Cottage at 5pm, Oil on Birch Panel, 8x10At the risk of being accused of jumping on the bandwagon, I thought I'd weigh in on Charlie Finch's recent comments concerning artblogs, along with Joanne Mattera, Pretty Lady, Steven LaRose, Brent Burket, Eric Gelber, Nancy Baker, and S.L. Butler. Alas, I can't respond directly to what he says about many of the artblogs that I enjoy reading, because, as usual, I am not in on whatever it is that he refers to. For example, he says this about Edward Winkleman:
Have you ever been to blogger Ed Winkleman’s gallery on 27th Street? I hear there is a valuable prize awaiting the first recorded visitor: you get to meet Dinky Winky in the flesh or at least register for a random drawing to win email privileges.
What does that mean, "register for a drawing to win email privileges"? I don't get why that is funny, or even insulting. Clearly, I am missing something here.
And that does not surprise me. I have never been popular, nor have I ever been a member in good standing of any kind of crowd and so consequently, I am usually unaware of the subtleties of so many in-jokes.
Which brings me to my other reaction upon reading this column: complete and utter devastation that I was not mentioned. I know I don't review art, which is probably his focus in reading blogs. And I have never insulted him like some bloggers have, I am a regular looking, middle aged (actually, maybe a bit past that on my more pessimistic days), female landscape painter, not showing in Chelsea. PLUS I have more than one kid AND I talk about my chickens (horrors) so obviously these things would not put my blog anywhere near his radar.
But still. I can't help but yearn for the attention, the increase in hits, and the outrage I could have felt by being included in a "circle-jerk", if only I had been mentioned by Charlie Finch.
My potential popularity has been foiled again. Damn.
15 comments:
Nicely done, Tracy. BTW, what's his name who wrote this piece appears to be an online guy, himself. Am I wrong, or is Artnet.com only an online media?
Factor in those of us who actually post original works and you have a new media of creativity in these art blogs.
Only read by ourselves? What are we, chopped liver? Besides, I have plenty of readers who are on the viewing side of the equation. Whatever.
Tracy asks:
What does that mean, "register for a drawing to win email privileges"?
I think -- I'm guessing here -- this joke is meant to poke fun at the idea that Ed could be an object of fan attention. The logic as I follow it is: No one goes to Ed's gallery; the prize for the first visitor is that Ed will give them his e-mail address; having Ed's e-mail address is valuable because then the visitor can type to Ed personally!; but this is not such a great prize.
It's not a very good insult. Especially since people do go to Ed's openings. I've been to a bunch of them and they're always crowded. Admittedly, his gallery is small. Then again, anyone visiting it didn't wander in by accident because there's zero foot traffic out where he is. As opposed to, say, Stux Gallery, which has big windows right at ground level smack in the middle of the Chelsea art district (25th Street between Tenth and Eleventh).
Very few openings aren't crowded, actually. I'm not sure how that's possible.
Oh, Tracy, darling, you are more popular than you realize. I wondered at my increase in hit traffic, then realized it was because you'd linked to me. ;-)
Casey, I think he is only online too so it is an odd rant for him. Personally, I am glad that we are read by ourselves, it's a nice little community here.
Ha! Chris, I had a feeling that you'd be able to give me the scoop, given that you ARE a member of the in crowd:)
It does seem like a rather lame insult. You'd have to know that Ed is protective of his email, and who the heck knows or cares about that? Sheesh.
Pretty Lady, REALLY? My link to you made you notice an increase? Holy cow! Say it again when we meet at The Blogger Show opening, so I can savor my name and the word p-o-p-u-l-a-r in the same sentence....:)
I'm a member of the In Crowd? I'm a member of the In Crowd? You're kidding, right? Like you, I have never been popular. Never ever ever. I've always been so not popular, I've never even been unpopular. I'm just not there. Beneath notice. Invisible. In junior high, in high school, in college, and since, I didn't exist. I'm pretty sure I don't even exist now. I doubt that anyone ever even mentions my name if I'm not actually in the room with them. I believe I evaporate from people's memories more quickly than water on hot blacktop.
The only crowd that's kept me as a member in good standing for any length of time is the Boy Scouts of America, and they'll take anyone who doesn't admit they're gay.
You know that old Groucho Marx adage -- "I don't want to belong to a club that would accept me as a member"? Not only that, I don't want to belong to a club that wouldn't, either.
hahaha! My little emoticon was a clue that I didn't actually think that you were popular. Although I really doubt that you evaporate from people's memories more quickly than water on hot blacktop. You sure did not leave my memory, and that is really an accomplishment lately.
Aren't artists mostly a bunch of misfits anyway?
I don't know if all artists are misfits, but the ones I've met seem to be.
This card-carrying misfit is glad you don't get it either. I've been puzzled and wondering what to think of this ever since the stuff hit the fan.
And, as usual, Pretty Lady has hit the nail on the head - "you are more popular than you realize." Well said - and so true!
Lol.... read Charlie Finch's blog....
http://charliefinchisanasshole.blogspot.com/
Who is Charlie Finch? And why would you want to be connected to someone with such bad vibes? Popularity? What does that mean?
You want supporters and collectors, and people who really believe in you and your work, not the kind of people who read "art & society" columns about who's who.
You're doing just fine, Tracy--probably MUCH better than you think!
Your paintings are wonderful and you are REAL--people appreciate that--even if they aren't always verbal about it.
Christine
http://passionforpainting.blogspot.com
Chris, yeah, most of the ones I know are misfits. I'd be interested in meeting an artist who was a cheerleader or homecoming queen (or king) in high school:)
Thanks Mary, glad to know a fellow misfit:)
Jim, was a that a real site? I couldn't get it to open. Foiled yet again!
Christine, Don't worry, I am not looking for popularity at this late stage. How odd it would be!
You're kidding right? Like the Lady says, I have never received this sort of referral-per-hour rate before you linked to me.
You have ripped the top off of my private little club with your link.
Really, it is all just publicity that is working in our favor, however, I still find it repulsive.
Christine sez:
Who is Charlie Finch? And why would you want to be connected to someone with such bad vibes? Popularity? What does that mean?
You want supporters and collectors, and people who really believe in you and your work, not the kind of people who read "art & society" columns about who's who.
It's not that easy for everyone to cut it up and separate it into piles. We want supporters and collectors, but some of us also want to be part of the dialogue of the art world, the give-and-take of art history. And Charlie Finch is -- maybe -- part of that. Jerry Saltz is part of that. Roberta Smith and Peter Schjeldahl, too.
By the way, Christine, your paintings are really lovely.
Steven, well this post WAS a bit tongue-in-cheek, however, I can assure you that I have never been a popular person. But it's all relative, isn't it?
Good point Chris and I admit to wanting to be a little part of that dialog too. I won't stop painting if I don't get there, but it is a goal.
Tracy,
Finch is talking drivel and he knows it. The malformed sentences in his screed bear testimony to that, That said, the blogs of the world tend to reduce us further into ‘siloed’ think tanks where we yearn to go to only those blogs whose views reflect our reality... Your blog is excellent as always and even if I do not comment here often, I lurk…
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