As much as I love Lindy West's articles and hold her in regard as the most interesting, funny, relevant, and contemporary of all the Stranger writers by far this is an insult to an artist that deserved more. Someone with as much history and accomplishment as Scott Fife deserves more, not that Jen is necessarily capable of a great review, but this is the kind of backhanded shit that she loves to dump on people outside her little "clique of bullshit artists" in this town, and as much as you love bears Lindy, not a good effort.

That said, this is a VERY interesting article by Jerry Saltz that 'bears' reading. It is painfully indicative of what the conversation has been about in this town, Jen, LP, and others.

http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/veni…

What kind of bear is best?

I enjoyed the read, but if I had actually clicked on the story out of artistic curiosity, I'd be kinda pissed.

Google customizes your search results based on your previous search history. When I search for "bears" my first hit is the Wikipedia article about bears. So I don't know what you've been searching for...

Actually, scratch that, I could probably hazard a pretty good guess what you've been searching for.

I had the same delighted reaction to this show. His heads have so much gravity and weight to them, they seem ready to tackle you teeth-to-face.

I love reading Jen's take on local art, but so much has already been written on Fife's work that this was a fun little treat.

It won't derail his career to have one jokey review (ahem, @1) and might even send new viewers his way who would otherwise be uninterested in a more intellectual review.

Since I work for a group that works to save grizzly bears in Lindy's own 20 miles [Ed. note: ok, a little farther, the North Cascades], AND I love non-ism-laden art reviews where people speak from the heart and head without the saddlebags of their overpriced art history education...I kind of loved this review. Don't know that I know tons more about the actual art at hand, but the ride itself was a blast, and I'd rather make up my own mind about the art anyway. Thanks!

@4 unregistered(mystikal nor'west): I guess when rich spoiled bratz don't have to be in touch with the real world or reality cuz money comes from Granny's magik kash machine-all the worlds nuttin' but a big mystikal stage where yer freestylin' right along Kanye being the shit. Yet again-tired and rehashed.
Go back to college...

#1 good job for saying everything I had to say.

Please give Lindy West a column about bears.

There is a show about cardboard bears. If you want to BS about what the bears "mean" or "are" beyond being giant cardboard bears that are giant and bearlike, that's probably not as interesting as the fact that they are giant cardboard bears.

Notes: it's easy to typo "bears" as "beards." Suggestion: giant cardboard beards.

Lindy, you'd probably enjoy the song from Game of Thrones entitled, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair".

"A bear there was,"
"A bear, A BEAR!
"All black and brown,"
"And covered with hair!

"Oh come they said,"
"Oh come to the fair!"
"The fair? said he,
"But I'm a bear!"
"All black and brown,"
"And covered in hair!"

"And down the road,"
"From here to there,"
"From here!To there!"
"Three boys, a goat,"
"And a dancing bear!"
"They danced and spun,"
"All the way to the fair!"

"Oh! sweet she was,"
"And pure and fair,"
"The maid with honey,"
"In her hair! Her hair,"
"The maid with honey,"
"in her hair!"

The bear smelled the scent,
"On the summer air!"
"The Bear! The Bear!"
"All black and brown,"
"And covered with hair!"
"He smelled the scent,"
"On the summer air,"
"He sniffed and roared,"
"And smelled it there!"
"Honey on the summer air!"

"Oh I'm a maid,"
"And I'm pure and fair,"
"I'll never dance,"
"With a hairy bear,"
"A bear! A bear!"
"I'll never dance,"
"With a hairy bear!"

"The bear,the bear!"
"Lifted her high,"
into the air!"
The bear, the bear!"

"I called for a knight!"
"But you're a bear!"
"A bear! A bear,"
"All black and brown,"
"And cover in hair!"

"She kicked and wailed,"
"The maid so fair,"
"But he licked the honey,"
"From her hair!"
"Her hair! Her hair!"
"He licked the honey,"
"From her hair!"

"Then she sighed and sqealed,"
"And kicked the air,"
"She sang: My bear so fair,"
"And off they went,"
"The bear! The bear!"
"And the maiden fair!"

Lindy, you'd probably enjoy the song from Game of Thrones entitled, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair".

"A bear there was,"
"A bear, A BEAR!
"All black and brown,"
"And covered with hair!

"Oh come they said,"
"Oh come to the fair!"
"The fair? said he,
"But I'm a bear!"
"All black and brown,"
"And covered in hair!"

"And down the road,"
"From here to there,"
"From here!To there!"
"Three boys, a goat,"
"And a dancing bear!"
"They danced and spun,"
"All the way to the fair!"

"Oh! sweet she was,"
"And pure and fair,"
"The maid with honey,"
"In her hair! Her hair,"
"The maid with honey,"
"in her hair!"

The bear smelled the scent,
"On the summer air!"
"The Bear! The Bear!"
"All black and brown,"
"And covered with hair!"
"He smelled the scent,"
"On the summer air,"
"He sniffed and roared,"
"And smelled it there!"
"Honey on the summer air!"

"Oh I'm a maid,"
"And I'm pure and fair,"
"I'll never dance,"
"With a hairy bear,"
"A bear! A bear!"
"I'll never dance,"
"With a hairy bear!"

"The bear,the bear!"
"Lifted her high,"
into the air!"
The bear, the bear!"

"I called for a knight!"
"But you're a bear!"
"A bear! A bear,"
"All black and brown,"
"And cover in hair!"

"She kicked and wailed,"
"The maid so fair,"
"But he licked the honey,"
"From her hair!"
"Her hair! Her hair!"
"He licked the honey,"
"From her hair!"

"Then she sighed and sqealed,"
"And kicked the air,"
"She sang: My bear so fair,"
"And off they went,"
"The bear! The bear!"
"And the maiden fair!"

LINDY WEST! IF YOU WANT I WILL HIBERNATE WITH YOU, BUT ONLY IF YOU WANNA! Also, nice write up.