Every week, Artnet News brings you Wet Paint, a gossip column from original scoops. If you have any advice, email Annie Armstrong at [email protected].
JOE BRADLEY’S REVOLVING DOOR
There seems to be a certain type of artist who just freaks out from gallery to gallery, right? As someone who watches the art market move from the stands, I practically get a kick out of how quickly artists fly from stable to stable, seemingly without looking back. I can’t think of a better example of this than Joe Bradley.
The painter has presented solo exhibitions in New York since 2003, always remaining faithful to his first gallery in the city, Tribeca’s Canada, which still represents him today. Since then, however, he has shared the depiction with a number of dealers of varying size, which leads me to believe that the painter, known for his delightfully messy abstractions, might have a bit of restless leg syndrome. NOW, Fresh paint can exclusively reveal that he jumped ship from his most recent stable, Petzelto become the latest hotshot to join the team Zwirner. (Aanother shot Lucas Zwirnerto the Elizabeth Peyton, maybe? I am not sure! But it is possible.)
Bradley has jumped quite a bit over the past decade, going from Gavin Brown’s company For Gagosian in 2016, to drop out of Gago after a string of shows (I heard he and Larry’s relationship had deteriorated) to Petzel in 2021.
“Our affair with Joe Bradley was brief but sweet,” a rep for Petzel told Wet Paint in a statement. The gallery had only one exhibition with the painter, which was his first in five years and received a rave review from another person who recently turned heads changing her mind, Roberta Smith. Petzel said the show was a commercial success, so they don’t seem too depressed about losing it after taking a bite out of its plate. They added: “Although Bradley’s time at the gallery was short-lived, we are pleased to have served as a successful outlet for his purposes.”
If it’s true that Bradley left for the house of Zwirner, who remained silent on the subject, this could be a pretty serious cash cow for the gallery (not like they’re struggling anyway). According Artnet Price DatabaseBradley’s current record was set by Very Men, which reached $3.1 million at Christie’s in 2015, followed by several other pieces that crossed the seven-figure finish line. Following the success of the Petzel show, I wouldn’t be surprised if that number continues to grow. Forward and up, and up, and up.
ALL THIS CONSTITUTES A HILL OF BEANS
I tried to confirm my gossip and all I got was this lousy selfie.
A star artist’s public art unveiling seems to follow a pretty standard playbook when it comes to reaction from high-minded cultural snobs like us. Recent examples that come to mind are Jeff KoonIt is Bouquet of tulips in Paris, KAWS‘s Companion floating in Hong Kong Victoria Harborand more recently, Anis Kapoor‘s “mini-bean”, which sparked a furor among critics so intense that I’m inclined to believe it created a poltergeist that lives in the hollow structure at the base of 56 Leonardo (more commonly known as the Jenga Building for its resemblance to the game).
Apparently, the mini-bean’s backstory is as complex as a game of Jenga itself. Wet Paint has learned that Kapoor’s miniaturized version of the famous Chicago Cloud Gate—the New York version, which would have cost $10 million to manufacture and is still technically incomplete, was made in exchange for a $13 million apartment at 56 Leonard. And get this: according to my spies, Kapoor flipped the apartment before the mini glitter ball even saw the light of day.
It’s pretty hilarious to me that even the artist doesn’t want to live with his shiny legume, but that makes sense, too. Ever since it was unveiled, hordes of selfies have hampered the style of the chichi address, which I imagine is quite a nuisance for some of the celebrities who live there, like Franck Ocean.
I asked the intrepid artistic adviser Lisa Schiff, who lives in the building, what the experience has been like since it went public. She told me she had run into trouble with the direction after runoff from her outdoor garden began to dribble across the sculpture, compromising its characteristic shine. “It’s a fucking outdoor sculpture!” she laughed. “It’s really funny and really ostentatious. Ever since it was unveiled, there have been hordes of people filming Tiktoks and videos all day. (Schiff, by the way, also heard about Kapoor’s apartment being knocked down.)
Kapoor wouldn’t confirm if he still owned the apartment, and the building gave me a firm “no” when I asked if I could speak to someone in the management office. So, for now, we can consider this a tall tale akin to Jack and the Beanstalk– only in New York, where you can trade a bean for a $13 million apartment.
WE HEAR
Out of paradise took over the performance of Maximilian Schubert…Despite what was reported in a quickly deleted Instagram story, O’Flaherty’s East not closed permanently, thank God… Arden Wohl organizes a collective summer exhibition at james fuentes with the work of Cecile Brown, Martine Syms, Danh VoAnd Nate Lowmanas much to say that I will be very excited to see it… Theater doors, Edmond de Waaland author Hanya Yanagihara are this year’s winners Isamu Noguchi Award… A picture of Tyler Mitchell was acquired by the Brooklyn Museum (apparently this is the first New York museum to acquire a work by the artist? Which seems surprising)… Azealia Banks was to happen at MoMA PS1‘s gala this year, but the museum was forced to cancel because an artist felt uncomfortable with the rapper’s controversial presence… Apparently people in the art world love it kind of ugly backpack?…
spotted
*** The gala season is raging and the party for MOCA THE was about as starry as it gets, with Tim Disney, Marc Grotjahn, Jeffrey Soros, Paul McCarthy, Kim Gordon, Andrea Fraser, Jordan WolfsonAnd Keanu Reeves among some of the celebrities featured in Little Tokyo dance the night away (resulting in the above adorable story of Keith Mayerson) *** Back in New York, the New Museum had It is gala, and Emilie Bodé, Cecile Alemani, Ryan TrecartinAnd Nicholas Party all converged towards Cipriani celebrate *** Martin Scorsese dinner with his daughter francesca To Bacaro (who said Dimes Square is dead?) *** earth eater, Jeanette Hayes, Ethan James Green, Moses SumneyAnd Chloe Sage at the launch of Mugleris the new line for H&M *** THE David Zwirner-supported literary publication The drift held its annual gala at the gallery against a backdrop of Franz West carvings, and Marnel cat, Delia Cai, Rachel White RabbitAnd Raven Leilani were among some of the authors who got involved in it *** Chan Marshall, Mary Frey, Jeremy O’HarrisAnd Chrissie Miller on the last day of Lizzie Bougatsos‘s show at bums *** Larry Gagosian hosted his birthday party at his house, and I can’t say what amazes me the most, the picasso room in his house which was a notable flop at Christie’s in 2011, or the fact that he seems to use Chiliwich *** doilies
🎬 ⭐ CALL FOR CASTING! 🎞️ 🍿
Last week I asked my dear readers to come up with a movie idea based on the Advantage of the watermill drama where Stacy Engman was accosted by a rabid NFT obsessive. Artist Nicole Nadeau wrote and prompted me to imagine a world in which this film is screened by those who work in the art, which I think seems just experimental enough to work, and earned it a Wet Paint Cap. she would throw Jamian Juliano Villani to play Engman (actually not the only person writing in this JJV who takes on the role!), Mr. Zohore playing a performance artist who upsets the guests at the performance (which, by the way, isn’t that far removed from his practice), and Ellie Rines as a stalker, which is just a hilarious mental picture. Congratulations, Nicole, that might be crazy enough to work.
Next: Imagine a coming-of-age tale about three passionate, visionary young artists who play harder than they work and use pre-9/11 and post-Giuliani New York City as a gym in the jungle : Dan Colen, dash of snowAnd Ryan McGinley. Hit me who you would have played each of them with (let’s save it for Hollywood actors this time however) to [email protected].
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