UPDATE: The above piece sold for 4x over asking, proving my point that the art world is still laughing all the way to the bank.

Original post:

Bid as part of Hoarder VI at Phillips.

I first saw “The Larry Joke” a summer or two ago in West Hollywood. Whenever I have doctors appointments in town, I try to see art in between, especially if the appointments land at the end of the work day. Frankly a decade later, this site started as a result of wanting to write about what I saw every time I found myself numb from my lifelong dentist whose office happened to be across the street from The Hammer. Over time, squeezing in art between life has been a remedy to stay engaged even when I feel disconnected. Now when I get a new doctor, I often look around to see what’s located nearby? My newest cardiologist is down the block from Gagosian, so I often like to go there before or after an appointment to shake off the inevitable feelings of mortality I encounter after one middle-aged procedure or the next. It’s my schtick.

Through Instagram, I heard Kenny was in town and having a pop-up show at the boxy two-story, once MOCA WeHo gallery outside the PDC. I’ve always admired the cube-like structure and enjoyed how easy it is to pop in, quickly see some art and then leave. At the time, I was surprised to discover Kenny was manning the show himself. I walked around the space, laughing out loud at various pieces. Kenny and I spoke for a few minutes about driving in LA. I remember chuckling at the above image. In a few lines, it summarized exactly how I felt about the commodification of contemporary art and the culture of collectors who bought one of each, in a Noah’s Ark of fashionable consumption. I snapped a picture of it and chuckled to myself all the way back to Glendale. And then time passed.

It’s been almost 20 years since I coined the term, “objetsmart” which was my way of trying to describe art that was priceless and funny, and in many ways, could be perceived by most as worthless. “It’s not just an objet d’art,” I would explain, “it’s an objetsmart!” The value of words, and of storytelling, often feels this way. This Kenny piece definitely evokes that feeling in me. It’s currently a part of his 6th edition of Hoarder, an online sale of his personal collection, one that I greatly admire.

Browse the entire sale here. Lots close tomorrow, July 17th at 12pm EDT so you still have some time to grab some gems from a diverse and eclectic group of works, including my other favorite piece in the auction, this self-portrait by Alex Becerra.