Why
it's RIGHT to
reject Charles Saatchi's gift to the nation
This
blog is in response to the article in the Guardian today by Jonathan
Jones. You can find it at this LINK.
Jones
claims that “Britain's public galleries are spurning the generosity
of Charles Saatchi”
Well
I would like to tell you why it's right!
It
was Charles Saatchi who created the hype by backing the likes of
Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, which is the justification for the £30
million(!) estimated value on the collection. The real value of such
items is difficult to say, but my estimate would be closer to zero...
and I'll tell you why...
There
is no longevity to the appeal of this “shock factor art”.
It
seems we are caught in a movement of art which places more importance
on originality of thought than aesthetic appeal. It has got to the
point where shock factor replaces the aesthetic altogether.
The
problem with this is that originality and shock factor fade as we
become used to the exposure to it. Once that is stripped back, what
is there left? This type of art has its place in a gallery at the
time it is conceived, but it's hard to imagine it's appeal beyond
that.
Impressionist
paintings over 100 years ago were shocking and original. But the key
to their longevity lay in their beauty, their aesthetic appeal and
their craft. By all means put a dirty unmade bed in a gallery to push
the boundaries of creativity and conceptualism, allowing us all to
debate the deeper meanings.... but don't expect to sell it 14 years
on for millions or expect it to be relevant for our contemporary
galleries.
This
modern obsession with originality (often just for the sake of being
different or shocking) within the conceptual art world and our
contemporary galleries is inadvertently compromising medium to long
term appeal.
It
is no surprise that the 'Young British Artists' are not named amongst
the most influential artists as this survey from the independent
suggests.
“The
YBAs are constantly showered with accolades by curators,
collectors and critics, supported by an art market PR machine that
ensures they are rarely out of the limelight. Yet, as this poll
suggests, they fail to inspire other artists - one of the tests of
great talent “
Art
should reach out to all of us. Those who may not look beyond the
aesthetics should still be able to appreciate works with an
intellectual content. To dismiss this promotes snobbery and elitism.
It's no wonder Saatchi can't give this stuff away!
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