The modernist project, tied in with the growth and rise to dominance of the art market, sustained itself by bringing the margins to the centre whenever the centre got played out. Unfortunately, there's no distinction between the margins and the centre any more. Pluralism's seen to that.
In this situation, image and networking are what determines who gets taken up. The connection with late-capitalist business is obvious: identical products are distinguished by branding. There is no truth or essential meaning any more. That is axiomatic. All that is left is irony. Both art and advertising favour word games, paradoxes, juxtaposition, and cheap attention-grabbing tricks.
I'm a very strong believer in doing stuff for your own benefit. Ignore the one-trick ponies and gimmick art. Don't worry about who's hot or not. Stay away from what PKD called reflex-arc machines (people who've turned themselves into things). Just do what you like and get it out there, and hopefully you'll make connections with other authentic human beings.
2 comments:
david,
i also agree in doing art by your own benifts, but i will put NEEDs instead of BENIFTs. i am very fond of the idea of art as a self-redention. perhaps today that idea is usefall.
jl
instead of usefall is USELESS. the idea of self-redemption don t matches with the artist as a marketing star in the sense of demian hierst or jeff koons for example.
Post a Comment