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Michael Manning
Since 2010
Works in Corona del Mar, California United States of America

- http://themanningcompany.com/

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DISCUSSION
Posted on Thu Aug 18, 2011

## Tool Time: Cory Arcangel at The Whitney

I have not read that particular piece, so it did inform or set-up my perception of the work.
migration of ideas and forms from art into everyday life
I might buy this in regards to the Jay-Z wall, you could argue Yves Klein set a precdent for branding a color, but I don't think this fits with the majority of the show. The Oakley M-Frames aren't much more than an elevation of a period of design/culture he fetishises to an 'art' context in a crude fashion packaged neatly with a conceptually backing about ergonomic design and technology+the human body (aka cyborgs in a non-sci fi way which I think is an actually interesting topic).
The phasing towers were much more interesting to me as a two piece that provoked this interesting dance, but at Pro Tools they are organized in a way that you couldn't overlook their resembling a Sol Lewitt scultpure.
The Photoshop gradients have a similar issue, they are beautiful, but come on, there are two that are such obvious Rothko references its like I'm being pounding over the head. The radial one is my favorite because it doesn't shout at me to see its lineage in the tradition of abstraction.
To me it seems this migration implies that contemporary design, software, culture etc. is being influecened by or drawing on 'art'. This reminds me of the arguement in The Devil Wears Prada in which the assistant is lectured on how her Cerulian blue sweater from J.Crew (or some other 'low' brand) was actually the product of a trickle down effect from the great hands of high fashion which used the same color seasons earlier. Like I said I'll buy that 'art' influences contemporary culture and that it would be interesting to react to that, but I don't see that happening here. I don't believe the original industrial designer of those phasing show platforms was channeling Sol Lewitt, or that the programmers who developed Photoshop were studying Rothko (this might have a better chance, but somehow I feel like they were probably more influenced by the massive number of gradients used outside the art world).
Simply put I think these nods/references/jokes to 'art' throughout are a way to appease people like Christine Paul, in order for them not to have to deal with something that is more radical and out of their frame of reference.

DISCUSSION
Posted on Thu Aug 18, 2011

## Tool Time: Cory Arcangel at The Whitney

Definitely, they are beautiful.

DISCUSSION
Posted on Wed Aug 17, 2011

## Tool Time: Cory Arcangel at The Whitney

I wouldn't call the Photoshop gradients democratic, and certainly not 'Internet' in a good way. Their name allows you to replicate them, but they are inherently contradictory in that they are extremely large and expensive C-Prints which negates their democratic proccess (which clearly Arcangel intended, flossing his Pro Tools aka budget). Also, much like the rest of the show they come off as a really bad art history joke/reference that adds little beyond the 'oh I see what you did there' moment.

DISCUSSION
Posted on Wed Aug 03, 2011

## London Calling

Well played sir.

DISCUSSION
Posted on Wed Aug 03, 2011

## London Calling

I should re-phrase my comment to: There is no way to justify this.

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