Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Dogged


Koons’ fans – and we are assuming that’s most of you given the NZ reader spike on Koons’ related posts – should hot foot it to one of the worst movies to be released this year. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian animates a number of art works including Balloon Dog that is chased through the gallery by what looks like an animated Dennis Oppenheim (or was that a dream?). The Smithsonian set was constructed in Vancouver and based on a medley of Smithsonian museums including the American Art Museum which, in some handshake news, we can tell you was once directed by Charles Eldridge who curated the NZ/US show Pacific Parallels.

Other art events in the film include actors being placed inside paintings like Hopper’s Nighthawks, the shapes in an Ellsworth Kelly painting going Tetris, and Degas’ Ballerina getting to dance with one of the core cast. The movie also has one fantastic line when a museum guard accuses Ben Stiller of I.T.T (Intent To Touch). When Stiller responds, “Last time I looked we lived in a free country,” the guard tells him, “No we don’t. It’s the United States of Don’t Touch That Thing Right In Front Of You.”

Other Koons Puppy Stories on OTN here, here, here and here.

Image: Stiller with art like product and The Thinker.