Adam Overton does great things with performance, sound, collaboration, and more. You will no doubt enjoy this, if you’re still in town: (more…)
CAA News
I’m kicking myself this morning for walking into yesterday’s “Queering Craft” session late, as the Q & A was one of the most spirited, funny, and collegial that I’ve seen all week. Predictably, most of the panel participants were under 30, and most moved beyond the footsore discussions of authenticity that bog down similar panels (though there aren’t many of those around - discussant Julia Bryan-Wilson is a CAA repeat offender on matters of craft, but a welcome one). Yale newcomer Jenni Sorkin assembled a fine assortment of mostly artists, including San Franciscan Lacey Jane Roberts. Roberts’ quip after being asked about the communal nature of queer craft was, “I think there’s something to be said for queer isolation… and shame, and humiliation, and…” (Cue laughter from the room.) Lacey, if you’re reading this, send me the text of your presentation so that I don’t have to just comment on your lightning wit in the face of contrived questions. Queer Caucus for Art, I expect more good things from you next year.
Why do they have one barista working the espresso machine at Starbucks, when there is an interminable line at any time of day? Maybe next year they should offer the Starbucks ‘fast pass’, like they do at Disneyland. Those who pay more, in advance, can just cut to the front of the line for their latte (which is even MORE expensive due to convention center surcharges - which are equivalent to airport surcharges, apparently)
Why are there no benches along the walls, where throngs of blazer donning historians crouch to plug in their laptops as they eagerly check our blog posts?
Why are there so many presenters at the conference who seem to be presentation veterans (evidenced by their meticulous paper structure), but who have apparently never plugged a laptop into a projector, or used power point on someone else’s computer? And, how is it that a building and staff that exists to host conferences is not somehow more tech savvy, in order to help when problems arise?
When someone’s cell phone rings in the middle of a paper, why do they let it continue to ring as they rush out the door? They do have off buttons on those things you know…
Why aren’t there any ashtrays outside along ‘the Smoker’s Wall’, since anyone who does smoke is certainly going to be especially likely to do so after attending a session or two.
Actually the debate does not continue, at least according to the mood of the panel on Los Angeles Art Schools. The panelists were not only predominately either against or had reservations, but actually the most any of them would go in favor of an artist PhD was Jeremy Gilbert-Rolfe’s “I prefer to keep an open mind.” Rolfe added that he worried that the thesis work of a Phd would impede studio practices for artists. Russell Ferguson from UCLA warned that if the creditional became a criteria for employment for artists, it would be dangerous indeed, and observed that UCLA, his own top tier program, does not require an MFA to be a faculty member. Artist Roy Dowell, teacher at Otis, thought that the money for the new programs would be better spent on existant, underfunded programs.
This was a great panel, and I was ashamed to arrive so late. Apparently, I missed quite a bit of history and hopes for the future. I particularly enjoyed Dowell’s comment (when asked about technology’s impact on art schools) that his students “want to make things with their hands.” I like that.
It’s always commendable when people try to efface or challenge the monolithic professional rigor of CAA. Even when those challenging presentations amount to nothing more than a recursive “Let me show you just how wrong your practice is by practicing that practice in front of you” joke by imitation, I commend people for doing it. I like to see the business of art history made fun of beyond gentle insular chiding. That’s the context for my reaction to Our Literal Speed, a group of artists presented as a “media pop opera” who do self-referential art historical performances (this is the content that I divined from skimming their website - mocking professional mandates of the field, pedagogy, etc etc) and who presented the last “paper” at Katy Siegel’s panel this morning, “An Age of Extremes.” (more…)
The CAA annual conference has been enormously successful for many years, and this year is no exception. It brings a vast number of artists and art historians together, and clearly there is enormous value to be derived from that — the networking and employment opportunities, and the serendipitous meeting with new and old colleagues.
However, for the most part, the core of the conference – the Program Sessions — follow a model that has remained virtually unchanged since the nineteenth century. Papers are prepared in advance, read, and if the session is well structured, there might be an active question and answer period afterward, perhaps with a discussant leading the way. It seems that for most sessions, the vast majority of time is taken up with the reading of carefully prepared papers with significantly less time allotted to either a discussant or active Q&A. (more…)
This panel got all riled up and that is a good thing, barbs were traded and the audience was often willing to go for the throat. I wish the audience at CAA would do this more often. It is a crime that we can sit through often confusing, jargon laden presentations only to abscond for coffee. At one point in the L.A. panel, Shana Nys Dambrot just threw it out there — Hockney is phoning it in, he is a bad painter, she never got it. I don’t agree and neither did Betty Ann Brown of Cal Sate Northridge, but it was refreshing to see Shana launch it. I admired the candor of this panel, I loved that Peter Frank said, “The worst thing a critic can do is ignore a show.” It’s true. It’s good to hear things that are true. (more…)
The Society of Contemporary Art Historians, a new CAA affiliated society founded this year under the leadership of a DC-based trio of younger scholars, packed the house for a lively set of position papers. Topic A: “What is Contemporary Art History?” chaired by Suzanne Hudson and Alexander Dumbadze. (more…)
Things I learned after my first day at CAA:
Most art historians have their cell phone rings set to Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto
Male conference attendees are strongly encouraged to wear tweed blazers. Leather elbow patches are not required, but are warmly welcomed if available.
Conference attendees who match their outfits to the pink and black conference totes are offered a coupon for a free Starbucks decaf caramel macchiato
You are not credible as an art historian if you use a laptop or other electronic device to take notes. Paper notebooks and longhand only please.
When you see someone in the halls, the advised greeting is ”Are You Presenting?” and it is recommended that you thoroughly scrutinize their badge before looking at their face.
Presenters who exceed the allotted time limit will be immediately blacklisted, and will not be admitted to the book fair when it opens on Thursday.
Due to excessive ticket prices, CAA ticket scalpers were seen on the corner of the Staples Center, hocking single-day entrance tickets for a mere $50 each.
The Gala reception at the Getty was a delightful way to officially usher in the conference. While all the exhibitions were open for viewing, the highlight was undoubtedly the open house at the Getty Research Library. Curator Andrew Perchuck personally escorted us to the Special Collections room where we were treated to a selection of Getty curator favorites, including an accordion book of photos and poetry by Chuck Close, a scroll of watercolors and text by Sonia Delaunay, and some exquisite 16th – 18th century books and scrolls depicting alchemical and metaphysical processes. Rare books curator David Brafman gave us an enthusiastic impromptu lecture on the role of frogs in early alchemy, the earliest spherical color charts that were inspiration to Kandinsky and Albers, and the idea of artist as alchemist and vice versa.
Upstairs in the Travertine palace, guests enjoyed a down home fare of lasagna and Caesar salad, wine and beer, and mini brownies and lemon tarts for dessert (don’t act like you didn’t want to know what we ate!).
