ART FOR ART SAKE - 10CC
Good song that.
To complete my weekend I went to the Auckland Art Gallery today.
Billy Apple has an exhibition there.
This is Billy Apple the Warhol inspired New Zealand artist who has dabbled at the fringes of the art world for half a century.
He cleverly and cynically employed a 'sell-out' strategy selling pieces of art that were IOU's, cheques, signatures and all sorts of crap. It was kind of funny once or twice (like Dick Frizzell's stuff) but when overdone is a bit boring.
It didn't discourage the noters and the 'unsure' art buyers who would pay money for it "just in case".
Quite frankly it doesn't do a lot for me.
It didn't do a lot for my mother either.
In 1975, Apple brought his installation sculptures to New Zealand. In Wellington he set up one of these in the Taj Mahal (which is now a Welsh bar) in Courtenay Place. It was a small art gallery then and previously was public toilets which I guess suits Apple's works.
The installation he set up was his broken glass one that he had used in New York in 1970 where a lot of the poseurs and 'unsure' collectors raved about it.
My mother had heard about a 'famous' artist having an exhibition so went to view it.
She stepped over the tiny rope barrier (she was a bit short sighted bless her) and crunched across the broken glass.
"Heavens" she said "who put that here, it's a bit dangerous"
Apple who was on the other side of the room screamed at her to get off his valuable artwork.
Mum said that if it was his then he should get a broom and sweep it up.
She got thrown out of the gallery.
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I wandered around the rest of the gallery and saw a great exhibition on German political art through the centuries and a photographic exhibition of some funny portraits.
A few of them reminded me of Robert and Richard.
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| This reminded me of the skeleton in Robert's |
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| This one reminded me of Richard for some reason |
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| And another of Richard wearing a funny hat |
Leaving the gallery I wandered through the adjacent Albert Park which is always lovely and especially so on a sunny afternoon.
There was a film crew there filming some kind of Chinese superhero thing which was a bit of a laugh.
It's all go in the city I tell you.
1 comment:
Ha ha - good on your mum!
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