Leunig, lunatics and lumber yards

This sort of illustrates the point i made in my last post. (I think I was making a point...?) ah Leunig, where would the world be without you? But is he suggesting that galleries should always look like galleries? Why shouldnt they resemble lunatic asylums or the circus sometimes?

Example: Rearview gallery, Collingwood, has been turned into some type of organic, makeshift backyard tool shed / shearing shed / cubby house... whatever it is, its cool. spaces within a space. (and a hanging basket too, aww)  all the while on a big screen skype connection with artland gallery in vancouver where they are building stuff too! check out the blog @ http://woodbutchers.tumblr.com. and it was cool to help out with a bunch o' peeps as well. Nice work Kate and Maryline.

P.S. Went to Albert St, Richmond today where there is 9 (count em 9!) galleries in a city block. brilliant. does that happen in any other city in the world?...

profit/loss >< nonprofit/gain?

established

okay, this money vs art argument is not a new one, and its not going to go away soon. Im going to raise a few random points and move on (to safer ground?).

emerging

The question is
really about:
emerging vs established artist -
apparently the only difference is
officially about 5
years continuous
practice - but truthfully, emerging
artists are generally younger and wash less often while if youre established you might wear nicer clothes and some funky glasses... also the free wine is better at openings, no cheap-arse chips and dip from Coles but cheese... a selection of, no less!

Want more cynicism? okay, the former seem to be socialists while the latter are capitalists. hmm.. revolution anyone?

But seriously (I was serious though) what is an emerging artist to do, apart from spending their hard-earned beer-coupons on trying to get their art 'out there' ?

• Have better wine and cheese at your opening? - (im being sarcastic) or perhaps get out of the gallery???
• found objects? - very Duchamp but those capitalists arent gonna buy it
• wealthy benefactor? - thatd be nice, but benefactors have agendas
• government grant? - I find this hard to justify when homeless people are homeless (still gonna apply for one though) A good govt knows that the sign of a healthy society is the quality of its art, nevermind that many of its creators are living on centrelink and week-old pizza.
• Performance-based? time-based? experiential? - if ya wanna
• Start an ARI? - call the govt first.

• just deal with it, love doing what youre doing and get involved, Reckon thats the answer...

Okay look, this argument is full of holes ie the whole free wine and cheese thing... i know but im not gonna say no. and do socialists really just wanna be capitalists? I dunno. i just ask the questions.

Market Stalls and Morgues...

Fact: You need money to make visual art. Belief: Art should be free to see/view/hear/engage with.

Now of course, the above views dont match and consequently art is often prohibitively expensive to buy. As such (and not for this reason alone) the white cube of the gallery can be a contradictory and confusing space (see the article 'White Cube; I love you but youre bringing me down' in Febs Trouble mag or here: http://www.introuble.com.au/www2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=264&Itemid=65


This contradiction is seen in the public ('free') vs commercial ($$) gallery situation. Ive seen public galleries that look like market stalls. EG I wear my heart on my tee @ Town hall gallery, Hawthorn, as well as others. (they need to make money, I suppose) and Im a huge fan of a rockin Tshirt so go for it I say. These profit based exhibitions in publc galleries arent a bad thing - whatever works - but im sure many purists would be rolling in their felt-lined coffins.

And what about that big institution that is devoted to displaying great art for free! for everyone! but then charges over 20 bucks for us to have a peek at visiting shows (but i wouldve paid 50 for Ron Mueck - genius!) ...and of course dont forget to exit through the gift shop!


And who hasnt seen a commercial gallery that looks like morgue? This does concern me. When did art get so boring? I can understand that this could be off-putting to the casual observer - not to mention the $1000+ price tags. (maybe im just jealous). I guess its up to everyone to shake things up a bit (that goes for me too). Art needs to get out of the 'non-space' of the white cube and in some faces. Then again, this IS happening slowly which is great but you know what? some stuff can stay in the morgues (and remember, you can get into the morgue for free too...)

... and Moshpit Tragedies

ah, tis a strange sweaty beast the moshpit, and in the shakespearien sense, some tragedies are inevitable. boots in the head, faces squashed into sweaty backs, injuries, et cetera...

yes the bogan within dragged me along to soundwave 2011 (too old for that moshing malarky though) but interesting to see, out of 10 000 punters, about 9 000 micro-sub-genres of punk, hardcore, thrash/trash/speed/death/black/whatever-core even glam rock... (and whatever genre Primus is, still unsure.) where do these people come from? but there must be some psychological necessity that the 'pit fills in young men (predominately), culminating in a tribal-esque, trance-like state almost.

so i reminisced about all my moshpit tragedies (stupidities?) ...

MPT #1 Ammonia, 1995 - yes along time ago and fittingly i had long hair. landing on my back amongst stomping boots, some helpful gent decided to help me up, yanking on my arms while having both feet planted firmly on said hair. yank, yank, ow i said quietly to myself. lesson learned.

MPT #2 Green Day, 1997 - again a long time ago. with both shoes coming off repeatedly and my teenage refusal to tie my shoelaces, I took them off and threw them over the barrier, on to the massive pile of shoes (?!). afterwards, i collected both shoes (of corresponding make and model, I assure you) with some difficulty, but not until exiting the grounds did I realise I had two left shoes! lesson learned.

MPT #3 Beck, 2001 - finding a spot up the front amongst the throng awaiting the arrival of his beckness, I thought Id go one better than the seething masses, outsmarting them all! (insert evil laugh) I feigned illness and got dragged over the barrier and - astoundingly - i didnt get to meet him or hang out side stage(?!) I got spat out the back of 10 000 people. hmm.

BUT ... Shine-on 2010, the previous days of driving rain and resulting ankle deep mud had sent most revellers retreating to the perceived comforts of suburbia. about 50 people gathered around the small stage for the last act as the sun finally poked through the clouds and a beautiful thing happened. a wrestling and dancing and diving and rolling mass of 20 or so peeps evolved from the puddle. mud was slung and clothes were flung. Brilliant! redeeming the disastrous festival and reinstalling my faith in humanity - or something like that.