Me: It hadda happen. Artists do not like being criticised but they
are determined to come up with something novel though the process is often prone
to disparaging critiques. So it is with
this new movement which promotes invisible art.
You: Huh? How
can there be such a thing as invisible art?’
Me: You're not being negative, are you? What’s wrong with invisible art? There are lots of things that exist that we
can’t see; radio waves for instance.
You: Yes but we can hear them at least.
Me: True, I’ll give you that. Look, so we both are on the same page let me
show you some invisible art.
You: Isn’t that something of a contradiction in
terms?
Me: I suppose it is so let me show you where
invisible art is said to exist. Take a
look at this.
You: They’re just framed canvas
boards.
Me: Yes but the paintings are invisible.
You:
Merely because I can’t see a painting doesn’t make the painting invisible. It could be no painting at all. And doesn’t the act of painting mean the
artist is painting something. We call a painting a painting because an act has
taken place. Someone has applied a
brush, her finger or some implement to something else; an event has taken
place.
Me:
You’re not ready to accept something new.
You: I’m only too happy to accept something new if
you can show it to me.
Me: Surely the artist knows if she has made a
work of art and the artist insists this is her painting.
You: How do you know the work is not a forgery or a copy of some other artist's invisible art work?
Me: Surely the artist knows and we have to respect her word.
You: Saying so does not make it so. I think we are going to have to have
something more than his/her insistence. This art is but a mere shadow full of
sound and fury and signifying nothing.
Me: Cute.
Jackie Wullschlager writing in the Financial Times found the exhibition of
invisible art at the Hayward Gallery ‘bold, thought-provoking and timely’.
You: Does that name belong to a real person? I suspect someone is taking the piss.
Me: You think so?
Well, I suppose he or she could be having us on but Richard Dorment
writing it The Telegraph said this show was fascinating. Lookee here at two critics admiring an invisible
work.
You: Give
me a break. It’s called practicing
wishful thinking.
Me: I can see you’re a cynic. Well the artist Maurizo Cattelan had an
invisible art work stolen from his car.
You: How
could he tell it was gone?
Me: He discovered it missing when
he went to
unpack his car.
You: My, my will wonders never cease?
Me: It was worth a lot of money he reported it to
the police.
You: Perhaps it was taken by an invisible thief.
Me:
The police didn’t think so, they
wrote up a report on the
theft.
See, here it is.
You: I take it they were the Emperor’s
Police as he had purchased all this invisible art. No doubt he fancied himself a collector.
Me: Yes, well…laugh if you must but some people find
invisible art very enlightening.
You: I wish I could say I see your point.
###
Launt Thompson
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?field-keywords=Launt+Thompson&url=search-alias%3Daps&x=16&y=9
