When Service Workers Destroy Art
Monday April 10, 2006
My goodness, this phenomenon makes The News at least four times per year. An artist "installs" something, somewhere. The Artistic Something is mistaken for an ordinary plastic bag of water, fleck of lint, empty box, sack of refuse, half-eaten piece of fruit or discarded extension cord - from which, to be fair, the installation has been created. The mistaken object, suspected of being garbage, is removed and disposed of by a conscientious worker whose job it is to keep "X" area clean. An uproar then commences over the Devaluation of Art, accompanied by much public outrage, wailing, gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, rounds of apologies, restitution and subsequent years of therapy for the artist. The latest example occurred in Columbia, South Carolina, when the wind blew a handmade dress off of 300 eggshells and into an alleyway, where it was retrieved and trashed by a service worker.
With all due respect and sympathy to the artists, I keep reading about this unfortunate turn of events, and wonder if I may make a suggestion? Hard as it is to believe, not everyone is immediately hip to the Art concept here. Even people like myself, who make every effort to keep up with the visual arts scene, may fail to recognize that an empty styrofoam cup with latte residue on its rim, perched on a stool, is there on purpose. Perhaps it would be helpful - all around - to Label. Your. Work.
With all due respect and sympathy to the artists, I keep reading about this unfortunate turn of events, and wonder if I may make a suggestion? Hard as it is to believe, not everyone is immediately hip to the Art concept here. Even people like myself, who make every effort to keep up with the visual arts scene, may fail to recognize that an empty styrofoam cup with latte residue on its rim, perched on a stool, is there on purpose. Perhaps it would be helpful - all around - to Label. Your. Work.
Comments
Label. Label. Label is right.
Recently I was privy to a preview of 18-year-olds’ artworks that emulate those of the great Robert Rauschenberg. In Manhattan, they would be viewed as outstanding works of art. AND THEY ARE. Five miles away, in Queens, they would be viewed as garbage, despite the fact that two of the students come from Queens. Yes. You’re right. Labelling is important. What’s discarded now may be regarded as a masterpiece later. Such is the perilous history of art.
It’s difficult to imagine the eggshell art form.It’s not too outlandish to find a dutiful worker being disciplined and diligent. Thus, the lost art may indeed be better served in the junk heap despite the injured pride of the artist.
If this is “the worst thing that’s happened in my career.”, she must be very young, or led a charmed life. I get annoyed at the people who look at garbage and call it art. Why is the cleanup guy’s opinion less valid. Seems to me, regardless of individual taste, true art should be easily recognizable as such. You might not want it in YOUR home, but you can tell SOMEBODY might think it’s art. As to the artist’s “tragedy”: I feel confident that, with a little effort, she might find more eggshells and another dress with which to recreate her wonderful “art”. The curator, on the other hand, should be fired and the cleanup guy put in his place.
If it needs an explanation, maybe it isn’t art.
If I put some trash on a stool and it isn’t art, but if someone with an M.F.A. does the same thing and that makes it art, maybe it isn’t art.
Maybe it’s just pretentious, no-talent, academic gasbags–worshiped by a lot of pseudo-intellectuals who are afraid to admit the emperor has no clothes–playing with garbage.