In an article entitled: Picasso: Most of his Work is Inherently Trivial” in the UK’s Guardian by feminist Germaine Greer, she quoted Picasso: “I am only a public entertainer who has understood the times and has exploited as best he could the imbecility, the vanity and the greed of his contemporaries. Mine is a bitter confession, more painful than might seem.” Now substitute Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Takahashi Murakami, Richard Prince, and on and on for Picasso and you have a picture of the circus that is the today’s contemporary art world. The New Yorker critic Peter Schjeldahl coined the term Festivalism to define the roving biennials and international exhibits that invariably draw the art world collectors, critics, dealers, curators and hanger’s on, like a pack of nomadic sheep (and/or rats), many with checkbooks at the ready to buy out of these supposed institutional shows. In Basel Miami, it’s more akin to Partyism, the relentless boozing and schmoozing by the very same crowd—which has rendered the art party into a competitive contact sport.
Today we are presented with the St Barts School of Art, the distinguishing characteristics of which are wraparound Bono-style sunglasses for every occasion, day or night, and private planes instead of trains. The Prince’s, Hirst’s, Koons’, and Murakami’s of the world are ruling the contemporary art roost. ArtTactic said, “The…(Art) Risk Barometer jumped 22 percent on concerns over the short-term economic outlook. Fifty-five percent of 138 contemporary-art collectors and professionals see little improvement over the next six months, though overall confidence was 4.2 percent higher than in December 2009.” What the fuck are they talking about? This is supposed to be art for heaven’s sake, remember what that used to be like?
“Due to laws within your region, you are unable to view content for this website.” 1. i am in switzerland, not bejing; and 2. that was tmz, celebrity gossip and entertainment news, not slut.com. a sad little poem for 2011: the daily mail, ny post, radar and tmz-they seem to do it all for me.
Kenny Schachter