A modest proposal

A Modest Proposal

What can be done about museums and critics?

I do not advocate that museums cease exhibiting Modern Academic Art. However, I do suggest that in fairness to today's polarized extremes in taste, museums should have two different curators. One for each side of the art debate. They could then compete by means of the artwork they each choose to hang and engage in lively debates. People will then have an opportunity to see the work of both sides of the art debate and decide what they prefer for themselves. If this were to happen the censored approach of the last 60 years would end.

Museums could then hang examples of the finest works which are  popular with a large facet of the public. What critics dismiss as illustration, kitsch and commercial will then reappear in museums. Only then will our finest illustrators, nature and scientific artists, cartoonists, animators, comic book artists etc. have an opportunity to have their original work shown to that audience.

I would also like art reviews to feature the opinions of  two critics who are known to take opposite sides. This would certainly create more interest than the usual dose of ecstatic Artspeak praise reserved for any work exhibiting modern academic conformity.

If you wish to see something other than Modern Academic Art in our major museums, speak out and don't support these institutions.

Any critical forgiveness for a lack of skill and craftsmanship is due to a temporary surrender to fashion.

...no skill no art.. . Tired of Modern Art? Check out my web page

+A Modest Proposal + +What can be done about museums and critics? + +I do not advocate that museums cease exhibiting Modern Academic Art. +However, I do suggest that in fairness to today's polarized extremes +in taste, museums should have two different curators. One for each +side of the art debate. They could then compete by means of the +artwork they each choose to hang and engage in lively debates. People +will then have an opportunity to see the work of both sides of the art +debate and decide what they prefer for themselves. If this were to +happen the censored approach of the last 60 years would end.

Problem is, you'd have to queue to get into the non-abstract exhibits

Australia's biggest Art award/sale is held annually in Camberwell, Victoria. It attracts over 3000 entries of which some 2000 are hung on display. Over a weekend, more than ten thousand people stand in long queues waiting to view the exhibition and sales increase each year. Over $50,000 worth of awards are handed out to painters in a variety of media and price categories. The exhibition grows in popularity every year.

The Camberwell Rotary Art Award is an entirely realist exhibition.

Despite this, visitors to the West Australian Art Gallery will see three galleries filled with aboriginal dot paintings and the remainder filled with abstract work of one form or another. There used to be one large Heysen painting - over 100 years old - but even that's disappeared. Occasionally, a lucky visitor will see the small sign pointing to a second gallery, in a separate building, which houses the works of Australia's earliest painters. I've spoken to many artists who are completely unaware this hidden gallery even exists. Most assume the WAAG doesn't have any realist art at all (in fact, it has a massive collection - it just hides it).

Prizes in local art awards judged by senior WAAG staff always go to 'abstract' work, regardless of the variety or standard of other work.

Similarly, our major fine arts college actively discourages the pursuit of 'realism'. A few acquaintances who've attended have told of lecturers who will throw a realist piece on the floor and step on it, insisting that students 'explore their creative conscience' - or words to that effect.

Both these establishments are publicly funded and yet it's clear that both are entirely out of touch with reality and public opinion and have a one-eyed definition of what constitutes 'art'.

Andy D.

'I'm a great speller - but a hopless tpyist!'

No wonder there are no artists from Australia, and (judging by horrible situation you describe) there won't be any in near decades.

Few years ago I had my paintings within a group sale in Sydney. They did not sell. No questions why. Too much realism in my pictures probably...

(I should've used 3-colour palette and a brush of broom size!)

More than that, remarks/reviews were rather unfavourable (to say the least). Now, when people talk about ART in Australia it makes me shudder.

Next time I'll confine myself to scuba-diving on the Reef and forget about 'Art' out there.

-= Noumenon =-

Good one Dan. hehe.

On the other hand you could like Dan Fox become a traveling salesman and try to get your furniture abstractions into galleries which sell to richies who never took the trouble to buy better stuff in furniture stores.

Fox couldn't sell in an outdoor art show because most of the abstractions there are far better than his.

Any critical forgiveness for a lack of skill and craftsmanship is due to a temporary surrender to fashion.

...no skill no art.. . Tired of Modern Art? Check out my web page

After assorted Fox bashing by his favorite critic, I took a look to see what all the knife throwing was about. I find no fault with the work, and wouldn't comment here if I did. Actually, it was refreshing and non assuming. A pleasant relief in a world of overworked efforts.

However, I do wonder if you forgot to compress your thumbnails, Dan. I'm on cable and they took too long to load. Checked the weight of one and it's way oversized. Your visitors using dial-up probably won't wait around.

Mani you miss the point! All the competent artists are dead. There is only today's art - there is nothing else.

keith

temporary surrender to fashion.

+ +> +Too much realism in my pictures probably... +> +> I haven't been there but Sydney is probably worse than Perth as it +> is our major capital city and attracts more of the 'alternative' +> cappuccino set than other cities. The best bet for sales is to get into +> the outlying areas or smaller private galleries. As I said earlier, the +> Camberwell Show proves the public support exists - it's government and +> media support that are really lacking. + +Yeah, those educated urban professionals do tend to be 'artzy fartzies.' +What do they know? - stay in the provinces and sell to honest, god-fearing +farmers and shopkeepers at outdoor shows. They know what good art is.

Gee Dan, you really read a lot into 'outlying areas' don't you? Where did I mention farmers or outdoor shows?

And since when did farmers lose their right to interpret what they think is art anyway?

Andy D.

'I'm a great speller - but a hopless tpyist!'

+

+> +> > +Too much realism in my pictures probably... +> > +> > I haven't been there but Sydney is probably worse than Perth as it +> > is our major capital city and attracts more of the 'alternative' +> > cappuccino set than other cities. The best bet for sales is to get into +> > the outlying areas or smaller private galleries. As I said earlier, the +> > Camberwell Show proves the public support exists - it's government and +> > media support that are really lacking. +> +> Yeah, those educated urban professionals do tend to be 'artzy fartzies.' +> What do they know? - stay in the provinces and sell to honest, god-fearing +> farmers and shopkeepers at outdoor shows. They know what good art is. + +Good one Dan. hehe.

Yeah, coz all them there country folk is just inbred yokels and if yerz don't lives inner big smoke in one o' them fancy apartminks, then yers must be rilly stoopid or summink.

Geez Lissa, I hopes you lives in one one o' doze fancy schmancy city flats udderwize, Dan prolly aint exakerly inerested in what you be tinkin. Heck Lissa, if yers lives in a house inna suburbs den you aint no better dan doze boot-wearing low lifes dat sits around da fiyah playing dare banjos and maykin eyes at dare purdy li'l ol'sister.

Hell, evybody nose yous gotto go to a big city unversiky iffen youse wants to no why spild paynt is reel art and wy youse shud pay lots o munney for sommink yers kids usen to be gettin in trubble fer doin.

Andy D.

'I'm a great speller - but a hopless tpyist!'

+> >

The image on his homepage is 318k. Ten times the size that it should be. My area of expertise is digital art.