Reviewing Artforum’s Advertisements: October 2013

A superb use of a half-page ad. It provides the tiniest little taste of Joshua Abelow's rich, vast and beloved Art Blog Art Blog while at the same time repping his latest show. Strong. —Andrew Russeth

At this point we're all familiar with Thomas Demand's shtick, but this ad forces you to look at it closely and anew. You do a sort of double take at this real-seeming hotel door. Plus, I mean, need I add that it's subtly erotic? —Dan Duray

If you're like me, nothing says, "I want to go high-end retail shopping" quite like a scary clown. —Michael H. Miller

"Destroying books doesn't exactly have the best historical associations, but boy, is it fun!" -Guy with shotgun five minutes after running out of clay pigeons. —Zoë Lescaze

These sorts of installations were so great at the Bourgeois retrospective at the Guggenheim and I feel that the cropping in this photo really manages to capture their layers. I also read a tense, still eroticism into this piece. Don't know why. —D.D.

Like a dynamic, not-so-still life jointly created by Cezanne and Morandi, this ad and its runaway apple are just great. —Z.L.

I've always had a soft spot for T.V. newswomen. Not in an erotic way, it's more about their high visibility professionalism, their proto-Hillary Clinton-ness. I think it also comes from my love of the movie Broadcast News. Can't wait for his MoMA show! —D.D.

Not a groundbreaking ad, to be sure, but certainly an elegant one. Really I just think this show sounds great. —A.R.

There's Tracey Emin, an artist often described as "prickly," with some cacti! Fitting. It's also worth mentioning that this photo is credited, "Hans-Ulrich Obrist, South of France Summer 2013." What a trip that must have been. —Z.L.

"Look, you want to see Liu Xiaodong's new paintings?" this ad asks. "You'll have to come see them yourself." Understood. —A.R.

FYI this is the position I get in to take naps at home. —M.H.M.

So you found the perfect barista. Sure he's a leopard, but he really gets it when you say you want "extra foam." Only downside is the tantrums, which usually involve him making hundreds of beautiful cappuccinos, only to go prowling right through them. —Z.L.

What an age we live in. They went there. They just did it. Amazon. In Artforum! Extremely, profoundly erotic. —D.D.

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This is one hell of an Artforum!

We’ve got the debut of a wild and mysterious new series of traced photographs from Louise Lawler, Laura Owens and Glenn O’Brien writing on Paul McCarthy, a Thierry de Duve joint and Barry Schwabsky on Giorgio Morandi. I know, crazy, right?

You’ll want to pick up this issue, and savor it. But we’re here now for the ads. They are excellent. In the slide show at left, the month’s finest promotional materials.

Reviewing Artforum’s Advertisements: October 2013

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