The beginnings of a loose conglomeration of local art writers and editors took shape this afternoon at Th!nk Art Salon, with the hope/expectation that a more permanent amorphous something occur in the future. I was late, naturally, as I forgot about it till I woke up with ten minutes to get there, but it seemed like it may be a useful operation moving forward, though possibly one rife with committees and subcommittees and all other manner of shit I can't stand. I am hopeful, however, that something good and helpful may occur as it moves forward. A first step seems to be the formation of some sort of web ring, which I would imagine I would make this site available for, a part of, along I would imagine (depending on the respective editors) with New City and CAM, the two joints that I have done my work for since I've been living in Chicago. Anyway, watch out for a badge or something.
The one thing that the meeting sort of made me think about, which I have been thinking about for a while anyway, is my future in the realm of art criticism. Ideally, I would like to be writing longer form, more experiential essays about art, the experience of art, and the ideas generated by my experience of art. I think Dave Hickey is probably the model I am looking at. The problem is finding venues for that kind of work is difficult and motivating myself to do that kind of work when no venue (or potential source of income) is on the immediate horizon is even more so. I have also been a lazy bastard lately. BUT, my still percolating New Year's resolutions may finally muster some sort of grip on my day to day and the meeting did also present an interesting opportunity (surely more here later), so who knows....
The other thing the meeting brought to mind, and associated with the kind of work I would like to be writing is: who reads this shit anyway? I believe the number thrown out at the meeting, in Chicago at least, was "the same 400 people." Well, 400 readers ain't so bad (what I would give for 400 hits here/day), but " the same" 400 readers doesn't really appeal to me. I am not interested in writing uber-crit jargon-loaded essays. I am interested in writing fun, literate, risky essayish things, leaving me in some kind of in between space between academic essay and lame-oid "review." Popular art essays? Egad, never!
More to come.
