Summary - Day of the locust

By Scott Redford

Redford opens the article by highlighting two key works of the 21^st Century: Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God and Chris Crocker’s You tube “Leave Britney Alone’ thus introducing his exploration of what he sees as the dilemma facing the contemporary art world – the question of discernment and populism. Redford then paints the backdrop of 21^st Century art and culture as overflowing with artists, art shows, art reviews and children’s exhibitions as never before. He examines critically a text by Benjamin H.D. Buchloch which goes even further and suggests that the situation is one where ‘locust swarms of international mediocrities claiming the status of ‘artist’ ‘ are emerging in great numbers leaving professional artists no choice but to find alternative ways to ‘shelter their work’ from the effects of digital electronic technology, globalization of capital and the power of the art market which has fulfilled Joseph Beuys prophecy that ‘everybody will become an artist’. Redford explores Buchloch’s text further as it laments ‘deskilling’: the supposed loss of power in contemporary art after modernism rejected traditional mimetic art practices. Redford explores how this opinion may be related to a sense of fear of change and a loss of ideologies.

Redford rejects these notions highlighting the fact that the vast majority of ‘new artists’ are from Asia and China – contributors to the Asia Pacific Triennial of which the APT 5 (2006/7) is the focus of the article. Redford points out that modernism’s dream was of a ‘universal language’ and that the use of everyday materials and low tech videos inviting audience participation in the modern museum especially that of kids changes the way that we see art. Redford pans across to the Andy Warhol exhibit and interactive children’s wall of shame showing concurrently with the APT(http://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/past/2007/andy_warhol/the_silver_factory_andy_warhol_for_kids) at the GOMA as confirmation of Warhol and subsequently the GOMA s sense of inclusion despite criticism of lack of discernment.

Redford suggests that Warhol’s ‘universal optimism ‘ and ‘inclusion’ was his weapon against ‘the avant-garde’s own conception of itself acting in autonomy from the outside world’ and suggests that these aspects are highlighted by the populism and accessibility of the new GOMA building enabling us to rethink 21^st C art. Redford then explores this populist concept of GOMA suggesting that the architecture and kids programs are a part of this yet that this, like Corey Delaney’s rise to fame, was partly by making things up as they went as well as having genuinely a ‘non-judgmental and group approach’. Redford makes suggestions for what future APT’s could exhibit such as how Asian artists and cultures do not have the Western concept of desiring to separate art from the market and instead embrace it such as Takashi Murakami. Redford concludes by saying that in his opinion he s all for ‘Warhol’s universal optimism and the public’s taste or lack of it’ linking to the beginning of the article and the question of discernment.

This article raises many questions and links such as the link between art and fame and the art market as well as 21^st century pleasure and consumption of art. I for one really enjoy taking a trip to GOMA with my son and the thought that everyone can be an artist and hope that my son enjoys it as much as I do and sees something or learns something that opens his eyes up to life, other people’s lives,experiences and new possibilities.