Paddy Johnson
Posted inArt

Bushwick Artists Ponder Ways to Fight Gentrification

by Jillian Steinhauer

“I’m getting tired of watching my friends leave because they can’t afford to be here. I’m getting tired of contemplating moving because I can’t afford to be here.” Thus spoke Paddy Johnson, editor-in-chief of Art F City, in her opening remarks at a meeting in Bushwick on Thursday night. The event was held at Starr Space, the studio and occasional event space owned by artist Jules de Balincourt, and hosted by him, Johnson, and artists William Powhida and Lynn Sullivan. Mobilizing Bushwick, as it was called, or #stayinbushwick, as it’s been hashtagged, was an open, town-hall-style meeting to brainstorm ideas for, well, staying in Bushwick.

Posted inArt

What Is the Labor of Art Writing? (Part 1)

by William Powhida

Last Thursday night at Housing Works Bookstore, Occupy Wall Street affinity group Arts & Labor organized a panel of New York art writers to discuss the labor of art criticism. Village Voice and New York Times critic Martha Schwendener opened the round table with the question, “What is the labor of writing?” Schwendener and Arts and Labor proposed a discussion about the working conditions of art criticism in an effort to dispel some prevailing myths, which she framed as power, authority, and allure. She then started things off with an open question to the panel about how they became art critics.

Posted inArt

Herzog’s Whitney Biennial Piece Is Not Overrated but Under-Thought

by Peter Dobey

PARIS — In a recent article on AFC, Paddy Johnson argues that Werner Herzog’s piece in this year’s Whitney Biennial is essentially a throwaway. She sees Herzog’s contribution as a quick fix for inclusion that relies mainly on “bells and whistles” rather than substance. But her account is conspicuously reactionary and seems to be more of a response to the glowing reviews of the art writers she quotes than to Herzog’s work itself.

Posted inOpinion

Required Reading

Avatar photo by Hrag Vartanian

This week’s Required Reading includes Tracey Emin’s gift to 10 Downing St, you too can levitate in photos, Koons as roadkill, Nike’s swoosh is 40, internet art bubble, evolution of the hipster, autobot aethetics, street art in East Timor & more.