In regards to Jerry Saltz’s annual Babylon article that everybody has commented on…here’s my two.
1. The market is trying to solidify its place, the only struggle currently is the power struggle. The art fair vetting practice is the new high school popularity contest. Establishing your fair next to the popular kids isn’t the answer, because even the unpopular kids are vetting now. Truly bleeding edge will never see the inside of an art fair. It is up to the artists, the alternative spaces and some paradigm out there that we don’t even know about yet to shake things up. (bitterness disclosure: I was told artLA invites have gone out several of weeks ago and we still haven’t received one. I guess we don’t measure up to the "anonymous" vetting committee, must have been something I said….jeez, and we paid full price last year).
2. Please don’t start dropping F-Bombs in your press releases just because Jerry said its cool.
3. Flesh eating zombies, Vampires, regardless of the shenanigans that go on in the art world….they’re still very amateur compared to my experience in the corporate world.
4. I had an artist tell me that he was concerned because he was getting away from the "series" mentality. He is just making images. Artists, please don’t be afraid to fight commodity pressures. The market wants you in a box.
5. The art world doesn’t need anymore attitude. You better have attitude if the art you show sucks.
6. After all is said and done the status quo will prevail, fear is a powerful thing and the have-nots (artists, galleries, etc.) are suffering from it bigtime. Be brave folks, the art world is really just an old man behind a curtain trying to scare you into submission.
7. I still believe in art. It’s what keeps me going.
