Announcing "The Joe Bonham Project," An Exhibition Curated by James Panero

The Joe Bonham Project
an exhibition curated by James Panero

featuring portraits of injured US and allied service personnel by members of the International Society of War Artists and the Society of Illustrators

SEPTEMBER 1-18, 2011

Opening Reception:

Thursday, September 1, 6-9PM

UPDATE: CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF OPENING NIGHT

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BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN – Storefront (16 Wilson Avenue, Brooklyn) is pleased to announce the final installment of its ambitious summer exhibition schedule featuring THE JOE BONHAM PROJECT, an exhibition organized by guest curator James Panero. Post 9/11, the exhibition brings together the work of wartime illustrators featuring portraits of injured US and allied service personnel by members of the International Society of War Artists and the Society of Illustrators. These works are documentative, accurate, and gripping, yet offer a sensitivity and awareness to the causalities and sacrifice of war. 

Artists featured in Panero’s selection include: Lance Corporal Robert Bates, USMC; Peter Buotte; CWO2 Michael D. Fay, USMC (retired); Jeffrey Fisher; Roman Genn; Bill Harris; Richard Johnson; Amber Martin and Victor Juhasz.

The show opens with a reception, Thursday, September 1, 6-9PM and will be on view through September 18.  For more information, contact Jason Andrew at 646-361-8512 or visit www.storefrontbk.com

THE JOE BONHAM PROJECT represents the efforts of wartime illustrators to document the struggles of U.S. and allied service personnel undergoing rehabilitation after traumatic front-line injury. Formed in early 2011 by Michael D. Fay, the Project takes its name from the central character in Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo’s 1938 novel of a World War I soldier unable to communicate with the outside world due to the extent of his wounds. Scheduled to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, the exhibition will mark the silent sacrifices of American and allied soldiers in the ensuing decade-long conflict.

James Panero is Managing Editor and art critic at The New Criterion and writes about art and culture for several publications. This is his first curated exhibition.

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STOREFRONT was started by Jason Andrew and Deborah Brown. It is Bushwick’s leading gallery presenting both emerging young talent and established historically significant artists. Its exhibition program has been the featured in ARTNET MAGAZINE, THE CITYist, TIME OUT NEW YORK, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, NEW YORK PRESS, NEW YORK POST, THE NEW CRITERION, L MAGAZINE, THE BROOKLYN RAIL, THE NEW YORK TIMES, WNYC, and written about locally including BUSHWICKBK, GREENPOINT GAZETTE, WILLIAMSBURG GREENPOINT NEWS + ARTS. 

HOURS:  Weekends 1:00-6:00PM or by appointment 646-361-8512.

DIRECTIONS: L train to Brooklyn. Morgan Avenue stop. Walk four blocks on Morgan to Flushing Avenue. Cross Flushing Avenue to Wilson Avenue. The gallery is located between Noll and George Streets.

A SELECTION OF WORK SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN THE EXHIBITION: 

Lance Cpl. Tyler Huffman by Richard Johnson

Sgt Jason Ross by Victor Juhasz

Sgt Than Naing by Robert Bates

Cpl Matthew Bowman by Robert Bates

Lance Cpl. Tyler Huffman by Michael D. Fay

Loren Munk and James Panero in conversation

James Kalm, Self Portrait

Loren Munk has been called a "likeable, dimwitted observer, who has recently emerged as the darling of the most reactionary element in art criticism, James Panero."

This Saturday, May 14, beginning at 5:00pm, come see these two dimwitted, reactionary elements together in East Hampton in a panel moderated by Janet Goleas. Reception with the panelists will follow.

Time

Saturday, May 14 · 5:00pm - 6:30pm

Location

Eric Firestone Gallery 4 Newtown Lane East Hampton, New York

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please call ERIC FIRESTONE GALLERY at 631-604-2386.

Charlie Finch: The Insult Comic of the Art World

Kathleen Gilje Charlie Finch in the Manner of a Rembrandt Self-Portrait (2006)

James writes:

The gossip columnist Charlie Finch is a close reader of The New Criterion and a McGovernite relative of President Nixon. He is also the insult comic of the art world. If you are on the receiving end of his attacks, it usually means you are heading in the right direction.

That's my message to the artists I know and admire who appeared in Finch's artnet.com column last Friday called "Noble or Nibble? LAST TRAIN TO DULLSVILLE." While oddly praising Barnett Newman, Finch called Thornton Willis "an old guy who... produced some idiotic figure-ground mazes in pastel colors that all look the same." He complained that James Siena makes "dick-like puzzles." He said that Richard Pousette-Dart painted "mandalas of crap," and Helen Frankenthaler "stupid stains." He lambasted Loren Munk as a "likeable, dimwitted observer

who has recently emerged as the darling of the most reactionary element in art criticism, James Panero of the New Criterion, who shares the initials of Jed Perl (New Republic) while managing to be even more right-wing and visually clueless about painting, an almost impossible task.

Funny stuff, maybe, and certainly undeserving of a point-by-point response. But it also strikes me as a little bit sinister. Over at his blog "Too Much Art," my colleague Mario Naves offers his own thoughts and wonders what Finch sees in Barnett Newman. The correct answer, Mario concludes, is "zip." In other words, what Finch says is nonsense. He writes like a drunk driver who is used to getting bailed out through his daddy's name. He wants to end up in a wreck. Unfortunately, he'll happily take out some bystanders in the crash.