“Moore makes artists like the Chapmans look like the middle-class entertainers they are. He’s a real force of imagination in a world that is full of fakes. If there was any justice this man would get the Turner Prize,” Jonathan Jones on the Guardian’s art blog. Along the way Jonathan (quite rightly in my not very humble opinion) has a bit of a go at what some consider the height of modern art, which echoes something Richard and I were discussing just the other day when I commented that I’d rather go and see some P Craig Russell on a gallery wall than some endlessly self-publicising artists embraced by the cultural elite and getting ridiculous sums for their work (which as Jonathan points out some of them don’t even create themselves, they delegate the actual work to assistants). And before anyone accuses me of a knee-jerk reaction to modern art, that’s not the case and actually I enjoy a wander round the exceptionally fine Scottish Gallery of Modern Art regularly, so its not some ill-informed, knee-jerk reaction to a whole field. Just certain parts which seem rather over-rated when other artists and artforms are equally under-rated by the Cultural Critics.But then it was ever thus in art circles. (thanks to both Richard and Pádraig for the link)
September 26th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
This is great. Nice write-up too. I couldn’t agree more.
September 26th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I think there is a confusion about what looks good and is good. They do not have to be the same thing in art circles – or actually in many things we do in life. The idea can often outweigh the practical skills – the draughtmanship if you like. Would you compare say Oli East’s Trains are…Mint to PCR’s anything recent. In terms of ability to draw lines on the page it’s a non contest, but in getting over a message, creating a feeling it’s arguable which is best. I love pretty artworks – but I can also love ugly art that conveys something. Gary Groth recently put the same arguement forward to some extent about the art of Alex Toth – that for all its remarkable skill and beauty the content it served in many ways diminished it as art. Not saying I support that view – Toth’s ‘Taps’ is still one of the most beautiful and pared down strips I’ve ever seen, but there is certainly an argument to be had. And as for assistants – well I think you will find many of arts cannonised used them throughout history – nowt new there.
October 13th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Yeah, today’s artists are all about hyping themselves up and wow factor. It’s hard to find the pearls hidden within the clay..