[syndicate] Re: Re: "A Small Note"

[Eduardo Navas]

I consider Thompson's critique of Conceptual art a classic by now.  Most of
all I think it works because his writing is extremely persuasive; sure to be
read at some point along with Greenberg (I personally have a concise
collection of CG's writings).   Good stuff.

Eduardo Navas

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Watson" <michaelw at eleanorrigby.net>
To: "Are Flagan" <areflagan at transcodex.net>; <syndicate at anart.no>
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 7:26 AM
Subject: [syndicate] Re: Re: "A Small Note"


> Road to Nowhere? Art's Conceptual Cul-de-sac.
>
> http://fp.ignatz.plus.com/roadtonowhere.htm
>
> "The conceptual artist, to his credit, is rarely less than well
> read and culturally informed. He is, therefore, painfully aware of
> what has already been done and by whom. He's also aware of how
> interpretations can change with mainstream assimilation and the
> benefit of hindsight. Consequently, the artist is wary of being
> earnest or bold, or of showing overt sentiment -just in case such
> unambiguous commitment should seem naïve or cheesily melodramatic
> at some point in the future. He is, at best, 'playful'. In
> addition, he's fearful of inadvertently repeating what has been
> done before, which would be wasteful of his talents and, more to
> the point, uncool. As history accumulates, the space left to him
> diminishes. Inevitably, he arrives at a uniquely post-modern
> nightmare: with all of popular culture and art history at his
> fingers, the conceptual artist is, with awful irony, confined by
> self-regard and rendered impotent through knowledge. And, finally,
> what is left? A joke, sneerily told, laughing at itself."
>
> © David Thompson 2002
>
>
> --- Are Flagan <areflagan at transcodex.net> wrote:
> > So, quit kidding around, is it dying or not? I pay a lot for my
> > connection
> > and will cancel pronto if I am simply plugged into a decaying
> > corpse.
> > Please, be serious.
> >
> > -af
> >
> > >
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>
>


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