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From: Nned Thisom
Date: 17 Oct 2010
Time: 11:29:09 -0500
Part of the problem is the idea of the art career. It is often the pushy (and perhaps good looking) artists that make it because they will stop at nothing to do so. There were a few of these ghastly creatures on my MA a few years ago, who were not only out to get a gallery etc but were also making work to fit the mould and were willing to continue to do so for as long as was necessary. (I noticed today that one of these idiots has his MA show on his cv under solo exhibitions!) It was a very depressing state of affairs for a young painter who thought (rather naively) that we were there to learn, and critique our art, and learn to critique our art so we could continue to develop it outside of the institution. I fully support you Jasper in your critique of the Frieze Art Fair. However you are probably now in a situation where Mr Tosspotover can quite easily put a halt to any commercial aspirations you may have had for your paintings. I'm sure certain people don't care what he thinks, but all those galleries that go in for Frieze must surely be very much like all those artists who want to show at those galleries. Don't upset the man with the power, that's their motto. This is where the problem arises, like in much of the working world, only out there there are such things as Unions who fight for workers rights, and workers who stick together! In the art world, like in the business world I think the attitude is much the same, if you don't want to play by the rules there are plenty of other eager artists who will. Only problem is, they probably aren't as interesting, or ambitious, or intelligent etc.