Chawky Frenn Outshocks Damien Hirst
Published August 21, 2004
Who would have thought that a painting exhibition by a DC area art professor would have out-controversied Damien Hirst when they both exhibited concurrently at Dartmouth University?
Read the story published in The Dartmouth here.
The controversy was started by this article written by a student guest columnist to The Dartmouth.
Another student then responded with this letter.
And this letter, also published in The Dartmouth, from the exhibition's curator, responding to the debate caused by the above two, can be read here.
An exhibition by Frenn will open September 10, 2004 at my Fraser Gallery in Bethesda, Maryland. I co-own the gallery with Catriona Fraser.
- Chawky Frenn Outshocks Damien Hirst
- Published: August 21, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Culture
- Writer: Lenny Campello
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Comments on this articleComments
Big up on ya for your broad and sweeping generalisations as to what and what is not art, AND the checklist of edgy post-modern culture! But, I reckon just because someone else (or a few thousand someone elses) has had the same idea before doesn't lessen the validity of the idea. If he thinks he came up with it himself, good for him. I've read most of what Shark has said on other blog comment threads as well (apart from putting money on Norman Rockwell as the next next big thing), and EVERYTHING I've said.
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(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/18906)
1) Nothing is shocking anymore.
2) This stuff isn't repulsive because it's "shocking", but because it's so unoriginal. Ooooh. People kissing skeletons. How fucking inventive. His work contains more trite cliches per square foot than the standing-room-only area at a Britney Spears concert. If it were a film, it would be like Roger Corman does Igmar Bergman. Feh.
3) This guy is pretty technically proficient, but BFD: him and a million other people with lots of talent and no ideas.
4) Like every other piece of contemporary art: IT'S BEEN DONE. Many times. And better.
5) Best of luck with your exhibition, Lenny, but seriously, if you wanna be revolutionary and shock your audience, book a Norman Rockwell exhibition. That'll be cutting edge pretty soon, and you'll be ahead of the curve -- courtesy of Shark the Art Critic.