May 12, 2004
Two Galleries Modestly Proposed
I read two interesting headlines yesterday.
First…
THE PROPOSED NATIONAL GALLERY OF BRITISH ART IN DANGER.
Mr. Henry Tate. "NO, THANK YOU, MR. RED TAPE, I DON'T WANT MY GIFTS TO THE NATION TO BE TIED UP BY YOU, THEN PACKED AWAY, AND NEVER SEEN AGAIN!"
This was from “Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 99, July 5, 1890, by Various, Edited by F. C. Burnand” and I found it here.
The second (in the spirit of Punch) “New Gagosian in London: Whoop de doo” (Here)
You can read a more complete and decorous article on the same subject here. Gagosian To Open London's Biggest Gallery (here)
It’s interesting to note the difference between the two men’s thoughts about art. Henry Tate thought of the art as a gift to the nation. The works were treasures to be given.
Gagosian takes rather a different view.
Cristina Ruiz, editor of the Art Newspaper, said: "Everything you hear about Gagosian stresses that he loves to close a deal. He loves the art - but he is one of those dealers who absolutely loves to sell, and he is very successful at it. Yes, he employs aggressive selling techniques, but that's how dealers get stuff done." (From Guardian Unlimited, here)
For Gagosian art is a commodity—the power source for his lifestyle. He may actually care about art but his new gallery isn’t intended to promote art. The largest commercial gallery in London will promote art sales.
I’m in favor of art sales (particularly my own) but I sometimes wish that artists would label works that were created primarily for pecuniary purposes. The public has been told that to dislike a work of art is well nigh heretical. It would be nice if there were a convenient method for distinguishing between those works which an artist considers exemplary of his ideals and those works which an artist hopes will fit into your décor.
Just think how much easier this would make future scholarship. A young art historian could easily weed out those works that the artist created under the duress of their landlord and focus on those in which the artist tried to communicate something timely or timeless.