Is it just me or is anyone else a bit dubious about Saatchi’s new art show?
After the first round, Matthew Collings apparently said “”It’s worth the public watching this. They should be thinking about where that utter s*** comes from that those poor little young artists are spouting.”” Can I just ponder whether the entries they received were representative of ‘poor little young artists’? Would it not be the case, as with X Factor, Big Brother etc, that the people likely to apply to the show were quite keen on becoming famous and saw this as a good short cut.
The article also picks up on one finalist, who was praised by Emin: Suki Chan. I have seen Chan’s work a couple of times, it was beautiful on both occasions. However, one look at her CV will show that she is doing pretty well already: http://www.sukichan.co.uk/cv.htmThis leads me to wonder what exactly is wrong with the slow burn?
Perhaps the art world is too insular and maybe the fact that people can do well and not be visible to the public at large is not desirable.. I don’t think so though. Doing well and not being famous surely just gives artists a chance to grow, develop and build up a body of work (also without the press heaping scorn on everything) before they are given the sort of opportunities that earn them mass exposure, if they want it – and when they are ready. That’s the way most people go about their careers, because experience usually counts for something.
Why do we (as a nation) seem to feel that celebrity is so important, and that it should be treated the same way in art as pop? There is another series on at the moment too – not sure which channel – for Britain’s best young Butcher, Hairdresser etc. Not sure what it consists of, not watching it either. I am interested to see how this panel choose what is ‘best’ from their artist candidates.
So, will the contestants end up being famous for having odious/adorable personalities rather than their work? I also wonder how it will work for the artists’ legacies, I mean, how many off the show will keep their credibility – or will it just end up a load of Jedwards? Guess I’ll have to watch and see…
