The receptionist at the main desk at David Zwirner in Chelsea, who doesn’t look up because she is busy busy busy, is Alexis Rose, 23. “Ultimately I’d like a career advising an art buyer,” she said recently, during a break. “I want to work either in corporate culture or helping to build personal collections.”

Surely the last thing the art world needs is another ‘adviser’ who sells overpriced wall-hangings for financial office space. This is what I’d like to hear instead: “Ultimately I’d like a career supporting great artists. I want to work hard to search out artwork of the highest standard; the most excellent innovative, astute art being produced and give it a platform to reach an audience.”

And that should have nothing to do with gender.

It’s odd to me that in this post(?)feminism era, we’re looking at her talking to Joerg as her talking to a man, instead of her talking to a friend and peer. My friends and peers help me critique what I’m doing and decide what to do next, and I think Joerg is doing his best in that roll.

I do think that if JUST he is angry, and just he is talking about change, no, that’s not enough. I also think that just women posting in their blogs that this is wrong is not enough. Anyone, regardless of gender, can respond to this and voice their displeasure. And I’ve seen plenty of people do so, in fact, it’s how I found this great essay in the first place.

I’m going to post the Women In Photography link in my own blog.

Most entry level jobs in the art world consist of menial tasks overseen by abusive bosses. If it gets to be too much, don’t work in the art world. You’ll likely find that other industries appreciate hard work and intelligence a lot more. And the art world won’t have any trouble finding another warm body.

The only way I see to fight a system like this is to refuse to take part in it. Don’t work jobs like this. Don’t support organizations like this. Start your own gallery and hire the super intelligent yet less fashionable employees. However, don’t doubt that the snooty gallery assistant isn’t part of an effort to sell to the right people. After all, niceness doesn’t always win.

if a man (or anyone) feels it demeaning to bring up (or act against) what he clearly senses to be an injustice then that is cowardice. i am offended by the times article, but i don’t see how progress is made by sitting on your hands waiting for the affected to rise up while the system presses them down. if you are in a position to make a difference, and clearly he is swinging the biggest wood on the photo blog block, then do it! i find no fault in bringing up the subject, but i find it patronizing to then sit back and call out women for not uniting in anger.

thanks!

susan

http://anonymousfemaleartist.blogspot.com/