space
- Reena Spaulings Fine Art
- Bernadette Corporation
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Club USA
- Frieze
Locations
- New York
- Midtown Manhattan
- Times Square
- Lower East Side
- Milan