This Is What The 'real' Artists Are Up To

Good point, Dave. But, tell me, who is promoting such nonsense? Typically, it's the corporate structures who pretend to be "with-it," savvy to art trends, so they choose to display conceptual pieces, or non-provocative statements, which by design say nothing, but are promoted to "say it all." And the artist who comments on the world, on emotions of life--like the Expressionist Artist, is dismissed as unworthy, a malcontent to the insipid society that calls complacency home.

Dave,

I do not like the look of that boulder.

Just me perhaps.

Dave

Some artists have some pretty big boulders.

Yikes & ha ha ha. It is incredible how some people can do so much and not get recognized and the next person does not so much and gets lots of recognition (& money). I guess this is a prime example of work smarter not harder...along with his money maybe he should get a trophy. :)

It's not what you know, often...it's who you know

Some existential humor needed....

None of this is "real"...No art is "real" and no artist is "real"......Row row row your boat gently down the stream....merrily....merrily....merrily....Life is but a dream....

Lol Sharon.

"Solako, from Bulgaria, said his aim was to point fun at the restrictions imposed on him by galleries.

‘I couldn’t use anything flammable, it couldn’t be too heavy, it couldn’t be too high because it would cross the laser security beams,’ he said."


So if one facet of art is that it can push boundaries and thumb its nose at the system, then this certainly qualifies. Huge institution hires artist to create work and then imposes a bunch of rules on them, so he imposes a big granite rule right back. I think it's pretty great. You want art that conforms? Here, have a rock. I'll make your art when you conform to my specifications.

Solako is so behind the times. Andre four decades ago 1977 sold a bunch of boulders to the Hartford Wadsworth Atheneum for $300k.

The city of Hartford decided to add more boulders and rearrange them a decade later in an attempt to stop people walking on the grass.

I think inflation made adding boulders more expensive.

Dave

https://arslocii.wordpress.com/2011/08/

Andre gets more than a mention two paragraphs in....Now this article is about boulders.....

Dave

PS digital photoshopped boulders...yeah that's the ticket....

I don't think the fact that's it's a boulder is the point. It could have been anything. The point is, it's intentionally NOT art.

Cynthia,

I am not so sure of that. He sold a work of art to the museum. At least that is what he got paid for.

Is it the anti art? I guess so. Andre made similar claims. So old hat.

Dave

Could be a sign of management over managing themselves so once everyone gets paid why bother doing anything.....like congress!

Or there is more to this work that meets the eye. I saw a big dinosaur egg for example.

Yes someone laid an egg.

not signed for fear of this management.

Don't be too quick to judge, one should never take "real" art for granite.

They might have bought a rock, but once it gets enough press, they'll probally sell it for millions to a discerning "art" collector, and have the last laugh.

Greg,

Museums only collect, but they sell prints.........thinking..........still thinking.......


needed addition: And paperweights

Dave

The Myth of Sisyphus...pushing the rock - interesting metaphor for the European Union, don't you think LOL

Cheers, Barbara

Barbara,

The EU is a bit down on its luck right now. Some folks in the EU are just looking to kick the EU while it is down.
Those same simple minds will love the EU when it is up. The EU will outlive many generations of nay sayers.

Dave

David...read the plague on the rock... then read the Myth of Sisyphus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus

It makes perfect sense to me...

Cheers, Barbara

It says the artwork ‘will be installed at a specific moment in the future when we – all the employees of ECB – have definitely achieved all of our goals, when all the tasks on our agenda are entirely fulfilled, when we are all completely satisfied with what we have done, are doing and will do for the common benefit of The European Union’.

Yep.....simple minds chase the absurd day in and day out. Down with the EU is the current chant. When things get straightened out by the ECB up with the EU will be the next chant.
The EU will outlast many generations of fair weather fans. The EU and the ECB are far from being the absurd. Solako took his euros all the way to the bank, laughing as he went.

Dave

The exhibit would be better if under the rock there was a pile of work by other artists, getting squashed.

Renoirs?

Donald Judd got a hundred thousand dollar grant once and had cranes deliver some big random looking boulders set in front of this big city office building. Another sculptor intstalled piles of crushed cars to the shape of columns.

In both cases their was a message of conceptual symbolism which the general public would express extreme annoyance as if it all were a nuisance.

I once told some people I have some "abstract art that will make you plumb sick" meaning it will challenge their minds and spirit so much as to get a reaction.

Makes me think of Confucius...squirrel lay on rock and crack nuts, man lay.... ( censorship....lol)

I wonder how many generation will push the rock up the same mountain. Only to watch it roll back down...

Cheers, Barbara

Ah Barbara......since ancient Egypt.....nothing has changed.......

But you knew that.

Dave

A real fleecing is more like it.

Abstract art that drives people to vomit. I'd buy that for a dollar (Robocop reference).

@ Edward LOL

I wouldn't classify that installation as Abstract - I can tell what it is...it's a rock, a big, very expensive rock.

And I would not pay a dollar for it....one Euro equals ? My dollar is only worth cents...

LOL, it's makes for a good laugh...

Cheers, Barbara

Barbara,

The ancient Egyptians succeeded. The slaves did not. The scribes alway succeed.

Same as today. If your battle is futile plan another strategy.

I have no clue what strategy will work well for me, but that will never stop me. I am a scribe.

Dave

David, I guess I must be a scribe too...I write historical novels....about the 19th century, in Canada, during the gold rush.

Those people did a lot of rock pushing...

Cheers, Barbara

Nice, how are you marketing them?

We are all scribes here, regardless of the negativity. We are our own bosses.
We create our languages.

Life is what you make of it. There are plenty of tools out there.

Someone read a response I got from a few potential clients yesterday. I posted about it.
His thoughts were I have heard that before reading between the lines it means "thanks but no thanks". He limited himself
before he even began. If a buyer usually has to see your work six to seven times before he/she made
their purchase, you do not give up after they make a comment. You get the art in front of them six plus times
over the coming months. That is what your strategy must do. Panning for gold was slavery for most of the panners.
But not for all of them.

Dave

TONY! Awful!

Ronald and Kevin might take issue on this. In my view any art which gets an installation viewable by the public is major accomplishment in view of all the conservative thinkers out and about.

In addition it is best to consider asking oneself what about a particular work challenges one's sensibility.

You have jazz music and a woman mumbling illegible words. People love it so why can't one's perception of ugly and beauty be a be enlightened by strange never seen before thing called art?

Real artist can be found hiding under rocks. FYI Vincent I would agree with you.

Dave,

They paid for this and two other collections:

"...Solako’s piece was one of three art installations which ECB paid 1.25million euros (£930,000) for."

Dang, beats the old pet rock!!