down by the water front

Schrödinger's Cat

 

 

 

We’ve had a steady stream of end-of-year-best-of, top-ten lists and awards for entertainment from film to tv shows to music. And just as with any list or award process, unless set in a polling booth scenario, the people involved with sorting the list are usually heavily involved and or heavily interested. Polls and figures whether drawn from box office statistics, viewing figures or downloading stats, all attempt to offer a comprehensive overview in shifting patterns of public taste.

Well, one does hope so. This does tend to work for entertainment, because in general, the public are also pretty in tune with what’s going on.

Then there is Art.

In the 80’s the Turner Prize was realised by a group of committee members connected with the Tate; The Friends of The Tate, the PNA. This was post seventies and post Carl Andre's *Pile of Bricks*. When art was entering into a far less conceptual era.

Cartoon as appeared in The Daily Mail in 1979 : interpretation of Equivalent Vlll

The idea of a prize for artistic endeavour though was always headed in the direction of a rocky reception:

 
Aside from all the discussion about the new penchant for expressionist art being manipulated or encouraged to raise a flagging art market. And lifting Turners (sacred) name for a prize not connected with his original concept. Plus it being based on the successful literary prize format, The Booker, which was all about readership and sales. And the worrisome untimely coincidence of a Tate exhibition largely contributed to by *Labour isn’t Working * campaign advertiser Charles Saatchi with his collection of Julian Schnabel (9 out of the 11 pictures shown were Saatchi’s).

The PNA had suggested the idea of a prize and in so were changing the state of play for a Public Art Institution, who were wanting to change style but were still held back from making any firm decisions as to how. By the simple fact the committee had many differing views about which direction to follow or if indeed whether to change at all.

Max Gordon initially suggested the idea of an annual prize, maybe with TV company collaboration like Channel Four. Alan Bowness a founder member of the PNA instigated the idea to follow the lines of The Booker and, later, an anonymous sponsor offered  £10,000 prize money for three years.

The anonymous sponsor, because of the anonymity was then subject to a lot of theories about relevant sponsorship and funding.

The sponsor was in fact Oliver Prenn, who was also a founder member of the PNA and also successful in business. He didn’t want press coverage, and agreed that his name or brand should not be included in the title of the prize.

Giving the cash was enough.

Now, whether the basic idea of ever offering a Prize for art is in your remit of ethics, and it certainly wasn’t with some: The KLF and their K Foundation made a point of showing the Turner Prize in all its glory by creating The Worst Artist of the Year Award, which had the same artist shortlist as that years Turner. I seem to remember Rachel Whiteread sort of forced herself to accept the prize money on offer from the KF, on the grounds that if not Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty were going to burn the cash – she gave it to charity.

One The K Foundation's Adverts

 

 

In short, out of this turbulence of mixed public-private sponsorship funding and change. Especially with the backdrop of monopolistic tendencies from non government sources being leapt upon by critics concerned about the (the very real) complete demise of public funding through the government (a Conservative policy preference for private sector involvement on every level and political hot potato).

 

And whatever your views on what the Turner Prize has become, its beginning was certainly unique for its time:

The dynamics of a few people and the hands off approach to sponsorship created an almost Schrödinger's Cat scenario for the inception of this particular prize for art. It certainly wasn’t without its critics and never was perfect, but it came close.

Government funding, private sponsorship; power structures and committees all have their imbalance of favour. Buffers of committees and councils can go some way to halt meddling.

But a couple of people drawn by the dynamics of a situation and the ability not to look into the metaphorical box and alter the outcome, is as close as it gets maybe.

I’m thinking even Bill and Jimmy might agree on that dynamic!.

 

 

Back next Thursday 6th January with a round-up of the #class post #rank  debate livestream from 6pm-9 EST Thursday 30th:  teleconference info here .

You don't have to have previous knowledge nor indeed been involved before, just a passion for art, and a willingness to join in and help offer solutions from wherever you are based.
 

Location! Location! Location!

 

 

Ok another year! another Christmas, and this blog is officially One Year Old!

 

 

It has been an interesting one, taken the fact I had started with an idea to blog about art and related issues, (not necessarily the ones being bandied around, hot off the press, but relevant ). A mix of stuff really, which has taken me on a journey through lots of different topics and areas of art. From the hugely inspiring #class project in February to linking up with artists across the board with the Lives of Artists series, discussing what it is actually like to be an artist today from their many different perspectives and solutions to problems. Something which will be continued well into the New Year. And this year culminating in the remote (for me) but involved continuation of #class to #rank at Miami Art Fair.

Plus! I have a new schedule to engage with in the first months of the coming year as I venture to pastures new in Southern Spain – where I will be visiting an Artist’s Residency established way back in the 1980’s and will be getting involved with the organisers and resident artists during the time I am there.

I am especially interested in visiting this particular art foundation, as the area, although sort of rural-by-the-med has also seen a vast influx of tourists and ex-pats over the last 40 years. And it is also a hugely different landscape both physically and in human numbers from when the residency was first set up.

Mojacar Pueblo

Mojacar Playa

 

Pilar has given me all the details and I will be heading down to greet as soon as I land and I’ve dropped my bags off. The idea being that I visit and see the workings of the space, the problems they have faced over the years and their solutions!. Talk with the artists over three months and get the feel of how the space has evolved. Especially in this area, which has seen so many changes.

 

Sierra Cabrerra and Tabernas Mountains stretching behind the village

In 1989 Fundacion Valparaiso started life in a very different era... spawned by the fact that during the 60’s Mojacar, the area and the village close by, became a draw for film crews as the advent of the spaghetti western dawned (think landscape and tons of it). A lot of West Coast Americans involved with the films, came, saw, fell in love and stayed, including Tito who now has one of the best chiringuitos on the beach!

Tito's concept : images courtesy El Beach Bar website

He regularly holds jazz afternoons, usually on Sundays when everyone can make it, fellow friends and acquaintances of the influential 60’s jazz circuit that drew musicians to the area in the decades beyond have also stayed, frequented and play here. The area in fact, was without electricity until the late 50’s and much else until the 70’s and has a unique and special feel. True it’s been a traditional Spanish holiday destination for decades with the Pueblo the main focus. But also creative’s of all types settling has added to the mix of an already pretty atmospheric Moorish-Spanish hill top village.

Tito's Chiringuito today

 

 

Valparaiso was born out of its founders a Danish artist Paul Beckett and his wife Beatrice’s passionate idea. The idea being to set up a place where artists could visit for months and weeks at a time for a very nominal–running-cost-fee; bring your own materials and create bodies of work. Basically offering space and the time to re-address your art uninterrupted – so although a communal atmosphere – the communal meal’s provided (with fruit and veg from the garden) can also be taken in-studio if preferred. You basically get on with your own thing and share the facilities with like minded.

 

Valparaiso artist residency 

It was a few years into this initial inception that the founders met up with some other artists, one from Greece and one from The Netherlands, who were thinking of bringing together the many residency spaces across Europe (and subsequently South America, India and across the globe). This emerged into the over-see organisation of ResArtis that now helps with the bureaucracy of things like government funding. Basically making sure, whether self funded or with a grant the artists get the best out of their time spent in the choice of the spaces on offer. There are regular meet-ups and they have an annual GM always held in one of each other’s  areas, so everyone gets a hands on feel of each different space and what they do. And of course to share ideas!

Fundacion Valparaiso

Times change and the area although away from the main beach and (it has to be said ok! ) condominiums and urbanisations, is still rural. The village has grown to adapt even further to cater for the influx of tourists especially during the summer. And consequently virtually shuts down over winter; it is though not hibernate-dodo-dead. And the core of creative’s in Mojacar are certainly switched on and vibrant – but in a different way to your inner city creative, maybe. I think the expression is tranquilo!.

So I will at least get a feel of the tranquil of Valparaiso – 20 years on in the wider context of the area.

The artists who have visited over the years have grown in diversity from Brazilian, Bulgarian to Australian.

 

I am very appreciative of the time and space Valparaiso are sharing with me and can’t wait to see in this age, with the seeming necessity for artists to head for the urban city’s call of location! location! location!. How this space offers something relevant away from cities like Buenos Aires, Rio, New York and London.

Also certainly well away from main art central Spanish cities such as Barcelona or Madrid........

More off the beaten track pueblo and tranquilo!

 

Hasta! Febrero! y Valparaiso!

 

And of course back next Thursday 30^th Neeeeeaarly New Years Eve with a wee bit of pre-hogmanay

 

But for now Happy Christmas !

So Glad You Came

Art Basel Miami (A Posh Supermarket Sweep – did I say that?)

 

 

#Rank at Seven

#Rank Miami was with Winkleman Gallery  at Seven

which included :

* Pierogi Gallery
* Hales Gallery
* Ronald Feldman Fine Arts
* BravinLee programs
* Postmasters Gallery
* P·P·O·W
* Winkleman Gallery

I didn’t go, obviously, as I joined in the “Sorry I Couldn’t Be There” video along with many, who, also for various reasons didn’t go either (be it demographics, work, commitments and or cost). In hindsight I wish I had gone!  Reasons: Specifically for #Rank. Explanation below;

Those who did manage to gave a vivid array of tweets, blog posts and photographs all documenting the atmosphere of what seemed to be an incomprehensibly large art fair from where I was, back in chilly UK, with my monitor and a few online-guides to whats-on. But even if you have visited the likes of Frieze etc. I get the idea this is BIG.

The reason I was drawn to finding out about this hitherto (for me) unknown event apart from its name, was #Class. This came onto my radar last February through a chance tweet. A brilliant month long gallery and internet based discussion about art, focused on blowing away the myths of the more delicately avoided subjects within the art world hierarchy, like exclusivity, class, gender, inside-deals and general unaccountability. You name it – it was discussed and may I say very inclusively.

So, this is the atmosphere of Art Basel Miami as seen through the eyes of people predominantly visiting the Seven space. Whom I either *know* through the #Class event, or wider arts in general, like Hales Gallery London, who were also part of this years group of Seven.

 
A teeny bit of context here: The history of Art Basel Miami Beach is relatively recent (2002) compared to its parent 1970’s inception, Art Basel Switzerland. And it also has a more by-the-beach quality, it  has a lot of moneyed visitors, or at least it shows it more by those who would, with things like Rolls Royce and Mercedes (in a high viz ostentation-transport kind of way). I guess a sort of Cannes of the art world but with more emphasis on the Block-Buster, than World-Indie.

And why not, it works to some extent at Cannes, but then they do have a whole host of the unexpected not-your-usual-suspects on their books and it is a nomination event – pre sale if you like, not directly in the queue at the check-out.

Still the image of your average artist mingling at Miami seems a little at odds with all the official online details of exclusively tailored and expensive venues and special events, parties and the like (although busses are apparently offered as an alternative source of transport, so it can’t be totally non-inclusive). No I’m not being a kill-joy here – I like parties as much as anyone – as long as I don’t feel I have to gatecrash, that is.

So errm yes where were we ....  ahhh  yes the parties, the sun (its got to be a draw for northern hemisphere peeps this time of year). A vast structured event-space once a year in December, would I be wrong in thinking it's main purpose is for the shifting of ART. A well organised schedule (and why wouldn’t you want that) which seems to be focused toward privilege-based benefits. For example if you can afford the extra you can travel seamlessly between fairs – preselect works in advance and I assume not have to troll around with the crowds in an IKEA like daze through vast thorough-fares and booths showing increasing signs of ADHD.

I noticed from many photographs on tumblrs and twitpics that there certainly is GOOD art, and some fantastic backdrops for it. So its not that the art shown is not good and that all buyers with money are crass – they are not.

Wealthy Wolfgang Joop the fashion designer, for example (not that I would have a clue if he bought from this fair or not) has been involved with art for years, with an artistic sense rather than just buying to accumulate.

But maybe it’s just a wee bit heavy in veering toward Viva-Las-Vegas-Large, celebrity glitz and the two tier (one for the rich) sales pitches, that is not so much good.

It does seem a win-win shopping situation if you’ve got the bung. Though apparently sales in the high zeros were down this year. With those works priced in the thousands racking up the tills instead.

HOWEVER at Seven the status-quo-rules were reversed somewhat, as this space, didn’t seem to play to quite the same tune.

There looked to be a distinct lack of come-hither booths with dodgy? sales people (I know!, they’re only doing their job) but all that hovering and glancing you up and down (with xray eyes spotting your credit rating at fifty paces) and ignoring/engaging appropriately. The space here looked functional, errm think concrete, with clean lines and had an eye catching frontage. I have no idea how accessible the space was en-route inside the bigger picture of ABMB, but there seemed enough people visiting over the 4-5 day stint.

Outside Seven at Miami

I haven't any photos of the actual art as I didn't go! but here is A VERY PROMINENT LINK to some proper photos taken by some peeps who did! Seven.

Inside Seven it had its walls full and with mid ground space occupied by one giant silver man-thing in a rocking chair ......... and I think a flying fish? You have to excuse my lack of knowledge here as I'm still wishing I had experienced these works first hand......

 

I nabbed these shots of the #Rank space taken-as-it-happened on the Seven twitpic-share:

Man Bartlett: Measure, as The Absurd Tailor

Part of a #Rank discussion

Nic*Rad setting up Taking My talents To South Beach

The #Rank space during Stephen Truax: Project Present

The art seemed the only defining route-map for you to negotiate through the space. Basically it looked like you could literally immerse yourself and drift through, if not drift then at least go at your own pace and not be particularly bothered by anyone, depending of course whether it was rush hour or not.

Then there was the #Rank space which was taken up with discussions, films and related events. Like an on-the-road graduation from #Class. My eye into this was a fixed view webcam, this time subject to the whims of technology-on-the-hoof. Some of the live stream I found absolutely riveting. Hearing Diedra Kreiger’s Building Backbones; a group rendering of rejection letters to submissions for art and related funding, which was at once therapeutic, quite sad and also hilariously funny (in a probably only if you were listening to it in this context kind of way, ie, don’t try this home alone).

One reply on twitter quoted as The Best Yet! “Dear XYZ ....I'm sorry to inform you will not be qualifying for ... now you won’t go slashing your wrists will you?”. Quite, who ever came up with the idea artists are thin skinned?. 

 

The #Rank Space

The events overall during #Rank were all about questioning and showing how the art market and the system it trundles along with causes ructions and obstructions for the very people who supply it – the artists. And in that #Rank stood out, as I imagine, there were only a few at Miami doing anything like along these lines.

I am amazed that they got this over in live debate as the practical trips and switches of short term space sharing are never easy.

The whole idea of #Class and #Rank is to include artists and people connected with art who are mainly, by means of social media able to do so. In an otherwise art-centric world that gestates in cities such as New York and London, which then migrate to appealing art centric locations such as Miami for the Fairs. Excluding many – for some of the US artists who had to find the air-fair, hotel bill etc. it was still time off work, out of the studio, out of you own pocket job. Not an expenses paid gallery-funded jaunt, (not that isn’t as dead as a dodo these days - like the book advances of once-upon-a-time), nor indeed artist driven ROI.

So It’s the #Rank idea; the time to join the dots up thing, that I believe is what they aimed to point out here. By showing and discussing the lottery like ethos, purported by these overwhelmingly large fairs toward art and artists aspiration.

The wider event, even from a logistical point seemed pretty intense; one of those three day-hit the ground running (unless you had pre-pre-pre-planned or splashed your dosh around enough to pre-plan without the foot slog). I don’t know exactly how big it is but I imagine if you compare your average troll though any gallery taking a good half day?.

Either way the Fair seems a lot to take in critically. It must be a definite buzz – but also a colossal – and yet time restrict atmosphere of get-it-while-you-can, a posh Supermarket Sweep.

The sense of #Rank and all the wider thoughts it generated was good (with its gremlins and streaming aside - c’est la vie!). If I had been so wholly immersed in those I would have probably missed a number of other things like Laura Isaac informing ranker’s of a tid-bit about her kickstarted project providing (for those who would dare to don) t-shirts to navigate the exhibitions and booths with *where do you rank?* across the front.
A dealer apparently unaware of Laura’s involvement with them, took one look and rolled her eyes at her – brilliant!. Ordinarily that would be a crushing personal(ish) dig – which artists are used to but in these circumstances the whole idea of being privvy to a dealer rolling her eyes at something that you had done, held an inverted if not reversed relevance of importance. Doubly brilliant!.

So for me, the #Rank discussions and events, highlighted, by its very being there the large Art Fair market-bias in bold relief: An antithesis sitting against the backdrop of Art Basel Miami; The next party, The event, The Art (all, I imagine to be mentally-mapped within 30 seconds of landing by some form of clique-osmosis). Plus being in the know of this essential frippery, also seems to be the overriding factor gluing its presence together, to keep the show rolling. With the peripheral gestures of the not so errrrm *The* Art giving The Fair complimentary authenticity.

 

Within all this the #Rank space showed that these are still very necessary things to point out. The high-art, low-art, emperor’s new clothes, star rated this and star rated that. Alongside the fact that artist’s moneyed-recompense are not mutually exclusive – that they are all part of the wider equation that needs discussing. And what better place for #Rank to set up their stall and get to grips with that!

Oh and an aside-tweet-quote during #Rank that gave me cause to say Oh! Yes!
On I think, art, maturity and inclusiveness in an age relevant art world : "It is strange still feeling  *a little wet behind the ears* for someone my age!"


 

 

Back next Thursday 16th with possibly a leeeetle bit more  #Rank-related-art-fest

Opening Up The Debate

 

Nottingham Contemporary is all of One Year Old  – and it’s fair to say it has had all the usual suspects of criticism thrown at it right from its inception with things like ; why do we need an art gallery? no one in Nottingham will be interested, better build another mall or entertainment centre instead (these were pre 2008 sentiments). On digging the foundations; that’s a bloody big hole in the ground it's more like and underground car park than a gallery (it is built on a hill). And right up-to its final and glorious opening ; looks like a shipping container ! – bloody eyesore.

Nottingham Contemporary on its Opening in November 2009

It has of course sailed through all these (not many!) detractors and proved beyond doubt that it is the perfect spot and long overdue for the area as well as the city. And although Nottingham has always had a strong link with London for many reasons, this is a special place for art in the centre ; positioned as it is between the Baltic Newcastle, Liverpool Tate, Glasgow’s GoMA, all the galleries of London and the Tate in Cornwall. A sort of more accessible connect and radial north/south link. Although still not much use for south or mid Wales and, as far as north Wales goes only if you are prepared to travel to Liverpool. Nor indeed to the north of, and to the north east of Glasgow.... Phew!. And of course not forgetting the south east of the country, (though they do have good transport links to London). But there is definitely a more join-the-dots-up feel between these areas across England, Scotland and Wales than there was, say, even ten years ago.

And a special event being held first in Nottingham (though not for the first time) is the British Art Show 7.
This will then follow on to The Hayward, London, Glasgow GoMA and then Plymouth.

I had been really taken by the #Class discussions held at Winkleman Gallery NYC with its critics dealers and curators last March. So I jumped at the chance on-my-own-door-step, to join a critics *circle* at Contemporary – discussing the types of criticism evoked by the BAS7 and critical analysis of art in general – by three leading critics from the UK's Frieze, Art Review and Art Forum magazines.

True that the slant, if any was about the Broadsheet style of art criticism or opinion. But this was a good base for enlarging on what seemed very useful points and one in particular which was also picked up on in the #Class debate. That of opening up your (the critics) view, being a spring board for subsequent debate by engaging people with art through question. While trying to engage as wide an audience as is possible.

Good sentiments! and indeed as one of the critics in the Nottingham debate put it: not just to hold an opinion and lay down the law with that, nor massage possible favourites with un-critical positive reviews, but to “take yourself on your own journey with art – have an opinion – but open that up to a wider debate.”

This type of sentiment is being addressed far wider than the arts – from science to policy makers (well sort of!) but the time is ripe and right for this to be re-aired – we do need informed debate about a lot of things. And certainly not to re-enforce that historical elitist convenience of *you need a PHD to understand this* and by the same token not dumbing down so much that only the opinion that seems to matter  is *I’m right – your wrong*.

I did a lot of scribbling while in the discussion (because I only remember the crucial bits randomly later and not when I need them) so was also slightly aware that I was a *writer*/ blogger/ artist in a discussion talking about “writers who dash things off so quickly they haven’t given themselves enough time to do the in-depth research” etc etc. They were talking about broadsheet writers and their deadlines. And all three art magazine critics here agreed they themselves have a time-rich space-poor bite of the cherry. Art magazines having less space but more time to assimilate in-depth information. So their beef wasn’t with that, so much as the general dismissive-ness that sometimes prevails when the opinion of the broadsheet writer has not had time to open up the argument and only time enough to express a view while filling in a more generous word count. So the opinion is at once not relatively in-depth, then dashed out before copy and by default, set to reach a non-specialist audience.

All these sentiments did though have a wider connotation for art and those who document its meaning; that of opening up the debate.

Freeze opening party 1988 : left to right ; Ian Davenport, Damien Hirst, Angela Bulloch, Fiona Rae, Stephen Park, Anya Gallaccio, Sarah Lucas, Gary Hume

When the YBA’s first appeared for example, they had taken the task of self-curating and showing themselves with a kind of “high definition grabbing attitude”. Any critical opinion was also made a lot easier with the type of work shown – a simplified debate emerged – once they had latched on, the broadsheets and a lot of critics loved it for that.

Freeze exhibition Surrey Docks, London August 1988

Images from Sensation: Young British Artists From The Saatchi Collection

This bursting away from insider-clique-full-of-deep-meaning gave way to whatever was the easiest and quickest to grasp. Now, explained one of the BAS7 critics, he believed that Clever Art was on the way (back).

He went on to describe what he saw as the role of art critic. Seeing it as a personal journey with art, including playful scepticism. Unlike the biased attitude mentioned, by massaging fave-raves with *less critical* reviews (not that many would admit to that). Nor to have an idea about art and look to confirm that, rather looking for what the artists are doing.

Recently a lot of critics have basically opted for a listed description – trying not to put a foot wrong – even the galleries themselves are showing reticence on this type of coverage, on the one hand loving the fact but on the other being protectively quiet about saying so.

When the BAS first appeared in 1979 it housed a broad 112 artists from all over Britain, many of whom were abstract artists. Most of which according to the critics here “were crap” and have disappeared. Back then the curating was more of a Survey described as *The Best of* whereas the actual reality of curating BAS now is straddling a line between inclusiveness and un-thematic results but with commonality. The only reference to nationality being its umbrella name of The British Art Show.

Another recent turn for critics in general has been the lack of political or angry art, so the shocking art of 20 years ago has moved from the black and white toward less easily articulated forms of criticism. Although gender has prevailed and gathered momentum, whether within the matured art expressed with one time YBA Sarah Lucas (in the BAS7). Or the fact of one’s gender per-se, as with Grayson Perry (who I noticed got an appalling and veiled article directed at him in The Mail last week – based on the fact of gender alone – and not his actual contribution to art or current affairs) the headline ran on the lines of “Why did BBC use this man as expert on spending cuts ...and why did they spend licence money on his bizarre bike tour of Germany?” complete with this picture just to make things absolutely clear.

Grayson Perry's Bike tour with teddy Alan Measles

Image: BBC Radio Four's Grayson on His Bike

A Red Top also once ran the headline about a Turner Prize winning Antony Gormley back in the mid '90's as "Gormless Gormley" (a friend noting at the time - poor sod he can’t even help his name). Another bash would have been Chris Ofili's work with its much obsessed and bandied elephant dung-isms.

Non of these were critical reviews, and this is still the sort of thing we see a lot of in the sound-bite press. But apart from things like gender, the target-specific, if you like, the obvious ticked boxes of art have not been in great supply in the last few years for critical debate (unless you count the headline grabbing stuff of Hirst, Koons and Murakami and the more established Stars-of-Art who emerged from the 80's and mid 90's).

Even in the insider-world-of-artists many would probably say that the open season criticism that abounds is certainly not for the faint hearted !

  

The overriding ethos or idea that I came away with was the importance of attitude and responsibility as an art critic. To develop an interest in encountering work that doesn’t necessarily show itself immediately and open up dialogue between the self evident and wider more informed (specialist) meaning.

This was eloquently put on how the BAS7 exhibition is being curated. By having a healthy lack of information on the walls explaining blow-by-blow what you’re supposed to be experiencing. And instead an information booklet with which you can choose when (and if) to read the artists essays. Parallel with this an analogy of the music industry was also made: As its critics have no insider audience to speak of, they are much tighter more informed and on the ball – because people *get it*. Art on the other hand still has that intimidating distance which renders it stable to certain biases. Some people still literally feel that walking into an art space is intimidating never mind the anxiety about *getting it*. "We expect not to get it, and so it becomes a form of social exclusion."

And so summing up, the critics saw their role as should be; not “here it is (my opinion)" but ”here are the questions (from my informed, but not static opinion)"........

 

I also took some notes I made during the #Class Critics debate and here are some clips from it taken via the live stream back in March 2010 ........ 
“The demand for popularising art is too broad - that there has to be a place for ‘high art’ or the kind of art that no one knows anything about, meaning some art is so inscrutable there is no translation. Even though some would want or desire it to be layman-ised and made accessible, really, connoisseurship and populism don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”

Absolutely, but I was still picking up in the wider debate; this vague or rather useful way of saying I’m in a (relatively) comfy place here and the need to defend it.
Most were very concerned and defensive that as critics they had a responsibility to history and also to their moral code of ensuring impartiality and detachment, even when reviewing friends or people they had an affiliation or affection with. I did notice from the artists gathered ‘laughter at the thought of ethics and art’.

 
One genuinely helpful comment, that tried to set aside a critic from (just) someone with an opinion, used the word ‘why’, on the lines of.... “as a critic I am passionate, I write about the work I am convinced about by being positive but you have to have or define your base line to say why you think X is bad and Y is good; why there is difference. In my book that is the whole point of having an opinion, not a gut feeling per se but the why.”

 
Money was never far away, in fact I don’t think there was any one particular point in the whole NY discussion which didn’t give a nod to some manifestation of that; not being paid enough (obviously), and one that stood out with its deflector stance; as collectors being the gatekeepers of the art world.
Indeed not the critics then.


Although both discussions were from different angles and indeed countries. I did feel that in the New York debate there were far more crucial questions being directed and answered about impartiality, money and ethics.

Either way the sentiments from both discussions did overall come up with a similar approach to what it should mean to be an art critic: 
To open up debate with questions not affirmations. Why it is, rather than simply, it is.

 

And its 24 hrs into #RankMiami !

Man Bartlett started the proceedings with The Absurd Tailor photographing each measurement

"Measure." Acting as the Absurd Tailor, Man Bartlett will take measurements of fair-goers and relate them to the measurements of the art for sale at SEVEN and other fairs. Based on actual and imagined relationships, the artist will draw conclusions about which work is best suited (or not) for the potential buyers.

If you haven't yet, check out the live stream on the website:

#RankMiami Ustream

Also An Xiao's Studio has some very useful links to the people who actually made it to Art Basel Miami Beach;

(I joined in the video from artists who weren't going to make the Fair in An Xiao and Platea's "Sorry I Couldn't Be There"  - well my feet did!)

Along with Hrag Vartanian's intrepid posting from ABMB on Hyperallergic

Photographs from the Seven Photo Stream

Plus the twitter images of Susi Kenna's

The next post here this coming Thursday 9th, will be taking on board some of the issues and indeed hilarity raised during the events. Including the chalk-board which has been rendered *hot lips* pink (I'm guessing this is not a Farrow & Ball shade). To air the many points raised during the discussions and performances, including the ranked art stereotypes and cliches.

#Rank Miami with Winkleman Gallery is at Seven

which includes :

* Pierogi Gallery
* Hales Gallery
* Ronald Feldman Fine Arts
* BravinLee programs
* Postmasters Gallery
* P·P·O·W
* Winkleman Gallery

A reminder of the event Calendar