translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
070708: MUMOK Museum moderner Kunst: Bad Painting – Good Art
MUMOK Museum moderner Kunst: Bad Painting – Good Art
Trendy-kitschy-trashy
Unfortunately bad art no longer exists. There are plenty of bad paintings around, but if they were actually labelled as such, commissions would immediately be put into place to establish ‘that quality is practically everywhere’. Art can never fail, “and if the risk of failing isn’t there, then it becomes an ornament” said the sociologist Ulrich Oevermann.
“Bad Painting – Good Art”, the title of the current MUMOK exhibit - where plenty of this “ornament” is displayed - defines this mechanism in a nutshell. Thanks to this mechanism it is secondary to contemplate if bad art was intentionally submitted for the exhibit. This may be the case with the unholy Trinity Picabia-Polke-Kippenberger as well as with John Currin - they all displayed their work at the Kunsthalle in 2003 for the “Lieber Maler, male mir” presentation.
But the extensive historical part of the exhibit also presents artists like Asger Jorn, whose salon paintings clearly represent a positive effort. Ugliness must be distinguished from bad quality, and the English word “bad” allows for manifold connotations. De Chirico shows classical figures implying fellatio, Magritte positions his trademark, the pipe, a dozen times into the face of a bearded man, and Philip Guston is once again presented with one of his late works. All of this is somewhat off the mark and rather trendy-kitschy-trashy.
It is therefore important to fulfil the last criteria, which still has some validity. Albert Oehlen’s invokes this with his painting titled “Sammlung Essl” (1982). The Klosterneuburg-collection is famous for its rigid payment modalities, whereby many artists are forced to vend their non-sellers. The “lemon cars” of the art world are parked on the banks of the Danube. Parking there is one of the risks that remain.
MUMOK Museum moderner Kunst
1070 Vienna, Museumsquartier, until 12. 10. 08
www.mumok.at
070708
mumok - Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien
1070 Wien, Museumsquartier, Museumsplatz 1
Tel: +43 1 52 500, Fax: +43 1 52 500 13 00
Email: info@mumok.at
http://www.mumok.at
Öffnungszeiten: Täglich: 10.00–18.00 Uhr, Do: 10.00–21.00 Uhr
mumok - Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien
1070 Wien, Museumsquartier, Museumsplatz 1
Tel: +43 1 52 500, Fax: +43 1 52 500 13 00
Email: info@mumok.at
http://www.mumok.at
Öffnungszeiten: Täglich: 10.00–18.00 Uhr, Do: 10.00–21.00 Uhr