posted by maggie on Apr 30
New York is a place that veers back and forth between being a city with its fingers on the pulse of world culture and being that very same pulse. There are many ways to mark work that makes a deep impression, such as art criticism, reviews, and other ways of drawing attention through critical means. There are also ways of presenting raves and beefs, such as blogging, postings on social networking sites, or by artists quoting other artists in their work. The last draws on the great jazz tradition of signifying, which was the beginning of contemporary remixing and sampling.
Perhaps one of the most genuine means of drawing attention to a work that is significant, however, is to start something that is built to show the work itself. When curators and gallery owners begin from this impulse, then the greatest works of culture in the world have a chance to see the light of day, and the bar is suddenly raised for everyone. It is to this impulse that the Wooster Collective owes its birth, and it seems to be one of the rare organizations that has been able to withstand the test of time and remain delightfully and gracefully unorganized.
Visitors to the city, staying in a local New York cheap hotel looking for signs of life would do well to see what might be happening here. Their 11 Spring Street project in 2006 is still a stunning contribution to the world of art at large. The group’s work, centered on bringing attention to ephemeral art in general and street art in particular, has a particular force and weight here.
In this city, at this point in history, when the art market has decided almost unilaterally to forego innovation in favor of playing to the market itself, these kinds of focuses are invaluable. It also points out the fact that there is a great undercurrent of spontaneous artistic activity spawned by those great artists who are flying under the wire. It’s a marvelous time to fly.