A short un-credited review of conceptual artist David Hammons’ new exhibit from The New Yorker, Feb. 5, 2007. I just love this criticism; it’s succinct, funny, and makes me want to see the work.
This rare show by the elusive Hammons is a calculated shocker that really shocks. In an august Upper East Side gallery, five gorgeous fur coats, including one in wolf and a breathtaking chinchilla, hang on antique dress forms, tenderly lighted. Their backs are ruined by methods ranging from spray paint to fire. The fact that the irony is obvious—costly things are made pricier, as art, by destruction—doesn’t soothe its sting. Hammons plainly appreciates the coats’ beauty. His vandalism conveys cold rage at a plutocracy that patronizes art-world games, from the sharpest player at the table.
Here’s a 1986 interview with Hammons
DOING THINGS IN THE STREET IS MORE POWERFUL THAN ART I THINK. BECAUSE ART HAS GOTTEN SO... I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK ART IS ABOUT NOW. IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING... THE PEOPLE AREN'T REALLY LOOKING AT ART, THEY'RE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND EACH OTHER'S CLOTHES AND EACH OTHER'S HAIRCUTS.
THE ART AUDIENCE IS THE WORST AUDIENCE IN THE WORLD. IT'S OVERLY EDUCATED, IT'S CONSERVATIVE, IT'S OUT TO CRITICIZE NOT TO UNDERSTAND, AND IT NEVER HAS ANY FUN. WHY SHOULD I SPEND MY TIME PLAYING TO THAT AUDIENCE?
(painting above by J. Dunn)
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