Competitive Morphing and Theme Adoption in the Art's (of Alienation)

[furtherfield]

Competitive Morphing and Theme Adoption in the Art's (of Alienation)

 

Economically, the most successful businesses are those that are able to adapt to the ever-shifting goal posts of the global market. Artists these days are used to shape shifting. There was once a time when an artist would sneer at the idea of having to change their work to fit into a gallery/institutional/competitions' criteria. Yet one of the forms of getting one's work seen or accepted to a larger audience other than self-marketing tactics is to take part in competitions. 

 

For many institutions it is way of filtering out many artists via a theme or aesthetic function. For the more individual of creative entities who do not wish to conform to such antics, this kind of action by funded Art's organizations and institutions automatically constructs a chasm between officially recognized artists and the unofficial. Therefore not dealing with the issue of representing artists and the themes of their work on their own terms. Even though some of the officially accepted artists may be interesting in their own right. The traditional 'winner is best syndrome' is a myth brought about via competitive means alone rather than dealing with the true nature and content of what an artist can offer. The result of this type of unquestioning deed supports more the bandwagon jumpers rather the more original of talents who of course are going to find it harder to be accepted in view of the spirit of their independence. Then you get the usual suspects appearing over and over again in the press, art events, exhibitions getting praise whilst the more challenging are ostracised from doing what they believe.

 

Part of the problem is that many artists who are well connected to institutions are not interested in people and creative explorers who are actively working outside of their field. Yet they are very interested in their ideas and how they could use them to gain personal status in the eyes of the art arena, plus gain power and capital. So artists who have previously 'for their own valid reasons' existed outside of the conditioned art circles making work that is just as challenging will get pushed aside by default. This undemocratic process has remained unchallenged by many practising artists who have come out the institutional world because it serves them well not to change such things. This act of complicit ignorance by artists who say things such as 'I'm just here to do my art' are part of the problem as well as the curators/organisations who lack the imagination to amend their way of showing new artists.

 

It is an illusion that art organisations are helping artists when in reality they are putting them against each other via the process of competitive commissions not reflecting the true essence of what is really going on in the art world creatively. Once the lazy presumption has been dissolved, that artists only exist within institutional realms. Then true change may come about. Until then morph yourself and conform to someone else's ideas and terms - then you will be allowed in. 

 

marc garrett

 

http:www.furtherfield.org

 

  

 

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