Art Fag City at The L Magazine: The Rise of Online Galleries

by Paddy Johnson on July 1, 2010 · 22 comments The L Magazine

Image lifted from The Pent House Gallery tumblr

This week at The L Magazine I talk about new artist run galleries with a heavy online presence. The teaser below.

Over the last year, a growing new online artist community has arisen, dubbed by member Brad Troemel as “Dual Sites.” This consists of artist-run galleries typically formed by fresh art school graduates who also run online galleries on tumblr blogs. They are located all over the globe (though the density is greatest in the United States) and are particularly popular with art students.

“Our appreciation of a resume is largely made up of recognizing accomplishments [in the form of events, exhibitions and curating] that we did not attend,” writes Troemel in his essay, “The Emergence of Dual Sites,” for the popular tumblr, The Jogging (which he co-authors). “Facebook invitations to Dual Sites’ shows are a telling part of their existence. Most of those invited to attend are not actually asked to visit, but to recognize the existence of an event—to believe it took place, and in doing so, value the exemplified support for the artists shown.”

This validation structure is significantly different from that of a gallery in which owners work to place art in important museums and collections as a means of increasing its value. In the case of Dual Sites, value is largely assigned by social capital garnered within the internet-art community, though the degree to which this occurs differs from place to place.

To read the full piece click here.

{ 22 comments }

tom moody July 1, 2010 at 3:36 pm

Am posting this to test the comment system.

tom moody July 1, 2010 at 11:36 am

Am posting this to test the comment system.

gaytown USA July 1, 2010 at 7:18 pm

Most online gallerists are straight white men = Paddy’s version of “most bloggers are men”

gaytown USA July 1, 2010 at 11:18 pm

Most online gallerists are straight white men = Paddy’s version of “most bloggers are men”

Rebecca July 2, 2010 at 1:06 am

Julian at Jericho Ditch is about as black as it gets.

Art Fag City July 2, 2010 at 2:40 am

I’ve changed the comment section so that anonymous commenting will no longer be accepted. For the record, I’ve never said most bloggers are men. In fact, they are not. Also, even with the noted exceptions, the point still stands. Diversity is not a defining characteristic of this crowd’s participants.

GT USA July 2, 2010 at 10:36 am

I’m not claiming that you said most bloggers are men. I was referencing a post you made from a few months back in which you criticized a journalist (whose name escapes me) for making the generalization that most bloggers are men.

Art Fag City July 2, 2010 at 11:04 am

I’ve approved your comments for now since you’re points are good, but as a word of warning: others will not approved without a full name. I should mention though, that I don’t think it’s a very fair comparison to compare a entire article around a false assumption disproved by a google search, and a single sentence with a factual inaccuracy, with a larger point that even the members I spoke to, acknowledged was an issue.

Rebecca July 1, 2010 at 9:06 pm

Julian at Jericho Ditch is about as black as it gets.

Art Fag City July 1, 2010 at 10:40 pm

I’ve changed the comment section so that anonymous commenting will no longer be accepted. For the record, I’ve never said most bloggers are men. In fact, they are not. Also, even with the noted exceptions, the point still stands. Diversity is not a defining characteristic of this crowd’s participants.

GT USA July 2, 2010 at 6:36 am

I’m not claiming that you said most bloggers are men. I was referencing a post you made from a few months back in which you criticized a journalist (whose name escapes me) for making the generalization that most bloggers are men.

Art Fag City July 2, 2010 at 7:04 am

I’ve approved your comments for now since you’re points are good, but as a word of warning: others will not approved without a full name. I should mention though, that I don’t think it’s a very fair comparison to compare a entire article around a false assumption disproved by a google search, and a single sentence with a factual inaccuracy, with a larger point that even the members I spoke to, acknowledged was an issue.

Rebecca Martinez. July 2, 2010 at 9:05 pm

“Like many of these galleries, the founders are all straight white men”.

Art Fag City July 5, 2010 at 3:43 am

That particular sentence referred to Reference Gallery and when GT pointed out this was inaccurate because one of the members is gay the point was granted. If you want to make the argument that this statement is wholly inaccurate, simply provide a full list of dual sites, who runs them, their sexual orientation and their gender. Reposting a sentence I wrote in the feature is not an argument.

Rebecca Martinez. July 2, 2010 at 5:05 pm

“Like many of these galleries, the founders are all straight white men”.

Art Fag City July 4, 2010 at 11:43 pm

That particular sentence referred to Reference Gallery and when GT pointed out this was inaccurate because one of the members is gay the point was granted. If you want to make the argument that this statement is wholly inaccurate, simply provide a full list of dual sites, who runs them, their sexual orientation and their gender. Reposting a sentence I wrote in the feature is not an argument.

Jason July 6, 2010 at 1:21 pm

It seems like Brad Tromel is the only one with his name attached to this collection of work…and it looks like he is profiting from it even if there’s no money yet. His signature is all over this website.

Jason July 6, 2010 at 9:21 am

It seems like Brad Tromel is the only one with his name attached to this collection of work…and it looks like he is profiting from it even if there’s no money yet. His signature is all over this website.

R July 7, 2010 at 4:39 am

Immaterial art is less commercial and Brad Troemel is well read so F craft.

R July 7, 2010 at 12:39 am

Immaterial art is less commercial and Brad Troemel is well read so F craft.

K.I.A. July 7, 2010 at 10:24 pm

anywhoo, didja see that yer on the radar of Huffington Post? Arts section, blogwatch… congrats… yes? no? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/07/art-fag-city-at-the-l-mag_n_638024.html

K.I.A. July 7, 2010 at 6:24 pm

anywhoo, didja see that yer on the radar of Huffington Post? Arts section, blogwatch… congrats… yes? no? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/07/art-fag-city-at-the-l-mag_n_638024.html

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