Image via Complex Original
We've asked it once, and we'll ask it again, does James Franco ever sleep? The man seems to be constantly busy acting, writing, directing, creating, and studying, and somehow he still finds time to make fun of himself on Instagram amid all of that. This year, James Franco has stepped up his game in the art world, participating in projects with art stars like Paul McCarthy and Marina Ambramovic. He has also curated shows and exhibited his own work various times. If you haven't been paying attention to the young actor-cum-artist, here's Everything James Franco Has Done in the Art World This Year (So Far). All hail Franco.
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He oversaw a performance titled "Bird S**t" at MoMA PS1.
Date: April 4, 2013
Franco moderated the beautifully titled "Bird Shit" show at MoMA PS1, a multimedia performance inspired by Chekhov and Ginsberg, which combines theater, dance, video, and live and prerecorded music produced by Shruti Ganguly and Anna Kooris. Apparently the whole process from start to finish was very unconventional, but we expect nothing less from the man.
He was on the cover of Complex's June/July issue with Seth Rogen.
Date: June 2013 - July 2013
Not to brag or anything, but we featured Franco and his best bud Sean Rogen on the cover of our June/July 2013 issue. The cover imagines the two actors stranded on an island, maintaining the theme of this summer's hilarious, apocalyptic blockbuster This Is The End, also starring Franco.
He re-created Hitchcock's Psycho in his "Psycho Nacirema" show at Pace Gallery in London.
Date: June 6 - July 27, 2013
For his first solo exhibition at Pace London, Franco re-created Alfred Hitchcock's famous Psycho, naming it "Psycho Nacirema"—that's "American" spelled backwards. The show included a replica of the Bates Motel, a projected film showing the reenactment of a real-life murder, and a double mirror that makes forces the viewer to look and be looked at simultaneously.
He co-curated a group exhibition at Victoria Miro titled, "Cinematic Visions: Painting at the Edge of Reality."
Date: June 6, 2013
Franco co-curated "Cinematic Visions: Painting at the Edge of Reality," a group exhibition at Victoria Miro back in June that addressed the relationship between painting and cinema, examining how visual artists have adapted to the digital age. Of course he did, but you got to give him props that he is so passionate about the connections and interactions between different mediums of art.
He turned down the opportunity to star in Kanye West's American Psycho video but made him a piece of art instead.
Date: June 2013
Who says no to Kanye West? James Franco, apparently. In June, he turned down the opportunity to star in the rapper's American Psycho video. Franco did, however, create a piece of Yeezus-inspired art on top of one of the "PLEASE ADD GRAFFITTI" posters which took the streets by storm this past summer.
He starred in a video work by Paul McCarthy called "Rebel Dabble Babble."
Date: June 20 - July 26, 2013
In late June, Hauser and Wirth housed Paul and his son Damon McCarthy's "Rebel Dabble Babble," an installation and video project inspired by Nicholas Ray's Rebel Without a Cause, which starred James Dean as the main character Jim Stark. For McCarthy's take on the 1955 classic, the McCarthy cast none other than James Franco as both James Dean and Jim.
He avoided being served defamation suit papers because he's never in one place long enough.
Date: June 2013
James Franco is everywhere and nowhere at once. A few months ago, NYU professor Jose Angel Santana tried to sue Franco, who was the professor's student in 2011. Apparently, Franco criticized Santana's teaching after almost failing the class, and the professor wasn't too happy about that. Unfortunately for Santana, his lawyers were never able to track down or serve Franco the papers. Thus, the actor was able to evade Santana's lawsuit ... James Franco wins again.
He is curating a book of Dennis Hopper's photography.
Date: July 2013
A book of photographs by the late actor, filmmaker, and artist Dennis Hopper, curated by Franco, is currently in the works. It features Hopper's black-and-white photographs and is being sold for $250.
He released a new book full of answers (and DVDs).
Date: July 2013
In July, Franco came out with the book of all books. Moving Pictures / Moving Sculptures: The Films of James Franco, features not only an introduction by Marina Abramovic and an essay by Francisco J. Ricardo, it also explores the relationship between Franco's films and his artistic endeavors. The best part? It includes a DVD with 30 hours of content.
He trolls the paparazzi and celebrity bloggers with hilarious Instagrams.
Date: September 2013
Franco never passes up the opportunity to get artsy—or to troll the media. Last month, he staged some mock-paparazzi photos of himself and posted them to his Instagram. In some of these photos, he's pictured making out with a girl. In others, he's holding hands with some mystery man. He also took the liberty to scribble satirical headlines, "Franco tryst, who's the guuurl??" Below the images, he's called out some media sites that he thinks would actually publish such images and headlines. The Huffington Post, Just Jared, and The Atlantic Wire are just some of the sites he's named.
He has a doll with its own Tumblr and Instagram, inspired by his look in Oz, the Great and Powerful.
Date: Aug. 7, 2013
In August, we discovered the James Franco doll, currently on shelves at a toy store near you, along with its own Tumblr and Instagram. The dolls have been fashioned to look just like Oscar Diggs (also known as the Wizard of Oz), the character Franco plays in Oz the Great and Powerful. While there's nothing wrong with having your own doll, the miniature, plastic Franco's resemblance to the actor is uncanny and a tad bit unsettling.
He creepily Photoshopped himself into Paul McCarthy's "WS" Universe
Date: Aug. 7, 2013
Franco is not shy about voicing his appreciation for art; this much he has made clear. Back in August, he Photoshopped his face into the two female bodies originally portrayed in Paul McCarthy's "WS," sharing it via his Instagram. He included no explanation besides the words "vice.com" in the caption of the image. Pretty soon, we discovered the same Photoshopped image on a Vice article, penned by Franco himself. In the article, he raves on and on about his love for Paul and Damon McCarthy's art and everything that inspired him up until then.
He released a film called As I Lay Dying based on a William Faulkner Novel.
Date: Oct. 14, 2013
Last Friday, James Franco released his feature-length film, As I Lay Dying in New York. The film is based on Faulkner's 1930 novel by the same name, which is about a family transporting the dead body of one of their kin on a mule-drawn cart for days. The book was long considered, "unfilmable," but that didn't stop Franco from acting in and directing an adaptation.
He is currently showing work at Frieze London with Pace Gallery.
Date: Oct. 17 - 20, 2013
Currently on view at Frieze London right now, Wig / Costume 2 explores the dichotomy of identity and impersonation. The print was originally part of Franco's set for "Psycho Nacirema," shown at Pace London in June.
His "Animals" exhibition at Colette is on view until November 12, 2013.
Date: Oct. 7 - Nov. 12, 2013
James Franco's latest exhibition of paintings, photographs, and video art "Animals" taps into our primitive side. It features androgynous performers, splattered in paint and donning brutish wardrobes. Their faces are concealed by large Venetian masks, and they explore communication through behavior and movement rather than speech.
He has a new art TV series on Ovation TV.
Date: Nov. 2013
Starting some time next month, Ovation TV will broadcast James Franco Presents an hour-long, weekly TV show, shot and produced by Franco. It will "explore Art everywhere in our lives," and lucky for us, the show is also an art form in itself. "It is an art show that is an art piece, meaning the show has synched with the rhythms of my life and work," Franco wrote in a press release.
He is starring in Marina Abramovic's movie about his life.
Date: To Be Determined
The fact that this is happening may be narcissistic, or really awesome, or it might be both. Nonetheless, this man has got the connections that have allowed him to create an important relationship with the "grandmother of performance art." But why does such an important head in the art world find a Hollywood actor so interesting? She told Elle, "For him, process is more important than the result." We don't blame her for appreciating that about the guy.
