Yeah, it has been a long time since I've posted on my blog. It's weird, I think I've fallen into the trap of not posting for a bit, then not posting 'cause I haven't posted and will need an extra special post to re-instigate the posting.
Well, my need to rant has won out.
I've been meaning to post this rant for a while, since the a trip to Denver where I stuck my head into the Clyfford Still Museum.
Why the need to rant? Well, I've had a history of being severely conflicted by my experience of museums, the role of museums in our society and the history of museums. Of course, as an artist, I've had some amazing experiences of learning and epiphany in museums. But, sometimes...many times, museums just suck the soul out of art and life. The Clyfford Still Museum takes the cake, in my book-along with the Cy Twombly Gallery in Houston (Cy Twombly=warmed up cow turds!)
History: sometime in the recent past, some foundation went looking for a spot to house the works of this Still guy, somehow they chose Denver. So, they built a truly beautiful structure, quite a nice modern, concrete shell to house art-good 'chit. Then they filled it full of paintings by this Still guy and call it art.
I have to admit, there is some nice art painted by Still, but, my beef with the Clyfford Still Museum is: why make an entire museum that is a frozen dedication to one mediocre artist? (Ditto with the Cy Twombly Gallery, without the caveat of quality art being involved in the equation)
Make a museum with rotating exhibits of artist working in the modernist, color field aesthetic, or whatever the art books call it. Make it a museum showing kindergarteners being inspired by whatever made Still high enough to paint what he painted. But, don't just freeze art; let it live, let it fail, let it fly, let it make coffee and stand around the kitchen talking about the canvas they just built.....
FYI: the whole impetus for this speel is the DenverPost.com has an advert for the Still Museum: "Until You Go, You Won't Know!" Ha, Ha Ha, Ha! That's soo funny
