Cancer referrals and treatments so far behind. Goodness, what a disaster.
Brexit and Covid together seem to have proved that not a single secure system is in fact guaranteed. It is easy to carp, but for the little man to do anything about it is so difficult. The voting and election of representatives is almost certain to not achieve the goals of the supposedly enfranchised. Protest is seen as boat-rocking. The diatribes of the pundit scientists is seen as doom-mongering. And the young blame the adults with their juvenile enthusiasms, frustrated that change is so slow and the fat-cats get fatter at the expense of the planet. It all seems rather hopeless.
And in the meantime I watch a DJ curate a Sotheby's sale of contemporary art. And almost all of the items for sale were bilge. New media is NOT new. I look back at predicted trends in catalogues and books on 'modern art' and see things fall by the wayside almost before they have been endorsed. I imagine museum basements filled with rubbish once hailed as cutting-edge. That Saatchi periodically culls his holdings is indicative. It is the kiss of death for some artists. When he took them up at student graduate shows they assume that they are the gods of innovation. Some might be, but most are not. Charles seemed to be on the case in the beginning, helping the YBAs, but his corporate arm now promotes the inadequate. If you use enough long words and fancy phrases you can 'polish the turd.' Nonetheless, there are collectors and museums who manage to negotiate the scree of 'new material' and pick the winners. I saw a show at MOMA of a bank/s holdings. It was very exciting. I saw a 'New Acquisitions' display in Philly. It was brilliant. So why can't all do it. The Tate promotes bilge, often under the misguided banner of Diversity. Don't represent sub-groups if the work is sub-standard. They have a charter that demands they document what is happening in the British art scene, so their hands are tied, but even so...
Sorry. Clearly in ranting mode again today. The alignment of the stars or I ate something that disagreed with me? Who knows!
Comments