Generally speaking, we discourage two-page press releases. Keep it short: get your point across. But there is an exception to every rule, and the Essex Street gallery triumphs here with its two-pager for its Peter Fend show, “Über die Grenze: May Not Be Seen Or Read Or Done.” (We also generally discourage German, but the source of the title is great.)
Despite its length, there’s no rambling here: just a few short lists. First up is a brief overview of the artist’s proposals and projects: “proposing a channel near Chernobyl to reduce river pressure on the reactor site,” for instance, and “showing the parallels of the borderline layout of NY, CT, NJ and PA to that of Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, which previsioned the strategies of the eventual attack on Iraq in 2003.”
But the glory is in the second list: a series of testimonials from the likes of Richard Prince (“He’s the Lawrence of Arabia of the Art World.”), art historian Benjamin H. D. Buchloh (“I like his work but don’t like him.”) and sculptor Rachel Harrison (“If Peter Fend were as famous as Jeff Koons, there would be no toxic nightmare in our oceans.”) They seemed also too good to be true, but Essex Street proprietor Maxwell Graham confirmed that they are authentic.
Enough from us. View the complete release over on the gallery’s website. “Über die Grenze” runs through Feb. 12.
