1. We should not compare the US to Australia. The US is a country that deeply values money. They don’t penalise people for being ambitious and making money. And their whole deal is that people make money, people donate to things they care about in their community - so the govt can be kept out of it. In fact all the quintessential American artists celebrated flagrant excess (Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol). Australian artists disdain money and love the government. So they get what they deserve, no?
2. Do artists or art institutions have any respect for the people whose taxes they expect to be the handed over to them? Are they interested in their lives and aspirations and fears?
3. These artists and art institutions have been hyper-fuelling the climate change narrative - so now more private money flows to environmental activism than to art, and the same activists are happy to vandalise the art galleries. The government is making completely destructive decisions around energy affordability and paupering the people who now have to be supported to pay their energy bills - money that could go to art otherwise.
You can’t help people, communities and institutions who are their own worst enemy.
To answer your (possibly rhetorical) questions Chetna:
1. Wealthy Australians seem to love money even more than their American counterparts, who at least have a civic sense. I don't know many artists who love the govt, even those who live off its largesse. The usual pattern is: Artists always vote for Labor, but Labor always betrays them. Neither Libs not ALP took an arts policy to the election.
2. Are you suggesting we penalise intuitions for being disrespectful to their audiences? They may get the programming wrong but they don't want to alienate any visitors whatsoever. They can't afford the luxury. I don't see much evidence of this at the defunded ADC.
3. This is drawing rather a long bow. Art museums are one group relatively unaffected by climate change. The activists who attack works of art are only hurting their own cause with their cowardly actions. I sympathise with your last point, but to let them go their merry way is even worse.
Tony's also shown that you need to spend money in order to raise money - getting govt. & private sponsors on-side. NSW went in the other direction, and needs to rethink.
My questions are exploratory, not rhetorical. I am trying to make sense of your piece.
1. Could you name one current Australian artist who is a shameless capitalism supporter? I simply haven’t come across any but you will know the art world more exhaustively.
2. Again, can you share the names of three current big Australian artists whose works explore motherhood, religion and/or family with a sense of love (not irony or hectoring). And please don’t say Piccinini - after seeing an artwork of hers of some mutant horse pooping, I decided I had enough of her.
I genuinely want to know. These are not rhetorical questions because I want to believe that Australian art is worth supporting.
3. The NGV is financially pretty solid (I was just talking to a donor). How is the NGV doing it?
To be honest, other than some Indigenous artists, I find most Australian artists either too ideological and political (a complete put off) or not very skilled.
1. Tim Storrier! Lots of others, but mainly shameful in their support.
2. Don't worry, I wouldn't say Piccinini, but equally cool Del Barton & Ben Quilty paint their kids. Michael Galovic paints contemporary icons. Marikit Santiago's work is all about motherhood, kids & religion. Davida Allen's major theme was/is motherhood & family... Michael Zavros paints his kids all the time.. I could go on.
3. NGV has the biggest & best collection, & Tony Ellwood has made a lot of smart choices. Melbourne is also the most likely place to give $, although Adelaide is pretty good. NSW Govt. priorities are diabolical.
Thank you Chetna I agree with you. I'm familiar with the Sydney art scene. Most artists with the exception of a very few have never reconsidered their youthful attitudes towards politics, religion, family, friends, etc. Or, how one makes their way in the world financially. That is independently without begging big brother or mummy and daddy. It's entirely an adolescent mindset.
If Australian artists are so creative why can't they find a way to create a living if not wealth independently of their artistic activities.
Where making money becomes the hobby and not the other way around.
Which state galleries would you like to chop, Harry? If governments want private enterprise to pay for arts & culture they need to make the product look attractive. Besides, artists - and everybody else - should not be penalised for their political opinions, however misguided.
1. We should not compare the US to Australia. The US is a country that deeply values money. They don’t penalise people for being ambitious and making money. And their whole deal is that people make money, people donate to things they care about in their community - so the govt can be kept out of it. In fact all the quintessential American artists celebrated flagrant excess (Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol). Australian artists disdain money and love the government. So they get what they deserve, no?
2. Do artists or art institutions have any respect for the people whose taxes they expect to be the handed over to them? Are they interested in their lives and aspirations and fears?
3. These artists and art institutions have been hyper-fuelling the climate change narrative - so now more private money flows to environmental activism than to art, and the same activists are happy to vandalise the art galleries. The government is making completely destructive decisions around energy affordability and paupering the people who now have to be supported to pay their energy bills - money that could go to art otherwise.
You can’t help people, communities and institutions who are their own worst enemy.
To answer your (possibly rhetorical) questions Chetna:
1. Wealthy Australians seem to love money even more than their American counterparts, who at least have a civic sense. I don't know many artists who love the govt, even those who live off its largesse. The usual pattern is: Artists always vote for Labor, but Labor always betrays them. Neither Libs not ALP took an arts policy to the election.
2. Are you suggesting we penalise intuitions for being disrespectful to their audiences? They may get the programming wrong but they don't want to alienate any visitors whatsoever. They can't afford the luxury. I don't see much evidence of this at the defunded ADC.
3. This is drawing rather a long bow. Art museums are one group relatively unaffected by climate change. The activists who attack works of art are only hurting their own cause with their cowardly actions. I sympathise with your last point, but to let them go their merry way is even worse.
Tony's also shown that you need to spend money in order to raise money - getting govt. & private sponsors on-side. NSW went in the other direction, and needs to rethink.
My questions are exploratory, not rhetorical. I am trying to make sense of your piece.
1. Could you name one current Australian artist who is a shameless capitalism supporter? I simply haven’t come across any but you will know the art world more exhaustively.
2. Again, can you share the names of three current big Australian artists whose works explore motherhood, religion and/or family with a sense of love (not irony or hectoring). And please don’t say Piccinini - after seeing an artwork of hers of some mutant horse pooping, I decided I had enough of her.
I genuinely want to know. These are not rhetorical questions because I want to believe that Australian art is worth supporting.
3. The NGV is financially pretty solid (I was just talking to a donor). How is the NGV doing it?
To be honest, other than some Indigenous artists, I find most Australian artists either too ideological and political (a complete put off) or not very skilled.
1. Tim Storrier! Lots of others, but mainly shameful in their support.
2. Don't worry, I wouldn't say Piccinini, but equally cool Del Barton & Ben Quilty paint their kids. Michael Galovic paints contemporary icons. Marikit Santiago's work is all about motherhood, kids & religion. Davida Allen's major theme was/is motherhood & family... Michael Zavros paints his kids all the time.. I could go on.
3. NGV has the biggest & best collection, & Tony Ellwood has made a lot of smart choices. Melbourne is also the most likely place to give $, although Adelaide is pretty good. NSW Govt. priorities are diabolical.
Thanks. Will look out for their works. Perhaps you could do a series on Australian artists to follow.
Lots of things in terms of queue at present...
Thank you Chetna I agree with you. I'm familiar with the Sydney art scene. Most artists with the exception of a very few have never reconsidered their youthful attitudes towards politics, religion, family, friends, etc. Or, how one makes their way in the world financially. That is independently without begging big brother or mummy and daddy. It's entirely an adolescent mindset.
If Australian artists are so creative why can't they find a way to create a living if not wealth independently of their artistic activities.
Where making money becomes the hobby and not the other way around.
As for museums, there are too many of them.
Which state galleries would you like to chop, Harry? If governments want private enterprise to pay for arts & culture they need to make the product look attractive. Besides, artists - and everybody else - should not be penalised for their political opinions, however misguided.