Depressing, yet Uplifting

By now you've read many reviews of Armory and Scope (thanks for the press passes!). For the most part the reviews have been ok to pretty positive. And I think that's great. Perhaps past editions of the fairs have been really weak. I wouldn't know since this was my first time at these particular fairs.

My review may disappoint some readers who are hoping for a long detailed description of the art and the shows. Unfortunately, I can't do that. I found the shows to be quite disappointing. Armory was interesting, if only for the scene, but the art was expected. Given the profile and expense of the show, I shouldn't have anticipated otherwise. After all, many ppeople have pointed out that basically this fair is all about selling. That's fine, but it doesn't make for an interesting experience for a mere spectator. Sure, there were some pieces that stood out to me but not enough to warrant cracking open my notebook to jot down the names. After 3 hours of walking, I had my fill of the Armory and decided to head on to Scope.

Scope is the fair that is supposed to show new art, or so I thought. Instead, I came away thinking that the art couldn't be any more stale. Perhaps I quickly became saturated by all the so-called young, spontaneous, faux-juvenile, illustrative, grafitti-inspired art that is so popular now. Peter Reginato made a great point after seeing the show himself. He said something to the effect of, "Seven years ago I noticed this trend or style emerging in the contemporary art world. I thought it was potentially exciting and I even considered incorporating some of the characteristics into my sculpture. But I wanted to see if it would mature and grow into something significant. Though it is as prevalent as ever, it hasn't matured, and I wonder if it ever will."

I couldn't help but agree with him. I am so sick of this style of art. It has no soul. Again, there were a few interesting pieces, but all I could think of was getting through the show so I could go do something else. The art is popular now, but I questioned how long it will be so.

I doubt this will constitute me going out on a limb, but I'm ready to predict that the art market is ripe for a large correction within the next three years. I don't have any justification for this position but I felt it after seeing the shows. I've never been one to say that beauty was all that important in art, but it seems to me that very few young artists are interested in beauty in their work. It seems artists are deliberately making ugly work. Art doesn't have to be beautiful, but I would have liked to have seen some artists really going after that. Furthermore, I didn't feel a lot of the art I saw had a soul. What I mean is, I wonder if the artists are making work out in a pure pursuit. I get the impression that artists are making art for only one purpose... money. There must be some sort of formula that young artists are following.

All of the recent articles talking about huge waiting lists for art yet to be made scares me a bit. It's great for artists - now - but why are these collectors buying the work? Do they even look at it? Or do they see Joe Artist as a corporation whose stock is rising fast? Do they look at the work like a share of stock, all of which are the same? I'm worried that like the end of the tech boom, artist's P/E ratios are astronomical and unsustainable. I worry that there's no support or real value supporting these prices. Given all of these factors (all of which popped into my brain on the last floor of Scope), I have to believe that the art market will come to a screeching halt soon. Artists shouldn't worry too much. The pure art will rise above the trash and collectors will recognize it. Those artists making formulaic, hip art that's so popular now, all I can say is I hope you saved a large fraction of your income to sustain you over the next few years. But don't fret too much... another formula will eventually emerge and you can jump onto that bandwagon.

Who knows if I will be even remotely correct in this prediction? Maybe we are experiencing the next big art movement. Maybe it will eventually mature into something significant. After seeing the Armory and Scope, I have my doubts.

The title of this post suggests that something uplifting came from the weekend. In fact, it did. I discovered that without a doubt I am making the art I should be making. I'm doing the right thing. Sure, I'm not selling my work like hotcakes, but I have my doubts if that means anything. I'm perfectly fine with drilling holes in wood!!

If you are an artist ask yourself, "Am I making the right thing?" I hope you are!

Comments

[James W. Bailey]

J.T.,

Forget the bubble popping in the next 1-3 years, man, it's more likely the next 1-3 quarters!

Jeff Bezos was named Time Magazine's man of the year in December of 1999; the market peaked in March of 2000. My buddy Bernie Ebbers is on trial as we speak. The rest is history as they say - Can You Hear Me Now?!

I would like to reserve an opportunity to contribute at a future point more substantive comments concerning the subject of the present day inflated high end art market. I'll try to write it before the market collapses!

For now, I'll say this: the fund billionaires who are driving this widely and wildly reported contemporary art market are doing what all art collectors do - they're buying what they like and want and they have the financial capability to put more zeros on their checks than most.

If they were all interested in collecting Pez containers, Ebay would have to open a new division to accommodate the market and I would be robbing my niece's collection to fund my early retirement!

"The only thing more dangerous than a yes man with no money is a no man with yes money." - William L. Bailey, my great uncle.

Sincerely,

James W. Bailey

[Whooda Thunkit]

I like bubbles! They're pretty! Not good for riding unless you have a BIG cushion.

If there are any billionaires reading this, please buy my art. But bring your own bubble. The one I was riding burst 4 years ago.

[wwc]

JT, are you talking about the "glitter & glue" work I hear bloggers all over making fun of? I agree with you about beauty - more please. It's great as a tonic or weapon depending on your aims. It's also something that's slippery and hard to control or explain in a press release which is why some people don't go fo it, I think.

[James W. Bailey]

Dear Mr. Whooda Thunkit,

NEWS FLASH HOT OFF THE PRESS -

Former WorldCom Inc. chief executive Bernard J. Ebbers (a duck hunting buddy of infamous Mississippi artist James W. Bailey) was found guilty on all counts against him -- conspiracy, securities fraud and making false filings with regulators -- for his role in a massive accounting fraud that led to the downfall of the nation's second largest telecommunications firm, costing millions of investors billions of dollars.

Can You Hear Me Now?!

I regret that yet another multi-millionaire art collector is heading to the slammer (Walter Anderson in DC being another one of many).

I revise my prediction of the art bubble popping. I think it officially started this morning.

Sincerely,

James W. Bailey

PERSONAL NOTE FOR BERNIE: Man, I really appreciate you buying some of my pieces awhile back, but I'm not in a position to buy them back to fund your appeal. Sorry, brother. I also guess we won't be hitting the duck blinds this season - convicted felons and guns laws and such. Oh by the way, Ole Miss is gonna rock this year! Yeah...whatever. Take care.