This was stated by some renowned and up there white guy in art and installations when he spoke with gusto at a recent Mayor of London endorsed open conference called “People Make Places” all about how the large UK galleries and museums must include the people in designs and accessibility to the venues. That is a plan to include the non-elite into hallowed places. I joined in via Zoom as spectator as there could be no other way and because the now leaving director at Rosetta Arts and Gus of East Bank V&A were on the panel. As EastBank Seniors’ owner I persist in getting the marginalised Londoners into the Tates,V&A etc etc for free.
No-one on the panel challenged white man. I gasped and smiled and waited.
There is no way that the statement can be duscussed fully, publicly, and honestly. Too many boats will be rocked. Too many hearts will be broken. Many Trustafarians will have their tails between their legs.
Community artists are rarely labelled as artists except by themselves. One way into a means of reinforcing one’s identity is to go along to art workshops, be guided by a professional, produce some fine art that isn’t but is lauded as “Brilliant!” and have oneself praised mostly blatantly condescendingly with “Well done!” then pay for the framing and join an art group willing to do an end-of-term exhibition in a multi-use council owned cubby-hole. Noone will ever say the art is bad or lacking greatness but the cubby-hole using public whilst fixing their IT cables may look upon the walls and clock “Oh, that’s art”.
Good art. Bad art. It’s art.
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