"Who Shot Rock and Roll" Opens at Birmingham Museum of Art

The photography exhibition "Who Shot Rock and Roll" opened at the Birmingham Museum of Art this weekend. This show features rare, behind-the-scenes, and unique photographs of the history of rock and roll from the 1950's through the present. This show originated at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. It traveled to Birmingham from Columbia, SC. It will continue to travel through 2012. More information can be read here, here, and the BMA show here.

The show is excellent. I don't like to admit it, but I can be an art snob. Photography is one medium that I can not really get into, and I'm not one to seek out celebrities (especially rock/pop stars). But this show trumps all of that. There is something for everyone. It really is an amazing exhibition. Reviews far better than I could report are found here, and here.

This was my first experience working at a museum with the development of a major exhibition. There is a lot of work that goes in to producing these shows. It is not limited on one curator, or one department. The entire museum staff undertakes duties relating to the exhibition. It is truly a team effort, and I think the staff at the Birmingham Museum of Art came together to present an exhibition far beyond what was required. The show is as much about presentation as content, and the Birmingham Museum of Art adds to the entire experience.

Art Basel

Image courtesy of Flikr swissestetix


One of the worlds largest international art fairs took place this week in Switzerland. Art Basel, as it is called, brings together artists, galleries, collectors and dealers for one show that highlights contemporary art from around the world. More specific information can be read here.

An article in the Huffington Post stated that sales for this year have been very good. It stated that these profits could be an indication that the art world is in an economic boom. A link to the full article can be read here.

As I was reading these articles I reflected on something that crosses my mind periodically. Why is art traded at such high prices? With the dollar amounts discussed in these articles, the art could be treated as an investment opportunity, rather than as a means of cultural expression.

When I taught art appreciation and art history, I used to tell my students that the monetary value of art was arrived at based on the one-of-a-kind uniqueness of each piece. I also explained that the name of an artist added a brand to the work, and often added to the price. While I think these statements are true, I believe they only answer part of the question.

That said, I'm not entirely certain what should be added to the answer. Part of me thinks that art is traded at high prices because people are willing to pay high prices. I do not like this line of thought however, because it would seem to add to the elitist attitudes so often associated with the art world.

Art is a form of communication meant to be expressed and interpreted by all. I have written about the barriers of the official "art world" before, and the thought that some art is worth obscene amounts of money adds to these divisions. These divisions distract viewers from the message communicated by the artist and reinforce works produced simply for the sake of making a profit.

Two types of art

The first of this weeks posts addresses the idea of New Media in art. An art professor has implanted a camera in the back of his head, and the video recorded from this camera will be offered as part of an opening of performance art. Read more here. To me this serves as an example of New Media. Although New Media has been growing since the mid to late 20th Century, it has sprung up recently in the last decade or so in a more prominent way. As an artist, I do not have an issue with New Media, I am all for experimentation and exploration. However, I do think art is something that is meant to be understood across a variety of eras and spectrums. How will this stand up to time? After the apocalypse of the modern era, how will archeologists and art historians of the future be able to interpret this type of work? And, is it important that they do? Perhaps my understanding is biased in an unproductive way. What do you think?

The second post for this week addresses human creativity. A graphic was recently released detailing the NFL wins and losses for the season. This image was so popular it went viral. Read about that here. I think that a graphic design created spontaneously and recognized by a wide audience as useful qualifies as art. Again, as an artist I can only wish that an image I have created and posted on the internet would go viral. That would be amazing! Too often I think people perceive art as an abstract high culture activity that only the upper class understand. I believe this to be incorrect. Art is the spirit of creativity, and this graphic represents one example.

Canceled exhibition

Last week I mentioned this exhibition. It had been my intention to blog about it this week. However, it was rainy this weekend, and the show was canceled. I therefore have nothing to blog about this week. Instead, enjoy this image of the Statue of Liberty in the rain.