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Justifiable aversion to art shows
I have been a professional artist for thirty years and have never entered an art show. This may explain why.
Our town has what is called a Mayor's Art Show, which is a part of the Eugene Celebration every September. It is the elite art exibit in town at our Performing Arts Center. Kyle Mulligan, as reported in the Register Guard yesterday, is a Eugene artist chagrined that his conventional work has never been chosen. He is an employee at an outdoor advertising company where large billboards are painted on canvas stretched on the large walls. They replaced the plywood, and he cut out a section 4' x 4' where the paint had been sploshed over the edge of the canvas for years. He framed it and signed it Lydia Bentfeather-Brown, and entered it. It was titled "What was wall 34" for the number 34 which had been inadvertently stenciled on it.
It was one of the 51 accepted entries out of 541!! There were reviews issued calling it "suprisingly intriguing", "soft to the eyes", and "an attractive piece". One guest signer said it was the "best of the show".
Kyle has a BA with emphasis on printmaking and drawing from San Francisco State. He said, "Generally, conceptual art is pretentious and effortless, but those who do it glorify it by giving it some deep, meaningful title, putting on airs about the importance of it. I find that so arrogant and pretentious. What I did was a statement against that."
Another entry chosen to be part of the "fabulous 51" was by a formerly refused artist who took a Polaroid close up of his old truck grill. "It took me ten minutes," he said.
The slab of wall was priced at $1750.
I am sure there are art shows somewhere in the country that are worthwhile. But there are none here in the city of Eugene.
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