Parisians Destroy L.A. Art, Feel no Guilt
Untitled Wall Relief, Craig Kauffman, 1967.
In what is being called an “extremely upsetting” event, two artworks on loan to Paris’ Pompidou Center have been completely destroyed. The French claim it was accidental, but also shrug off responsibilty for the losses. From the Times:
“It’s not our guilt,” Catherine Grenier, who curated the show for the Pompidou, said from her Paris home. “For me, it’s not a coincidence. These two works were made of the same materials, and made in the same period. And both were incredibly fragile.”
Wrong, Ms. Grenier, it is your guilt. Our cultural treasures have been destroyed and you blame the art itself? Incroyable! And while the works were of similar materials, they were not the same. Of course France has more classical masterworks in one room of the Louvre then Los Angeles has in its best museum, but as for late 20th century art, LA kicks ass over most of the world. This carelessness or arrogance only shows that LA needs to hold its head high when it comes to our post-modern masters, and not be so trusting of other museums who may not fully appreciate or understand the works created and owned by this fair city.
Taco wrote:
[...] Parisians Destroy L.A. Art, Feel no Guilt [...]
Posted on 03-Aug-06 at 7:30 am | Permalink
Ted wrote:
This is a true loss, although I suppose it makes my Kauffman a little more valuable– I keed, I keed.
Posted on 03-Aug-06 at 8:56 am | Permalink
Frankie Teardrop wrote:
I’m a Parisian who doesn’t remember American art destruction as being a local pastime. Love, yes. We make love with ancient art, modern art, futuristic art all the time. Art inspires Paris and Paris inspires Art. As Henry Miller wrote shortly after becoming a Parisian : “I feel like I could turn out a book a month here. If I could get a stenographer to go to bed with me I could carry on twenty four hours a day.”
The Centre Pompidou has been opened since 1977 and has had no history of destroying art. Actually they’ve done the opposite: they’ve given life to it.
Everybody hated the Pompidou Center when it was opened, because it didn’t look good enough for Paris. It was all plastic and blue and green pipes, like a giant toy in the middle of a city where, as Henry Miller also wrote, “the houses drip with history, glory, romance.” But the Ugly Duckling grew in Parisian’s hearts and I remember spending many hours browsing through its library, attending screenings, and feeling lucky to be exposed to innovative art from all over the world.
I think it sucks that those two art pieces broke. I understand your anger. I do hope they find out what went on and make sure it never happens again.
But reducing Catherine Grenier as someone with no guilt who may not fully appreciate or understand the works is a little unfair, don’t you think? Do you know she created the show. It must have been amazing, I would have loved to have seen it… if I hadn’t become an Angelino. Look at this:
“The artistic scene of Los Angeles – a complex multicultural city – is unique in its protean quality, a spectrum that goes from Californian culture to Hollywood, from underground movements to Disneyland. Through a large selection of paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, films and videos, the book traces the multiform history of this scene from its emergence in the early 60s up to 1985, covering assemblage art, Pop art, Californian minimalism or “Finish Fetish”, the “Light and Space” movement, conceptual art, performance art, feminism, installations, experimental video and film.”
Sounds to me like Catherine is a Taco lover.
Croissant quizz:
Who published Henry Miller when nobody in America would touch him?
Who produced some of Greg Araki’s last films when no American producer would?
Arrogant Parisians like me!
Posted on 07-Sep-06 at 8:54 pm | Permalink