Guest Post: A. D. Jacobson

Contemporary American museums are in a precarious spot.  They have freedom that commercial galleries don’t have and, as a result, show some amazing work that just could not end up in any but the biggest galleries. While they are not beholden to the needs of the consumer market, they too often are focused on what shows will bring in the most feet through the door.  Case in point is the ICA Boston, my hometown contemporary mecca. Recently, I went to the Shepard Fairey show and I couldn’t help think, while walking through the PACKED (on a Thursday!) show that the ICA really scored on this one.  They found this artist who represented liberal/ progressives/ Obamaphiles to draw the fawning masses to the Art Museum.  I’m all for art for the people, but this entire show seemed like a set up to me, not even getting into the fact that the BPD arrested the guy on the way to the show. (Yeah, what better way to boost the rebellious cred than getting arrested. Brilliant!!) The images were of the highest production value, but even he will tell you, this ‘aint art.  Not when you’re doing avatar stencils for Joey Ramone and saying things like “I’m not a musician, but I’m still gonna rock it hard as nails.” That was actually written on one of the gallery walls, someone had to fish through Shepard Fairey quotes and say, yeah, that’s what we want to use. 

The ICA can’t take a risk because it can’t afford for attendance to drop, so they are satisfied with putting on these massive retrospectives (in an ostensibly contemporary museum?) that bring in the crowds, but end up leaving educated viewers unimpressed (and depressed).  How about bringing in some fresh talent, actually doing your homework to find interesting and forward-thinking artists to grace your galleries?  I overheard on twitter the other day someone saying “Martin Kippenberger can’t be all that great because no one in NYC has heard of him.” That’s the problem.  No one in NYC knows anything about anything but American art and the snippets of Damien Hirst and various other heavy hitters in international art.  There are other museums that seem to have found a great working model (MASS MoCA in Western, MA), but the ICA, at least, looks like it has no desire to change. At least they have some nice trinkets at the gift shop.

A. D. Jacobson is an artist, curator and writer and runs i Publications.