Contemporary art overlapped with Hollywood celebrity at the Oscars this weekend. For me, these were the highlights of the show: the concurrent Banksy buzz on Twitter, Justin Timberlake saying, “I’m Banksy”, and host James Franco – an emerging artist in the fields of digital media and performance art.

Oscar co-host and emerging artist James Franco photo: LA Times

Franco, an Oscar nominated actor, is currently studying Digital Media at the Rhode Island School of Design and is also actively engaged in performance art, painting, video, and installation art. He has exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Clocktower Gallery, New York, and Peres Projects, Berlin.

Franco at Peres Projects peresprojects.com

"Waz Up" by James Franco

Coinciding with the Oscars is Franco’s Gagosian Gallery exhibit with well-known Hollywood director and painter Gus Van Sant.

"Untitled 2010" by Gus Van Sant, Gagosian Gallery gagosian.com

Also blurring the lines between performance art and acting, reality and fiction, is Franco’s current role as an artist named “Franco” on General Hospital. Evidently, the real life Franco created the role for a variety of reasons and once on the job he recognized the opportunity to create art.

Franco on General Hospital photo: ABC

According to an LA Times blog, “MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch collaborated with Franco to produce what they consider performance art – which includes the taping of an episode [of General Hospital at MOCA], the event of watching the taping, the episode broadcast on TV, and a film that Franco is making about the experience, which MOCA plans to screen at the museum.” Jeffrey Deitch appeared on General Hospital alongside his pal James Franco, as well. Confused yet?

The artist "Mr. Franco" on General Hospital photo: ABC

The film that Franco is making which includes his role on General Hospital will be on exhibit at Deitch Projects‘ Long Island City space sometime this spring. Jeffrey Deitch, a huge name in the art world, is known for producing ambitious projects by contemporary artists. He has been the art advisor to several of the most important private collectors of modern and contemporary art and has been the art dealer for many important works of contemporary art bought and sold.

Jeffrey Deitch & James Franco photo: dailyserving.com

All in all, stranger things have happened. According to fastcompany.com, “…in a recent interview, Jeffrey Deitch said he wants us to remember a very important precedent: Andy Warhol was on The Love Boat.”
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