Penny Arcade on Jack Smith: The Fundamental Truth

The first of an eight part series of lectures by Penny Arcade on the Underground aesthetic presented by the New York Underground Museum. Arcade is a highly respected Performance Artist. She is the director of the Plaster Foundation, an archive of Jack Smith's work and she is currently working on a historical film document called Stemming The Tide of cultural Amnesia.
Camera: Steve Zehentner
Music, Drawing, Titles: Phoebe Legere

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• new
• york
• underground
• jack
• smith
• penny
• arcade
• phoebe
• legere
• steve
• zehentner

[chillroom]

I listened quite closely, and I simply disagree. Do a search for Jack Smith "Mysterious Thing" and you will find my interview with Jack about this stuff. This is Penny's take, and it more relates to her own experience than Jack's.

[chillroom]

Penny is wrong about several things here. Jack Smith hated being called "underground" and claimed that term cost him money, because businessmen wouldn't hire him since he was "underground." Also, I recorded a tape with Jack where he talks about wanting to do his show in Vegas "like Liberace." Jack was a true genius, but what Penny says doesn't ring true to me and I was there.

[MrMickeybitzko]

Strong, honest stuff. The only people carrying on this tradition -- even remotely -- these days are Dicey and Paprika. Take a gander at their videos...

[Iightmachine]

Penny is an astute observer who doesn't mince words. She's much brighter and psychologically astute than most of her colleagues.

[rich107s]

chillroom Just read your interview with jack Smith. Interesting. To many of the Young artists today who manage to discover Jack Smith get the idea that Money was unimportant to him and the other Artists of his era "Wrong" And like any good Artist they want there work to reach as many persons as possible.

[Thaxt]

And the hand that controls you also controls & limits not only your art, but just about any creative expression you can come up with. Pressure/time-is-money/power trips & true creativity are mutually exclusive, & always will be.The arts are now (as they unfortunaltely always have been) steered,shaped & herded predominately by moneyed interests & the critics that are their identity-void lackeys.

[Thaxt]

Jack was right in his disaffection: The hand that feeds you is also the hand that controls you...conformity thru fear.

[rich107s]

Well in the end we will see who is remembered Jack Smith or Penny Arcade ? Jack smith is basically forgotten by the young artists today as is also Sam Wagstaff. these two individuals helped change the idea of what constitutes art.The is no more creative scene in Manhattan.She is another Andy Warhol sycophant How exactly was Jack supposed to be involved in the new academic art Movement ? He was not an academic.Jack dint learn his Art in some silly classroom. He lived his art.

[ajerseykid]

think she's on to something when she talks about the "new academic version of the arts".

they're trying to rewrite history from a mostly ignorant perspective.

[LaurasRubin1]

penny & her "club underground" who was part of it, who was not, & why? i was one of those people "pouring out of art school" in 1971 "wanting to be famous". later 1977/8 i frequently had photo editorials published in "soho weekly news" i rarely left my apt. to meet people to offer me a contract. bruce got calvinklein. i could have had donna karan. my photos would have been as beautiful as the ones i took of penny arcade in 1969. i am sorry i am not considered part of the "club".

[Whyavier]

Where's that music that's in that one documentary about him?