Thursday, November 1, 2012

Cruiskeen Lawn

The joint exhibition from the Riddled Arts Collectible attracted mixed reviews. Old Jem -- the notoriously acerbic arts critic of the Pahiatua Livestock Advertiser -- was full of praise for Another Kiwi's photographs of the silage heaps of South Canterbury,* pointing out the allusions to Rauschenberg's Monogram.

He was less complimentary about my Zola-inspired performance piece, 'Germinal', comparing it to "watching the lawn grow" in terms of excitement. In fact this is exactly what the piece consisted of, so the joke's on Old Jem. It is a matter of record that 'Germinal' was only narrowly rejected for the NZ pavilion in the 2013 Venice Biennale, and that on a mere technicality (how was I to know that lawns are not be found in Venice for love nor money?)

There is the consolation of knowing that Old Jem is equally not-well-pleased with the pastoral-legume-based art practice of Swiss artist Victorine Müller:**

He was down at the Old Entomologist last night decrying the migration of the seed-mosaic medium out of the hands of the people and into the elite world of high art. Anyone would think from all his exclamations of 'Buggrit!' and 'Fucksocks!' that Ms Müller's only purpose had been to despoil his innocent childhood memories of vernacular handicrafts and collecting free Ammophos samples at the South Wairarapa A&P show.

tigris is looking forward to the high prices to be fetched when her collection of chia pets goes under the hammer at the next Christies auction.



UPDATE: Further inquiry revealed that the artistic potential of silage heaps have already been explored, in terms of materials by Joanna Langford and in a formal sense by Eddie Clemens. SHUT UP FURTHER INQUIRY, we explained.

* Invented in 1922 by Taranaki farmer Gerald Silage.
** H/t Boing Boing.

8 comments:

Hamish Mack said...

One does not wish to cast stones in the small but perfectly formed art world of New Zild but one feels that Old Jem, trusted custodian of artistic acumen that he is, is a bit past it.
Muller's giant plastic elephant that she sat inside off was the inspiration for my series "Dynamic Silage parts II to VII" greenish Hugh spent many long evenings practising his sitting so that he could evoke a silage pit in a quiet, dark space, motionless, awe inspiring yet also arousing our sympathy.' Certainly he was an object of sympathy from afar when it was finished.

M. Bouffant said...

I'd advise tigris not to let Christie's actually put her collection under hammers or any other heavy, blunt objects.

Nor under any Governors named Christie.

tigris said...

Chia companion animals thank you very much.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

The chia seeing eye plant pot is indeed sought after worldwide.
~

tigris said...

Thunder forgets linky. Seeing eye pot plant has now gotten a job advertising Visine.

mikey said...

Ummm, I'd like to bid anonymously on one of the Chia monkey butlers, please. Especially one in khaki slacks and a blue denim work shirt.

And please keep this under your hat, ok? Just to be safe - I've got to sleep some time...

Substance McGravitas said...

More satisfying.

alison said...

collecting free Ammophos samples at the South Wairarapa A&P show

one seems to remember that in another time Smut was wont to collect similar artifacts from the Wairoa/Gisborne/Hastings events... Whatever happened to it all?