Day: May 13, 2014

Joshua Decter replied to an earlier post, joshua decter: gallery art critic as new media artist:

This was just one of several annoyed tweets, including "This is wrong-headed; e.g., I have never considered my curatorial activity as art. Get your facts right Mr. Moody." No doubt he doesn't consider his art to be art but I didn't say he did. After a couple of other tweets about getting my facts wrong Pedro Vélez asked him:

Decter took the opportunity to plug his new book:

This somewhat illuminates the observation at the end of that earlier writing: "The Rhizome post ultimately provides a fascinating glimpse at how fields with differing expectations and critical standards can exist side by side, each without ever critiquing the other."

Update, May 14, 2104: Decter made a lengthy and considered reply to my post on Rhizome. It'll take some time to separate his objections to my facts from his objections to my opinions. Will post something once I've mulled over what needs a response or clarification.

Be careful what you ask for because (you know the rest). A few months ago, in (ineptly) making fun of Kenneth Goldsmith's interest in a Shia LeBeouf performance stunt, I said I'd "like to see the convo diverted to more new-media-relevant topics, such as the role of LA collectors in market-making for YIBA (or YIBI) art."
In the Rhizome comments to Goldsmith's post, Michael Connor posted a link to an interview with chief market-maker Stefan Simchowitz. My response, after reading it:

Michael, thanks for the link to the Simchowitz interview. He is quite the self-regarding loudmouth, or "amplification nodule," to use his term. Interesting that he gives no credit to Rhizome or the pre-Facebook blogosphere for first introducing his stable of "Post-Internet" superstars -- it's as if they had no careers or critical recognition before he started pushing them. His presence on the scene should make Rhizome uneasy about continuing to carry critical water for the brand (it certainly does me). Perhaps enough has been done for that particular group of artists -- they have him now.