7 Days in the Art World posts

Capter 6- The Studio Visit
"He's done some scholarly shit and some spectacular shows. It's money well spent- peanuts compared to what we've poured into favricating Oval."

"...our business is to sell symptoms articulated as objects"

Other paintings credit upwards of 35 names. Similarly, Murakami's desire to help his assistants launch their own careers is unusual.

"I like to see the artist's reality."

"I was taught that one o the defining premises of modern art was its antagonism to mass culture... If I wanted to be accepted more readily by the academic establishment, I could argue that Takashi is working within the system only to subvert it..."

What makes Takashi's art great- and also potentially scary- is his honest and completely canny relationship to commercial culture industries."

"it's not a gift shop- it's more like performance art"

it is interesting to see that for the studio visit Sarah Thornton has chosen one of the most successful and business-oriented artists in the industry. The issue of "selling out" is a serious overtone in this chapter.

Pricing and selling works seem as far away from the creative process as possible, but are a necessary component in the business side of the art world. This is a side that is often not revealed or talked about. It is nice to know that even Takashi Murakami has the same concerns and ideas about art business etiquette, and that he was ok with letting us take a peek into his studio to find out what is really going on.

It's also inspiring to know that the success of his assistants is a concern.



Chapter 2 - The Crit

"...Wheras acadmia is based on rational group-think. There is a magic and a n alchemy to art, but academics are always suspicious of the guy who stirs the big black pot."

Most schools turn a blind eye to the art market.

The art market simmers underneath all fo these schools.

Others occupy a left-wing position that believes the neo-avant garde should subvert the commerce of art.

The art world is like a western- full of cowboys, whores, and dandies."

It is a very simple, practical matter. For clear investigations, you need time. That is the only rule of thumb. if you don't have it, you run the risk of being superficial." "People had more to say."

"When there's nothing to sa, that becomes the question, in which case that's a really interesting conversation."

Interesting about how we can not learn about the art market, as if it were too tabboo. It's what we all want to know and learn- but can't learn from the institutions.