“Do you think today is particularly bad?”-(i think that was Richard) Awesome moment, as people making things as aware as possible we cant stand for the unanswered moment. We have to get beyond the corn flake isssues we are led to believe are relevent. Or, in this case celephane wrapped waffles, wheatabix..what ever you choke down with your caffeine in what ever place of otherness you reside. Thanx to the artists interviewed for reminding me to seek creative fellowship.

Asinine.

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When an ensuing “discussion” devolves into what became this post, Art or Idiocy? has every right to exercise its executive authority. Therefore, this post has been removed. Our apologies. If you have any unfinished or unresolved issues regarding this matter, please feel free to start your own blog, website or zine.

Erik Wenzel

Director,
Art or Idiocy?

-my point being, if you are going to go around referring to yourself as ‘artist extraordinaire’, its probably not a bad idea to at least be ‘artist semi-competent’-

-I answered Erik -due to the fact that he put up this ad hominem attack on some very good points Paul Klein brought up in the recent artletter. Look: its common knowledge -my big fight with Tony Fitz and Paul last year over the direction of CAF -among other things -I wanted CAF -to be not unlike BAS or sharkforum -certainly not some lame-ass provincial museum -I am back working with them -only because they had to the good sense to realize that I was right and they were wrong -and to admit that to me-my point being -particularly with Paul -I think he is right about one tenth of the time -and this happens to be that time. If Erik wants to dispute that -fine -but is it too much to expect a reasoned argument? -as opposed to an inane, specious and insipid proclamation as to how provincial and embarrassing Pauls piece is -no reason given? I just think the issues Paul brings up are too damned important to us all to be dismissed in this off-hand, cavalier manner.

Pauls contention and examination of the HUGE! price discrepancy between good work here and work in NYC -isn’t about resentment or, envy, its about taking a good look at the current atmosphere/market of the art world -as we should!…….Jerry Saltz sure thinks so with articles in both the Voice and Modern Painters discussing this very issue -as does Jed Perl in the cover story of last weeks New Republic -which is featured on sharkforum-

LA challenges NY by simply ignoring it -I think it would be a wonderful thing if there were full page Kay Rosen style ads in the art rags suggesting collectors come to Chicago and get some very good work at very good prices -I think since this is the reality of the situation, we should exploit it.

-One more point that was brought up in the discussion that ensued -I found interesting -was one artists proclamation that John Currin has painted ‘superlative paintings…..hmmmmm -ever look at contemporary architecture? furniture design?…….do you see Frank Gehry doing bad Americana rip-offs Peter Keating style -when you go in Luminare or Moss -do you notice any creaky wooden rocking chairs with lots of fancy lathe work? -Of course not. Architects and designers are fully aware of the 20th century -and are pushing the aesthetic advances made in essential form ever further…….only in the so called visual high arts -would a tarted up -bad imitation -of the illustrator Norman Rockwell -who painted from photographs -illustrations -made to be photographed and printed as magazine covers -not to be considered as good paintings -nor are they- only now, would this visually ignorant junk- this crummy illustrative drech, be considered seriously -which says so much more about what the art world has become than it does about a laughable hack like Currin -or to quote Jed Perl, ” how did something so high fall so low?”

Bottom line -I think people like Erik are threatened by the idea of change in the art world -of the status quo being challenged -mommy and daddy paid a big pile of cash for junior to attend SAIC and get that diploma -and what use is it going to be if the rug is yanked out from beneath him? -should have studied accounting Erik -there’s a real future to be made.