Josh Azzarella’s most ambitious work to date. In progress for 2 years, the artist removes all figures from Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller music video.
I love what he says about contemporary “elites,” but in general I would add three things for clarification:
- that art is also about experimentations, which sometimes fails. So those chipmunks with Star Wars figurines might be necessary to ensure that playfulness;
- the main thing that makes Flickr unattractive is that it is dominated by ad-educated aesthetic, by which I mean, sleek, surface-based, and impressionable with little beyond that point. That’s not to say that much of the “art” being produced today isn’t informed by that aesthetic, just that most of the best art gives you more than just that; and
- I am an art critic in NY and I use Flickr ALL THE TIME, if I find something interesting, I write about it, like this or this.
Chipmunks are very cute. And I do dislike a lot about how art is often presented, because it can be incredibly pretentious and annoying. But to take photos of chipmunks with Star Wars figurines as an example of how to make art more accessible to “the majority of the public” (see the last paragraph; even though I need to add that I agree with most of what Jin writes before that)?
I don’t think that art is necessarily about haha effects and visual gags - even though, undoubtedly, a lot of it can be, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But a lot of art is about going beyond haha effects and visual gags, and there is a reason why art made in the past and still admired today is not just a collection of visual jokes (of course, there are some exceptions). Part of that reason is that what we find funny depends very strongly on our cultural environment; and that environment changes very strongly with time (ancient Romans were amused by things which we often only find baffling). But older art admired today appeals to the same core inside us that it did appeal to in the past (this whole complex is a can of worms with tons of other points and exceptions).
Of course, pointing this out invites people coming up with the usual complaints that I am being “elitist”. But here’s the thing: Even if we accept the assertion that art can be elitist for a brief moment, it’s important to realize that it’s not an exclusive elite. It’s inclusive. Unlike in the case of monetary elites - where if you don’t have the dough, then you simply won’t ever be part of them - art is something that everybody can experience, and everybody can develop an appreciation for it. And yes, developing an appreciation is not a bad thing - just like an acquired taste isn’t a bad thing: Remember when you had your first sip of beer? Wasn’t that a truly disgusting taste?
Seen that way, the art “elite” it’s not really an elite the way we usually understand the word, since the idea of an “elite” is usually exclusive, as a group of people who shut themselves off from the rest and won’t let anybody in. That’s how it’s predominantly used in a political context, especially when conservative politicians - who usually represent monetary elites - rail against the arts: It’s a real elite (usually wealthy white men) railing against something that is actually not an elite at all.
The role of art is not necessarily to be entertaining; it’s much more interesting when it becomes transformative, when it does something to you, when, after being subjected to it, you’re a different person - regardless of whether you smiled or laughed about what you saw or not. That, I believe, is the true essence of art, and that’s something we should aim for.
The role of curators or critics is to point this out - that’s what they’re being paid for. Of course, there’s the lingo, the “art speak”, but it’s easy to ignore that (just don’t read the press releases).
So back to Flickr (and more or less the rest of Jin’s post), there are two major problems with the usual complaints about it not being taken seriously by the art world. First of all, it’s not true. There are lots of people who use the site to find “vernacular photography”, say, or to collect images and transform them (for example Penelope Umbrico; also Joachim Schmid, etc.). Second, one of the reasons why so many critics or curators don’t consider Flickr is simply because they are looking for something else.
AIDS-3D are Daniel Keller and Nik Kosmas. An interview with AIDS-3D will be posted on Hyperallergic on Monday the 26th.
A
ANY particulor reason your taking this survey?
Artie Vierkant told me to
ARE you at school, work, or home?
home
AGE at which you 1st drank alcohol?
At my bris
B
BOUGHT anything from Spencer’s?
nope
BRAVEST person you know?
Helga Wretman
BLONDES or Brunettes?
Brunettes for me Blondes for Nik
C
CRAPPIEST band?
The Smiths
CAN your dad beat you in a race?
mmmmm probably not
COULD you bungee jump?
no
D
DRAWING or painting?
I can only trace
DOES your bedroom need cleaning?
A little bit
DO the drapes match the curtains?
Is this innuendo?
E
EVER swear at your parents?
Yes.
EARN enough to pay the bills?
Only very recently
EXORCIST or SAW movies?
Exorcist
F
FLOWERS or chocolate?
chocolate
FUNNEL cake or Elephant Ears?
Elephant Ears
FIRED from a job?
Yes, I’m very bad at food preperation.
G
GIVING or receiving gifts?
receiving!
GOING to the movies or a play?
MOVIES
GONE to the bathroom this hour?
yes
H
HAVING or adopting a baby?
having
HORSES or cows?
To eat, cows.
HEAVY or light-weight drinker?
Light weight
I
IS Michael Jackson in heaven?
Michael Jackson is the Virgin Prince of Sirius, and thats where he is.
INSIDE or outside?
Outside with an iphone
INSTANT or regular coffee?
regular
J
JORDAN or Tiger Woods?
MJ!
JETTA or Saab?
Saab
JULY 4th or St. Patrick’s Day?
July 4
K
KOOL-AID or Crystal Lite?
Kool-aids
KANGAROO or Camel?
Camel
KETCHUP or mustard?
Dijon
L
LIGHTS on or off during sex?
Mood-lights
LOTTERY scratch offs or Power Ball?
Scratch offs
LIQUOR or beer?
Liquor
M
MONTH of choice?
June
MEAL you cook best?
Risotto
MISS the most:
dead pets
N
NEVER would I:
do heroin
NIGHT owl or early bird?
Night Owl, but trying to change this.
NOTE to self:
GET A GERMAN VISA!!!!
O
OPEN your own jars?
yes
OFFER to help old people?
when its not too inconvenient
ONLY in America:
FREE REFILLS, SLAM DUNK, TALK TO THE HAND, DON’T GO THERE!
P
PERSCRIPTIONS you have now or in the past?
Asthma medicine
PAPER or plastic?
Paper
PRETTY Woman or Sixteen Candles?
Pretty Woman
Q
QDOBA or Chipotle?
Fired from QDOBA when i was 16, but really the ingredients are super fresh there.
QUIT my job for:
Did not want to move to Omaha Nebraska for corporate training
QUANTITY or quality?
lots of quality
R
ROADTRIP or flying?
business class
RESPONSE to a sneeze?
Gesundheit!
RIGHT or left handed?
Right
S
SIT or stand all day?
SIT
SMELL you hate?
rotting flesh
SUSHI of choice?
Unagi/shitake/asparagus
T
THANK goodness it’s:
not the winter yet
TELL me your middle name?
ADEN
TODAY is:
Tuesday
U
UNDER my bed is:
dust
UNDERWARE brand?
American Apparel
USUALLY I sing:
Michael Jackson
V
VITAMINS you take?
Omega 3
VERY much like?
Teen Porn
VACCINES I’ve had:
all the best ones
W
WITHDRAWS from:
Berliner Sparkasse
WEAPONS I own?
BRAIN
WAFFLES or pancakes?
Waffles
X
X-RAY you’ve had?
Chest/Teeth
X-LOVER’s Name?
Siri
X-TRA toppings of:
Spinach
Y
YEAR you were born?
1986
YARD sale or goodwill?
Value Village in Detroit
YELLOW or green?
Hunter Green
Z
ZOO you’ve been to?
Bronx/San Diego= best
ZACK Morris or Slater?
dont know them
ZITS are:
Still happening
