Molodown

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MOLODOWN

NOW THAT JON AND I ARE ACTUALLY GEARING UP FOR THE SHOW, CERTAIN ISSUES HAVE COME IN OUR DISCUSSIONS, SO THAT WE NOW THINK SOME SORT OF POSITION SHOULD BE STATED AS TO WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM. THIS MEANS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AESTHETICS, TECHNOLOGY, AND POLITICS AND HOW THESE RELATE TO OUR WORKS.

I  DO NOT FEEL THAT BY CONCENTRATING ON THE “MUSEUM” AS INSPIRATION, THAT WE ARE SIMPLY PRESENTING A REACTIONARY RESPONSE TO THE POLITICAL, ANTI-AESTHETIC MOOD IN PRESENT ART WORLD TRENDS. I JUST DON’T BELIEVE ONE SHOULD THROW OUT THE BABY WITH THE BATH WATER. FURTHER, WE FIND IT REALLY IGNORANT TO SUPPOSE THAT ICONOCLASM, SOCIAL CRITICISM, OR REVOLUTIONARY THINKING ARE ANYTHING NEW! THE PROBLEM REALLY IS IN NOT DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN REAL ART, AND BAD ART, AND THEN DECIDING WHAT SORT OF MEANING DERIVED FROM ART WOULD HAVE REAL VALUE. GREAT ART BY ITS VERY NATURE IS REVITALIZING AND ACTS AGAINST THE STATUS QOU. IT TRANSENDS POLITICS. WHEN IT BECOMES POLITICAL, IT IS POLITICS, NOT ART. IF WE THINK WE SHOULD SEPARATE CHURCH AND STATE WOULDN’T WE WANT TO SEPARATE ART AND POLITICS!

ANY REAL ART ALREADY CONTAINS THE HUMAN CONDITION; THERE ARE REAL FAMILY VALUES IN REMBRANDT AND MARY CASSATT. MORE TRUTH IN A CEZANNE THAN IN ANY PHOTOREALISM!

TO A CELTIC MONK ILLUMINATING MANUSCRIPTS IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY THERE WAS ONLY ONE ART FORM.

TODAY THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS. IS THERE NOT A CONNECTION BETWEEN DUCHAMP AND DA VINCI OR THE CELTIC ILLUMINATOR AND HIS MODERN COUNTERPART IN THE MADISON AVE. ADD AGENCY! OR BETWEEN CHRIST AND MARX?

COULD WE SEE THAT THEY ALL EMANATE FROM THE SAME THING? I AM SURE ALSO THAT DA VINCI’S MONA LISA WAS JUST AS MUCH AN INVENTION TO HIM AS HIS FLYING MACHINES! DUCHAMP’S URINAL AS MUCH AN INVENTION OF STATEMENT – AS A STATEMENT!

AND WHAT HAVE DUCHAMPS URNEAL OR POLLACK’S SKEINS TO DO WITH MARX AND CHE GUEVARRA – THE LATTER A PROMISE OF UTOPIA AND THE FORMER THE BRUTAL REALITY THAT IT CANNOT BE.

“WHAT IS IT?” THIS IS THE MOST COMMON COMMENT ON MODERN ARTISTIC INNOVATION

MAYBE JON AND I SHOULD NAME OUR SHOW; WHAT IS IT!!! OR MAYBE, WHAT IT IS!

BETTER STILL: WHERE THE BEEF BE!!! AT ANY RATE WE’’RE HAVING THIS SHOW, THAT’S CERTAIN AND WHAT ‘I’ ‘T’ IS, WE’LL LEAVE UP TO OUR GUESTS TO FIGURE OUT     BP: JD NEW YORK 1997

NEITHER JON NOR I APPEARED AT OUR OPENING, POSTHUMOUSLY WE CALLED IT “THE NO-SHOW-SHOW-IN-SOHO”

HAY, HOW MO-LO-DOWN CAN YOU GET? I UNDERSTAND IT WAS A GREAT OPENING THOUGH WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE THERE!

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