More Picking at the Scab

So here are some thoughts, I have about the previous post. As you can see it's an ongoing public therapy session which is freely flowing between a lot "issues" but almost all of them relate closely to the pretty hardcore suffering that a lot of artist's are going through right now. Obviously it starts with a rant related to the pressures and inequity that faces a lot of women artists in getting their work done, getting it out there and all the trouble that seems to involve in the current system. It soon exposes a lot of the deep wounds that unite/ divide most artists. How does one keep a studio? How can one get one's work out there? etc...

Here are a few thoughts. First of all, I think that my first purpose here was to just try to expose some of the anger and pain that's out there. I think that one fundamental problem that exists is that a lot of this pain is not talked about freely. So there is an increasing lack of awarness on the part of a lot of the "power structure" of dealers, collectors and the like of what the level of pressure on artists is. I also think it's really important in that what is going on now is pretty new in that it's on a totally different level and now threatens the existence of the art world as we know it. Here and here are some more links on the subject.

Getting back to all that bitching; ( and here's some more, more, more. ) What is my opinion about it and who's side do I take. I would say that, yes I feel the artist's pain but my sympathy level is pretty low and dropping fast. The current scene of today is more than anything else the product of the choices made by artists so they have a lot to do with thier own problems now. I mean, artist's in the 1965 East Villiage or 1965 Haight Ashbury could lay some claim to being unaware of their own role in the process of urban gentrification. And also artists in the NY scene during this period could claim a high level of commercial ignorance since for the most part it wasn't a commercial scene. But with each passing year the ignorance excuse gets thinner as nieghborhood after neighborhood is revived by artists and also as the enourmous art industry develops around artists. A lot of artist's have a lot more money than me ( someone's paying for those $90,ooo MFA programs) and a lot of artists are highly skilled in a way I am not- good on computers and handy. We all know that a huge chunk of NY was fixed up by artists living on the sly in run down buildings. So my sympathy level is pretty low.

Almost all of the middle aged artist's in NY know and now resent the few artists who were smart enough to scrimp and buy thier run down rat infested buildings years ago. The fact is that they were the stupid frogs who sat and sat while they were slowly cooked. To anyone with eyes open the point of no return for Billyburg came around 1996-1997 ( which is around when Joe bought his building I think ) The issue of NY's housing shortage has been known for many years.
Artist's made this situation and now they will suffer for it.

One fact stands out in America. There are dozens of emptied out and run down cities with surplus housing and empty factory space ( I moved to one, not that it's all run down or anything ) and some are pretty big. You would think that artists would be flocking here to grasp thier last chance to have some control of thier lives. ) and you woud think that dealers who are allegedly concerned about thier artist's would be making similar moves. But for the most part this is not happening. The level of inertia is amazing and is more and more unforgivable,

The Birds Speak

, I know all of you Yinzers are eager to hear about my little trip to NY. I met a few of the little birds there and this is sort of how I remember things. The setting is Kellogg's Diner.

Me: Hi There little birds.

Birds: Hi.

Me: My, there are a lot of you in here and look at all the flocks on Bedford, but it seems a little thinner this year.

Birds: Are you buying? We need food.

Me: OK, I will try to help, but you have to talk to me. Bird number 3 a little male passes out on the counter-- a little tuckered out from his three jobs.

Me: So why are you all here? Tell me little about yourselves.

Yellow dreadlock bird: I use chewing gum to confront gender is--

Me: It's OK. Relax.

Pink and green Bird: I want to act. Isn't this where I have to go?

Yellow d: I always wanted to be an artist. This is the place isn't it?

Other Birds: No one has ever asked us this question. We Just have to because...

Me: It's the lights isn't it?

Greeny bird: Yes, I saw them on TV in Iowa.
Other Birds: And all the sound and some birds would dance and some would sing..

Pink Bird: Also, I feel more at home here. There are so many different colored birds.

Other Birds: And it's going to work out-- I know someone who served Andrea Ro ( other birds break in.. one says that's a lie )

Me: So, Where are all of you from?

Other Birds: --India, Germany, Boston, Idaho, Mexico, Alabama, Long Island ( can't remember them all)

Me: So, most of you aren't from around here?

Old Bird: I ain't but I've been here forever, seen it all.

Other Birds: No. most of us are not from around here.

Teeny bird: I came in on the bus a week ago and I am looki--

Other Birds: We ain't got no room-- Find your own nest.

Me: There is a slight shortage of nests? Huh,

Old Bird: Not like when I was young. I had a huge nest on 11th St. ( He meant more than one bedroom. ) and I did my art and the went to The Bottom Line and

Me: Didn't they close?

Old Bird: Well, then the rent went up and I moved into The East Village.

Other Birds-- Cool, tell us about CBGB's ( closing )

Old Bird: Well it was rough. Birds wer shootin and wailin and things were dirty and all the garbage.

Middle aged Bird: Yes, I was scared to go there. I got a place in Soho. I wasn't supposed to live there and it was empty there were no stores.

Me: And, what was your place like?

Middle Aged Bird: It was so raw, there was big hole in the floor and there was no kitchen and not much heat. But the space was big and I was handy. Me and my friends put in new wiring and plumbing. We fixed it up over a bunch of years and of course we lived there.

Old Bird: You guys did shows-- They were so great, the place was so sincere and...

Middle Aged Bird: Well, we did a lot of great stuff. But then rich people started coming to watch us and we thought it was great untill, I had to move to Brooklyn.

Old Bird: They kick you out?

Black Bird: They kicked me out of Dumbo. I fixed my place up almost from scratch.

Other Birds: They Kicked me out of ( everyone chirping at once, so I can't remember all ) Soho, Noho, Tribecca , Long island City, Hoboken, Harlem , Chelsea. Something has broken and a few birds start to cry. A few walk out they have to be seen at some opening or they want to try to do some art. Many have to leave, they live in places like Red Hook or Jackson Heights and they have to work the next day.

Me: So, can we get back to why you are here?

Dreadlock Bird: I need to be near the galleries that might want to show my work.:

Me: Do you get much art done?

Dreadlock Bird: No, partly because I can't sleep with my four roomates working all hours and then after I get back from work ( an hour on the subway ) I have to be seen at a friends opening.
and I get into the studio around 10pm and--

Greeny Bird: He is just lazy and won't stay up past three. If he was a commited artist-

Pink Bird: Yes. Ed told us that he is looking for serious artists who are willing to ( All the birds look down, they know they should work harder and then they would get a break. )

Me: So, If I get you guys right you are all here because you like the other birds and all the cultural exitement. You are here because the other birds are here. The filmaker birds and the dancer birds and the artist birds. Why don't you all move?

To Be continued