Earlier this year, a friend was telling about a new art group/organization at FAU --
The Miami Stuckists. She asked me if I've heard of Billy Childish (yes) and slightly told me what
stuckism was. When I got home I did my research on it. The basic summary of stuckism:
Stuckism is a radical and controversial art group that was co-founded in 1999 by Charles Thomson and Billy Childish (who left in 2001) along with eleven other artists. The name was derived by Thomson from an insult to Childish from his ex-girlfriend, Brit artist Tracey Emin, who had told him that his art was 'Stuck'. Stuckists are pro-contemporary figurative painting with ideas and anti-conceptual art, mainly because of its lack of concepts. Stuckists have regularly demonstrated dressed as clowns against the Turner Prize. Several Stuckist Manifestos have been issued. One of them Remodernism inaugurates a renewal of spiritual values for art, culture and society to replace the emptiness of current Postmodernism. I was completely annoyed that such a group exist, especially on campus. The idea of artists coming together is wonderful and I encourage that, but I thought this group will only segregate the art students at FAU. Why not start a radical art group that actually DOES something then make manifestos or protest something worth protesting about.
The Miami Stuckist's Manifesto (which is based on the original of who cares) is a bit of a laughing fest for me. Two points that made me questioned their beliefs:
1. Stuckism is the quest for authenticity. By removing the mask of cleverness and admitting where we are, the Stuckist allows him/herself uncensored expression. PAINTING (JUST LIKE ALL OF THE VISUAL ARTS) IS A MIMESIS OF NATURE/REAL LIFE -- there's nothing authentic about it.
8. Painting is mysterious. It creates worlds within worlds, giving access to the unseen psychological realities that we inhabit. The results are radically different from the materials employed. An existing object (e.g. a dead sheep) blocks access to the inner world and can only remain part of the physical world it inhabits, be it moorland or gallery. Ready-made art is a polemic of materialism. PAINT IS ALSO AN EXISTING OBJECT, CANVAS IS ALSO AN EXISTING OBJECT. HOW DOES A DEAD SHEEP BLOCKS ACCESS TO THE INNER WORLD? WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!!!!?
What got me over the edge about the Miami Stuckists happened a few weeks ago when I found out one of their members has been plagiarizing a former classmate/friend's oeuvre. There are many concerns on this serious issue. This person could get a BFA degree from plagiarized work, and that should not be accepted.
Borrowing in art happens a lot (e.g. ready-made) and that's a part of what Stuckism believes to be not "true art." A walking, breathing contradiction Stuckism is. All forms of art is a representation of life. These forms already exist, and making a rendering of these forms is a conceptual idea. When you start to think what color paint you want to use, what subject matter you want to paint -- all of those thoughts are concepts.
CityLink/Metromix recently reported on the Miami Stuckists "conservative" group. I read the article while the way leaving to work this afternoon and I couldn't help myself but laugh out loud. Stuckism -- based on the English artworld (Turner prize, artworks made over a decade ago) is all the Miami Stuckists could talk about. Really? What about the local art communities? What about art that has been made the last 5 years?
Interesting enough the article only mentions "4" artists for their group exhibition debut. The last time I counted there was 5. The fifth being one who plagiarized. (Strikethough -- cleared up that misunderstanding) Now, I'm all for artists coming together, being creative, exhibiting works, but attacking other art forms and calling those artists "not artists" is rather Childish (huh Billy).
