SIEBEN ON LIFE
(^120) | APRIL 2016
I USED TO CO-OWN A COMMERCIAL ART GALLERY IN
Austin, Texas called Okay Mountain. In 2006, for one of our
first shows, we contacted Air de Paris gallery and were able
to acquire about a dozen Mrzyk & Moriceau drawings to
show and hopefully sell. The drawings arrived unframed with
explicit instructions regarding how they should be exhibited,
utilizing plexiglass and L-shaped nails. The drawings also
each came with a $1,200 price tag, which was pretty steep
for a brand new artist-run space in Texas. Still, we loved their
work and anticipated selling a few.
With minimal experience installing shows, we placed the
drawings on the floor, on clean cardboard, in front of the wall
on which they’d be hung. Almost all of them were up when a
piece of plexi got fumbled, its corner landing directly on one
of the pieces—piercing and destroying it. Boom! Not only
were we running a risky business, but we'd just gone $600
in the hole before the opening!
So what's the moral of this story? Well, for one, if you borrow
art, try not to destroy it. Two, don't place unprotected
works of art in harm's way. Three, if you're going to fuck up
somebody's art and, as a result, have to buy it, make sure
it's something you really like. Because years later, none
of us regret having to pitch in to buy the art we damaged.
We're all just stoked we own an original Mrzyk & Moriceau
drawing. Even if it has a small hole in it.
All good art has a story. Even if it's kinda a crappy one.
DAMAGED GOODS
POINT BREAK
Art by
Mryzk & Moriceau
2003