Quote of the Day: Steve Martin

Martin Mull, Endgame, 2014. Private collection

 "If a comedian says he is also a painter, run. Except this one."

—Steve Martin on Martin Mull

Martin and Ann Philbin are co-curating an exhibition of Mull's paintings for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

Comments

LAT shows his “Band on the Run,” of 2014, oil on panel (Estate of Martin Mull). I like it a lot.
Anonymous said…
> Except this
> one.

If Endgame is done all by hand, Mull is technically damn good. But if those are actually photo images silk-screened onto a canvas, not as much. Then it gets closer to Dataland territory.

As for creative skill, Mull's one work does make me pause. A variation of when I see pre-Raphalite art. A reaction that will be tested a lot at the Lucas Museum.

"...Failure for Art Lovers but a Hit for LA":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH2ZiFrAEJo&t=261s

"But I feel a little like I'm in a parking garage."

@prototropo, Youtube:
The curation is lousy—like for example, the Francis Bacon placement!?!? And in the background of the Rodin sculptures? A roaring highway! So very LA, depressingly.

@TobyNomad, Youtube:
I hear you. It’s not a roaring highway though, Wilshire isn’t that bad but I get you. [End quote]


Michael Govan, meet Richard Brown, Richard Brown, meet Michael Govan.

Or meet: Kenneth Donahue, Earl Powell, perhaps Andrea Rich too.

Certain major-league art museum are analogous to the San Diego Zoo while LACMA is more like the LA Zoo.

Since 1965.

And just because people sip smoothies at Erehwon, restore mid-century houses in LA and hang out with a lot of art-world hipsters doesn't mean they don't have the heart of a rube. Oh well.

Again, since 1965.

Anonymous said…
I met him and talked about art, the market, and was surprised to learn how dedicated he was to it. There are a few celebrities that established themselves in the artworld, and I would say he was one, but he struggled to be taken seriously. I wonder if Lucas is interested.