Art Prize 2010 is now in the history books, and this year, I actually went and saw the works displayed. I shelved my distaste for the DeVos family and drove north to see the works the day after the winning piece was announced. Chris LaPorte’s piece, an epic pencil drawing bigger than some homes here in Jackson is truly something to behold. But should it have won? I may be quickly treading into Gretchen (from this season’s Project Runway) territory here with the following comments, but I think that they need to be shared. I am not intending to toss shade on this man and his efforts, or his win, but I have a few points to make. Yes, the piece is great. It’s huge, it’s superbly executed, and it strikes at the heart of many who have had family serving in the military. But for all those positives, I think there are some glaring negatives that were either over-looked or simply ignored by the voters/judges.
For example: in my twenty years of teaching, each year, some bright-eyed student will show up with a portfolio of drawings copied from magazine photos. They can’t wait to show me their immaculate rendering of Heath Ledger as the Joker or have me marvel at the detail they put in to Megan Fox’s lips. Their pieces show great artisanship, but aside from that one quality, that’s it. When those same students are put in front of the simplest of still life set ups, they crumble.
From LaPorte’s own mouth comes the fact that he projected and then traced out the many figures in the massive composition. I think that the piece may have been more interesting had he just started laying the picture plane out without the aid of a projector and let the fun start. That’s a challenge.
Yes, he spent 800 hours on the piece, that’s 20 weeks, or about 6 months to fill in all the value on the men’s faces. In my opinion, LaPorte’s work is nothing more than what those students share with me each year, but on a grander level. I didn’t see much innovation, nor did I see much creativity. He was simply filling in the value/matching texture and that’s about it. I am concerned that the voting for Art Prize will go to a safe piece each year, hotel art if you would.
I shared my photos from my trip with my beginning drawing students today and when I mentioned that he traced this picture out from a projection, a voice came out of the dark and said, “Hey, that’s cheating!” After this student clarified her point, a few murmurs of agreement came from the rest of the class, acknowledging that his piece was good, but…
There were so many other pieces that showed much more innovation and creativity that it just made me sad to walk around the city’s many venues and see these pieces that didn’t win. My personal favorite, and an “ooooo” invoking piece with my students was David Sprigg’s “Vision” an amazing piece done with layers of clear plastic, creating an amazing 3D image.
Beili Liu’s piece “Lure/Wave” is an amazing installation that I regret not seeing at night. During the day, when my buddy Randy and I strolled by, it was difficult to see, let alone photograph the images in the space. However, it remains embedded in my memory.
And then there’s Steam Pig. What can I say here that will do that piece justice? It was just fucking amazing. Here is the link to the collective’s proposal to Art Prize. http://www.artprize.org/artists/public-profile/51031
So yeah, I am now a fan of Art Prize, and god help me, I may even enter a piece next year and see what floats. Until then, something to think about for the DeVos clan… I am certain that the economic impact of this event on the city is astounding. After listening to a story on NPR this morning, it seems that Detroit is about ready to fall into ruins financially. Why not host Art Prize in Detroit every other year? Grand Rapids has a stronger economy, so why not share the wealth around the state? Just something to consider.
Until next year, stay hot Rick.
Yeah, He is hot. I am glad to hear that you are a convert Tom! And I have to agree with your comments about Cavalry 100%. It certainly would benefit Detroit to have muralists and mosaic artists and art tourists unleashed there every other year. I am sad that other commitments kept me from going up to even get a chance to vote at all, but I did enjoy looking at everything online. My own piece was in an outlying venue and sadly did not even generate enough interest to sell it. But I am still exhilarated that I participated by entering, and plan to do it again. Cheers, _ kim
ReplyDeleteI was hoping that you would comment on the fact that the art elite picked three fat guys eating as the best 2D piece out of hundreds.
ReplyDeleteAs far as holding the same in Detroit, why can't Detroit money do their own? Lots of people with cash in Detroit could donate as Rick did here. I'm a little tired of Detroit sucking all the Money to their side of the state.
Agreed, Tom! Thoughtful commentary. My friend Ralph, a northwoods artist, agrees too; all the winning drawing took was time, patience, and a great eye. I read your blog to Ralph and he said, 'yeah, I wondered about that, too...the winning piece is really just shade by numbers with several thousand assorted pencils." Then I reminded him that his tag line for his art is "If it packs a wallop, it's art, if it don't it ain't." And we began discussing the definition of 'a wallop.'
ReplyDeleteYour critique prompts readers to think about our criteria for 'winning' art, and it raises the question that initiates the first discussion in my online Humanities classes: what is art? I ask learners to define art, establish criteria for their definitions, and to then supply an example of art analyzed using their own criteria.
One of the recurring themes in these discussions has to do with creative intention combined with artist skill combined with audience response. For instance, out of our class discussions come questions such as: can nature be art? With the technology we have today, many of my students are drawn to photography as art. But we could ask, are digitized nature photographs created with photoshop or other software really art? Like projecting a shape to then work on with pencil, creating depth and texture with shading, is an individual's ability to manipulate digital photographs really art? Or is it cheating? Ralph, also a photographer, creates amazing pieces by photographic juxtapositions and manipulations. Like your work that you've posted, they prompt immediate response.
I also like your distinction between 'safe' art and (implied) 'dangerous' art. What a great conversation that would be!!! Can we count on seeing that as a topic of your blog sometime :-)
I cannot post here without mentioning how the ephemeral artists like Goldsworthy, excite us by interacting with nature to create experiential moments that they photograph. (I'm a HUGE Goldsworthy fan, so I must include this link: http://www.morning-earth.org/ARTISTNATURALISTS/AN_Goldsworthy.html)
My Humantieis discussions also include considerations of music: must all music be original compositions? Are covers or mixes also musical 'art' or are these artists cheating?
We can also include as a final consideration of the question "what is art," Duchamp's "Fountain" -- asking is it art or political statement? Would it be qualified submission to Art Prize, a guarenteed winner? Or a big NO?
Like your students, the learners I work with come into Humanities with diverse backgrounds and dwell on a continuum in terms of their knowledge of history, philosophy, and the arts. Their answers and discussions, like your post, 'create' the opportunities for us all to explore and enjoy the incredible depth and diversity of the creative impulse.
Thanks for this read, Tom. It was an infusion for my poor mind that is grading midterm essays like there is no tomorrow!
Kris P
Ps: had to post as anonymous b/c I don't fit the criteria for anything else.
Thanks for sharing. I agree with your criteria: innovation, creativity, in addition to the prerequisite of 'art execution abilities'. No one wants my stick-people drawing art :). My personal favorite this year was VISION too. I didn't participate in last year's voting but I went to see the winner last year and the painting actually gave me a bit of motion sickness. Would you say though that last year's winner was innovative or creative?
ReplyDeleteI disagree that art needs to make a social or political statement. (you don't state that as a criteria but reviewing the juried art, the judges mention that as their own criteria.)
Susan