The Hot Air Standard

Jonathan Meese installation shot. Some show in Paris.

Curator Todd Levin’s pics on Facebook of the Basel Art fair, paired with Jerry Saltz’s comments, are fun to look and read through. Mr. Saltz uses the word “trust” as a reaction. I think that’s an apt nuance of the word “like.” When you see art, you sense whether it’s for real, or whether it’s pseudo. You gather clues, and your gut tells you so. For example, a painting by Jonathan Meese seems interesting on the surface – like Basquiat or something -  but don’t trust it! That guy is full of hot air.

I think I have to start using the word trust to gauge and goad what I’m doing in the studio. Often I have an urge to do something but I stop myself because I think it’s a gimmicky solution. I can trust that reflex. But I can also trust myself through a risky move too, even if I know the trappings beforehand.

Like incorporating words. That’s often one of the easiest solutions for me. Add words to sum up what I’m driving at, have the letters work graphically. Plus it’s cool. So I force myself to stay away from them and stick with other formal tools. But I think I can trust myself through the incorporation of language, whether it’s visible or not. Well, we’ll see.