Stuckism
handy guide to the art world....
The Tate reveals how it dictates art with
a self-fulfilling prophecy
1) The Tate Triennial
Artists are selected who conform to the Tate's narrow criteria
for art. This is so-called "difficult" (i.e. meaningless
and pretentious) art, preferably with so-called "new"
media (e.g. film and photography, which were invented in
the Victorian age). The right connections are an immense
advantage. Officially approved curators, galleries* etc.,
who "respond to the edgy spirit of the times",
are listed in the Tate's book Moving Targets 2: a User's
Guide to British Art Now by "art
is money-sexy-social-climbing-fantastic!"
recent Turner Prize jurist,
Louisa
Buck .
Not surprisingly "there has been a correlation between
the artists on show here and those who crop up in the Turner
short list", according to Judith Nesbitt, Tate chief
curator. On the basis of this prominence, work may be accepted
into the collection.
2) The Turner Prize
On the basis that they are important because the Tate has
made them important in the Tate Triennial, they can now
be nominated for the Turner Prize, which means of course
that they are even more important (Jim Lambie and Gillian
Carnegie are examples from 2005). On the basis of this even
greater importance, there is even more likelihood that work
will be accepted into the collection. For a description
of the above see the somewhat ironically-titled "New
Britart stars spurn celebrity cult" in the Observer
(26.2.06)
3) Tate Trustee Prize
On the basis that they are hugely important because the
Tate has made them hugely important in the Turner Prize,
they can now be appointed a Tate Trustee, which gives them
an intimate working relationship with other Trustees, who
make acquisitions decisions about their work, while they
leave the room. Later, some of the colleagues who made the
decision about the work will in turn leave the room while
their own work is discussed. Sir Nicholas Serota, Tate Director,
is of course influential with regard to acquistions, including
those from trustees. Every seven years, the trustees in
turn decide whether or not they will re-appoint him to be
director. On this basis work will definitely be accepted
into the collection (all artist trustees during Sir Nicholas
Serota's directorship have had work accepted into the collection,
one with over fifty works, and one whose work was
bought for £705,000).
*Tate
officially approved galleries: Sadie Coles, Hales Gallery,
White Cube Gallery, Lisson Gallery, Cabinet Gallery, The
Approach, Victoria Miro Gallery, Anthony d'Offay Gallery,
Interim Art, Anthony Reynolds Gallery.
