12.24.2006

On the nature of group shows

A quick comment on something I've been sloshing around.
There are always plenty of group shows going on in Atlanta. They're diverse, they showcase a lot of different artists you wouldn't ordinarily see together, and they bring big crowds because everybody involved tells everybody they know. And all three of those are excellent reasons to have a group show but here's where I start talking shit.
Group shows are hardly ever original ideas and almost never have a truly unifying idea. Usually they come across as extremely disconnected and shallow, with a few pieces standing out on their own because they are cushioned by ones of lesser quality. They are most often used as money-making ploys that are passed off as something less conniving: an idea interpreted by a plentitude of artists.
It's silly of me to bitch because I'll inevitably have a group show that seems purposeless and arbitrary, but a few of the group shows I've been to have felt like a huge waste of time and a showy excuse for making strides in showing good art.
The assemblage show at eyedrum was a pleasant exception I will say so go see that.
I'm done ranting now...

1 comment:

Mike Germon said...

Punk vs Metal at the Rabbit Hole Gallery was pretty focused, but more than anything, I think it was a pretty good concept for the artists that they had assembled. I do agree that most group shows are just a bunch of peoples interpretations of one theme, and it really could be taken alot further. However, I generally enjoy seeing how an idea is explored by different artists.