A combination of artspeak and gossip, Matthew Collings' seemingly casual ruminations can reveal surprising depth beneath their absorbing surface: in a way he is crafting a new kind of art criticism, chic, clever, and street-smart, but with an edgy self-consciousness that...
[more]A combination of artspeak and gossip, Matthew Collings' seemingly casual ruminations can reveal surprising depth beneath their absorbing surface: in a way he is crafting a new kind of art criticism, chic, clever, and street-smart, but with an edgy self-consciousness that mimics the style of contemporary art itself. This strategy doesn't always convince serious critics, however. Collins' two most popular works, "Blimey!" and "It Hurts," which cover the London and New York art scenes respectively, have received both rave reviews and pans.
Liberal sprinklings of photos enliven both books. Portraitist Ian MacMillan captures many an eccentric artist's visage on film -- these appear alongside images of the artists' works, suggesting at least a small cult of personality. Collings has apparently met everybody that's anybody in the art world and leads a life of perpetual floating -- from studio to studio, from gallery opening to art party. His deadpan style simultaneously makes fun of the art world and reveres it: "I think a lot of art is an absurd comedy, but it's not the art itself, it's what people think about art, and that's very engaging for anyone who has a sense of the absurd."
Critics claim his work is dumbed down and overly concerned with the commercialism, money, and gossip that surround the high-powered art world. Fans say his writing is a work of art itself, operating in the same vein as the art it disseminates. His quips on Minimalism, aside from being wry and humorous are, well, minimal: "Minimalism was a critique of everything. Because it was so minimal. It made everything else seem too much."
On the talk swirling around the supposed death of painting he says: "Who first gave up painting? is a question that sometimes seems to be raised. Then a lot of grizzled '60s survivors kind of lurch forward with their hands up, and in these scrums it's always somehow Kosuth who gets the prize."
Collings grew up in an art world family, positioning him quite nicely from the get-go at the very center of things. An artist in his own right, he's also appeared on television, written columns for several magazines, and released a book in 1999 called "This Is Modern Art." This last work continues to explore issues like contemporary art's concern with shock value, the nature of genius, and the disappearance of aesthetics.
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