Artomatic 2004, Washington, DC

Full text

The complete text of the six posts in the November 2004 archive that name Matt Sesow or the Funky Furniture show, copied from the saved copy of the archive page (Matt Sesow press archive, saved July 3, 2026). The rest of the month’s posts are about other subjects.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 — Jean Lawlor Cohen's Top Ten Artomatic List

Jean Lawlor Cohen is the editor of Where DC Magazine. Below are her picks for the best from this year's Art-O-Matic.

Cardellino - A six-canvas group of dark landscapes/trees - for impact in small space.

Chris Edmunds — Sculptural heads (one on a spring!) — for irreverence.

Kathryn Cornelius — Audio installation in an ominous sinkroom with seeping water (a Tony Oursler confrontation without the dolls) — for mystery.

Nina Ferré — Bridge installation — for making do with difficult space.

Inga Frick — Couldn’t locate, but, according to her past work, merits hunting down — for whimsy.

Linda Hesh — A time travel alcove — for self-dramatization.

Judy Jashinsky — Cicada-coated homage to Noche Crist — for spirit of camaraderie.

Matt Sesow — Self-described “crumby art” that is Basquiat meets Golub — for fun.

Ruza Spak — Large skyscape paintings with dog / deer a flyin’, what Longo’s pets must dream — for disorientation.

Martha Olsson — Her bold, expressive canvases way up on the 5th floor — for daring.
[posted by Lenny @ 5:23 AM]

Thursday, November 18, 2004 — Faith Flanagan's Top Ten Plus Artomatic List

Faith Flanagan is a local art fan, collector in the rough, and sometime guerilla curator. She has never been a particular fan of AOM, but strongly believes that it should not be dismissed in its entirety by those with the wit, charm, and intellect to know better.

Kathryn Cornelius
Liz Duarte
Matt Dunn
Djakarta
Dave Savage
Dylan Scholinski
Matt Sesow
Ira Tattelman
Kelly Towles
Bridget Vath

+ (cheating just a tad)

Overall Team Response: Eye Candy
Alan Callander, Ian Jehle and Karen Joan Topping

All about the Ladies: Girlz Club Members: Judy Jashisky, Lynda Hesh, Candace Keegan, and Ami Martin Wilbur.
[posted by Lenny @ 7:11 PM]

Monday, November 22, 2004 — Ann Marchand's Top 10 AOM List

Artist Ann Marchand, who is an exhibiting artist at AOM and has probably walked those dizzying halls many times now, sends in her top ten list:

John Aaron
Chuck Baxter
Frank Day
Lisa Farrell
G. Byron Peck
Betsy Packard
Matt Sesow
Ellyn Weiss
Angela White
Joyce Zipperer
[posted by Lenny @ 10:30 PM]

Monday, November 22, 2004 — Funky Furniture Auction

Remember the Funky Furniture controversy that made worldwide news?

Well, here's your chance to own some of the pieces from that newsmaking art exhibit... including one of the most famous paintings in the world.

This painting by our area's own Kayti Didriksen was seen by millions around the world in TV news, Jay Leno, and as part of one of the most downloaded images on the Internet a while back.

I will discuss this painting when I finish my all-comprehensive review of AOM later this week.

On Saturday, December 4th, 2004 at 9pm, all of the Funky Furniture works will be auctioned in a must-attend party/auction to be staged at the Funky Furniture display area at AOM. Admission to the cocktail pre-auction reception is $20 per couple, which also gets you a bidding badge.

Keep an eye on the Artomatic website, as they will soon have a pre-auction bidding website. And Funky Furniture's hardworking leader, Chad Alan sends the following: "D.C. As It Was, Is, and Could Be

Five months ago a project began with a simple idea to create a modest collection of hand crafted furniture in the spirit of the approaching Artomatic. The exhibition was to take place in the City Museum one month before Artomatic in order to promote not only that event, but also the City Museum itself.

As the project moved forward, the collection grew substantially in size and importance. Artists created pieces that reflected their vision of how the District of Columbia can be seen in three distinct phases. Not everything is pretty or refined, but instead true.

All cities have dark sides that are often difficult to view, but those are some of the core elements that strive to make us become better citizens.

Upon the completion of the installation, it was decided that the collection needed to be removed from the City Museum for reasons varying from labels to suitability issues.

Twenty hours after the installation, the show had been dismantled and placed securely into storage. News of the cancellation hit the Associated Press and spread across the globe.

Many new venues for the show were considered, but it was determined to bring the collection home to reside in the 2004 Artomatic. Here you can view our ideas and concepts. Some of which you may agree, and many with which you may disagree, but that is what makes our city one of the world's greatest cities.

This collection will be put on the auction block on Saturday, December 4th at 9pm at Artomatic." I hope a lot of people, a lot of artists and a lot of collectors come and see [and buy] these works; the artists will be there, and so will I.
[posted by Lenny @ 10:39 PM]

Saturday, November 27, 2004 — Donna Robusto's Top 10 AOM artists

Donna Robusto is the owner and director of the Ozmosis Gallery in Bethesda and she recently walked Artomatic and sends in her top ten picks:

Kelly Towles
Tiik Pollet
Jackie Greeves
John M. Adams
Rosana Azar
Aaron Quinn Brophy
Anna Shakeeva
John N. Grunwell
Matt W. Sesow
Matt R. Hollis
[posted by Lenny @ 9:43 AM]

Monday, November 29, 2004 — Elyse Harrison's Top 10 Artomatic List

Elyse Harrison is the owner of Gallery Neptune in Bethesda and one of the area's hardest working artists and arts activists. Harrison not only walked Artomatic and sends in her top 10 list, but she has further decided to offer three of the artists (and possibly a fourth) in her list a show at her gallery. She will feature Jean Sheckler Beebe and Joyce Zipperer during October of next year and Scott Brooks will also be showing at Neptune in September 2005.

Scott Brooks
Joyce Zipperer
Jean Sheckler Beebe
Mat Sesow
Linda Hesh
Bridget Vath
Christopher Edmunds
Robert Weiner
Kirk Waldroff
Michael Ross
[posted by Lenny @ 9:46 PM]