The writer Adrian Dannatt has countered the New Museum’s spring show, "Younger than Jesus," which showcases artists under 33 years old, with "Wiser than God," running through July 27 at BLT Gallery. It draws exclusively from the over-83 crowd, including Ellsworth Kelly and Louise Bourgeois. Dannatt says there’s "a richness of experience" with older artists, citing John Chamberlain as an exemplar. "He learned to fly when he was 11, was in the Navy from 16 to 19 and then became a ladies’ hairdresser." That long history, however, isn’t quite long enough: At 82, Chamberlain is a year too young for Dannatt’s show.

"Old Reliables" originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's June 2009 Table of Contents.