The artwork world is rife with persistent myths and associations, a few of that are based mostly on socio-economic elements which have prevailed for, properly, millennia. As an example, rich patrons have traditionally been among the many few who profit in a system that may be unique and elitist. Whether or not we’re speaking wealthy historic Romans, the Medici household in Renaissance Florence, myriad kings and queens, or right now’s main artwork collectors, the underside line is most frequently cash. For a lot of, that’s a strong barrier to entry.
One other time period that will get tossed round quite a bit is “gatekeeping.” Galleries, artwork sellers, museum curators, students, publishers, and so forth assume roles as tastemakers and assessors, constructing relationships (or not) that usually decide which artworks find yourself in public establishments, which exhibits obtain consideration, or which personal collections artists’ items are destined to hitch. Gatekeeping is, by definition, the act of monitoring who “gets in,” reinforcing the notion of exclusivity. In brief, it describes a mess of potential obstacles.
So, if the artwork world has traditionally all the time indulged the rich or felt like a realm for students and intellectuals, how can or not it’s made extra accessible? That’s what curator, gallerist, educator, and self-described passionate artwork lover James Payne is as much as with Nice Artwork Defined.
The video sequence started in Could 2020, on the peak of the pandemic, with the straightforward premise that nice artwork will be “explained clearly and concisely in 15 minutes,” he says. Payne’s YouTube channel chronicles seminal artworks all through the centuries, predominantly specializing in textbook titans of European and American artwork like Marcel Duchamp, Sandro Botticelli, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Johannes Vermeer, Salvador Dalí, and extra.
Distilling the tales of iconic items into 15-minute explanations, Payne dives into a few of the most groundbreaking moments in artwork historical past. The newest video highlights a turning level in American artwork by way of the lens of Jackson Pollock’s splatter work, together with “Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist),” which the artist painted on the ground of a Lengthy Island barn in 1950.
Pollock’s strategies, life-style, and views have lengthy been polarizing, however he’s most recognized for eschewing conventional brushwork—altering the course of artwork historical past, actually—by pouring, dripping, and flinging paint onto canvas. Not solely that, he eliminated the substrate from the wall and put it on the ground, difficult notions of ritual and preciousness. There’s even a discarded cigarette and some rogue bugs completely caught to the floor.
“Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist)” and comparable works made round that point amounted to an inventive breakthrough for Pollock, who has come to exemplify the parable of the lone, troubled, so-called “cowboy painter.” (He was born in Cody, Wyoming, and was recognized to drink to extra; he died in 1956 in an alcohol-related automotive crash.) This era of his apply additionally spurred the Summary Expressionist motion in New York Metropolis and marked a monumental shift in our appreciation of what portray will be.
Payne is occupied with these sorts of trailblazing moments, however he emphasizes letting go of “art-speak” to convey us nearer to vital artworks by way of a mini-documentary format. He releases a brand new video every month, plus an occasional sub-series known as Nice Artwork Cities that highlights quite a lot of locations in collaboration with journey author Joanne Shurvell.
“Sometimes the artwork is a springboard for other wider issues I would like to explore, and sometimes, it is a simple exploration of techniques and meaning,” Payne says. “For me, setting the works in context helps us appreciate them more.”
Payne’s work is supported through Patreon, and a Nice Artwork Defined e book is slated for launch from Thames & Hudson later this 12 months. And for the literary followers amongst us, he additionally runs one other YouTube channel in an identical vein known as Nice Books Defined. (through Kottke)
