Robert Hughes - American Visions - 8th episode, part 3 of 5

"Age of Anxiety" (Episode Eight)

Richard Diebenkorn's abstracts, including the Ocean Park Paintings, are discussed.

The work of Philip Guston (June 27, 1913 June 7, 1980) is explored, and his daughter, Musa Mayer, is inteviewed. Video clips of Guston are shown.

The conflicts of 1960s and 70s are transformed by the Reagan rhetoric, and the arts boomed.

Julian Schnabel, a "monument of self-esteem."

Jeff Koons "a vulgarity so syrupy, gross and numbing, that collectors felt challenged by it."

go here to playlist of all episodes of "American Visions":
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=DF4A4CCB9DB13FEF

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Richard-Diebenkorn
• abstract-art
• Philip-Guston
• Julian-Schnabel
• Jeff-Koons
• modern-art
• Robert-Hughes
• American-Visions
• Art-History

[jaggerlags]

@melissacarterTS Ok.

[melissacarterTS]

@jaggerlags I don't try to control my passion for art, so don't ask me to care more or less. If I care, I care. Hughes does stir up my emotions, and to be fair I actually held him in great esteem in my early days. When he wrote "Shock of the New." It was a virtual bible in art school. My copy has oil paint smeared throughout the pages. I must disagree with you, however, true artists are the stream of creativity, never parasitic, whereas critics are only parasitic, it is their nature.

[jaggerlags]

@melissacarterTS You're proving my point. "Guston ignored the clamoring voices on the sidelines." Exactly, most artists don't care what critics say. You seem to care with great emotion. Hating them takes energy. So if critics follow, then what? That's their role. It's like your taking what they say more sensitively than you need to. Just let go and create, it's what I do. Besides, most artists are parasites of the moment.

[melissacarterTS]

@jaggerlags you couldn't be more wrong. Critics are parasitic in nature, always have been. It's comical that Hughes would praise Guston, who was unanimously dismissed by the entire art world in the late 60's as he transformed to his late and great style. Where was Hughes in 1968? Oh, I see, in the 80's suddenly Guston is a master again. Please, it's embarrassing at best. Guston ignored the clamoring voices on the sidelines. Any artist would do the same. Artists are the leaders, critics follow.

[jaggerlags]

@melissacarterTS Not trying to argue but I don't think it's true most artists hate them. The ones who do are just loud. The ones who don't move on or enjoy the discussion. How many of these artists threw Hughes out on his ass when he arrived? One after another enjoyed talking. If you change the perspective than critics classifying art are not trying to pull your hand in a certain direction, they're just raising theirs and saying "I'm over here on this..." Like I said, I think it's allowed.

[melissacarterTS]

@MakRowan if you think my mouth is dirty you should read my mind :)

[melissacarterTS]

@jaggerlags Art, to me, is a world one must navigate through in their own way, in their own mind, finding their own key markers. Good art is always ethereal, in that it goes beyond classifying, categorizing, analyzing, compartmentalizing history into timetables and schools of painters. I don't need or want my hand held. But that's exactly what critics and historians do, they can't help themselves. It's no coincidence most artists despise critics, detest them, and whatever comes after detest.

[jaggerlags]

@melissacarterTS I think Hughes is allowed. To me, if the public were able to "do it themselves" (take their place as the voice of contemporary art history like you said) they'd make a lot more of these specials themselves, they'd stress art in school more, and they'd talk about art like they do football. I'm grateful for these. By the way, the public hoisted up those two artists you dislike so much (schnable and koons) so maybe his opinion against them should be welcomed, not resented.

[MakRowan]

@melissacarterTS aw shucks, you sure have a dirty mouth melissa. i just think he has good taste in art. i agree with his taste in art, for the most part. i also enjoy the way he organized his overview of US art.

[ricv64]

funny , cause when they were hanging Gustons 1980 show Helen Frankenthaler was walking around the museum loudly proclaiming it sucked