“Much of modern art is devoted to lowering the threshold of what is terrible. By getting us used to what, formerly, we could not bear to see or hear, because it was too shocking, painful, or embarrassing, art changes morals.” ~Susan Sontag

Is it mere coincidence or just plain old fashioned "Pied Piper Syndrome" that sadly ALL the available local venues for Seattle artists seem to slavishly coincide predictably with the international art trends of 5 years ago so desperately worshipped by the local yokel hipster artists?
Does anyone else find it odd that Jen can't find something else to write a feature about besides the f 'n Frye, Lawrimore Gallery, or inane odd news bites??? Insipid, narrow, BORING, and nepotic among other terms come to mind here...

@2 northwest mystic

You could do us all a favor and help us with who the current artists are who are doing the work of today and not work in style five years ago. It would be very helpful if you would supply a list of, say, five current artists who represent the now in art. Please help us know whom we should be looking to. Why wouldn't you want to help solve the problem you point to?

F-Hole....a very smart critic/connoisseur once said "great is good then, now, and tomorrow". Period. You (and most losers) that have this sad amateur fixation with validating your personal adjudication and acceptance of "worthy" art and artists locally (and internationally I assume) as well as your ridiculous obsession with the outside art world and its "goings-ons" that simply put, undermines truth and authenticity in Art. Sorry to say that if more of the local scene-sters just shut up and actually did some of the damned hard work it notoriously takes to make great art( and theory) instead of looking to everyone and everything else that happens/happened-they might actually create great art... MAYBE.
BUT... would anyone here recognize it??? Doubtful.
And fyi...you can't know the now (or future) without knowing the past.
That goes for you, Jen, the local gallerists(Lawrimore, etc) and the Real Housewife Curators of Seattle, as well as all the others who shit on anything threatening by tearing it down to build up themselves so falsely.
Happy New Year

Insight on Place:

http://www.intercapillaryspace.org/2011/…

http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com/2009/06/…

Did she really write a 50K word novel in one sentence?

I’ve got to admit when your Place article first appeared I couldn’t see why she was being welcomed in the art community but after a week of checking her out, I can see the value and have discovered how much I appreciate the nuances in your article. She seems to have created very little that would be considered visual art, but she does seem to be knocking on the door and to have stepped over the threshold on occasion. I don’t buy her pronouncement that Postmodernism has been replaced by the Supreme god of Conceptualism, but who cares, she has had an amazing career and seems to think like a visual artist as when she comments that she looks at text not horizontally but vertically. Another battle I love, she and her cohorts are steeped in a battle between Conceptual Poetry and Flarf. Apparently many emergent poets have embraced the impulses of the brotherhood of Duchamp and caused something of an uproar amongst the traditionalists. The literary and the visual apparently blur at times. Derrida speaks and sometimes the printed word embraces the photo as text, intertextuality and polyvocalism crosses media boundaries and is media; it’s all media maybe. New poets have tried to create bad poetry or anti-poetry by making Google searches for phrases, concatenating them and posting them on the web. An unexpected movement exploding a few years back. Shades of the Academic phrase becoming popular in many disciplines: “digital humanism.” One has to salute the Frye for, once again, being forward thinking and global in its embrace and explorations to keep contemporary art vibrating with unexpected realities. I’m thinking the Frye will experience a rather diverse group at the event. I am feeling a little sad at Doug Nufer not getting his air time here but I think I understand. Vanessa Place has earned a remarkable place in her professional community. Think of Place as a performance in spades. I’m getting vibes from Laurie Anderson and John Cage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmr_6DeuW…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5V7gk8To…

@6
It's really too bad you're not very intuitive or gifted at this art game because your involvement in the "conversation" and enthusiasm for it is admirable. 'A' for effort-I suppose.
Maybe you should apply for Jen's job, since you feel so inclined to laboriously expound upon that which she's TRYING to say in all her...well...you know...unsuccessful ways, shall we say?
(sigh)

@7 nw mystic

I’m clearly not an expert nor do I see myself as qualified or knowledgeable anywhere near the people active in the art community. Because of many factors, they run circles around me when speaking on art. In my latter years, I’ve come to understand and embrace the contemporary art scene, an achievement I’d stumbled over in my early years. I now look at the revolution that took place in art mainly in the 20th century as one of the most remarkable turn a rounds in intellectual history. I came from a mid-century middle American pov that found it difficult to understand why paintings of Campbell’s soup cans could be considered art and cost so much to looking forward to being challenged and surprised with my experiences with the new art in museums and galleries. I’m blown away by the intense dedication and energy of art students, artists, galleriests, curators and collectors representing the current scene. I remember being introduced to conceptual art at the Henry around 1970 and being puzzled and mesmerized by the idea that art could be seen in this way. I was at first put off by the following statement by Place:

“The difficulty is to continuously invite meaning while always avoiding meaning-making. To be a cogito-tease.”

But now think of it as maybe a very good definition of what conceptual artists are good at. But also I’m thinking her words kind of express what you generally offer on this blog. I’m not sure how I’m to respond to your post. If you are giving me some credit, I probably should say I appreciate it. You can be so crass but I often get the feeling you have a soft side. It is still the case that many of us would love you to give us some specific information as to what turns you on—not off.

I’m not fit to be a professional writer because of my problems with grammar and other things. I offer nothing to approach Jen Graves’s ability or qualifications. She, as many in the field, impresses me extremely in their love of the subject, depth of awareness and continuing pursuit to experience as much of the current scene they can. I’m gratified by these people who continually travel and interact with art communities and art in as many outside venues they can get to nationally and around the world. I’m pretty much an outsider with nothing more than bare personal opinions.

Ahhhhh...don't be so darned hard on yourself Fhole. The point is you have eyes and perceptions just like Jen and your experience in age might just trump hers so hey, look at it this way-Jen is looking and taking it all in just like all of us- the difference is, she's a "professional" (bad joke I know...life!) and she's really pretty bad at it. Look-she was a Tacoma news journalist who really isn't qualified to critique art anymore than any of the rest of us, PERIOD! She causes more damage than good and it's what she doesn't do that is SO totally wrong-and sucks. SHE JUST DOESN'T REALLY GET IT, sorry. Top that off with her desperate wanna be art-hipster queen bee role in which she inappropriately slimes the koolsters like Lawrimore, Held, Tarl, etc without just cause at the expense of others....IIIIICCKKK!!!