Charta, 2003, pp..393-400.
Anna Sanderson, "Brainpark" and "Haesje van Cleyburg" from Brainpark,Wellington: Victoria University Press, 2006 , pp.9-16
Thomas Hirschhorn says some interesting things- I particularly connected with his statement, " Art is a tool to learn about the world, a tool to engage with reality, and a tool to experience the time I live in." (397) Sometimes I think its easy to see some art simply as a marketing tool, or a way of blowing ones own trumpet. Just say, maybe , someone like mmm... I dont know, Damien Hirst? Andy Warhol?
I found Hirschhorn's comments about art and culture almost contradictory. He says, " I have no respect for Culture. Culture is not Art." (399)
Culture ( referring to culture in the sense of "high culture", not culture belonging to a particular ethnicity) is not art? Hasn't the knowledge and understanding of art been understood for centuries as being 'cultured'?? Have we used culture as a way of separation rather than a form or unification?
Art has been made something that is literally available to whoever wants to be involved. But with the development of modern art and educational institutions such as Elam, how are we making art accessible to the average person? Distribution and circulation essentially are the easy part - breaking down the borders about art is the hard part. Borders that separate art into art that people can understand and art that can appeal only to people who are educated in art create a weird barrier that makes a lot of modern art a kind of club. Is this even something the art world wants? No doubt there is a difference between the kind of art that most people at Elam make and the art that your neighbour would hang over the mantelpiece.
Is Modern art too high brow for its own good? Or maybe the general public needs to cultivate a better understanding and become more educated about modern art.
Personally, made me think about Dan Arps A little bit. Fair to say I'm not really a fan -I understand that many people do enjoy the work, but sometime when I see it without my 'Elam Vision' on I look at it and sometimes really don't get it. And I wonder what the average person on the street thinks when they walk past. Pile of rubbish? Taking the piss? Maybe its easier to see why a lot of people don't appreciate modern art like this when it feels so disconnected from something that we can appreciate.
It is also fair to say that perhaps modern art isn't specifically aimed at the masses - chances are that most of it appeals to a certain crowd that has some knowledge or education about such art. So, coming from someone like Hirschhorn, who is fairly progressive in his art systems and circulations, perhaps art is referred to in a more niche sense. Maybe art is something that like science or literature, can be only truly appreciated within certain circles.
You have made some interesting points, but in truth I am rather perplexed by them.
ReplyDeleteThe simple fact that you have access to some type of 'art school goggles' is very odd. I look at everything with the same eyes. And the idea that you have to look at things differently within the art school context is rather perplexing, and uncool.
I am really not a fan of this type of hierarchy that some people think art and/or art school has. There are a very small about of people who really buy into it, this elitist crowd "watch out I'm an artist" shit. But most people aren't actually like that. So why it is people who are NOT doing the doing in the art world are so intimidated?
I am in no way trying to dismantle what you have said, I just don't understand this idea of hierarchy, and the power is pocesses. I know it is there, but it has no footing, no concrete to stand on, so I'm amazingly perplexed as to why it is still alive and kicking.
Aren't you?
It is like everyone thinks people of the art community all walk on water daily, like we have some special knowledge that no one else does. But we don't. Sadly I've never walked on water, and I'm pretty sure even the likes of Jim Speers and Peter Robinson are yet to master that trick too.
This blog was completely not directed at any one particular person or group. It was more about taking a step back out of art school and looking at things through the eyes of the average person.
ReplyDeleteStep out of Elam for a minute and look at a lot of modern art; for example, the reaction of the general public to et al's artwork from the Venice Biennale 2005, the toilet with the braying donkey. Had you not been educated at Elam for four years, how would you take it?
Your reaction was interesting, and perplexing.
Similar to Kate I think that the elitist crowd within the art world do little to further arts potential by restricting it, and am totally confounded by its power. Aren't individual interpretations what makes art worth making? whether 'art crowd' or other, if we all prescribe to understand then its not worth talking about. What are these 'crowds' anyway, they shouldn't exist. I agree that having not been at Elam I would not understand et.al's piece necessarily but I dont think thats really important, it actually kind of skews what might have been a more interesting interpretation from me. I guess the elitist simply represents a different point of view, of which makes art interesting to discuss, so it definitly still has validity but its power is odd to me as it feels a bit distructive.
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