In 1993, CBS 60 MinÂutes jourÂnalÂist MorÂley Safer rufÂfled a few feathÂers in the art world with a piece called “Yes…But is it Art?” The proÂgram feaÂtured works made up of things like vacÂuÂum cleanÂers, empÂty canvases–even a can of human feces, which the artist had labeled “MerÂda d’artista.”
On SunÂday, Safer returned with a report on the excess and hubris of the interÂnaÂtionÂal art marÂket. The segÂment (above) was taped in DecemÂber at Art Basel MiaÂmi Beach, a gathÂerÂing billed as “the most presÂtiÂgious art show in the AmerÂiÂcÂas,” where exhibitors pay $150,000 to show their wares to a clienÂtele of milÂlionÂaires and bilÂlionÂaires who fly in for the event on priÂvate jets.
SaferÂ’s report, “Art MarÂket,” is more an exerÂcise in social critÂiÂcism than art critÂiÂcism. NatÂuÂralÂly some peoÂple took it perÂsonÂalÂly. “Now that Andy Rooney has gone up to that big grumpyÂchamÂber in the sky,” wrote Stephanie Murg on the Media Bistro “UnBeige” blog, “MorÂley Safer has takÂen over the role of irasÂciÂble clean-up hitÂter for the dodÂderÂing team of Bad News Bears that is 60 MinÂutes.”
In a piece on the “Arts Beat” blog headÂlined “Safer Looks at Art but Only Hears the Cash RegÂisÂter,” critÂic RoberÂta Smith called SaferÂ’s return visÂit to the art world “a relÂaÂtiveÂly toothÂless, if still quite clueÂless, exerÂcise”:
MovÂing down the aisles he uttered some disÂmisÂsive phrasÂes like “the cute, the kitsch and the clumÂsy” while the camÂera passed often inconÂseÂquenÂtial work that was left unidenÂtiÂfied. MenÂtion was made of perÂforÂmance and video art. OccaÂsionÂalÂly he musÂtered feeÂble attempts to be recepÂtive. There was a respectÂful pause in the asperÂsions as the camÂera passed a canÂvas by Helen FrankenÂthaler, although her name was not menÂtioned. Kara WalkÂer was referred to as a “truÂly talÂentÂed artist.” At the Metro PicÂtures booth it was hard to know whether he liked the work of Cindy SherÂman, but he notÂed that her phoÂtographs sold for $4 milÂlion (glossÂing over the fact that only one did).
At one point on SaferÂ’s stroll there is a chilly encounter with art dealÂer LarÂry Gagosian, who has galÂleries on three conÂtiÂnents.
“At least say helÂlo,” says Safer.
“Hey MorÂley,” says Gagosian, withÂout getÂting up from his chair or offerÂing the 80-year-old man a seat. “You always look so dapÂper. I love that.”
RegardÂless of whether you love the art Gagosian sells at his galÂleries in BevÂerÂly Hills, Paris, GeneÂva and at least eight othÂer cities around the world, you have wonÂder at the ecoÂnomÂic realÂiÂty SaferÂ’s report exposÂes. At a time when unemÂployÂment in AmerÂiÂca is still well above 8 perÂcent, when more than one in five mortÂgage holdÂers have negÂaÂtive equiÂty in their homes, when the top one perÂcent of the popÂuÂlaÂtion is pockÂetÂing 93 perÂcent of the gains from a glacial ecoÂnomÂic recovÂery, SaferÂ’s piece does what a work of art should: it opens the eyes.
SaferÂ’s 1993 report:
For me, I think, the artÂsÂpeak is the high end art marÂket’s piece de resisÂtance. PerÂhaps if I could underÂstand what the heck critÂics were talkÂing about, I’d be more inclined to appreÂciÂate a blank canÂvas or can of excreÂment. And if artÂsÂpeak were almost, but not quite, underÂstandÂable, I’d probÂaÂbly be awed, intrigued, intimÂiÂdatÂed, and likeÂly to believe what the critÂics said. As a grad stuÂdent in EngÂlish, I’m used to theÂoÂry and critÂic linÂgo, but artÂsÂpeak is SanÂskrit to me. WhatÂevÂer skills I have do not transÂfer to that lanÂguage. Because the art is so unfathÂomable and the critÂics are so unfathÂomable, it seems to me that the only explaÂnaÂtion for the entire sheÂbang is that it is the highÂest return on an investÂment that a very, very rich perÂson can make. It’s a very risky investÂment, but no othÂer marÂket has the expoÂnenÂtial return the art marÂket has. The work of art is at botÂtom a comÂmodÂiÂty, like pork belÂlies. I mean, I’m glad the artists are makÂing monÂey, but it’s mind bogÂgling how colÂlecÂtors, dealÂers, and likeÂly some artists trafÂfic in such mumÂbo jumÂbo with a straight face.
As an artist I can look at anyÂthing and everyÂthing and say that “All is art” and I realÂly mean it. But, to look at a jar of turds and think “this is telling me someÂthing” or “Wow, I should buy that!”… It’s so incredÂiÂbly self imporÂtant and ridicuÂlous to think that this kind of art says anyÂthing more than “You have your self imporÂtant head shoved too far up your ass to realÂize that this is just a jar full of shit”. It says more about the peoÂple willÂing to disÂplay the work as art, the so-called artists and the patrons who seem to be insuÂlatÂed from realÂiÂty and have more monÂey and time than comÂmon sense. This is one aspect of the art world that has always made me laugh because it’s more about partÂing rich peoÂple from their monÂey than anyÂthing else. It’s all about who you know or who you blow baby, hahaÂha.
I can think of a very simÂple soluÂtion to all this over-hyped, over-priced conÂtemÂpoÂrary art and it is this: ban all forms of “found art”. Make it gauche to rifle through a wareÂhouse and stick your name on a piece of found porceÂlain. Make it so that anyÂthing that isn’t actuÂalÂly made by the artist canÂnot be clasÂsiÂfied as art; and that includes culÂmiÂnatÂing a series of found objects into one largÂer nonÂsenÂsiÂcal object. There was once a time and place for it back in the 20th cenÂtuÂry and now that time is past. It has become way too out of hand now and must stop. The reaÂson why it won’t is made abunÂdantÂly clear in both videos– the playÂers in this farce enjoy the cliquishÂness of their monÂey-flow and these “art shows” are mereÂly a facade. These works have no meanÂing because they are pureÂly based on finanÂcial disÂcourse. I can think of nothÂing sadÂder.
And still, art remains our most preÂcious comÂmodÂiÂty, our most proÂtectÂed treaÂsure in the world. What realÂly counts is what surÂvives for posÂterÂiÂty, just like the art of our forÂbears. It is none of your busiÂness how wealthy peoÂple spend their monÂey. Until you sucÂceed in a revÂoÂluÂtion, you can just sit with your mouths hangÂing open.