Beautiful Eccentrics at 100- A Celebration
Dear Readers,
In two weeks Beautiful Eccentrics will turn 100 — not a century of course, but it will reach its 100th dispatch. It is hard to believe we have reached this number: a total of about 170,000 words, the size of an epic novel (without any of the literary qualities).
I started this project without any other desire than to start a conversation on topics that I found relevant to the art practice today- topics that I felt are insufficiently addressed in the art press considering the way in which the formats of art publications (reviews, market gossip or academic writing) limit perspectives that are on the sociology of contemporary art, big-picture issues, long-term cultural phenomena, and key aspects of the art practice itself.
I am deeply thankful that you have stuck with me as a reader over the months, following this free column ( I prefer to call it that way instead of a Substack newsletter).
On the occasion of this important milestone I would like to make two announcements:
1. A free Zoom event titled “Beautiful Eccentrics at 100”, featuring the prominent writers and artists Coco Fusco, Dushko Petrovich, and Thyrza Nichols Goodeve. We will discuss the complex relationship between artists and writing, and will touch on a series of subjects that Beautiful Eccentrics has dealt with over the last 100 issues. The event is free and will take place on Saturday, November 19, 2022, at noon. Limited capacity to 100 participants! Please sign in here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beautiful-eccentrics-at-100-tickets-462423389807
2. As you know, Beautiful Eccentrics is free of charge- in contract to other Substack newsletters, I have decided against charging subscriptions as I believe access is the most important. It is for that reason that for the 100th issue I am offering a novel, holiday hand-drawn ARTOON edition! This will allow me to continue dedicating myself to making this project free and give me the necessary support to produce this weekly dispatches. There are 5 kinds of Artoon “flavors” to select from: Curator, Artist, Collector, Art historian, and Critic. Select your preferred “flavor” and I will put the name of the person of your choice on the Artoon. It is the perfect gift for your curator, artist, critic, art historian or collector friend! Order by Thanksgiving in order to get it before the holidays!
For your collector friend:
(we will insert your friend’s name in the Artoon)
For your artist friend:
(we will insert your artist’s friend [or significant other] name in the Artoon)
For your dealer friend:
For your curator friend:
(We wil change Hans’s name with your curator friend’s name- unless if this is for Hans)
For your art historian friend:
(ditto)
For your art critic friend:
(we will replace Jerry’s name with your friend’s)
Artoon hand-drawn edition is $300 US dlls + shipping. Limited availability. All drawings are personally hand-drawn by the artist with India ink and signed, mounted on 9x12” acid-free Bristol paper. Unframed.
We accept payment via PayPal, Venmo and offer other options. Please contact me via this page or at phelguera@gmail.com for further details.
Last but not least, we are making available a handful of Artoons Flashcards (2021 edition), at the original price, $150 USD each + shipping. It is the perfect holiday gift for your friend or relative interested in learning about art (or who already knows about art and wants to review their knowledge).
Thank you again for reading and supporting Beautiful Eccentrics. I look forward to seeing you on November 19th!
Best,
Pablo Helguera