Art Fag City at the L Magazine: New Directions

by Art Fag City on January 16, 2008 · 24 comments The L Magazine

Fia Backstrom

I decided to take a slightly different track at The L Magazine this week, and revisit the popular topic here of gender representation. The teaser below:

“Museums can't deaccession work they own,” well known conceptual artist Fia Backström told me at an E-Flux Pawnshop discussion panel earlier this year. Backström presumably drew this conclusion from a story she told the crowd about an unnamed museum in the EU that had not been allowed to sell any of the work in its collection. The institution was used as an example of how attempts to equalize the ratio of male to female artists can easily be neutered, though it did more to illuminate the perceived inflexibility of museums and canonical structures than it did to illuminate gender representation. Most of these organizations can in fact deaccession art if the artist is no longer alive.

The assumption that change often meets strong opposition within museums and other fine art establishments may have its place in the conversation about gender representation not because museum officials are busy hindering the efforts of female artists, but because we've had so much trouble identifying unconscious behavior and unwitting mistakes that led to inaccurate evaluations of art made by women, as well as their disproportionate representation.

For the most part, the discussion about male and female exhibition records follows a familiar history of head-counting, which has a very important place but does little to reveal how the evaluation of work necessarily follows gender biases. For example, while male abstract expressionists are often credited for their aggressive brushwork, careful examination reveals that artists like Willem de Kooning applied paint with incredible delicacy, while painters such as Joan Mitchell and Lee Krasner worked with greater abandon. The fact that art made by men and women more than 50 years ago is characterized by pejorative misplaced descriptions, yet still accrues value disproportionately, suggests a collective preference for work made by men.

Such statements come as no surprise given that we trust what we know, and certainly a much richer history of greatly talented male artists has been documented. Today, while the fact that women see less success than men in the field of fine art remains consistent, it's an idea that's frequently applied too broadly, leaving fields that have seen significant leveling in the evaluation of talent uncredited, and effectively removing women whose success might help correct disproportionate numbers in other fields from the conversation. Even in a superficial evaluation of today's most prominent painters, more female artists come to mind than men. Jenny Saville, Cecily Brown, Lisa Yuskavage, Inka Essenhigh, Julie Mehretu, Elizabeth Peyton, Dana Schutz and Nicole Eisenman are easily considered among the top artists working today, yet I almost never hear about their accomplishments in conversations of gender representation.

To read the full piece click here.

{ 24 comments }

Denny Greenway January 17, 2008 at 2:53 pm

Kinda big topic.

… while male abstract expressionists are often credited for their aggressive brushwork, careful examination reveals that artists like Willem de Kooning applied paint with incredible delicacy.
————————-

I’m not sure what is being said here. Are you saying that the gender bias at museums stems from preference for a perceived masculinist paradigm and this is bad since a masculinist painter like DeKooning painted at times w/ ‘delicacy’? So muscular bravura strokes (in somebody’s lexicon) equals masculine and less muscular (delicacy) equals feminine? What about medium speed gestures, are they hermaphroditic or tranny strokes? And when, Elaine DeKooning painted w/ muscularity, she too was masculine; and when they each painted in each others work, do we have a bisexual paradigm? Which DeKooning period early John Graham, later Gorky style, or Willem’s later wide brush style? I’m not sure sense of brush stroke can be exclusively coded sexually. Having met DeKooning through other older artists, the one thing I came away w/ was how different he was than the hype.

Museums: It’s hard to generalize about museums. If the board is strong, then often they dictate, especially if the Director is more business person and less arty. However, things have changed in terms of female representatio if u r headcounting. Artists like Susan Rothenberg, Schapiro, Murray, Chicago, Horn, Katzen dented most museum collections. Whether it’s a parity w/ males, maybe not yet. I’m also getting the idea that more females make up gallery artists lists these days than ever b4, so I don’t know if the above claim that the success of men remains consistent w/ the past is true. To that the list cited above of contemporary female artists could be a lot bigger. The discussion on the Winkleman blog re: the Broad collection could be useful.

Denny Greenway January 17, 2008 at 2:53 pm

Kinda big topic.

… while male abstract expressionists are often credited for their aggressive brushwork, careful examination reveals that artists like Willem de Kooning applied paint with incredible delicacy.
————————-

I’m not sure what is being said here. Are you saying that the gender bias at museums stems from preference for a perceived masculinist paradigm and this is bad since a masculinist painter like DeKooning painted at times w/ ‘delicacy’? So muscular bravura strokes (in somebody’s lexicon) equals masculine and less muscular (delicacy) equals feminine? What about medium speed gestures, are they hermaphroditic or tranny strokes? And when, Elaine DeKooning painted w/ muscularity, she too was masculine; and when they each painted in each others work, do we have a bisexual paradigm? Which DeKooning period early John Graham, later Gorky style, or Willem’s later wide brush style? I’m not sure sense of brush stroke can be exclusively coded sexually. Having met DeKooning through other older artists, the one thing I came away w/ was how different he was than the hype.

Museums: It’s hard to generalize about museums. If the board is strong, then often they dictate, especially if the Director is more business person and less arty. However, things have changed in terms of female representatio if u r headcounting. Artists like Susan Rothenberg, Schapiro, Murray, Chicago, Horn, Katzen dented most museum collections. Whether it’s a parity w/ males, maybe not yet. I’m also getting the idea that more females make up gallery artists lists these days than ever b4, so I don’t know if the above claim that the success of men remains consistent w/ the past is true. To that the list cited above of contemporary female artists could be a lot bigger. The discussion on the Winkleman blog re: the Broad collection could be useful.

Denny Greenway January 17, 2008 at 9:53 am

Kinda big topic.

… while male abstract expressionists are often credited for their aggressive brushwork, careful examination reveals that artists like Willem de Kooning applied paint with incredible delicacy.
————————-

I’m not sure what is being said here. Are you saying that the gender bias at museums stems from preference for a perceived masculinist paradigm and this is bad since a masculinist painter like DeKooning painted at times w/ ‘delicacy’? So muscular bravura strokes (in somebody’s lexicon) equals masculine and less muscular (delicacy) equals feminine? What about medium speed gestures, are they hermaphroditic or tranny strokes? And when, Elaine DeKooning painted w/ muscularity, she too was masculine; and when they each painted in each others work, do we have a bisexual paradigm? Which DeKooning period early John Graham, later Gorky style, or Willem’s later wide brush style? I’m not sure sense of brush stroke can be exclusively coded sexually. Having met DeKooning through other older artists, the one thing I came away w/ was how different he was than the hype.

Museums: It’s hard to generalize about museums. If the board is strong, then often they dictate, especially if the Director is more business person and less arty. However, things have changed in terms of female representatio if u r headcounting. Artists like Susan Rothenberg, Schapiro, Murray, Chicago, Horn, Katzen dented most museum collections. Whether it’s a parity w/ males, maybe not yet. I’m also getting the idea that more females make up gallery artists lists these days than ever b4, so I don’t know if the above claim that the success of men remains consistent w/ the past is true. To that the list cited above of contemporary female artists could be a lot bigger. The discussion on the Winkleman blog re: the Broad collection could be useful.

Art Fag City January 17, 2008 at 3:41 pm

RE DeKooning: I don’t understand why pointing out the how the dialog around his paintings has been masculinized should necessarily mean that I’ve exclusively interpreted brush stroke sexually. I cited one example of how this happens in discourse in a piece about gender representation — it’s another article to evaluate the brush work of an artist. I also never once said that his work had been wholly improperly evaluated. Typically the discourse I spoke about pertains to his earlier work, which, you’re right, might have been specifically stated, but it’s not like there are too many people discussing the value of his shitty 80’s paintings.

Re Museums: Who is generalizing and how?

Re contemporary female artists list being bigger: Totally true, but for the sake of readability, you can only list so many.

Re gender break downs in gallery representation: I’m not making any claims about female representation in galleries being poor, I’m citing facts. See The Brainstormers Report.

Art Fag City January 17, 2008 at 3:41 pm

RE DeKooning: I don’t understand why pointing out the how the dialog around his paintings has been masculinized should necessarily mean that I’ve exclusively interpreted brush stroke sexually. I cited one example of how this happens in discourse in a piece about gender representation — it’s another article to evaluate the brush work of an artist. I also never once said that his work had been wholly improperly evaluated. Typically the discourse I spoke about pertains to his earlier work, which, you’re right, might have been specifically stated, but it’s not like there are too many people discussing the value of his shitty 80’s paintings.

Re Museums: Who is generalizing and how?

Re contemporary female artists list being bigger: Totally true, but for the sake of readability, you can only list so many.

Re gender break downs in gallery representation: I’m not making any claims about female representation in galleries being poor, I’m citing facts. See The Brainstormers Report.

Art Fag City January 17, 2008 at 10:41 am

RE DeKooning: I don’t understand why pointing out the how the dialog around his paintings has been masculinized should necessarily mean that I’ve exclusively interpreted brush stroke sexually. I cited one example of how this happens in discourse in a piece about gender representation — it’s another article to evaluate the brush work of an artist. I also never once said that his work had been wholly improperly evaluated. Typically the discourse I spoke about pertains to his earlier work, which, you’re right, might have been specifically stated, but it’s not like there are too many people discussing the value of his shitty 80’s paintings.

Re Museums: Who is generalizing and how?

Re contemporary female artists list being bigger: Totally true, but for the sake of readability, you can only list so many.

Re gender break downs in gallery representation: I’m not making any claims about female representation in galleries being poor, I’m citing facts. See The Brainstormers Report.

Denny Greenway January 17, 2008 at 10:13 pm

Sorry, thought u were getting into process of mind issues i’ve seen destroyed at conventions.

Re: museum generalizing; who do u mean when u say “museum officials” and museums (as opposed to art centers, I assume?). I’ve worked at three diff major museums, and I have found little rational reasoning half of the time for what is exhibited or acquired. Museum size matters, endowment, how crazy or motivated the board is, etc.–I guess I find it almost laughable to think that some museum work was acquired in a rational way, while others seem to be very sensitive to public reception and sensitivity. I curated a show once purely on the wims of the directors lover who was into the southwest look, this is way back. So, u r saying that the museum’s (example would help) track record “suggests a collective preference for work made by men.” is a directed thing, and not just a default of a slowly fading sexist society?

Now what about adding race? can we discern a pattern of absentiism in museum, need I ask?

Denny Greenway January 17, 2008 at 10:13 pm

Sorry, thought u were getting into process of mind issues i’ve seen destroyed at conventions.

Re: museum generalizing; who do u mean when u say “museum officials” and museums (as opposed to art centers, I assume?). I’ve worked at three diff major museums, and I have found little rational reasoning half of the time for what is exhibited or acquired. Museum size matters, endowment, how crazy or motivated the board is, etc.–I guess I find it almost laughable to think that some museum work was acquired in a rational way, while others seem to be very sensitive to public reception and sensitivity. I curated a show once purely on the wims of the directors lover who was into the southwest look, this is way back. So, u r saying that the museum’s (example would help) track record “suggests a collective preference for work made by men.” is a directed thing, and not just a default of a slowly fading sexist society?

Now what about adding race? can we discern a pattern of absentiism in museum, need I ask?

Denny Greenway January 17, 2008 at 10:13 pm

Sorry, thought u were getting into process of mind issues i’ve seen destroyed at conventions.

Re: museum generalizing; who do u mean when u say “museum officials” and museums (as opposed to art centers, I assume?). I’ve worked at three diff major museums, and I have found little rational reasoning half of the time for what is exhibited or acquired. Museum size matters, endowment, how crazy or motivated the board is, etc.–I guess I find it almost laughable to think that some museum work was acquired in a rational way, while others seem to be very sensitive to public reception and sensitivity. I curated a show once purely on the wims of the directors lover who was into the southwest look, this is way back. So, u r saying that the museum’s (example would help) track record “suggests a collective preference for work made by men.” is a directed thing, and not just a default of a slowly fading sexist society?

Now what about adding race? can we discern a pattern of absentiism in museum, need I ask?

Denny Greenway January 17, 2008 at 5:13 pm

Sorry, thought u were getting into process of mind issues i’ve seen destroyed at conventions.

Re: museum generalizing; who do u mean when u say “museum officials” and museums (as opposed to art centers, I assume?). I’ve worked at three diff major museums, and I have found little rational reasoning half of the time for what is exhibited or acquired. Museum size matters, endowment, how crazy or motivated the board is, etc.–I guess I find it almost laughable to think that some museum work was acquired in a rational way, while others seem to be very sensitive to public reception and sensitivity. I curated a show once purely on the wims of the directors lover who was into the southwest look, this is way back. So, u r saying that the museum’s (example would help) track record “suggests a collective preference for work made by men.” is a directed thing, and not just a default of a slowly fading sexist society?

Now what about adding race? can we discern a pattern of absentiism in museum, need I ask?

Art Fag City January 17, 2008 at 10:39 pm

I think we’re having some communication problems here because you’re quoting sections of this piece out of context and changing the meaning. The full sentence you mean to quote reads:

The assumption that change often meets strong opposition within museums and other fine art establishments may have its place in the conversation about gender representation not because museum officials are busy hindering the efforts of female artists, but because we’ve had so much trouble identifying unconscious behavior and unwitting mistakes that led to inaccurate evaluations of art made by women, as well as their disproportionate representation.

So, no I’m not saying that there is a directed effort by museums to exclude women. I’ve said the opposite. There is no directed effort, but as a culture, we are often unaware of biases so deeply ingrained we simply them as facts. This in turn informs our actions.

Art Fag City January 17, 2008 at 5:39 pm

I think we’re having some communication problems here because you’re quoting sections of this piece out of context and changing the meaning. The full sentence you mean to quote reads:

The assumption that change often meets strong opposition within museums and other fine art establishments may have its place in the conversation about gender representation not because museum officials are busy hindering the efforts of female artists, but because we’ve had so much trouble identifying unconscious behavior and unwitting mistakes that led to inaccurate evaluations of art made by women, as well as their disproportionate representation.

So, no I’m not saying that there is a directed effort by museums to exclude women. I’ve said the opposite. There is no directed effort, but as a culture, we are often unaware of biases so deeply ingrained we simply them as facts. This in turn informs our actions.

Denny Greenway January 18, 2008 at 3:01 am

Okay, so I’m a little ADHD and stoned and your last quote is rather lengthy, thus tortuous w/ a ‘because’ followed by ‘but because’. Pardonnez moi. Could u cite a specific museum where we can grasp “The assumption that change often meets strong opposition within museums.”? Giving an example of ‘unconscious behavior’ would help. I worked at a fairly upscale museum in the sunny south, beaucoup dollar, where change was the norm and diversity at all costs; I also worked at an academic midwestern university museum where strong opp. to change was the norm. Moreover, at each, almost the whole staff, except Security, was female. Security was gay males. I worked as a curator, moreover, and deaccessioning was the domain of registrars, so I can’t speak to fixing gender ratio’s via that.

Re: Brainstormers Report. Prima facie I wouldn’t bank too much on one report and I certainly would not treat anything from Jerry Saltz as incorruptible. What’s his source? SVA and Columbia? I know one person who worked at Village Voice w/ inside stuff and she did not trust him. I personally know he ‘appropriated’ someone else’s idea for gain, minus credit. When Jerry S. did the whitney a few years back, what was the head count for woman in the Bi?

I worked last year as a visiting artist at an art school and a large university and as far as the art departments go, they mirror the general trend toward more females on college campus’s than males. In fact, the university, when u add in Fibers, Ceramics, anime, viscom, not just the so-called traditional fine arts, the woman outnumbered. My 2D foundation courses and color class at the art school, looking at my roster, ran 17-23 woman out of classes usually 30 in size. My figure drawing class out of 33 had only three males. Moreover, I thought the portfolio reviews for Thesis and grad exhi. definately had more females. So again, I wouldn’t trust that source, at least it’s not what I saw. I’ll email some friends i have at other schools.

Denny Greenway January 18, 2008 at 3:01 am

Okay, so I’m a little ADHD and stoned and your last quote is rather lengthy, thus tortuous w/ a ‘because’ followed by ‘but because’. Pardonnez moi. Could u cite a specific museum where we can grasp “The assumption that change often meets strong opposition within museums.”? Giving an example of ‘unconscious behavior’ would help. I worked at a fairly upscale museum in the sunny south, beaucoup dollar, where change was the norm and diversity at all costs; I also worked at an academic midwestern university museum where strong opp. to change was the norm. Moreover, at each, almost the whole staff, except Security, was female. Security was gay males. I worked as a curator, moreover, and deaccessioning was the domain of registrars, so I can’t speak to fixing gender ratio’s via that.

Re: Brainstormers Report. Prima facie I wouldn’t bank too much on one report and I certainly would not treat anything from Jerry Saltz as incorruptible. What’s his source? SVA and Columbia? I know one person who worked at Village Voice w/ inside stuff and she did not trust him. I personally know he ‘appropriated’ someone else’s idea for gain, minus credit. When Jerry S. did the whitney a few years back, what was the head count for woman in the Bi?

I worked last year as a visiting artist at an art school and a large university and as far as the art departments go, they mirror the general trend toward more females on college campus’s than males. In fact, the university, when u add in Fibers, Ceramics, anime, viscom, not just the so-called traditional fine arts, the woman outnumbered. My 2D foundation courses and color class at the art school, looking at my roster, ran 17-23 woman out of classes usually 30 in size. My figure drawing class out of 33 had only three males. Moreover, I thought the portfolio reviews for Thesis and grad exhi. definately had more females. So again, I wouldn’t trust that source, at least it’s not what I saw. I’ll email some friends i have at other schools.

Denny Greenway January 18, 2008 at 3:01 am

Okay, so I’m a little ADHD and stoned and your last quote is rather lengthy, thus tortuous w/ a ‘because’ followed by ‘but because’. Pardonnez moi. Could u cite a specific museum where we can grasp “The assumption that change often meets strong opposition within museums.”? Giving an example of ‘unconscious behavior’ would help. I worked at a fairly upscale museum in the sunny south, beaucoup dollar, where change was the norm and diversity at all costs; I also worked at an academic midwestern university museum where strong opp. to change was the norm. Moreover, at each, almost the whole staff, except Security, was female. Security was gay males. I worked as a curator, moreover, and deaccessioning was the domain of registrars, so I can’t speak to fixing gender ratio’s via that.

Re: Brainstormers Report. Prima facie I wouldn’t bank too much on one report and I certainly would not treat anything from Jerry Saltz as incorruptible. What’s his source? SVA and Columbia? I know one person who worked at Village Voice w/ inside stuff and she did not trust him. I personally know he ‘appropriated’ someone else’s idea for gain, minus credit. When Jerry S. did the whitney a few years back, what was the head count for woman in the Bi?

I worked last year as a visiting artist at an art school and a large university and as far as the art departments go, they mirror the general trend toward more females on college campus’s than males. In fact, the university, when u add in Fibers, Ceramics, anime, viscom, not just the so-called traditional fine arts, the woman outnumbered. My 2D foundation courses and color class at the art school, looking at my roster, ran 17-23 woman out of classes usually 30 in size. My figure drawing class out of 33 had only three males. Moreover, I thought the portfolio reviews for Thesis and grad exhi. definately had more females. So again, I wouldn’t trust that source, at least it’s not what I saw. I’ll email some friends i have at other schools.

Denny Greenway January 18, 2008 at 3:01 am

Okay, so I’m a little ADHD and stoned and your last quote is rather lengthy, thus tortuous w/ a ‘because’ followed by ‘but because’. Pardonnez moi. Could u cite a specific museum where we can grasp “The assumption that change often meets strong opposition within museums.”? Giving an example of ‘unconscious behavior’ would help. I worked at a fairly upscale museum in the sunny south, beaucoup dollar, where change was the norm and diversity at all costs; I also worked at an academic midwestern university museum where strong opp. to change was the norm. Moreover, at each, almost the whole staff, except Security, was female. Security was gay males. I worked as a curator, moreover, and deaccessioning was the domain of registrars, so I can’t speak to fixing gender ratio’s via that.

Re: Brainstormers Report. Prima facie I wouldn’t bank too much on one report and I certainly would not treat anything from Jerry Saltz as incorruptible. What’s his source? SVA and Columbia? I know one person who worked at Village Voice w/ inside stuff and she did not trust him. I personally know he ‘appropriated’ someone else’s idea for gain, minus credit. When Jerry S. did the whitney a few years back, what was the head count for woman in the Bi?

I worked last year as a visiting artist at an art school and a large university and as far as the art departments go, they mirror the general trend toward more females on college campus’s than males. In fact, the university, when u add in Fibers, Ceramics, anime, viscom, not just the so-called traditional fine arts, the woman outnumbered. My 2D foundation courses and color class at the art school, looking at my roster, ran 17-23 woman out of classes usually 30 in size. My figure drawing class out of 33 had only three males. Moreover, I thought the portfolio reviews for Thesis and grad exhi. definately had more females. So again, I wouldn’t trust that source, at least it’s not what I saw. I’ll email some friends i have at other schools.

Denny Greenway January 18, 2008 at 3:01 am

Okay, so I’m a little ADHD and stoned and your last quote is rather lengthy, thus tortuous w/ a ‘because’ followed by ‘but because’. Pardonnez moi. Could u cite a specific museum where we can grasp “The assumption that change often meets strong opposition within museums.”? Giving an example of ‘unconscious behavior’ would help. I worked at a fairly upscale museum in the sunny south, beaucoup dollar, where change was the norm and diversity at all costs; I also worked at an academic midwestern university museum where strong opp. to change was the norm. Moreover, at each, almost the whole staff, except Security, was female. Security was gay males. I worked as a curator, moreover, and deaccessioning was the domain of registrars, so I can’t speak to fixing gender ratio’s via that.

Re: Brainstormers Report. Prima facie I wouldn’t bank too much on one report and I certainly would not treat anything from Jerry Saltz as incorruptible. What’s his source? SVA and Columbia? I know one person who worked at Village Voice w/ inside stuff and she did not trust him. I personally know he ‘appropriated’ someone else’s idea for gain, minus credit. When Jerry S. did the whitney a few years back, what was the head count for woman in the Bi?

I worked last year as a visiting artist at an art school and a large university and as far as the art departments go, they mirror the general trend toward more females on college campus’s than males. In fact, the university, when u add in Fibers, Ceramics, anime, viscom, not just the so-called traditional fine arts, the woman outnumbered. My 2D foundation courses and color class at the art school, looking at my roster, ran 17-23 woman out of classes usually 30 in size. My figure drawing class out of 33 had only three males. Moreover, I thought the portfolio reviews for Thesis and grad exhi. definately had more females. So again, I wouldn’t trust that source, at least it’s not what I saw. I’ll email some friends i have at other schools.

Denny Greenway January 17, 2008 at 10:01 pm

Okay, so I’m a little ADHD and stoned and your last quote is rather lengthy, thus tortuous w/ a ‘because’ followed by ‘but because’. Pardonnez moi. Could u cite a specific museum where we can grasp “The assumption that change often meets strong opposition within museums.”? Giving an example of ‘unconscious behavior’ would help. I worked at a fairly upscale museum in the sunny south, beaucoup dollar, where change was the norm and diversity at all costs; I also worked at an academic midwestern university museum where strong opp. to change was the norm. Moreover, at each, almost the whole staff, except Security, was female. Security was gay males. I worked as a curator, moreover, and deaccessioning was the domain of registrars, so I can’t speak to fixing gender ratio’s via that.

Re: Brainstormers Report. Prima facie I wouldn’t bank too much on one report and I certainly would not treat anything from Jerry Saltz as incorruptible. What’s his source? SVA and Columbia? I know one person who worked at Village Voice w/ inside stuff and she did not trust him. I personally know he ‘appropriated’ someone else’s idea for gain, minus credit. When Jerry S. did the whitney a few years back, what was the head count for woman in the Bi?

I worked last year as a visiting artist at an art school and a large university and as far as the art departments go, they mirror the general trend toward more females on college campus’s than males. In fact, the university, when u add in Fibers, Ceramics, anime, viscom, not just the so-called traditional fine arts, the woman outnumbered. My 2D foundation courses and color class at the art school, looking at my roster, ran 17-23 woman out of classes usually 30 in size. My figure drawing class out of 33 had only three males. Moreover, I thought the portfolio reviews for Thesis and grad exhi. definately had more females. So again, I wouldn’t trust that source, at least it’s not what I saw. I’ll email some friends i have at other schools.

Art Fag City January 18, 2008 at 4:13 am

Denny, I’m sorry we don’t see eye to eye on this. Your professional museum experience and time as an undergraduate, while potentially unique, isn’t really pertinent to my article. I’m writing from a context-specific platform (a New York culture rag, in short column form, with a very limited word count) and I’m not interested in number crunching, gay security guards, and (what you imply is an oppressive) all female museum staff. Isn’t it funny, though, that while there certainly are more women getting professional art training than men, the artists who make a living selling work through galleries are still overwhelmingly male? As to the museums, the directors at the New York ones I write about are still largely male (Klaus at PS1, Glenn Lowry + Dave Little + et al at MoMA, recently departed Philippe de Montebello at the Met, blah blah blah). If you want specific examples of unconscious behavior, please read the column. They are all there.

Your attacks seem personal, and I’m not going to spend any more energy skirmishing with you here.

Art Fag City January 18, 2008 at 4:13 am

Denny, I’m sorry we don’t see eye to eye on this. Your professional museum experience and time as an undergraduate, while potentially unique, isn’t really pertinent to my article. I’m writing from a context-specific platform (a New York culture rag, in short column form, with a very limited word count) and I’m not interested in number crunching, gay security guards, and (what you imply is an oppressive) all female museum staff. Isn’t it funny, though, that while there certainly are more women getting professional art training than men, the artists who make a living selling work through galleries are still overwhelmingly male? As to the museums, the directors at the New York ones I write about are still largely male (Klaus at PS1, Glenn Lowry + Dave Little + et al at MoMA, recently departed Philippe de Montebello at the Met, blah blah blah). If you want specific examples of unconscious behavior, please read the column. They are all there.

Your attacks seem personal, and I’m not going to spend any more energy skirmishing with you here.

Art Fag City January 18, 2008 at 4:13 am

Denny, I’m sorry we don’t see eye to eye on this. Your professional museum experience and time as an undergraduate, while potentially unique, isn’t really pertinent to my article. I’m writing from a context-specific platform (a New York culture rag, in short column form, with a very limited word count) and I’m not interested in number crunching, gay security guards, and (what you imply is an oppressive) all female museum staff. Isn’t it funny, though, that while there certainly are more women getting professional art training than men, the artists who make a living selling work through galleries are still overwhelmingly male? As to the museums, the directors at the New York ones I write about are still largely male (Klaus at PS1, Glenn Lowry + Dave Little + et al at MoMA, recently departed Philippe de Montebello at the Met, blah blah blah). If you want specific examples of unconscious behavior, please read the column. They are all there.

Your attacks seem personal, and I’m not going to spend any more energy skirmishing with you here.

Art Fag City January 18, 2008 at 4:13 am

Denny, I’m sorry we don’t see eye to eye on this. Your professional museum experience and time as an undergraduate, while potentially unique, isn’t really pertinent to my article. I’m writing from a context-specific platform (a New York culture rag, in short column form, with a very limited word count) and I’m not interested in number crunching, gay security guards, and (what you imply is an oppressive) all female museum staff. Isn’t it funny, though, that while there certainly are more women getting professional art training than men, the artists who make a living selling work through galleries are still overwhelmingly male? As to the museums, the directors at the New York ones I write about are still largely male (Klaus at PS1, Glenn Lowry + Dave Little + et al at MoMA, recently departed Philippe de Montebello at the Met, blah blah blah). If you want specific examples of unconscious behavior, please read the column. They are all there.

Your attacks seem personal, and I’m not going to spend any more energy skirmishing with you here.

Art Fag City January 18, 2008 at 4:13 am

Denny, I’m sorry we don’t see eye to eye on this. Your professional museum experience and time as an undergraduate, while potentially unique, isn’t really pertinent to my article. I’m writing from a context-specific platform (a New York culture rag, in short column form, with a very limited word count) and I’m not interested in number crunching, gay security guards, and (what you imply is an oppressive) all female museum staff. Isn’t it funny, though, that while there certainly are more women getting professional art training than men, the artists who make a living selling work through galleries are still overwhelmingly male? As to the museums, the directors at the New York ones I write about are still largely male (Klaus at PS1, Glenn Lowry + Dave Little + et al at MoMA, recently departed Philippe de Montebello at the Met, blah blah blah). If you want specific examples of unconscious behavior, please read the column. They are all there.

Your attacks seem personal, and I’m not going to spend any more energy skirmishing with you here.

Art Fag City January 17, 2008 at 11:13 pm

Denny, I’m sorry we don’t see eye to eye on this. Your professional museum experience and time as an undergraduate, while potentially unique, isn’t really pertinent to my article. I’m writing from a context-specific platform (a New York culture rag, in short column form, with a very limited word count) and I’m not interested in number crunching, gay security guards, and (what you imply is an oppressive) all female museum staff. Isn’t it funny, though, that while there certainly are more women getting professional art training than men, the artists who make a living selling work through galleries are still overwhelmingly male? As to the museums, the directors at the New York ones I write about are still largely male (Klaus at PS1, Glenn Lowry + Dave Little + et al at MoMA, recently departed Philippe de Montebello at the Met, blah blah blah). If you want specific examples of unconscious behavior, please read the column. They are all there.

Your attacks seem personal, and I’m not going to spend any more energy skirmishing with you here.

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