James Franco may already have released his debut short story collection this week, but that was a few days ago, and his Cultural Ubiquity Tour must roll on. Its next stop turns out to be James Franco as Bruce Nauman, a five-minute film by Alison Chernick, in which Franco re-creates Nauman’s 1967 work, “Art Make-Up.”  Of course, Franco made headlines just a few weeks ago when he appeared in full drag on the cover of Candy magazine. In this new transformation, he simply, silently applies a coat of white make-up to his face and neck. Perhaps we just enjoy looking at James Franco, but we think this slow, contemplative piece is, if nothing else, a pleasant way to end our week.

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Every fall since 2002, ArtReview magazine has compiled a list of the most powerful people in the world of the arts. Criteria is based on “a combination of influence over the production of art internationally, sheer financial clout… and activity in the previous 12 months.” Interestingly, artists tend to make up only 20% to 30% of the list’s occupants — as opposed to curators, collectors, etc. We’ve combed through this year’s list and found the top 10 most powerful artists of 2010. You might be surprised to see where some of your favorites landed.

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Although sculpture is a three-dimensional form that needs to be seen to be experienced, it’s normally reproduced through photography. Since the inception of photography, artists and photographers have used the camera to not only capture sculptural forms on film but to stage scenes with objects and document performances that now only exist in print. Likewise, artists have long used photomontage to construct sculptural fantasies purely from the imagination. Examining the intersections between photography and sculpture, The Original Copy: Photography of Sculpture, 1839 to Today, at New York’s Museum of Modern Art offers new ways of understanding what sculpture is, as well as a chance to explore the aesthetic evolution of photography through its rich, 170-year history.

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New York-based British photographer Steve Pyke — an artist known for his dramatic take on portraiture — has been on staff at The New Yorker since 2004. While his roots are in the late ’70s music scene, by 1980 Pyke had abandoned rock ‘n roll for the visual arts. His early work was featured in publications like The Face and NME, and his reputation grew thanks to a number of interesting personal projects, specifically a series called Philosophers. His photographs are included in many permanent collections, including the National Portrait Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, the V&A in London, and the New York Public Library.

Pyke narrates a behind-the-scenes slideshow of his work here>>

MoMA’s contemporary exhibition outpost P.S.1 kicked off its season opener on Sunday under a sharp autumn sun, all the better to highlight the location (a former school in Long Island City), the architecture (especially a Bedouin tent-structure by MOS design in the courtyard) and crowd (a mix of fashion and art types ranging from Pratt students to stylist and editor Camilla Nickerson). Current offerings in the alternative space include the likes of photographer Robert Bergman, installation artist Chitra Ganesh, and multimedia stage artist William Kentridge, though the main event is surely 1969, a survey of modern art from MoMA’s permanent collection that was produced in the final year of the swinging ’60s. Exclusive photos after the jump.

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The last we heard from artist Bruce Nauman he was wowing everyone at the Venice Bienniale where he took home a Golden Lion for his Topological Gardens exhibition. So you can only imagine our excitement to discover that his next project is coming to LA on September 12; the LA Times reports that:

“Nauman will transform the skies over Pasadena in a project called Untitled (Leave the Land Alone), 1969/2009. Viewers can expect to see the words ‘Leave the Land Alone’ written in the sky — with the best viewing spots at La Loma Bridge, Colorado Street Bridge and Brookside Park, according to organizers.”

The skywriting — allegedly Nauman’s first “solo institutional project” in LA since ’94 — is based on a similar work that he shelved back back in 1969. It’s being done in conjunction with the Pasadena’s Armory Center for the Arts’ Installations Inside/Out: Armory 20th Anniversary Exhibition that will also feature work by Kim Abeles, Edgar Arceneaux, Deborah Aschheim, Daniel Buren, Carl Cheng, Seth Kaufman, Barry McGee, Michael C. McMillen, Carlos Mollura, Matthew Moore, Jane Mulfinger, Sarah Perry, Rudy Perez, Ed Ruscha, Betye Saar, Barbara T. Smith, John Trevino, Pae White, and Mario Ybarra Jr.

What works did international art dealers, curators and collectors consider the most impressive at the 53rd Venice Biennale? It was surprising how consistently the same names came up. The US Pavilion (images here) ranked high, even before it was voted best pavilion of this year. And Elmgreen & Dragset’s “The Collectors” (images here) was another favorite. And everyone was impressed with Francois Pinault’s Punta della Dogana (images here).  Read More »

When asked what most impressed him at the Venice Biennale last week, mega-art-collector and Interview publisher Peter Brant quickly replied, “From Hand to Mouth,” while pointing to the US Pavilion. The shorthand reference to Bruce Nauman’s Biennale exhibition, Topological Gardens, was taken from the title of one of Nauman’s earliest work on view in the show — a 1967 sculpture of a fragmented hand, arm, shoulder, and mouth. The seminal piece, made from wax and cloth, references the simple act of eating and serves as the perfect introduction to Nauman’s lifelong engagement of interpersonal communication, rituals, and mundane situations. Read More »

The knowledge that François Pinault — owner of Christie’s, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Puma, Chateau-Latour, and other major brands — is one of the richest men in the world doesn’t make his art collection any better than the next guy with deep pockets; but the fact that he has impeccable taste in art and design certainly makes his collection, and the buildings that house it, stand out. Read More »