TRASH AGAINST CASH

The predictably panned Whitney Museum Biennial is now on display. The notion that the biennial reflects the current temperament of American art is always a fiction. Trying to corral 80+ artists (many fresh out of the warm womb of art school) into one space for a collective statement is an ambitious, if faulty, plot.

This year's biennial has a definite "facebook" social networking vibe. Several of the artists are actually collectives or bands that perform at the museum and the nearby co-opted Park Avenue Armory. Much of the art is of the scrappy, found, slapdash, salvaged variety seen in the New Museum's debut exhibit, Unmonumental. The intention may be on recycling and ecologically sound production, but the modesty of the materials make the work seem inconsequential. It's a knee-jerk reaction to the ever-expanding economic bubble of the art world. Many artists are keen to see this bubble pop, or at least see how far it can stretch to accommodate plywood, concrete, and chicken-wire.

Walking through the exhibition is a bit tiring as your eyes cruise over works that abandon care and craft. This carelessness, a childlike wanton aesthetic, is juxtaposed with photo-realistic painting from old guard Robert Bechtle and 'photos that look like paintings' from Melanie Schiff and Walead Beshty. The overall aesthetic is best summarized as "lessness" in this New Yorker article. The irony of a "lessness" aesthetic is heightened by the glut of artists on display. I left the show hankering for a good old exhibit of thoughtful paintings, some statement of unforced modesty, attention to craft, and visual beauty.

Read more -
NY Times Review
Time Magazine Review