Mr Moir & Mr Coates

Saw Vic Reeves (to call him Jim Moir still feels a wee bit pretentious!) on a programme tonight called "The Grumpy Guide to Art". It was kind of funny in places, but basically was a tongue in cheek dig at the art world and all its pretentiousness. Some of it rang true, some of it I felt the need to argue with! However! What I took away from it was a reminder that Vic is truely a hero of mine! Really down to earth arguments about art appreciation, and basically thought the same as me...... so what if its a bit highbrow, if it makes me laugh, then surely thats good isn't it?!? Thats the one thing that can get me about the artworld, its all so serious. Whats wrong with laughing at art and finding it amusing and provoking? Art should be more fun, right?

I love it! Pure sillyness, and actually not a bad painter either!

I remember a wonderful moment watching a video by Marcus Coates at the Bristol museum during the British Art touring exhibition last summer. In it he basically dressed up with a full dear skin strapped to his back and performed a shamanistic ritual supposedly conjuring animal spirits fom the underworld infront of a bemused group of pensioners from a housing committee in someones front room. It was bizarre! I have read an interview with the artist and I'm afraid he takes himself quite seriously and is a bit filled with pompous self importance. No matter! The video was hilarious! What made the moment so special was that i was sat side by side with a stranger who found the video just as funny as me, and we shared this experience of laughing in a really stuffy, silent gallery, feeling a little bit wrong but unable to contain our mirth! It was a real connection that will stay with me for a long time, and I hope with the stranger too. That to me is what art is all about!

Im not sure where this post is going so I will end here, as this is a real MMM post! but then thats why Im a fan of my blog....... it is a bit of a random stream of conciousness, but thats a good reminder for me of where my head is at. And on that note, I think i am going to go and paint!