What is valued in the Turkish artworld is a painter’s style. This explains why my students are overly concerned with finding their signature palette and technique. They admire my dramatic and colorful brushwork. Although this is not the only way I paint, I enjoy using this “a la prima” technique, because it is fast. My more conceptual stuff—the work that is valued in the States—is considered “research” here (read, messing around). For example, this blog, my gallerist told me, is research and won’t last, whereas my nudes will.
What do you think? Is it American imperialism, as my friend believes, to dictate what is valued? Can we tell the rest of the world to just throw away the thousands of years of traditional painting and sculpting, in favor of self-aware installation and video art?
1 comment:
Imperialism? Bollocks. Americans have a unique position in history - your society is the first where in 1956, white collar workers surpassed blue collar workers. Rest is history - well, rock'n roll history. Also feminism history. Also postmodern art history. You catch my drift? Knowledge workers means more cerebral action. More cerebral action means more appreciation for art, and for different forms of it. US has *every* right to say this theirs represents furthest point in world art today because it is. One day other countries will go through same stages and they will maybe claim that mantle. It needs to be understood US is the first industrialized country that did away with industrialization. Industrial society meant to conform. Barf. What US has now is opposite of conforming, making your own rules, decetralizing which also means a loss in personal relationships perhaps, but, that comes with territory. It's hard work. US is an open social laboratory.
Read Toffler and you will undestand. Especially Future Shock and Third Wave.
Cheerz,
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