Press

I'm lousy at a lot of things. But for some reason, I'm kind of good at getting into magazines. No idea why. Since October 2009, I think there's only been one month when you couldn't go to Barnes & Noble and pick up a magazine with something or other on me in it. So let me give you the December report:

1. The Artist's Magazine. I was a finalist in their figurative competition, so I got my name - woo hoo! - printed in their finalist list in the December issue.

2. ARTnews. This one I didn't get into through any virtue, talent, or skill of my own. Rather, the enormously generous Claudia directed one of their writers to me after being interviewed herself for an article on models and artists who work with models. The writer, Gail Gregg, also an artist, chatted with me for something like half an hour, and in a short article based on about 75 interviews, made room for me here:

Personal chemistry with the artist turns out to be critical to the success of a model—and to the work that emerges from a session. Many artists, such as Inka Essenhigh, say they prefer models who bring their own personalities—an “air of drama”—to a pose, rather than those who are more passive. Painter Natalie Frank seeks models who “have a kind of beauty that’s a little off, a complicated kind of beauty.” Pearlstein looks for those who are flexible enough to hold difficult poses day after day. And painter Daniel Maidman prefers models with “expressive faces and expressive bodies—which is not the same thing as beauty.”

This makes me very happy - there are lots of art magazines, but at least in the American market, three tower over the rest: ARTnews, Art in America, and Artforum. The article, called Nothing Like the Real Thing, is the first time I've been mentioned in any of 'em.

Why did Claudia think to refer the writer to me? Well, for one thing, she's super-nice. And also because, at the time, we were working on this, which I've shown you a couple times already:

Living Things Came From Her
60"x40", oil on canvas, 2010

Claudia has the expressive face and expressive body, but she happens to be beautiful as well.

I know you'll read this at some point, Claudia. You're the best. Thanks for everything.