There's been a growing trend at exhibition openings at public institutions I've attended lately to have unbelievably bad speeches. Last night's opening was no exception, with 4 speakersthat made a veritable plethora of mistakes. Each.
We had the host gallery director, lending gallery director, principal sponsor, and local mayor - all of whom got up with almost rehersed syncronicity, read the speech notes that I suspect had been prepared and circulated well in advance by the gallery's marketing manager.
Reading from notes is fine, particularly when you're a new sponsor coming on board, or a mayor with 80 other public events in any given week. But all 4 spoke as though they were addressing a room full of art world imbiciles - a total misreading of an audience that was one of the most substantial gatherings of art world names, faces, and figures I'd seen in years.
All 4 introduced the show - particularly Trekka - as controversial, substatial, and thought provoking. In repetitive monotony that made me think it was more futurist repetitive sound poetry than a reflection of the sponsors, gallery staff and supporters, and concepts that had made the show come together.
And the mistakes. There's a golden rule about public speaking that dictates that even if you're only getting up to say thank you - reherse it. Clearly this had been somewhat overlooked by all. Even the title of the exhibition was ballsed up by at least one speaker - not exactly a stunning look or reflection on the validity of the argument presented by the show. And these are the leaders of the art world?
All of this picks up on a crusade New Plymouth based artist Peter Peryer is on regarding art writing. His argument is that art writing has degenerated to the lowest rung of the New Zealand literary ladder. I would add that art speaking - in an introductory/opening capacity - is buried somewhere well beneath that ladder.
On a plus the food wasn't bad - the show was pretty good in places (although made me think of Dream Collectors at the old Te Papa, and WHY THE HELL DOESN"T TREKKA HAVE IT'S OWN EXHIBITION!), and caught up with a bunch of great people.
12 July 2005
05 July 2005
Redeeming the press
Caught the World Press photo exhibition in Shed 11 last night, at a sponsor's function. As far as those things go it was good - great food, brief and interesting speeches (as you'd come to expect from one of NZ's most celebrated speakers), a good group of people, and running into old firends who are doing great things.
There were some stunning images there, dragging out emotions from the horrifying to the ecstatic. I found the presentation lacking a bit, on 2 fronts - the venue is looking tired, which I think is a real shame, but probably more of a result of limited funding and its inability to be reserved as an art only space, and the actual presentation of the works was a little underwhelming. I concede that this is a touring show, pulled together from people who aren't in the exhibition business, and on little money and much goodwill (from generous sponsors like tonight's hosts), and that the native environment of many of these images is a glossy A4 magazine page, yet I was expecting a lot more scale and the associated impact. I was expecting more of a Magnum type display, that better reflected the substance of the works.
Another thing I got to thinking about was the need to read the captions to get the most out of the works. Again I think this is a reference to the magazine/newspaper environment in which these will be delivered, but it brought up a question about the strength of the images when judged by purely artistic criteria - and whether we're meant to look at them in this way, being documentary photography.
An interesting point was raised by Biggs in his speeches - move up the left side and be depressed, and move down the right side and be revived. The left side showed real life - the right sports and arts. When real life gets you down seek solace in art and activity. I like that.
And being an ad agency event there was, of course, a bar in the middle.
There were some stunning images there, dragging out emotions from the horrifying to the ecstatic. I found the presentation lacking a bit, on 2 fronts - the venue is looking tired, which I think is a real shame, but probably more of a result of limited funding and its inability to be reserved as an art only space, and the actual presentation of the works was a little underwhelming. I concede that this is a touring show, pulled together from people who aren't in the exhibition business, and on little money and much goodwill (from generous sponsors like tonight's hosts), and that the native environment of many of these images is a glossy A4 magazine page, yet I was expecting a lot more scale and the associated impact. I was expecting more of a Magnum type display, that better reflected the substance of the works.
Another thing I got to thinking about was the need to read the captions to get the most out of the works. Again I think this is a reference to the magazine/newspaper environment in which these will be delivered, but it brought up a question about the strength of the images when judged by purely artistic criteria - and whether we're meant to look at them in this way, being documentary photography.
An interesting point was raised by Biggs in his speeches - move up the left side and be depressed, and move down the right side and be revived. The left side showed real life - the right sports and arts. When real life gets you down seek solace in art and activity. I like that.
And being an ad agency event there was, of course, a bar in the middle.
15 June 2005
Work Life Balance
It's been a weird couple of days. Work's moving up to warp factor 6, so I'm rediscovering tired. I've got a new assistant at work, so having to juggle the training aspect with the doing of actual work - as long as I keep viewing it as an investment it's okay. She's cool, which is good - a reminder about how active and involved tertiary students and the recently graduated can be (or maybe how little I was).
Out of the Blue I get a text from a friend I haven't seen in far too long, telling me that our former employer has quit his job and is skipping the country. This guy was very interesting to work for - remarkably driven and focused on achieving, but often at the expense of a lot of the factors that are generally favoured in the workplace, like balance, trust, leadership. He's off to do great things offshore, but I can't stop thinking about the legacy he's leaving, and the doors this variously closes or opens for so many other people in one way or another. NJo doubt there'll be more on this one surfacing over the next wee while.
Out of the Blue I get a text from a friend I haven't seen in far too long, telling me that our former employer has quit his job and is skipping the country. This guy was very interesting to work for - remarkably driven and focused on achieving, but often at the expense of a lot of the factors that are generally favoured in the workplace, like balance, trust, leadership. He's off to do great things offshore, but I can't stop thinking about the legacy he's leaving, and the doors this variously closes or opens for so many other people in one way or another. NJo doubt there'll be more on this one surfacing over the next wee while.
12 June 2005
Venezia 02
So the plan has now evolved somewhat - since we're travelling half way round the world, we thought why the hell not go a bit further, and check out the motherland, so we're heading to London for a week as well. Should be nice to check it out again, and see what's new and exciting in the world of art over there. I've just read a pretty scathing (and at times poorly written) diatribe on the damage Charles Saatchi has done to contemporary art through his SuperCollection (no relation to SuperFlex, sadly) so am very keen to check out the infamous Charles Saatchi Gallery.
I think I'll plug The getaway into the PS2 and settle down for an evening of familiarising myself with the London streets.
I think I'll plug The getaway into the PS2 and settle down for an evening of familiarising myself with the London streets.
02 June 2005
Venizia 01
I've just booked a ticket to go to Venice, with the aim (read justification) being to go to the Biennale. It's taken on something of a pilgrimage status, in many ways - strangely much more so than getting to the last Sydney Biennale. Not sure if this is the culture, the scale, the personal associations with the NZ project or what, but it should be a good trip. More later >>
01 March 2005
Writing on art (or other art historians)
I've been reading a lot of art writing of late, in one form or another. Most of it sort of skirts around the issue of a national identity, offering tenuous links between the past and the present. Some of it succeeds in making this connection, and some really doesn't.
I have noticed a frequent reliance on beginning with a quote - a tendency to kick off with someone else's views, statements, opinion - and then building an argument about that, and linking it back to the work on occasion.
Yes I concede this is the academic way of writing, and yes I concede that there is a market for this, but in an industry where we are constantly striving to increase access, increase participation, and most importantly increase understanding, isn't this lunacy?
In writing press releases we're constantly pushed to include the key information in the first line - to get the salient points in before the attention expiry point. Why the hell would you want to hand this opportunity over to someone else?
I have noticed a frequent reliance on beginning with a quote - a tendency to kick off with someone else's views, statements, opinion - and then building an argument about that, and linking it back to the work on occasion.
Yes I concede this is the academic way of writing, and yes I concede that there is a market for this, but in an industry where we are constantly striving to increase access, increase participation, and most importantly increase understanding, isn't this lunacy?
In writing press releases we're constantly pushed to include the key information in the first line - to get the salient points in before the attention expiry point. Why the hell would you want to hand this opportunity over to someone else?
21 January 2005
The art of commodification
I've just been poring over a bunch of Webb's Fine Art Auction catalogues from the late 90s and early 00s. It's really interesting to see who has 'made it' and who is still deemed to the lowly moniker of 'emerging'.
I've noticed a lot more contemporary work in the recent editions of the catalogues and far far less of the traditional landscape works that defined New Zealand art for a good part of the last century.
Maybe we're moving away from the landscape in our search for a collective national identity, instead looking to our thoughts around, and responses to contemporary art works as they distill not only the landscape, but that elusive 'kiwi' factor.
Although, it could well be that the market has moved to contemporary art as it searches for a higher return on investment than the 'masters', who I suspect by now are all firmly ensconced in the lounges of the baby boomer generation (who are the only ones outside of dot com millionaires who can afford such things) biding their time until the market goes through the roof again.
It's a funny thing buying and selling art.
I've noticed a lot more contemporary work in the recent editions of the catalogues and far far less of the traditional landscape works that defined New Zealand art for a good part of the last century.
Maybe we're moving away from the landscape in our search for a collective national identity, instead looking to our thoughts around, and responses to contemporary art works as they distill not only the landscape, but that elusive 'kiwi' factor.
Although, it could well be that the market has moved to contemporary art as it searches for a higher return on investment than the 'masters', who I suspect by now are all firmly ensconced in the lounges of the baby boomer generation (who are the only ones outside of dot com millionaires who can afford such things) biding their time until the market goes through the roof again.
It's a funny thing buying and selling art.
Healing the world
I've noticed a series of sticking plasters stuck to the footpath in random places around town and the country. I doubt they're related, and suspect they have fallen off the blistered heels of sandel wearers, but maybe - just maybe - they're part of a symbolic project to heal the world.
In a similar kind of vein, there's a series of small mirror sections stuck to the pavement near the Prime Minister's residence. They seem to form a trail of sorts that runs for 30 or 40 metres before disappearing. An invitation to reflect as you walk past the PM's house??
I think I prefer the sticking plasters.
In a similar kind of vein, there's a series of small mirror sections stuck to the pavement near the Prime Minister's residence. They seem to form a trail of sorts that runs for 30 or 40 metres before disappearing. An invitation to reflect as you walk past the PM's house??
I think I prefer the sticking plasters.
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