Exhibition Notes

Exhibition Notes

Three Modern Painters: 

Tom Lamprell

James Metsoja

 Benjamin Brett

A Show Of Recent Works.


The interchange of questions following the Reith Lectures offered up some nice moments - one of which was the revelation of Nicholas Serotas' collection of Cliff Richard memorabilia.

No doubt some are still believing it to be true...

The point of ellucidation being offered up was that of the necessity for our chief taste makers (Curators) to remain independent from the gallery and art dealer system for fear of having their integrity called in to question. Well, I just wanted to say up front: I'm curating this show - and I own at least something by each of the artists. I don't like Cliff Richard - just to be clear.

Hans Belting, returning to ?GP's's Reith Lecture - suggests that the idea of 'Art' dates to somewhere near the 14th century. GP talks about 'emotional memory' and more specifically, about Duchamp and the 'intellectual idea' that anything can now be art. He was pretty damning about intellectual art in general.

What was un-stated (and assumed) was that art was a thing or a process which leads to a thing. If art is all about the production of things and if anything can be art - questions such as: "Why isn't a formula one car a work of art"? or the olympic stadium..? etc. arise...

Well, they all are. Simple.

It might not be very good art - but art it is. Pierro Manzoni's upside down plinth suggesting that the whole world was his piece of art - sums up the notion that everything is art as well as anything.

GP talks about 'The narcism (or vanity in GP's terms) of small differences'. George Dickie: "Art is a candidate for contemplation". Arthur Danto: "An artwork is about something has a POV and uses rhetorical elipses. It needs an art historical context." - GP calls this 'institutional'.

He cites markers:

1. Is it in a gallery or art context? - Duchamp put urinal IN A GALLERY. ooo It turns out that putting a Ferrari in an art gallery would be a 'lame' work of art. Good test but only a start.

2. Is it a boring version of something else? Christian Marclay: The Clock'

3. Is it made by an artists?

4. Gombrich said: "No such thing as art only artists". Tilda Swinton in a glass box... This year T  S did it again.... Chris Burden did bed piece in 1972. Aborigine Art... spiritual maps - but are they art? Elizabeth Durach as Eddie Burap. - Outrage - she 'borrowed the power of the artist"

5. Photography - when is that art? I say always. (FB 'orphan images'....) GP sees it all as more problematic. Copyright - r we all equally entitled? Then there's the NY elevator test. Gursky's photos. 5/5 - one on private market.

6. Limited Edition Test... if endless possibilities - gives away its credentials.

7. Handbag and Hipster test - who's looking at it? Oligarchs wives? Horn rim glasses etc. A Queue?

( at this point i feel im along time waiting for some answers or conclusions)

8. Throw it on a rubbish dump - if folk know it's there - it's passed (no good - the art could be the dump).

9. The Computer Art test: Charlie Gear Lancashire Uni.: "It has the grip of porn without the possibility of a happy ending". To suspend us in ambivalence and make us pause and react.

- make a ven diagram and the bit in the middle will be art. - ?! mmmm - says Grayson.

Not formed by What art can be but WHERE WHO WHY...?

back to urinal in conclusion: it was handmade by a potter!!!!

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So, what of Lamprell, Metsoja and Brett? Well, nothing, obviously, which can be conveyed in words - just come SEE!

LM