[wwreview]A suicide note on the Occasion of 60 years of British Art at the Hayward from worldwidereview.com

Fri, 8 Sep 2006 12:48:09 +0100

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Suicide note to the British Art Establishment on the occasion of "How to =
improve  the world" 60 years of the Arts Council Collection at the =
Hayward
From:     Robert Shell
Category: Art
Date:     07 September 2006
Time:     08:29 AM
I kill myself because of the British Art Establishment.

=20

60 years of British Art disinterred from the Arts Council Collection and =
grimly entitled "How to Improve the World", like the ghastly =
double-speak of state power: Guantanamo protects freedom. Arbeit Macht =
Frei.

=20

The longest queue was for where they were serving sponsored pies. =
Starving graying YBAs crushing and trampling and gouging each other in a =
frantic effort to get their cannibal hands on some pastry containing the =
ground-up remains of failed artists and the gravy of their pathetic =
dreams.=20

=20

A man, a moustache, an adminstrator, and art bureaucrat, Sir Christoper =
Frayling, MBE, order of the garter etc, made some tedious remarks boomed =
out on speakers, while the crowd of notables and art school lecturers =
stood in

obsequious quietude. The new director, Mr Ralph Rugoff, modest in =
crumpled American academic garb, said some other boring nothing words, =
and the daring world- changing brilliant talents of shocking Art =
Britain, the world's greatest art superpower, stood around respectfully =
daringly waiting to get there hands on more free drinks and pies.=20

=20

This is it baby, the centre of it all. These people in all their =
thrilling diversity represent most of what is happening. Look a man in a =
dress! Look sour-faced old Nick Serota! Look a queue of people to get IN =
and a women with clipboards keeping uninvited scum rif-raff OUT.

=20

Look at this art: an Ian Davenport and Lucien Freud, a Hockney done at =
college, a Sarah Lucas and a tatty Damien Hirst, a Doig and Ophili, the =
painty double act, some people you haven't heard of, that guy Titchner =
who's up for the TP, Bob&Roberta Smith has made a funny sign out of bits =
of old wood, ha ha! A bucket by Craig-Martin.  This is the best. This is =
art. This will be remembered. If you're not here, you haven't made it. =
You're just a feeble art student. This great art is not that great, =
however, unfortunately, sorry to tell you. It stinks of mothballs and =
careers and compromise.

=20

Some of the artists have even brought their gallerists (did you know =
that gallerist is not even an official word), a fine bunch of coiffeured =
specimens, make sure you don't tread on their toes, and don't even speak =
to them, they don't like to be bothered by artists. Some gallerists have =
even bought their artists, and don't bother them either, they are busy =
talking to someone who might give them a grant or be on a committee that =
will buy their work, busy with sacred business.

=20

I kill myself because of the British Art Establishment.=20

=20

Because the only thing that matters is success (something I am =
economizing on) which is defined by success which is defined by success, =
which is what matters.

=20

Because a small group of mediocrities is pumped up by reviews, =
scholarships, prizes, attention, money, collectors, and galleries, while =
I watch flaccid. The whole system, art school, funding bodies, =
institutions, galleries etc is staffed by the dumbos, the asslickers, =
the turgid bores, the rabid self-promoters, the steel-hard nice guys, =
the cynical, the insanely determined. They fly ever higher, while I =
stunted, die.

Because these people define success, and I won't ask them for a favour. =
Because it's not a conspiracy, just a bunch of people doing what's best =
for themselves. Because when I was a child, I thought art was being a =
genius, like Picasso or Matisse, not ass-licking in the pub or going to =
the right party. Because those in charge are boring and I can't be =
friends with them.

=20

It's true that history is for winners, and I am a loser. Daring dreams, =
bold art, rebellion/revolution are slogans for knowing artists to turn =
into ironic posters, please stop taking them seriously.

=20

I kill myself because the British Art Establishment have established an =
aggressive culture of success based on a few bureaucrats, a few =
collectors, a few galleries, and a few artists that matter.=20

=20

Too few=20

for me.

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=20

Comment on this review click here=20

To read more reviews go to http://www.worldwidereview.com the world's =
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To unsubscribe either reply with your email address as the subject. Or =
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<H2>Suicide note to the British Art Establishment on the occasion of =
"How to=20
improve&nbsp; the world" 60 years of the Arts Council Collection at the=20
Hayward</H2><PRE>From: Robert =
Shell
Category: Art
Date: 07 September 2006
Time: 08:29 AM
</PRE></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">I kill myself because of the British Art=20
Establishment.<?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" =
/><o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">60 years of British Art disinterred from the =
Arts Council=20
Collection and grimly entitled "How to Improve the World", like the =
ghastly=20
double-speak of state power: Guantanamo protects freedom. Arbeit Macht=20
Frei.<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">The longest queue was for where they were =
serving=20
sponsored pies. Starving graying YBAs crushing and trampling and gouging =
each=20
other in a frantic effort to get their cannibal hands on some pastry =
containing=20
the ground-up remains of failed artists and the gravy of their pathetic =
dreams.=20
<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">A man, a moustache, an adminstrator, and art =
bureaucrat,=20
Sir Christoper Frayling, MBE, order of the garter etc, made some tedious =
remarks=20
boomed out on speakers, while the crowd of notables and art school =
lecturers=20
stood in
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">obsequious quietude. The new director, Mr Ralph =
Rugoff,=20
modest in crumpled American academic garb, said some other boring =
nothing words,=20
and the daring world- <FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">changing brilliant talents of shocking Art =
Britain, the=20
world's greatest art superpower, stood around <FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">respectfully daringly waiting to get there =
hands on more=20
free drinks and pies. <o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">This is it baby, the centre of it all. These =
people in=20
all their thrilling diversity represent most of what is happening. Look =
a man in=20
a dress! Look sour-faced old Nick Serota! Look a queue of people to get =
IN and a=20
women with clipboards keeping uninvited scum rif-raff=20
OUT.<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">Look at this art: an Ian Davenport and Lucien =
Freud, a=20
Hockney done at college, a Sarah Lucas and <FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">a tatty Damien Hirst, a Doig and Ophili, the =
painty=20
double act, some people you haven't heard of, that guy Titchner who's up =
for the=20
TP, Bob&amp;Roberta Smith has made a funny sign out of bits of old wood, =
ha ha!=20
A bucket by Craig-Martin.&nbsp; =
This is=20
the best. This is art. This will be remembered. If you're not here, you =
haven't=20
made it. You're just a feeble art student. This great art is not that =
great,=20
however, unfortunately, sorry to tell you. It stinks of mothballs and =
careers=20
and compromise.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">Some of the artists have even brought their =
gallerists=20
(did you know that gallerist is not even an official word), a fine bunch =
of=20
coiffeured specimens, make sure you don't tread on their toes, and don't =
even=20
speak to them, they don't like to be bothered by artists. Some =
gallerists have=20
even bought their artists, and don't bother them either, they are busy =
talking=20
to someone who might give them a grant or be on a committee that will =
buy their=20
work, busy with sacred business.<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">I kill myself because of the British Art =
Establishment.=20
<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">Because the only thing that matters is success =
(something=20
I am economizing on) which is defined by success which is defined by =
success,=20
which is what matters.<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">Because a small group of mediocrities is pumped =
up by=20
reviews, scholarships, prizes, attention, <FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">money, collectors, and galleries, while I watch =
flaccid.=20
The whole system, art school, funding bodies, institutions, galleries =
etc is=20
staffed by the dumbos, the asslickers, the turgid bores, the&nbsp;rabid=20
self-promoters, the steel-hard nice guys, the cynical, the insanely =
determined.=20
They fly ever higher, while I stunted, die.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><o:p></o:p>&nbsp;
Because these people define success, and I won't ask them for a =
favour.=20
Because it's not a conspiracy, just a bunch of people doing what's best =
for=20
themselves. Because when I was a child, I thought art was being a =
genius, like=20
Picasso or Matisse, not ass-licking in the pub or going to the right =
party.=20
Because those in charge are boring and I can't be friends with =
them.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">It's true that history is for winners, and I am =
a loser.=20
Daring dreams, bold art, rebellion/revolution are slogans for knowing =
artists to=20
turn into ironic posters, please stop taking them=20
seriously.<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
I kill myself because the British Art Establishment have =
established an=20
aggressive culture of success based on a few bureaucrats, a few =
collectors, a=20
few galleries, and a few artists that matter. 
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">Too few <o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>for me.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>&nbsp;
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>&nbsp;

<HR>

<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><FONT =

face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
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color=3D#800080>Comment on this review&nbsp;click here</FONT></A><FONT=20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT color=3D#008080>To read more =
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#008080><FONT size=3D1>To unsubscribe =
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href=3D"http://lists.worldwidereview.com/mailman/listinfo/wwreview"><FONT=
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