Art Speak
 

I can't think of anything that irritates me as much as "art speak." A couple of years ago, I put one of my paintings in an art show. I was standing beside it at the opening and watched a woman lead a small group down the row of paintings as she lectured them.

I wasn't paying much attention until she stopped in front of my painting and proceeded to lecture her small group of devout followers about my particular work. After she moved on I dove for paper and pencil and wrote down what she said as nearly as I could recollect it

Geez Karin...what a bunch of artworld sounding snobbery and mind contortion. Sorry, that's not a very sophisticated response, but I think a lot of times people make things more complicated than they really are just for the purpose of sounding sophisticated...what it actually does is make it obscure...rather telling the public "you need me to interpret the true meaning of this painting."

What do you think?

"Art Speak" is applied to realism as well as "Modern Art" and in either case what writers and critics have to say is far too often more of their own creative effort to say and write something equal to the works in question. Or worse yet to establish their own esteem or bias.

Though my efforts have been almost exclusively in the area of realistic painting I have an honest appreciation for what has been done under the heading of "Modern Art" but stopped reading the "Arts" magazines in the 60's because I found it uncomprehensible, tortured and unlikely to give much of a clue as to what the artist intended.

I bought Tom Wolfe's book "The Painted Word" (because you read it) and found his ranting was mostly his argument with writers and critics who made their living publishing their view of what made "art" and I believe he slights the serious attempts of artists to suggest that it is the writers (and dealers) who have determined the direction of artist. This is somewhat insulting to the many artists that have chosen to pursue a career that usually provides no great reward for most of them short of finding teaching positions.

The writers that are intent on making modern artists work a cruel hoax are no better than those writers that thought it neccessary to declare realism passe and of little merit throughout the 20th century.

The title "The Painted Word" is apt as the writers and critics try to explain and "paint" in word what might be better left to the artist and his efforts.

In his epilogue Wolfe suggested that in the year 2000 (25 years after his book was published) when the Met or MOMA has a retrospective of American Art 1945-1975, the three artist featured will be not Pollock, de Kooning, and Johns---but Greenberg, Rosenberg, and Steinberg. (Several of the many writers, critics and tastemakers of that era) That sounds a lot like too much importance is placed on the written/painted word and I would hope that all artist would continue to develop their skills and follow the directions of heart and instinct and keep the writers and critics at length.

I for one do not need the bias and have seen a lot of good and mediocre art from many schools of painting and strange explanations for and against their work. Most should be ignored.

A lot of modern art frightens me. Whatever psychological interperetation "experts" read into it (except Sister Wendy) leaves me feeling I'm better off without it. I probably shouldn't mention names of San Francisco institutions but what I've seen in their gallery makes me wonder why anyone would spend time and money learning this. Some official city galleries are showing electronics and strange monstrosities. Oh well...

Just a guess...
 

..but might that untranslated text be something about her name and 17th birthday? Just guessing, as I have always liked riddles! (did I win?)

I certainly share your disdain for 'art speak'. I can't imagine what it would be like to hear someone prattling on like that about your own work. It might be amusing the first time or two.

Nathan

:o And while I'm at it, I think that the following words tend to be overused when talking about the business end of the art biz...

:thumbsdow Synergy, strategic fit, core competencies, best practice, bottom line, revisit, take that off-line, 24/7, 9/11, out of the loop, benchmark, value-added, proactive, win-win, think outside the box, fast track, result-driven, empowerment, knowledge base, at the end of the day, touch base, mindset, client focused, ballpark, game plan, and leverage.

That's hilarious, Karin. You're starting to sound a little like George Carlin.


Nathan

I confess to "revisit", but I'd thought it a relief from "take another look at". Maybe not. Anyway, right now, and I mean "now", as we speak, I'd like to jettison "at this point in time", and also "as we speak." I suspect that I'll eventually divorce over those phrases. Possibly other reasons.

"steven" (an alias)

Right on! Like I really see what you saying. Like, "I get it". Like Really. -Riley (Really)