The New Face of Art in General

by Art Fag City on September 27, 2007 · 8 comments

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Christine Catsifas, Outland, Adhesive Vinyl, Photo AFC

A virtual silent jungle awaits gallery goers who wish to pee in the Art in General bathrooms this month, an experience sure to inspire long lines once people get wind of it.  Apparently the impressive aspect of this work shows up in the methods of image rendering; in this case game software creates “fantasy within the ordinary.”   Such attribution makes it hard to know which aspect to dislike more: the fact that video games have enough art world cache that merely evoking the name can lend legitimacy to an art work, or that viewers are being asked to contemplate rec-room wallpaper as art.  Either way, the piece isn’t winning any points with us.

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Judi Werthein, Corporate Logo, Installation view, Photo AFC 

Add to that no point list everything else on display at Art in General.  Judi Werthein’s Corporate Logo uses a rug to “transform” the exhibition space into a corporate lobby.  If ever there was a piece that said “this carpet cost the exact amount of my grant”, this would be it; minus two plinths, it’s the only object in the space.  Granted the rug looks good, if dated, but it certainly isn’t enough to hold a room together.  I kept wishing for some bad corporate art, and a flat screen set to a 24 hour news station.  At least then the piece would have looked like a little research had been invested. UPDATE: In light of a considered post by Tom Moody and offline conversation with b., I have come to the conclusion I was unfairly harsh on this piece. The installation still fails to move me greatly, but given that it was never the artists intention to make a pointed comment on corporate America, but rather the “corporatization of culture”, it’s pointless to ask for a more accurate representation of a lobby.

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The Art in General splash page.  Screengrab AFC 

Notably, the TV (I no longer advocate) would have also represented the only functioning objects in the gallery.  Both the toilets and the computer provided in the archive room weren’t working.  Had I been able to find the wireless connection, I would have been able to peruse the newly designed Art in General website – a project I assumed fell under the umbrella of Werthein’s Corporate Logo.  A gallery assistant informed me yesterday though that the new United Colors of Benetton meets Art in General website was in fact permanent  and only Werthein’s logo will be replaced.   Too bad.  As a farcical statement on corporate identity on the web the site wouldn’t be a bad piece, as a serious branding effort, the non-profit has more than few problems to address.

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  • http://tommoody.us tom moody

    I haven’t seen the Werthein piece in person so I can’t gauge the effect of getting my off my ass to see it and being more delighted or disappointed than you were. From your photo it looks like she made her point concisely and with formal ducks in a row. Based on the photo alone, I was surprised that an “institutional critique” piece like this still had the ability to make me say, “right on.” This could be the gallery space of the future, once silly notions like “autonomy” and “neutrality” are thoroughly disposed of. I see this as only one step removed from your photo of the Borg-like cube farm at Art Basel Miami a few months back.

  • http://tommoody.us tom moody

    I haven’t seen the Werthein piece in person so I can’t gauge the effect of getting my off my ass to see it and being more delighted or disappointed than you were. From your photo it looks like she made her point concisely and with formal ducks in a row. Based on the photo alone, I was surprised that an “institutional critique” piece like this still had the ability to make me say, “right on.” This could be the gallery space of the future, once silly notions like “autonomy” and “neutrality” are thoroughly disposed of. I see this as only one step removed from your photo of the Borg-like cube farm at Art Basel Miami a few months back.

  • Art Fag City

    God, I hadn’t thought of the art fair connection, but that’s spot on. In that light, the plinthes which had initally bothered me for their awkwardness seem much more intentional.

  • Art Fag City

    God, I hadn’t thought of the art fair connection, but that’s spot on. In that light, the plinthes which had initally bothered me for their awkwardness seem much more intentional.

  • http://deborahfisher.blogspot.com/ Deborah Fisher

    I dunno… I didn’t like the rug, and while I see why you no longer advocate a representation of a corporate lobby, I also sympathize with your urge to suggest it.

    You wanted something to happen, perhaps?

    JMHO, the idea was fully realized as a writen proposal. There was no real reason to go ahead and install the rug because the rug didn’t “transform” anything.

    Spot-on critique of AIG’s program… it’s long focused on art that sounds good on their grant applications.

  • http://deborahfisher.blogspot.com/ Deborah Fisher

    I dunno… I didn’t like the rug, and while I see why you no longer advocate a representation of a corporate lobby, I also sympathize with your urge to suggest it.

    You wanted something to happen, perhaps?

    JMHO, the idea was fully realized as a writen proposal. There was no real reason to go ahead and install the rug because the rug didn’t “transform” anything.

    Spot-on critique of AIG’s program… it’s long focused on art that sounds good on their grant applications.

  • Art Fag City

    Hey Thanks Deborah! I actually feel like the picture looks much better than the piece, because it makes the room and the carpet look much more like an enclosed or completed space. It was a very awkward piece. I like thinking about the art fair connection because those spaces are very corporate, and though I don’t think Tom was suggesting the piece was speaking to that subject, I would reiterate that by saying it’s a point of interest that occurs even though it may not actually be there.

  • Art Fag City

    Hey Thanks Deborah! I actually feel like the picture looks much better than the piece, because it makes the room and the carpet look much more like an enclosed or completed space. It was a very awkward piece. I like thinking about the art fair connection because those spaces are very corporate, and though I don’t think Tom was suggesting the piece was speaking to that subject, I would reiterate that by saying it’s a point of interest that occurs even though it may not actually be there.

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