Monkdogz Artblog

The team who man the reception desk at Paul Kasmin gallery on 10th avenue in New York are unusual in Chelsea.  They’re knowledgeable about their exhibition, the artists and the individual works.  They’re also up to date with what other galleries are showing.  Most gratifying is that they offer intelligent insight and educated personal opinions about the art world.

So I was very surprised to come across a receptionist at one of my other favorite galleries, who answered my question about how she felt the mood of Chelsea was changing with “I don’t know things like that.  I’m just a receptionist”.  This was after having looked down her nose at me when I asked if the works had sold.  Ignorance married to arrogance is a lethal combination! 

However what was even worse was the large gallery which was staffed by obviously a senior member of the the gallery who couldn’t be bothered to look at me while he tried to persuade me that all galleries scheduled at the same time.  Stupidity, arrogance and bad manners combined is quite scary and then when you top it off with  “The Emperor’s New Clothes” type exhibition as well, all I can do is shake my head in wonder!

Thank-you to Rembrandt for highlighting this interesting and rare interview of an influential man in the art world.  If you want to find out what Charles Saatchi is yawning about, it’s a good read from The Times in the UK.

Max Planck (1858-1947) was a German physicist, best known as the founder of quantum physics.  He won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1918.    He said something about science that I think is very appropriate to the art world. 

“ A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because itopponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.”

Perhaps this is what happens with new art.  Perhaps that is why the major names in art today are still people who were discovered around 40 years ago.

A couple attending an art exhibition at the National Gallery was staring at a portrait that had them completely confused. The painting depicted three very black and totally naked men sitting on a park bench.

Two of the figures had black weenies, but the one in the middle had a pink weenie.

The curator of the gallery realized that they were having trouble interpreting the painting and offered his assessment. He went on for nearly half an hour explaining how it depicted the sexual emasculation of African-Americans in a predominately white, patriarchal society. “In fact”, he pointed out, “some serious critics believe that the pink weenie also reflects the cultural and sociological oppression experienced by gay men in contemporary society.”

After the curator left, a young man in a Kentucky T-shirt approached the couple and said, “would you like to know what the painting is really about?”

“Now why would you claim to be more of an expert than the curator of the gallery?” asked the couple.  “Because I’m the guy who painted it”, he replied.  “In fact, there are no African-Americans depicted at all.

They’re just three Kentucky coal miners, and the guy in the middle went home for lunch.”

(courtesy of  a very clever friend DS – GD)