Curators turf out subversive act
Confrontational artist, Barry Thomas, left, is confronted by a gallery rep.
Artist and filmmaker Barry Thomas was not part of the show, but arrived at the opening with a long piece of string attached to a photograph of a homeless man named Chris, with a message inviting the viewer to follow the string outside to meet the man.
The gallery was hosting the opening of Peripheral Relations: Marcel Duchamp and New Zealand Art 1960-2011, based on the PhD work of Marcus Moore and showing Duchamp works alongside 29 New Zealand artists he influenced.
“Chris wasn’t actually there. He was too embarrassed, but he was very happy to be involved,” says Thomas. Outside the gallery, at the other end of the string was a statement describing Chris’ life with a phone number to call to help. “I was fully expecting my phone to get filled up with rich people wanting to help.”
Instead, while interacting with gallery-goer Kristelle Plimmer about his piece, Thomas was asked to move it to the side by a gallery representative, who also removed the picture of Chris.
The gallery did not respond before deadline.
Plimmer says all were polite and not disruptive, but the piece came apart before she was able to follow it to the finale.
“He was subverting the gallery, but that’s in the Duchampian tradition,” says Plimmer, an artist and former professor at Whitireia. If she’d been exhibiting that night, she wouldn’t have been offended by his act, which didn’t damage other works or disrupt their viewing.
“I personally don’t see a lot of harm in it, although galleries might find it disruptive,” she says. “Art is not just about being in the white space. It’s very easy for people to see the gallery as a sacred space, as a temple of art, and he’s standing up in church and saying, ‘Hang on a sec. Jesus hung out with the poor people.’ It’s sad they took it away but it’s their right.”
Thomas’ past work includes The Cabbage Patch, subversively planted in a vacant lot at the corner of Manners and Willis in 1978. He also founded rADz, Radical Art Advertisements that aired on television during the late 1990s.
He says he was considered for the Duchamp exhibition, but not included, and his piece was a comment “on the process of having curatorial power. It’s not so much getting in the show but to challenge an individual’s right to express him or herself and the great power of the academy to include or exclude people,” he says.“I didn’t want to throw it in their faces, just a gentle reminder that the art world and poverty could have connections.”
Have Your Say
8 Comments
B'art Homme at 3:19 p.m. on 1 August said
The work is actually called "Comfort zones" It also includes an alteration of the sign at the front of the University so it now reads...
"Dam art gallery.
Pheral rats dam champ and New Zealand Art 1960-2011"
Remants of the work - string et al - are available on request of the Adam art Gallery.
All art is radical
even the caves had curators
art is only leading - framing the elephant in the room
b'art Homme
Alex Staines at 7:41 p.m. on 2 August said
Aha, me old mate Barry's been keeping his powder dry I see. Of course, as a true performer, Barry would have known exactly what to expect from the establishment. It's not so much the snobbery that gets me, it's the arrogance that underlies academic curation. The assumption is that poor people do "folk art" and real art is confined to graduates of academies and institutes. Marcel and other real artists would love what Barry did, and in the end it's the art that triumphs, not small-mindedness. Alex, poet, Kilbirnie.
What happened at 2:21 p.m. on 3 August said
Actually this egomaniac dickhead artist made tonnes of trouble for the gallery in the last busy week of installation. He went to the vice-chancellor insisting he belonged in the show because he was interviewed by the curator some weeks prior to the opening, but with nothing like a contract or anything indicating inclusion in the show. No one took notice of the content of his string picture, but rather reacted to his turning up to thrust his jilted ego into the scene . Of course he has the perfect angle now with his 'charitable' artistic gesture which has been deftly manipulated to his own benefit. Nice one. By the way, Tina Barton, curator of the gallery, is/was one of his few proponents and wrote about him some years ago. But what:? Artists with massive egos? Us against them?
Barry Thomas at 4:10 p.m. on 7 August said
Wo neddy wo - so let's get this straight - can you jut for one minute imagine the content of the arguments in and around the week or so following Duchamp's urinal rejection. And... if he was oft described as "the most absolute person..." can you even begin to imagine describing his "ego"
I have just read another version of this by Martin Edmond - on his old buddy Alun Brunton's exclusion from academically suspect hisoricising of our cultural memories.
The facts are thus: Duchamp lived by his belief that all art is radical - there is nothing remotely radical in the show at the adam (other than my strong - and history will remember what it remembers - especially if sycophantic mutual onanists like this anonymous twit continue to hide in the shadows rather than have the balls to make creative stands. And another challenge - call me on 0277473748 if you really want to meet me and Chris the real homeless person/ friend and or contribute to creatively solving the capital's homelessness tsunami... gone on I dare ya
b'art Homme
Barry Thomas at 5:35 p.m. on 7 August said
as for the dirty linen... I have made a complaint to the university - the subject of that complaint is valid and very real - My work stands alone - however much it was inspired by taking the academy and its world as subject. The complaint is in the throws of resolution but annonymous comments like this one from well inside the Adam art gallery and University show it is truely not able to honour the process of dispute resolution with integrity... sadly. If anyone wants to know and really understand exactly what issues I have had with Massey and Victoria please do call me 0277473748
b'art Homme at 7:45 a.m. on 12 August said
So - The University has been alerted to the lowest level and abusive, unfactual smear from the anonymous "what happened" and has done nothing with it - Head of Art History Chris Marshall has simply said - I should get it moderated. he also has threatened legal schmealgles by adding lawyers into his emails to me. So only 3 people - Christina Barton, Marcus Moore and Chris are involved in resolving the dispute I have with the university over being lied to about many things in and around the PHD and "Pheral" show. Lied to about who was in charge of the show, and where and when the PHD and show would be. .. all of which they have profusely apologized for and I have accepted these. of course - in not commenting on, changing or removing the slurs on this web site and in not in any way addressing where the sneaky leaks came from the university shows exactly what it really thinks... it has the power of the academy and people like me should simply shut up - it appears absolutely ok for the university to sanction the leaking of confidential information to "get back at me" in a dirty way, and to threaten legal action because I deign (dignify) to share my art publicly. So it comes down to le gant... jetter le gant - (throw down the gauntlet/glove... string glove) and bring string to the academy attached to poverty. Academy responds with authoritarian power - its only power I guess - Now the gant sits imprisoned in the manager's office. The act of conscience delivered - art history made.
sam at 12:28 a.m. on 13 August said
So was barry using this homeless guy to make a point about galleries, curators and power. Thats a bit exploitative. Was there even a homeless guy anyway. I hope the staff at the adam can appreciate the irony of the situation: their 'this is not art' response heavyhandedness at a duchamp show. I bet they feel like d**ks- they should.
barry Thomas at 2:37 p.m. on 13 August said
Well spotted Sam and thankyou for your thoughts... Yes Chris is real and you can come meet him and I anytime - just text me 0277473748. I am in the throws of calling a meeting of concerned creative citizens re homelessness in the capital - it appears after losing 1000 or more social husing beds of late our city actually has a spare 12,000 desks that are un rentable! talk about a slur on capitalism providing for all!!!