Julian Stallabrass's Art Incorporated: The Story of Contemporary Art offers a cynical but exceedingly true insight into the realm of art as commodity. Unlike the utopian ideal many have regarding art as an autonomous aspect of cultural production unmarred by politics and the economy, Stallabrass illuminates a far more unfavorable reality.
He emphasizes the role of the neo-liberal economy, developed after the second World War, in framing and changing art production post 1945. He goes on to call the changed economy the "new world order" in which countries that were previously isolated began to trade with the world economy and make considerably more money. Free trade in a free economy, which Stallbrass refers to as a "zone of freedom" was a huge transition for countries like Cuba, China, and Japan, and the process of dealing with this drastic transition can be noticed in pieces produced during this time (6). As the world market quickly began to get smaller and smaller as trade and interaction began to occur almost instantaneously with the development of technology, particularly the Internet, the art market slowly began to homogenize. Originality soon seemed impossible to achieve.
A particularly compelling aspect is Stallbrass's commentary on "the art world." It is impossible to deny that there is some sort of inevitable "change" that occurs when an artist brings his or her work into the public eye. It is no longer safe in the studio; it has just entered the unavoidable "art world" and is subject to the scrutiny of all eyes that view it. Stallabrass quotes Xu Bing, a Chinese artist, as saying "Handing one's work to society is like driving animals into a slaughterhouse. The work no longer belongs to me: it has become the property of all the people who have touched it. It is now concrete and filthy" (66). Though the slaughterhouse metaphor is quite dramatic, this quote illuminates the struggles artists face when introducing their pieces to the art world.
Stallabrass points to the fact that, in general, the people of today's world are major consumers. We do not just go to Starbucks daily and spend 0 every trip to the mall, we also consume culture. This phrase, when looked at closely, is rather frightening. Culture, like art, is something that should remain untouched and autonomous from the corruption of the outside world. This is not the case, however, and art objects and cultural objects are currently being bought, sold, and traded like stocks and bonds. They are not just considered status symbols for the culturally elite or sophisticated academics, these art pieces are hard cash - investments. With money, of course, comes corruption. As Stallabrass states, "both making and selling are unusually controlled in the art market" (101). This concept appears to limit the freedom of the artist, having to please patrons and knowing ahead of time just how much his or her piece will most likely be sold for.
In the final chapter "Contradictions," Stallabrass states that "art overruns the borders of local particularity, aiding the transformation and mixing the world's cultures and economies" (186). He suggests this after discussing the role that art has played in creating social interaction by engaging viewers in anti-capitalist ventures to re-evaluate society. Therefore, the homogeneity of the art world is not always a negative trait; it can aid in spanning cultural and economic barriers to convey the "bigger picture" to a broader audience. As the title of the chapter so blatantly reveals, there are an overwhelming number of contradictions in contemporary art, including the concept of the word "contemporary." As Paul Virilio so cleverly states, "contemporary with what?" (176).
What is in store for the future of the art world? This is unclear, and Stallbrass never really states a solution to this problem. Instead, it appears as if he thinks that it is essential to be aware of the current situation. It would be ignorant for artists and art historians to continue to produce and analyze art without taking into account the fact that art has become a form of capital. All is not lost, though, and he is not going as far as to say that art production is futile and art historians serve no purpose, instead he uses his cynicism as a way to emphasize the reality of the situation at hand.
Product Description:
The art world is bound to the economy, writes Julian Stallabrass, "as tightly as Ahab to the white whale." In Art Incorporated, Stallabrass offers a provocative look at contemporary art and the dramatic changes that have taken place in the last twenty years, illuminating the connections between money, politics, and art. Stallabrass notes that the spectacular crash of 1989 profoundly changed the character of contemporary art, shattering the art-world's self-importance and producing a reaction against art that engaged with theory and politics, in favor of art that set out to awe, entertain, and be sold. He describes the growth of biennials and other art events across the globe in the 1990s, the construction of new museums of contemporary art, and the expansion of many museums already in existence. These activities, Stallabrass writes, have become steadily more commercial, as museums establish alliances with corporations, bring their products closer to commercial culture, and move from modeling themselves on libraries to becoming more like theme parks. In connection with this, he offers an insightful look at installation art, which is often seen as an art that firmly resists buying and selling, pointing out that installations appeal to museums precisely because a work of art that can only be seen on a particular site ensures that viewers have to go there. Shedding light on everything from the greatly increased visibility for women artists, to the intense competition between art and television, to the conservative backlash against notorious works, Art Incorporated provides a frank and penetrating view of the contemporary art world.
Available at Amazon
List Price: USD 29.95
Lowest Used Price: USD 52.90
Lowest New Price: USD 68.85
