Houston Chronicle art critic Douglas Britt relates his efforts to create a critical piece of counter-art in response to the upcoming Art Guys Marry a Plant dedication at the Menil Collection on November 19. Interpreting the piece as adding fuel to anti-gay marriage arguments, Britt is seeking to marry another (female) art critic so he can contrast his sham (but legal) gesture with the Art Guys sham, (but illegal) one. He’s had no luck yet, but has until November 15 to get hitched. Britt accuses the Menil in very direct languge of “tarnishing its standards and its civil-rights legacy” by installing the Art Guys piece.
Even more revealing (and entertaining) is the long string of thoughtful, sometimes frothing responses to art blogger Jen Graves’ appeal for advice on Slog News and Arts. Graves is one of Britt’s prospective critic-wives, and asks her readers for their opinions. They don’t hang back:
“Um, no. Just because one bunch of idiots has engaged in a misunderstood clusterfuck doesn’t mean you have to.”-fnarf
“The way to fight against these two douchebags is to stop giving them publicity.”- Dave M
“As a gay dude, I’m not miffed in the least with The Art Guys, though this performance is less interesting than others.”-St. Murse
and the topper, by WFM:
“Some “artist” should print out this post and comment thread and declare it to be a brilliant piece entitled “In Which the ‘Art World’ Crawls Yet Another Meaningless Inch Up It’s Own Self-absorbed Socially-Disassociated Pretentious Ass”.
