Art + Pop = Trash

To keep up with the art world, not only do you have to read fashion magazines, like W, which consistently has features on and spreads by artists, but you have to start reading political mags as well. Jed Perl's article in The New Republic dissects why the art world is in the toilet. He savages Chelsea gallery owners and artists, such as John Currin and Lisa Yuskavage, who practice "laissez-faire aesthetics," that is, artwork that has no meaning because anything can be read into it. It elevates pop culture to high art but with no bite, no irony, and no critique. My summary barely does justice to this intriguing article, so check out the issue if you can still find it on the newsstands.