This post was originally supposed to be serve as announcement about an upcoming art project 337 Project Which opens May 18th in Salt Lake City, but instead I feel like a pre-critique must be placed on the project. My comments are by no way intended to injure or offend the organizers of this project, instead I hope they make artist in general question what it means to create and really what are the goals that should be strived for. This pre-critique will cover three main things I have problems with—including: What the project communicates beyond the individual artist messages, The complete lack of an Objective, and third No spaces between words.
Afraid of Art/Artist But Don’t Want to Be Seen An Artophobe
Everyone has seen graffiti at some point in their life, yes even if you live in provo. but whether you view it is as art or nuisance depends on your education, background, or relationship to the property where it is present. I could keep going on this but this topic is better reserved for another article about graffiti. Instead I want to point out the convenience of this project with regard to it being in and around a building scheduled for demolition. The message being portrayed from this
is one that says art is frivolous. That statement, and this project are doing more to injure art than any spray-paint-vandal, or fascist regime ever could. The injury comes in the form of an accepting of the idea of Trial Runs or Safe Art. This idea of—I’m willing to let you “artist” create something, since I’m going to throw it away anyway—is not alright and devalues not only the individual artist but the art community in general.
Even the Non-Objective Artist had an objective
In our art starved region of the west this project illustrates just how many artist and how few patrons there are. 114+ plus artist who are desperately seeking recognition, voice, or simply something to fill their time with. I fear that this push with no real objective or theme will either a. turn the 337 into a craft fair featuring street artist, or b. create something that resembles a train wreck.
Your Voice is Stronger With Good Type
Perhaps this is case of hypocrisy, but then my site is really only read by 3 people and not meant to serve as a community invite, but the website 337project.org could be better. And as it appears that it will last longer than the actual building perhaps added emphasis into the website would be a better investment.
With all this said I’m really excited for them to open the doors on the 18th and prove me wrong
I invite everyone (all three of you who read this blog) to make an effort to be there on the 18th, unless you live in texas for example. The opening event should be a lot of fun and I’m interested to see if they truly changed the building into something that’ll compliment Art or grossly represent visual vomit attempting to call it self art.
May 8, 2007 at 7:06 pm
I fully support you and your statement. First off, the website could use some work. There are times when people think they’re being innovative and or creative with their visual style, but in reality they’re really just causing confusion among the viewer. I have a feeling that the “art” on display will reflect that of visual confusion. I think that the computer that was used to design the site should also be a part of the project. maybe some of the artists could sit down and write some code… then when the art comes down so will the entire project.
May 8, 2007 at 9:40 pm
It looks like it will be a spook alley in May instead of October. I’m sorry, I don’t know that I’ll be supporting it on the 18th. I’m also afraid that’s what most the public is going to be saying too.
The website looks sad. If their best showcase piece is the “all-seeing eye” inspired by lord of the rings on the front page then the show’s going to be a bust. It kind of reminds me of some of the myspace stuff you see. A simple lesson in typography would have gone a long way.
Back to the show though, maybe they’ll have a guy with a chain saw and mask that will chase you around…then it could be performance art, but I’m with kday on this one. They should have the web server hosted in the building so when it all goes crumbling down there’s nothing to even remember it by. I’d go see it if I new I could see the web server and then know it would be crushed. Maybe with an iSight attached streaming the projects waste.
If I learned anything from Contemporary Art History it is for any project to be a success you have to have blatant nudity, farm animals, and large structures/ Without those three things I don’t even consider them artist. BUT I think the way they redeem themselves is by selling the rubble after the projects concluded ($2500 for a 5 gallon bucket, $10,000 for a wheelbarrow full).
ps- how was san fran?
May 9, 2007 at 7:25 am
Whoa whoa whoa on the Lord of the Rings comment— truly insulting to Tolkien and Peter Jackson. Definitely agree though that it looks like something one would want to avoid because it’s very possible someone has used bodily fluids to make a painting to showcase the pain of an eating disorder.
May 9, 2007 at 1:15 pm
What if the message isn’t that art is disposable, but that art, like all things in life, is temporary? I’m thinking of the mandalas (sand paintings) those monks do, which are not meant to stay around for more than a few weeks. As Bill and Ted said to Socrates, all we are is dust in the wind, dude.
Though judging by the website, there’s nothing quite so deep going on. Maybe the art project is supposed to help fund the demolition? Are they charging admission or having some other fundraiser? Wouldn’t *that* be tacky.
May 18, 2007 at 10:57 am
I actually live around the corner from the 337 project. I have been following it for a little while. I have to admit, I was saddened by what I read. One of the first things I ever learned about art, which has held true in my experience, is that you cannot judge or really understand a piece of art unless you see it in person. I went by the project the other day and someone was nice enough to give me a tour of the inside…while I have to admit that I did not like everything I saw, there was some truly innovatve and incredible art in there.
Second, I have to agree with Liz’s comment on the mandalas. Art does not have to be permanent – an oil painting, or a statue – to be of worth. There are a series of sculptors who create artwork purely out of natural materials that break down and decompose over time (i.e wood, grass, ice, etc.) Change is as much a part of their art as conception and creation. This is true in architecture as well…copper, a commonly used building material, is often used because of the oxidation process that takes place over time. The shiny metal slowly becomes a beautiful turquoise and and grey as it weathers…that is planned and understood, not an unfortunate side effect. All of these artists know that the building is going to be torn down (though I heard that part of it is going to be left up)…and they still wanted to participate. This was never intended to be a permanent exhibition. The approach would have been entirely different otherwise.
I think the project is a fantastic social experiment. How often in life are you given the chance to do whatever you want, create whatever you want, on a massive scale? Life is inherent with so many different limitations, I think this is one of the best ideas I have ever heard…and obviously the artists think so too. Why else would the project have started out at 90 something artists and gone up to 130 something?
Finally, have a little faith in the many parts of the community. Artists can do many amazing things to help revive a city…economically and socially.
May 18, 2007 at 11:32 am
Megan thanks for your input I agree with you so many levels, especially with regard to the seeing the art in person, I’ll never forget the first time I saw Michelangelo’s David, a Mark Rothko painting, or listened to a Mozart concerto I wanted so much to be able to dismiss them as “not-so-great” but upon viewing or listening to them I found myself unable to. Why?-not because they were simply art in the sense of a sculpture, painting or musical arrangement, rather they communicated something to my sole. Something that can’t not be described with out reference to the spiritual human connection. after all great sculptures are just stone, great paintings just pigments and binder, and music just tones and pitches (noise), But what they communicate to the viewer that is the art.
Today people strive so hard to keep the art and artist on the outside that they are damaging their souls, and I saw this project as nothing more than a “social experiment” that will perpetuate that kind of thinking. labeling the 130 plus people who are working on the doing what ever they damn well feel like “artist” won’t make them artist. And along those lines the 4–6 years of schooling won’t make them one either. What they create will become their legacy, will it speak to the human soul, or will their work sit on the surface only reflecting a societies flawed view of art.
I’m anxious to be proven wrong, about the whole project and individual motivations that make the project stink of ego and selfish motivations. I won’t be able to make the opening tonight, but I’ll be there next week.