Karl P. Platt on tue 16 sep 97
Nefsigh@aol.com wrote:
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> Sorry you feel that way- but SOFA serves a necessary function-
> providing a
> forum for selling, exhibiting and discussing art- If that's P.T.
> Barnum to
> you, what then does a university do?
The purposes of a University/College (in theory) have nothing to do with
peddling goods, which is not to say that there aren't those out there
looking for suckers. This is another discussion -- which crops up here
from time to time.
> What do the ACC Craft fairs do?
Peddle goods (objects of decorative art) in an unabashed and well
organized forum for doing so -- some might say, however, that it's an
elitist and/or incestuous affair, but that's another discussion. SOFA,
on the other hand, is explicitly elitist, real incestuous, but
apparently open to almost any entity which can pay the rent to occupy
space at the hotel on the designated days. To their credit, they also
open their doors to anyone who can pay the entrance fee.
> What are the primary purposes of museums of CONTEMPORARY art?
The answer to this seems to be well implied in the term you saw fit to
shout above. I'm not sure what's being driven at here.
> - Sounds a bit like sour grapes to me- if you'd like to discuss
> further, please feel free-
Sour grapes? Nah....I've never made anything which could be sold in such
a place. Nor would I take a lot of pride in doing so. See, my motives
for being in this are much different than you might suspect. I do
however, believe it is fair to call a spade a spade.
I basically asked what is the functional difference between the SOFA,
the Oakland Swap Meet, the New York Gift Show or any of the (many)
"shows" they hold at the 225 Building in Manhattan -- where I have been
involved in making goods for sale and was pleased to obtain 6 figure
results. The answer is none. They all exist to peddle goods -- whether
these be used AC motors, Disney tumblers or morsels of ID.
Where the differences lie are in the hokey pseudo-intellectual trappings
the SOFA-ists seem obliged to become mired in to fight for sales.
Really, if you need to lay out a long-winded expository about what the
work in question is or isn't, this only says that the work was never
lucid in the first place -- cases where the artist's statement more
nearly verges on art than the stuff it describes.
> I know SOFA well- I not only like the show, but I'm represented by my
> galleries there,
> and.. gosh- I also own a significant part of Expressions of Culture-
> producers of the show-
I see.... You have vested (financial) interests shading the opinions
expressed. Why didn't you say so at the beginning.
> hope all goes well for you,.
>
Not to worry. People making art here aren't doing it for the money.
I should also mention that I've seen some wonderful and wholly lucid
expressive work at the SOFA mixed in with the spooge.
| |
|
