consolidation

Those words are used by me to describe today's art world - that does include artwork of course, but on this occasion it refers to the state of the art world. Try reading more carefully.

Reread it. It refers to the state of the art world - the art world IS full of crap and frauds. The market is saturated with bad (crap) art. Look at Damien Hirst (fraud) - he gets a third class at art school degree -a clever businessman and powerful buyer picks up one of his pieces, throws it on the market and the price tag convinces the world he is a *great* artist. The guy picks up the baton, has his run, banks the money and stops making art less than ten years out of art school. Do you deny the art world is in crisis ? I thought you said you had dropped out of it ? What exactly is your stance - or don't you really have one ? You might want to consider the difference between *drop out* and *cop out*.

Clearly you do not have a degree in psychoanalysis then. Here on raf, if you put your work up for review then you can't expect everyone to agree that the work is wonderful. How can that benefit anyone ? Inflate the ego maybe - make one believe the work is admired by everyone. For goodness sakes - its better to express a bad opinion than not say anything at all. God knows I have had my fair share of scathing attacks - a year ago my Email box was full of cowardly attacks on my work - and me. I was told to remove the photograph of myself from my website even, because I am, apparently, fat and ugly. Well I am still fat and ugly and my photo is still there - and I laugh now about those letters.

Tim has successfully turned this to his advantage. Just to remind you, here is the crit I gave:

'From that look I remember thinking that they looked nice and instantly thought how much work like it there is in Europe and in particular places like St Ives in Cornwall. Decorative, sells to the rich who can't be bothered to think and don't want anything on the walls that challenges them etc. Good for Tim - he certainly has his fan club here ! I wonder how honest a group it is though. I kind of envy his simplistic outlook on life and art - its uncomplicated, and that, it seems, makes for happiness. Interesting. However, life is not simple. Life is a complex mixture of pleasure and pain and for me, at least, art is a part of untangling the web and trying to figure out our place here - not about aiming to be shown at the Met one day or adorning the walls of the rich New Yorkers. Fortunately, there is a place for us all in this world - we just have different goals'.

Do you see the word *crap* there ? NO. Tim went ballistic and started the mud bath based on that above criticism by launching a pathetic revenge attack on me. He made his bed.

My god, you really are confused aren't you ? *There are only a few slots at the top, and we all want them* ? You are as brainwashed as our resident *genius*. Did you ask every artist in the world if they are after the *slot at the top* ? The artists I ask for just want to be able to find a way of making enough money to make art. How come you speak for the rest of us when you admit you have *dropped out* ? Are you even an artist, I wonder. I don't believe there is glory in fame - no amount of money or fast cars will make you a better artist - if that is what the top is then I for one am glad I will never have to deal with it.

But my entire point is that there doesn't need to be *only a few slots at the top*. Its time artists did something about the state of the art world. The prices are inflated because of galleries and collectors - all interested in commerce, not art. I don't in any way begrudge artists their financial success as long as they don't equate it with *greatness*. If it is achieved with merit .... and humility - and it doesn't take away their focus then it must be a good thing because it will allow them to continue working. I do begrudge artists trying to become famous as their ultimate aim for doing it and then parading themselves as *great*. It turns art into sport. Just what we need - Mohammed Ali's in the art world - or a Rev Moon artist.

Check out my web site.

Thanks for the opportunity.

Fox's latest stuff shows that he lacks that special talent needed to create an image which looks any different from the mass of put-ons that fill any art theology magazine and crowds the NY galleries. A fan of fashionable Practically-Nothing-Abstraction, Fox has nothing to offer us in the realm of originality, Fox's latest quest for advancement in the wrong direction reveals a spate of boredom similar to Rothko's. Dan Fox's latest work has certainly come down a notch from the monotony of his last show.

I suspect that the change in quality and direction might be caused by the fact that Fox fired his chimpanzee assistant. His switch in style from chimpanzee-competition to senility-posing-as-childishness-abstraction leaves us with little more to look at then flat chalky schmiery blobs hovering in fog bound Arctic backgrounds.

Fox's titles, as usual are even less inspired than the paintings. This shortcoming reveals that Fox's humor level is on line with that of a boiled snail. Fox fails to realize the importance of humor when trying to impress a really rich patron of Modern Academic bullshit.

On the positive side, Fox's painting could have some utilitarian value if Fox would sell himself out to the evils of commercial art, If reproductions of each of his paintings in this important show were reduced in size to about 4 inches on a side and printed in repeats on bed sheets, I suspect his works could rival the lower price end of Walmart bedding supply.

Should Fox be lucky and win the Modern Academic Art lottery I predict he'll make a fortune and become very pompous.

I suggest that all here visit Mr. Fox's web site and gage the vast merits of his paintings for themselves.

'No art at all is better than bad art' O. Wilde

Mani DeLi ...no skill no art

Tired of Modern Art? Check out my web page! http://www.interlog.com/~hugod/