Features May 6, 2015 at 4:00 am

The Most Unusual Art Gift Ever

After Matthew Offenbacher won a $25,000 art prize, he did something radical. He made a conceptual artwork with Jennifer Nemhauser that consisted of buying works by women and queer artists for Seattle Art Museum.

Jen Graves
Woman Landing on Man on the Moon by Ann Leda Shapiro. It has never been exhibited before. Now Seattle Art Museum owns it. Images courtesy of the artists and Seattle Art Museum
Back to article

Comments

1
"They collaborate under the pseudonym Daft Kuntz, a name that's a play on "cunts" and kunst, the German word for "art."

Duh.
Arthurstone on May 6, 2015 at 4:40 PM Report this
2
I'm going to use this article in my class. Great piece about a great piece.
paulus22 on May 7, 2015 at 10:29 AM Report this
3

Something so genteel about this article. I think this article was about politics not art, Real artists want to astonish the world. To be a recognized female artist or queer artist seems to set your sights at an unartistic low; that's fine for regular folk but we are talking about artists, they shuld have higher goals. And these pee pees and kuntz....isn't it all a bit passe at this point...zzzzzzz.....the real revolution---since we're in the political realm here---draw Mohammed with a hard on...

Dex Quire on May 7, 2015 at 11:12 AM Report this
4
Jen, you rock
Arsfrisco on May 7, 2015 at 12:42 PM Report this
5
Fantastic article--thank you for writing it.
Anyone who argues that what this couple is doing isn't art is missing the larger statement.
mitten on May 7, 2015 at 2:40 PM Report this
6
Who cares about SAM? The end all be all, SAM---every artist dream palace! Wasn't that quite a waste of money? SAM is just a holding pen for local philistines in which to be herded around to view Impressionists or ancient Egyptian knick knacks. And what's wrong with showing at the Vashion Credit Union? Or a local popular coffee shop or a street fair or a weekly open air market or swap meet? I've become a millionaire buying great art at street fairs (not really but the art that I have bought makes me feel like a millionaire). Why are all you young artists so invested in getting ox-brained, art-despising philistines to love you? O SAM!

When did 'The Stranger' become such a bourgeois institution-fluffing rag? O SAM!Pretty soon it's going to be running wine tasting reviews. 'The Stranger' is 'Seattle Magazine' in drag---O wait, that can't be, 'Seattle Magazine' is 'Seattle Magazine' in drag. Ha!
Dex Quire on May 7, 2015 at 6:08 PM Report this
8
This is so wonderful and thoughtful. What an interesting project this is, a very probing explanation of institutions and their relationship to contemporary art.
planned barrenhood on May 8, 2015 at 3:32 AM Report this
9
planned barrenhood has a good point. They also have a good name. Reminds me of the Barron and Robin Hood.
HelloARI on May 26, 2015 at 11:21 PM Report this

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview
Posted by (your name here)

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.

Editors' Picks

The City Sweeps SODO Ahead of All-Star Game
The Ever-Changing Bones Behind Underbelly's Black Curtain
The More I Learn About Breast Milk, the More Amazed I Am
Meteor Showers and Makeouts: The Stranger Does Day In Day Out
Ivar's and the Serial Killer
Let's Be Real About Why MacPherson's Fruit & Produce Is Vanishing
The Stranger
is a proud member of the media network
Masthead Ad Info & Rates Jobs at The Stranger Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Use Takedown Policy Find The Stranger Near You
Support The Stranger
All contents © Index Newspapers LLC
800 Maynard Ave S, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98134