Super happy The New Guard is getting the attention it deserves - though i must say it is strange that the 3 other core partners (who are all geniuses) don't get proper mention: Joey Veltkamp curates the art, Sarah Jurado takes the gorgeous photos, and hometown hero Damien Jurado books the bands. I know Whit would want them all front and center. The New Guard is a beautiful example of the power of collaboration - and the power of the common table - keep it up!
We were so very ecstatic to highlight the work of Troy, Gala, Amanda, and Jason in our last four dinners. The artists are selected and curated by The Happiest Man on Earth, Joey Veltkamp, who is the Art Brain of The New Guard.
And yes, Michael's absolutely right: I just want to emphasize that this little bubbling baby isn't the brainchild of one mind, but of four: Joey Veltkamp, Sarah & Damien Jurado, and me.
I'm honored to be mentioned among such amazing company, and thank you Whitney Ricketts and Joey Veltkamp for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful experience. Here's to New Guard!
Jen Gravesâ âart writingsâ have been saying so little for so long, that any lack of critical depth has come to be expected. However, her article entitled , âThe New Guardâ, published in volume 19, number 22 of The Stranger, was such an inane piece of shit, that it must be called out for what it is: at best, lazy uncritical writing, and at worst, nothing more than a regurgitation of what four mediocre artists think of themselves and their art.
First and foremost, letâs look at the title of the article: âThe New Guardâ.
What does that mean?
Who was âThe Old Guardâ?
What makes âThe New Guardâ new?
And most importantly, what are they guarding?
Or maybe, âThe New Guardâ is just a cool looking title at the top of a pageâŠand important sounding to boot!
Regardless, calling these four artists Seattleâs âNew Guardâ is a pretty serious declaration. A declaration that demands some pretty serious critical attention. Critical attention that leads to some pretty serious justification. However, Jen Gravesâ article contains none of thisâŠso why donât I go ahead and critically review this âNew Guardâ to see just how far ahead of the rest of Seattleâs up and coming art community they really are.
New Guard #1
Jason âSelf-Indulgentâ Hirata
According to Jenâs article, Jason Hirata wanted to remove himself from his art because he found art about himself boring. He decided to create ârandomâ personal objectives that he somehow believed removed him from his process. How these objectives removed him is unexplained.
However, even this bored him, so he blamed it on picking objectives based on what he knew he could already do.
Once again, no explanation.
Why didnât he simply pick objectives based on what he knew he couldnât already do?
Or better yet, why pick objectives in the first place?
Utilizing these inflexible objectives led to predictability. This actually surprised himâŠand once again bored him.
So what did he do?
He continued writing objectives, but now had other people execute them. EUREKA! Finally he wasnât bored. Having other people do the boring work was the trick.
Why this change in his process doesnât fall into the same âtruistic trapâ that previously killed his curiosity isnât mentioned. Perhaps Jason isnât really interested in making anything. Perhaps Jason shouldnât make anything.
One thing is for certain, he is completely absorbed by his own interest in his own art. The viewer is superfluous. If Jason only âmakes art he wants to look at over timeâ, why does he show it to anyone else?
As far as ârepurposingâ old boring photosâŠnothing but a lazy cop-out. Boring shit by any other name, hung in any other way, is still boring shit.
But waitâŠwhatâs this I read? In his upcoming show he plans to employ bodily excretions (sweat) to make drawings with? WOW! Youâre supposed to draw with ink, silly . SWEAT? Thatâs so weird, so âNew Guardâ.
Perhaps weâd all be better off if Jason removed himself from any art making process even furtherâŠlike entirely. Please, for the sake of the viewer, have mercy. Weâre all as bored with you as you are.
New Guard #2
Amanda âCheap Shockâ Manitach
As I read Jen Graves trumpet the virtues of Amandaâs syphilitic vagina drawings I couldnât help but think back to her article on the Calder exhibit at the SAM , and her dismissal of his overall impact.
Letâs see hereâŠ
Invention of the Mobile
vs.
Syphilitic Vagina Drawings
Now, which overall has had more impact on the art world?
Syphilitic vaginas?! OOOH, now I get it! Theyâre gross and shocking! WOW! Whoâs ever heard of employing such devices in a fine art context? Completely original. Iâll bet no oneâs even thought of doing that before. BRAVO! The Seattle art community will never be the same again!
To quote Amanda herself, âI would love to be Alfred Jarryâ⊠that statement sums it all up. Even Amanda Manitach isnât interested in Amanda Manitach. Why should anyone else be?
New Guard #3
Gala âOne Trick Ponyâ Bent
Iâm not even going to comment on the ridiculousness of a formulaic device like cool lookinâ hair being âNew Guardâ.
âHairnimalsâ?
Youâve gotta fuckinâ be kidding me.
New Guard #4
Troy âPop Art Is Played Outâ Gua
Employing a movement that is nearly fifty years old is âNew Guardâ? Lampooning pop culture is so obvious that itâs redundant. Honestly, is there anyone left on the planet that views politics and consumerism juxtaposed with popular culture as fresh?
Itâs as archaic and obvious as arguing that the world is round.
NO DUH, TROY GUA.
Now, my critical examination of these four artists may seem a bit abrasive, but the moniker âNew Guardâ implies a pioneering vision and the breaking of new ground. This description applied to any of these artists is patently absurd.
Whatâs more, it is irresponsible to cast such unsubstantiated claims in any light of relevance, let alone publish the shit. The article might as well be a press release of four individual artistâs statements. There is no critique whatsoever.
No one that Iâve spoken to in the Seattle art community believes that these artists represent a âNew Guardâ. Apparently Jen Graves does, but she either doesnât really know why, or is too lazy and unconcerned with critical thinking to bother expressing it.
Either way, I guess Seattle is just expected to take her word for it.
SoâŠVIVA LA NEW GUARD! JenâŠVIVA LA NEW GUARD!
Finally, as a publication, if The Stranger takes its art column seriously, please consider printing some thoughtful criticism for a change.
And yes, Michael's absolutely right: I just want to emphasize that this little bubbling baby isn't the brainchild of one mind, but of four: Joey Veltkamp, Sarah & Damien Jurado, and me.
@7 Thanks Sarah - so great to have met you and Damien and hope to see more of you soon!
The photo of homeboy with the beard on the right sidebar where all the other artists are pictured is Robert HARDGRAVE, not Hardgrove.
also, SHARON arnold, yo. ain't no SHANNON about it. yo.
Sweat ink? I love it love it love it.
What a great feature about New Guard, Jen. I'm so appreciative of the group's efforts to unite three communities that go together so seamlessly!
http://www.zackandgalabent.com/?gala
http://www.troygua.com
http://www.jasonhirata.com
http://www.amandamanitach.com
Voila!
Jen Gravesâ âart writingsâ have been saying so little for so long, that any lack of critical depth has come to be expected. However, her article entitled , âThe New Guardâ, published in volume 19, number 22 of The Stranger, was such an inane piece of shit, that it must be called out for what it is: at best, lazy uncritical writing, and at worst, nothing more than a regurgitation of what four mediocre artists think of themselves and their art.
First and foremost, letâs look at the title of the article: âThe New Guardâ.
What does that mean?
Who was âThe Old Guardâ?
What makes âThe New Guardâ new?
And most importantly, what are they guarding?
Or maybe, âThe New Guardâ is just a cool looking title at the top of a pageâŠand important sounding to boot!
Regardless, calling these four artists Seattleâs âNew Guardâ is a pretty serious declaration. A declaration that demands some pretty serious critical attention. Critical attention that leads to some pretty serious justification. However, Jen Gravesâ article contains none of thisâŠso why donât I go ahead and critically review this âNew Guardâ to see just how far ahead of the rest of Seattleâs up and coming art community they really are.
New Guard #1
Jason âSelf-Indulgentâ Hirata
According to Jenâs article, Jason Hirata wanted to remove himself from his art because he found art about himself boring. He decided to create ârandomâ personal objectives that he somehow believed removed him from his process. How these objectives removed him is unexplained.
However, even this bored him, so he blamed it on picking objectives based on what he knew he could already do.
Once again, no explanation.
Why didnât he simply pick objectives based on what he knew he couldnât already do?
Or better yet, why pick objectives in the first place?
Utilizing these inflexible objectives led to predictability. This actually surprised himâŠand once again bored him.
So what did he do?
He continued writing objectives, but now had other people execute them. EUREKA! Finally he wasnât bored. Having other people do the boring work was the trick.
Why this change in his process doesnât fall into the same âtruistic trapâ that previously killed his curiosity isnât mentioned. Perhaps Jason isnât really interested in making anything. Perhaps Jason shouldnât make anything.
One thing is for certain, he is completely absorbed by his own interest in his own art. The viewer is superfluous. If Jason only âmakes art he wants to look at over timeâ, why does he show it to anyone else?
As far as ârepurposingâ old boring photosâŠnothing but a lazy cop-out. Boring shit by any other name, hung in any other way, is still boring shit.
But waitâŠwhatâs this I read? In his upcoming show he plans to employ bodily excretions (sweat) to make drawings with? WOW! Youâre supposed to draw with ink, silly . SWEAT? Thatâs so weird, so âNew Guardâ.
Perhaps weâd all be better off if Jason removed himself from any art making process even furtherâŠlike entirely. Please, for the sake of the viewer, have mercy. Weâre all as bored with you as you are.
New Guard #2
Amanda âCheap Shockâ Manitach
As I read Jen Graves trumpet the virtues of Amandaâs syphilitic vagina drawings I couldnât help but think back to her article on the Calder exhibit at the SAM , and her dismissal of his overall impact.
Letâs see hereâŠ
Invention of the Mobile
vs.
Syphilitic Vagina Drawings
Now, which overall has had more impact on the art world?
Syphilitic vaginas?! OOOH, now I get it! Theyâre gross and shocking! WOW! Whoâs ever heard of employing such devices in a fine art context? Completely original. Iâll bet no oneâs even thought of doing that before. BRAVO! The Seattle art community will never be the same again!
To quote Amanda herself, âI would love to be Alfred Jarryâ⊠that statement sums it all up. Even Amanda Manitach isnât interested in Amanda Manitach. Why should anyone else be?
New Guard #3
Gala âOne Trick Ponyâ Bent
Iâm not even going to comment on the ridiculousness of a formulaic device like cool lookinâ hair being âNew Guardâ.
âHairnimalsâ?
Youâve gotta fuckinâ be kidding me.
New Guard #4
Troy âPop Art Is Played Outâ Gua
Employing a movement that is nearly fifty years old is âNew Guardâ? Lampooning pop culture is so obvious that itâs redundant. Honestly, is there anyone left on the planet that views politics and consumerism juxtaposed with popular culture as fresh?
Itâs as archaic and obvious as arguing that the world is round.
NO DUH, TROY GUA.
Now, my critical examination of these four artists may seem a bit abrasive, but the moniker âNew Guardâ implies a pioneering vision and the breaking of new ground. This description applied to any of these artists is patently absurd.
Whatâs more, it is irresponsible to cast such unsubstantiated claims in any light of relevance, let alone publish the shit. The article might as well be a press release of four individual artistâs statements. There is no critique whatsoever.
No one that Iâve spoken to in the Seattle art community believes that these artists represent a âNew Guardâ. Apparently Jen Graves does, but she either doesnât really know why, or is too lazy and unconcerned with critical thinking to bother expressing it.
Either way, I guess Seattle is just expected to take her word for it.
SoâŠVIVA LA NEW GUARD! JenâŠVIVA LA NEW GUARD!
Finally, as a publication, if The Stranger takes its art column seriously, please consider printing some thoughtful criticism for a change.