We, the elite

I’ve been trying to hide it for years. But now that I’m in the art world (or trying to be), and I’m talking about the Chelsea one, it makes no sense to pretend any longer. I am a member of the elite. And so are all the other artists, gallerists and curators I know (or hope to).

The question is not so much how can we become more like “the people,” but how can we meet our potential as a self-conscious elite, aware of our education and skills (however slim they may be).

This is what comes to mind:
1. While we can refer to and be influenced by pop culture, we can (and I believe must) go beyond it, in terms of content and form.
2. While we can aspire to equality, we must accept our privilege, shed light on its workings and contradictions, and use its power.
3. While we can hone our individuality, and assert our right to be artists, we have to admit that a lonely life in the studio is in fact a political position and should be claimed as such.

These are just three possibilities, a fist attempt to counteract what I read on blogs about artists not wanting to burden themselves, and what I see in galleries, basically un-provocative dribbles.