"Can I quite believe my senses?!"
This is what many visitors will ask at the Haywards 'Invisible Exhibition.'
Eleven Questions people who try to make it 'Intelligent' and 'Progressive' expect you to ask:-
1. Is the picture (Film/negative film/la-di-dah *yawn*) there really?
2. Is the map indicating where the pictures are really real?
3. Does this reflect a wider socio-economic response in arts for our current time?
4. How many people will complain and ask for their money back?
5. Am I close-minded if I think this is all a load of bollocks?
6. Does this mean the point is the laugh is on us? *
7. Hasn't this been done many times before?
8. So yes, however is this some kind of warped post-post-post modernist reference to 'What the nature of Art is?'
9. How much bullshit is the average person in the gallery right now, expected to take?
10. Does this help as a gage of our point of MAXIMUM on the 'State Of The Arts Today' Bullshitometer?
11. Is there anything, ANYTHING LORDY, better to expect in the future?
I would go, however I will chose to save £8 ENTRY FEE and instead, walk idly aroudn the bookshelves of my local library. Where I can ponder a positively less nihilistic survey of Human Achievement.
The 'Gimmick', is in the whole, 'If you don't go, you won't know, or be able to judge, SO'
Well, I my friend, and critic, have been stuck in a lift before.
And it wasn't particulary uplifting. The opposite of that obviously.
In answer, I don't need to be depressed and belittled as a human spectator. There is no 'Us' (Who don't get it) and 'Them' (Who get it) in authentic art.
As appendage, I would say a distinct and emphatic, 'Fuck Off' to the critics who professionally feign encouragement to curious people, to waste £8.00 on a ticket to people who deserve to know that:- Not all contemporary galleries are hopeless.
I would better advise curious people to go check out Adrian Wiards photojournalism exhibition @ the Karamel Club on until 27/07. And it's FREE. Becuase it's REAL.
http://www.karamelclub.co.uk/Festivals_detail.php?ID=128
* "Me, Me, Me", vs. the Artist, vs. the Curator, vs. no approval from the Artists shown
