Dallas Is Crazy

Dallas blogger Titus O'Brien is being sued for slander over a review of a student exhibit at Richland College (Dallas Community College) by Eric Trich. The best part is Glasstire editor Rainey Knutson coming out on the apologetic side.

"we all in TX are guilty of not calling crappy art out for what it is -- because the artist is such a nice person, or the venue is off the beaten track, or, well, gosh, they're trying. And I include the big museums and the big artists here as well."

I totally do that shit all the time, you can't blast everything you see.

But really- suing a guy? Let me say right now that Eric Trich sucks donkey balls in Dallas back alleys, so watch your children and leave your donkey at home. If that doesn't get the suee- one laughable character named KR Shook, aka Siros- up in arms, then it seems like it'll go away.

But what about not calling out crappy art? I kind of think it would be good to stop, but I'm negative enough already without calling out my friends.

Well if you like something please let me know, comments can be anonymous, and if it is horrible please post it up because sometimes I can't say anything and it's better to hear it that to keep making art in a delusional state.

enjoy titus's rant on his recent stalking episode! Dallas is crazy stupid...




via Titus O.

"for a refresher on this topic, go to my post from November, Smells Like Teen Spirit:
http://live.glasstire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1885


"holy mother, you never know what kind of nut job you're going to scare out of the bushes.
Some people in town called me last week to say that "Dallas Artist Siros", Eric Trich's art guru or whatever, was out for my blood. He was calling around demanding my address, my phone number, my email, whatever (he was refused). I imagine him saying;

""Siros wants the sateesfaction. I, Siros, weel eat his heart for the breakfast!" Why do I picture him with a big Greek mustache and crazy, dark Arshile Gorky eyeballs? No offense meant to Greeks or Armenians. I freakin love Arshile Gorky, and Greece - I obviously have to get more pc around here. In fact, I must say that I really feel this sort of warm humorous affection for the Zorba-esque Siros in my mind.

"First thought hearing he was after me was, stand in line brother. Second thought was, isn't this a kind of belated response? My post was months ago. Third, why would he bother? Forth, this is hilarious. Then I forgot about it.

"Well, the laughs keep coming. Siros called one of these folks again, saying that they will receive a letter soon from his lawyers. What? They have no real connection with me, short of friendship, and certainly not to my blog. Why he wouldn't just contact Rainey, or me through my own website, is beyond me...maybe because it's kind of crazy.

"But anyway, they got the letter a couple days later, certified, with lots and lots of red "CONFIDENTIAL" stamps all over it (like James Bond!), along with one for my wife.

"CC'd on the two pager, and assumed to be fellow recipients, are (drum roll please) the dean of UTA, the chair of my dept at UTA, the editor of the Star-Telegram, Randall Garrett, Ashley Casson of Gerald Peters, the Art Inst. of Dallas, the "Fort Worth Modern" (sic), my wife, Road Agent gallery, and weirdest of all, Tim Blum and Jeff Poe, my old bosses in LA, who fired me four years ago (Suffice to say it was the best thing for everyone. I still love 'em. Thanks for everything guys, if you happen to read this wondering what the hell is going on with that letter.) No Glasstire. No me. Still, a small fortune in postal costs.

"Ok, so the obvious intent is slander, and some old school indignant saber rattling. He said as much in his calls. He's mad at all the horrible things I've done to Dallas ("This isn't about Eric" he said. Uh, ok.) He wanted to really tell me off, I guess, about...well, no one really knows. He was a bit all over the place. He didn't mention copyright stuff, until the letter.

"But anyway, I got my hands on one of 'em, and it's got this weird, bad fake letterhead, and is written in bad fake legal-ese. "It has come to the attention of SGA Enterprises (New York, Los Angeles, Dallas) and London-Tokyo Investors Group that ...a certain Titus O'Brien" is using copyrighted materials, etc, contacting our lawyers, yadda yadda. "

"We are surprised that a person of Mr. O'Brien's reputation and education (not to mention a teacher at the university of Texas Arlington) would use these images for his own benefit." Etc. No address on the letterhead, but there is one on the envelope. It's the same as the one listed for "The Studio" on the big envelope enclosing the letter envelope it enclosed, that sits in a residential neighborhood in Uptown Dallas.

"Smells like Siros Spirit. I don't remember copyright credits to SGA or whoever on the cards, but as I said, those things hit the recycling bin months ago. If you've got one, check for me, would ya?

"This is all referring to the pictures I took of the pile of, uh," promotional materials" that inspired this post. Ok, fine, I'll take them down for now, check and see if we have any standing leaving them up [turns out we're good- it's a little thing called "fair use".]

"And maybe check to see if this counts as libel, since the obvious intent of the letter is to demote my rep with my bosses and colleagues, possibly scuttling my means of livelihood - not even trying to contact Glasstire at all, while writing everyone you can find out in a quick google search that I'm associated with, is certainly leaving oneself open to certain allegations.



"And hey, if I turn up missing, will you guys promise to check Siros' basement first thing?"