Earlier this week, Benjamin Genocchio posted “25 Ways to Change the Art World (for the Better)” on artnet News. While the list had some great suggestions, such as “Museums should devote more solo shows to female artists” or “Massively increase National Endowment for the Arts funding for artists”, many of the proposals seemed inexplicable or eye-roll inducing.
In fact, the average reader probably lacks the full range of incredulous facial expressions necessary to adequately convey their disbelief and/or irritation. To that end, I’ve delved into my collection of found GIFs of actress, activist, and art enthusiast Gillian Anderson—mistress of mysteries and skilled thespian who can communicate the broadest range of precise skepticisms with the subtlist of side-eyes.
The most aggravating suggestions seem to stem from the belief that the art world should not personally inconvenience Genocchio by existing anywhere outside of Manhattan, exemplified by the request: “Move ArtPrize from Grand Rapids to New York where artists actually live and work.” …which seems to ignore the fact that ArtPrize is predicated on empty spaces and economic conditions that New York simply doesn’t have. Let’s not even get into the fact that millions of artists do in fact live and work outside of New York, and we’re totally entitled to have our own damn events.
(Coincidentally, Gillian Anderson credits an adolescent move to Grand Rapids as the event that triggered her bad-ass punk phase.)
What is the appropriate face to make after reading “Ditch the Euro. The dollar is just a little bit more, and we buy all the art anyway“?
Or the clearly fun-hating imperative “Cancel Art Basel in Miami Beach—it is has [sic] become a degrading event for art and artists. Stop the madness!”?
And to the deliberately incendiary “Take the Canadian art scene less seriously—anything good comes here, eventually.”
We say:
In essence, reading that list of bizarre and/or ill-informed art world suggestions might wear out your facial muscles from eye-rolls. So spare yourself, and just appreciate this entire page dedicated to the queen of side-eye, exasperated sighs, and incredulous eyebrow raising—Gillian Anderson:
But maybe some terrible ideas, like “Public bathrooms in Chelsea” we can get behind:
Can you even imagine what public bathrooms in Chelsea would look like after about 3 hours of being public? Do you know what would happen in public bathrooms in Chelsea? Who knows? Actually, all the “networking” that would transpire might inject some fresh blood (or other bodily fluids) into the art world. Maybe this suggestion isn’t so bad after all.
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