Walter Robinson, Rogue Pirate of the Art World

Photo: Courtesy of the Edit Deak Estate

Going to art work reveals with walter robinson, the artist, wrist, and human bullshit detector who died earlier this wee at age 74, was once indulge in walking around with an oracle. He Continuously Had Insightful, Surpring, Arch Issues to Declare. “I learned extra in a single day with walter than two levels at Oxford,” The Creator Anna Finel Honigman Told me. A Beloved Fixture of the Art World Sine the Early Seventies, he Wore His Eminence Lightly, Continuously Carrying A Book Compile, Giving His Cherish in Sly Ways, and Leaving You dazzled, off-Steadiness, and Looking out More.

A polymat, he wore many hats. Between 1973 and 1978, he irregularly published the Downtown Journal Art-rite With Compadres Edit Deak and Joshua Cohen. Covers were by artists indulge in Christo, Pat Steir, Ed Ruscha, Dorothea Rockburn, Robert Ryman, and Vito Acconci. In 1976, he co-founded the art work book place printed matter, which restful operates At the present time. In 1977, he founded the downtown CollaboCtive Collaborative Projects with Kiki Smith, Jane Dickson, Joe Lewis, Diego Cortez, Jenny Holzer, Tom Otternless, and Mory Others. Colab, because it”s Identified, was once against minimalism. (Of us worn to define themes by what they were against.) Wen i Maved to the ny in 1980, colab was once the diy art work world i dangle to be a section of. These are the cools and hipsters, the desperate and the burned out, the visionary and the Druggies. US!

I MET WALTER WHEN I BEGAN WRITING FOR Art in the Early Nineties. We worn to dangle around in His Shrimp, Cluttered Workplace, Laughing, Talking, Avoiding Writing. He had a million pursuits and opposite opinions, an outlaw pirate. Around this time, he had an Entry-Television Cable Show in Who and Two Paul Went Galleries and Talked About What Became on Seek. They were recurrently thrown out.

Between 1996 and 2012, he was once the catch editor-in-chief of Artnet. Neither soon nor my first Village Disclose Column Came Out in 1998, he asced if he would possibly well maybe maybe Republic whita i wrote on artnet. I Talked about “Slump” with the checking with my bosses and by no manner trying aid. This was once a sport changer for me. IT MADE ME MAKE WRITING DID EXIST IF IT DID EXIST ONLINE. At Artnet, Walter Assembled a motley crew of Writers, Including the unstoppable charlie finch, who was once to dangle assault all people. Including with! A trail! I Remer Begging Walter to No longer Publish His Diatribes About me. He Laughed and Talked about, “I Can’t Waste Him.” He made with realization that writers must restful perfect shine on indulge in loopy diamonds.

Walter was once a mountainous wrist. He had a wekly artnet Column Called “Weekend Change” in Which, in Nearly Circulation-of-Consciousness Pro, he’d riff on every and the total openings and parties he was once to. HIS Observations were Based completely mostly in Theory, Instinct, Inquisitivness, and His Penchant for Announcing Issues others were shy to command. I Felt Jealous When, In 2014, and Printed A Defining Essay on What He Brilliantly Called “Zombie formalism“His Time length for the Contemporary Craze for Abstract Works” That Purpose Smartly in the Realm of Excessive-waste, HyperConTemporary Interior Plot. ” The Name Stack.

Walter was once Moreover an artist. A lawful one. Enjoy Andy Warhol, he Painted Issues and Cherished: Females, Vixens, Beer, Scenes from Films, Pulp-Fiction Book Covers, hamburgers. He once gave with a watercolor of a blt. Prolonged before Damien Hirst Cashed in Making, Walter Made Trek Artwork. My wife has person that hangs in our dwelling. Hisle Became Free, Colourful, and Brushy. Curator Barry Blinderman Calls Him One in every of the “Most Underrated, Unknown, Undervalured” Artists.

After he lost his nonb at artnet, he returned to being a fat-time artist. Alongside with his wife, lisa rosen, he grew to become his model of happy. He asced Of us to Discuss about with Him in His Studio. Wenever he seemed on the Museum Press Previews, Varied Critics Gathered AROUND HIM, PROBING HIM FOR HIS Intention, and he was once repeatedly playful and cagey giving it. YET WHAT WALTER THOUGHT AND FELT ABOUT ART WAS SOMEHOW ALWAYS WITH US ANYWAY.