Review of Harper's/Red Scare's controversial event, "Whither Contemporary Art?" on the failings of contemporary art. And an interview with art critic Dean Kissick who started it all.
panel + discussion. occasion occasion. shoot me an email (redacted) and we can explore, either at sov house earth or reign. like my msg when you get a chance so I can delete this comment
“political art is for major satirists and minor artists. As a sole and primary impetus it is for hacks and dies from memory unlamented.”
Yes, this is usually true.
And you’re also right that the judgment of history has consistently concurred.
Lots to think about in this essay and the larger issues raised.
The point in the final transcribed interview about Cormac McCarthy, working in isolation and simply bashing away at his novels without regard to the fact that no one was reading them, yet anyway, is inspiring, and people who really want to make art, or write, should keep it in mind as a role model. It’s a hard life with no guarantees. And you may starve to death. But if it’s what you put on this earth to do, you should do it anyway.
Outstanding piece. So happy I found it. I am a huge red scare fan, but also, blocked and reported and wethefifth. I’m not the only one. These podcasts got me through the bad old days of Covid, when all other media became unbearable.
I threw a gallery launch party the same night and people trickled in from the Harper’s event. They loved the art and the vibe. I think many people in this particular audience wanted to be doing “what was in” rather than what was good. Harper’s has always played it safe like this. They flirt with the edge but never fully dive in. That is why they can’t find any good art.
Hey, I've been waiting in the shadows, and I know I'm not the only one.
To be frank, I don't think my writing can hold a candle to yours, Vincenzo - I've spent far more time learning to be a filmmaker than learning to be a writer - but if you're interested in an account of what it's like to be repeatedly kicked back into those shadows (because you can't check the right boxes and you find yourself running afoul of identitarian social justice diktats), along with an attempt to analyze the broader identity-first situation in the cinematic art world, feel free to take a look at this piece I published back in September:
By the way, do you have any plans to release your recording of the panel discussion? Did Harpers record it for release online? I'm hoping I'll get a chance to watch or listen to this one somehow.
Have you read any Dave Hickey? I'm a broken record on this (unsurprisingly, since I wrote a book on him), but he is brilliant on anything having to do with the art world, art market, politics, groupthink, etc. If you haven't read Air Guitar and Invisible Dragon, I highly recommend. I think you'd find him simpatico.
I suppose the perfect art installation might be an updated 'Theatre of Orgies' complete with cow blood and naked revelers, with the little card on the wall helpfully explaining that the work promotes some arcane accounting policy that should be implemented in order to allow accounting firms to avoid excess paper work, . . . You get the idea.
Supported by a generous grant from Ernst and Young.
The Post Modernity of the 80s ilk is not PM, it is all very Modern, as far as theory it’s just criticism which is the left hand to the right hands progress, and begins with the Romantics of the late 18th century. Modernity being the Academy of the Enlightenment and its Imperial arts. Thus everything after 1789 is PM technically. Contemporary art though is Commercial art.
“They are allowed to say what they want, they do say what they want, and sometimes I agree with them and sometimes I do not. This seems to me a pretty healthy situation in a free society.”
Fabulous—I had a great time with the whole piece in all its prolix glory. 💛
Thanks for sharing your reading of the article. Kissick looks back to pre-Trump and although this looks like a happy time for him, and a golden age to some, I remember that art being about climate change mostly.
I occasionally get requests for something with imagery along with a direction to avoid anything Christian. Good luck. By avoiding these stories art cuts itself off from shared meaning and the result is that the story has to come entirely from within.
There is not nothing inside, but there’s not that much there either. Lots that looks like it comes from within is actually from a movie the artist saw.
great post barney love it, keep going let me know if you want to do an event like this yourself sometime downtown
Sure Christopher. What did you have in mind and where?
panel + discussion. occasion occasion. shoot me an email (redacted) and we can explore, either at sov house earth or reign. like my msg when you get a chance so I can delete this comment
Delete away. Will send email shortly.
American Onanism at its best. Qué porquería tan aburrida y tan fucking larga
“political art is for major satirists and minor artists. As a sole and primary impetus it is for hacks and dies from memory unlamented.”
Yes, this is usually true.
And you’re also right that the judgment of history has consistently concurred.
Lots to think about in this essay and the larger issues raised.
The point in the final transcribed interview about Cormac McCarthy, working in isolation and simply bashing away at his novels without regard to the fact that no one was reading them, yet anyway, is inspiring, and people who really want to make art, or write, should keep it in mind as a role model. It’s a hard life with no guarantees. And you may starve to death. But if it’s what you put on this earth to do, you should do it anyway.
Well said!
Outstanding piece. So happy I found it. I am a huge red scare fan, but also, blocked and reported and wethefifth. I’m not the only one. These podcasts got me through the bad old days of Covid, when all other media became unbearable.
I threw a gallery launch party the same night and people trickled in from the Harper’s event. They loved the art and the vibe. I think many people in this particular audience wanted to be doing “what was in” rather than what was good. Harper’s has always played it safe like this. They flirt with the edge but never fully dive in. That is why they can’t find any good art.
An amazing read. Hitchens would approve! Captures the dynamioc essence of the non-dogmatic world the over left and over right created.
Hey, I've been waiting in the shadows, and I know I'm not the only one.
To be frank, I don't think my writing can hold a candle to yours, Vincenzo - I've spent far more time learning to be a filmmaker than learning to be a writer - but if you're interested in an account of what it's like to be repeatedly kicked back into those shadows (because you can't check the right boxes and you find yourself running afoul of identitarian social justice diktats), along with an attempt to analyze the broader identity-first situation in the cinematic art world, feel free to take a look at this piece I published back in September:
https://cinematimshel.substack.com/p/ideologically-out-of-line-and-insufficiently
By the way, do you have any plans to release your recording of the panel discussion? Did Harpers record it for release online? I'm hoping I'll get a chance to watch or listen to this one somehow.
I think your writing is great! Thanks for your very kind comment. Keep rushing out of the shadows man, and I’ll follow your journey!
Thanks! And I will, of course.
Have you read any Dave Hickey? I'm a broken record on this (unsurprisingly, since I wrote a book on him), but he is brilliant on anything having to do with the art world, art market, politics, groupthink, etc. If you haven't read Air Guitar and Invisible Dragon, I highly recommend. I think you'd find him simpatico.
Interesting, I’ll definitely give it a look!
Seriously. They'll blow your mind. Hickey was a genius.
He’s on my list now!
Came back to say thanks for the Hickey recon I started reading Air Guitar and am really enjoying it.
i love that book so much.
I suppose the perfect art installation might be an updated 'Theatre of Orgies' complete with cow blood and naked revelers, with the little card on the wall helpfully explaining that the work promotes some arcane accounting policy that should be implemented in order to allow accounting firms to avoid excess paper work, . . . You get the idea.
Supported by a generous grant from Ernst and Young.
The Post Modernity of the 80s ilk is not PM, it is all very Modern, as far as theory it’s just criticism which is the left hand to the right hands progress, and begins with the Romantics of the late 18th century. Modernity being the Academy of the Enlightenment and its Imperial arts. Thus everything after 1789 is PM technically. Contemporary art though is Commercial art.
Everything after 1789 is postmodern? I love that take.
I did an entire series on this, 4 parts and a 5th coming this year. "Modernity, now what?" https://open.substack.com/pub/themysteriousdeepblack/p/modernity-now-what-part-three?r=qblej&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
I don’t know these people and I don’t care
“They are allowed to say what they want, they do say what they want, and sometimes I agree with them and sometimes I do not. This seems to me a pretty healthy situation in a free society.”
Fabulous—I had a great time with the whole piece in all its prolix glory. 💛
Thanks Jesse!
Is there a recording of the event available
I’m not sure unfortunately.
Well that’s okay thank you, cool write up
I’m not sure if they recorded it — it’s unfortunate if not.
Thanks for sharing your reading of the article. Kissick looks back to pre-Trump and although this looks like a happy time for him, and a golden age to some, I remember that art being about climate change mostly.
I occasionally get requests for something with imagery along with a direction to avoid anything Christian. Good luck. By avoiding these stories art cuts itself off from shared meaning and the result is that the story has to come entirely from within.
There is not nothing inside, but there’s not that much there either. Lots that looks like it comes from within is actually from a movie the artist saw.
Loved this
🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼 I loved reading all of this
Thanks Alicia!