One of the great mysteries of blogging is why people use it a place to spill out all of their darkest and ugliest mental bile. I rarely read comments sections on blogs, but when I do I am often shocked at how people act out. For instance I came across a post about Catherine Opie’s upcoming show at the Guggenheim on MAO. Several of the comments mentioned her looks, here is a sampling.
Posted by:Art Old Spice |
I know it was a cruel remark, but I just can’t stand obese women…it’s probably something Freudian, but I value them less as human beings…something about having no will power and/or respect from themselves – and it’s unhygienic. So shoot me……Looking at that big Jabba the Hut mound of carved flesh holding the baby is as horrific as any nightmare scene Clive Barker could have come up with
The guy went so far as to claim her success is based on her sexual orientation. Gee, would someone be comfortable saying, “Wow that guy is only a success because he is a Jewish?” My guess is no, because that would be appalling, hmmm…. Why is it not acceptable to question race or religion, but sexuality is just fine.
If I said she was an acne-scarred golem-like homunculus, but damn is she a GREAT photographer, then I doubt you’d think my critique of her appearance negates my opinion of her art. And I’ll admit, if she looked like Lara Logan I might enjoy her art more (though I’d keep the derivative comments to myself). Mona Kuhn stinks too, but she’s hot! Opie’s mainly gotten a free ride in the art world because she’s an LGTB poster child/fave of other gay/lesbian art critics, curators and boosters such as Tyler Green, etc. But don’t worry, my opinion of her will have no affect on the art world machine that’s already in place. Heck, Jerry Saltz has been trying to kill off Marlene Dumas’ career for years to no avail.
Also fascinating is the claim that she “stole” Brian Finke’s football images. Now nothing against Brian, he is clearly a talented photographer, but his football work is to me a more editorial/commercial project, after all he gets hired to do Nike ads. And let’s be honest, he could easily be accused of ripping off Collier Schorr (who is my personal fav in the group) And while there is a similar idea in all the work, I doubt Nike will be hiring Collier or Catherine anytime soon, but they would probably do amazing campaigns! Brian’s does capture the more romanticized idea of the High School football team.
In the end all of this seems silly, and it is blatant hostility to the idea of a women artist achieving that level of success. How many living female photographers have gotten solo shows at the Guggenheim? Whether you like all of Opie’s work or not, it seems pretty unacceptable to me to say a women is successful because of her looks, or on the flip side that she does not deserve to be successful because of them.
There were also may voices of dissent on the blog, but in the end it makes me sad to see people still thinking that way. It is human nature to be jealous, and everyone has the right to hate work, or to think an artist’s work itself is undeserving, but the personal attack stuff is something else. As bloggers, I guess we must decide which comments we allow, and how much free speech, we want to encourage.
And kudos to the Guggenheim for showing challenging and new work!
Collier Schorr (I apologize for the low quality Gallery 303 has her tiny jpegs restricted, these are screen shots)
Ground Glass 
I think once you start photographing yourself and putting yourself out there in terms of being the “star” of your own work you kind of have to expect this kind of thing. I am not a big fan of her work, I think out of the 3 groupings of sports imagery you have here hers are by far the least interesting — to me, they look like images any parent at those games could have snapped — but that’s not the point up for discussion here, really.
I actually think the images of her w/ the babies are meant to be aggressive and to start this kind of “dialogue” — I don’t know what other point they have. I think Opie is trying to be controversial and it works very well, case in point. Look at all this free PR she’s getting! ;)
Good points all, Cara. You don’t see anyone knocking Chuck Close for being bald and in a wheelchair.
Though slightly off-topic, I agree with Kristiina (who’s work I love, by the way) that these Opie football shots could have been taken by any high school paper photog. Truly nothing interesting, unique, or special.
Just goes to show how much room you are given when at the top.
I agree with Kristiina and Wesley about the football photographs. Brian Finke’s win in my book.
But back to your original point, Cara, in my opinion the comments on a blog are at least partially the responsibility of the blogger. I know there are some bloggers who take a hands-off approach to the comments, letting them be a free-for-all, where anything goes. Especially if you have a blog that generates dozens or hundreds of comments, I could see where, just from a logistical standpoint, this would be necessary. But I look at blog comments as an offshoot of the “letter to the editor” concept and, as such, I don’t think every comment should necessarily be posted. Newspapers and magazines choose which letters to post. Why should blogs be any different? That said, I publish nearly every comment on my blog, and I’d be more likely to post an inflammatory comment written about me than I would be to post an inflammatory comment written about someone else. Ultimately, I pay for the server space, and I don’t feel the need to give a free platform for people to act like kids on a playground, calling each other names. I’ve been lucky not to have experienced that so far, but it’s the risk you run when you put yourself, and your work, out there.
All of these sports shots have the same tired cliche look that is showing up everywhere these days…ugh.
As for the comments, I think it is the bloggers responsibility to edit nasty and rude remarks. They serve no purpose except to rile up and generate false publicity.
Cara,
Thanks for the post…and the link.
I was totally shocked by the comments on my blog about Catherine Opie.. and I was going to delete them all..
But felt that despite the rude nature of the comments.. I thought readers have a right to say what they think.. even if I didn’t agree with them.
It’s sad that my Art blog readers, who I thought would know better, can still be totaly filled with hate, envy and prejudice when it comes to Opie and her work.
It was very disapointing.
Wish you allthe best.. Mike @ ModernArtObsessio.com
MAO
[…] say some nasty things in the comment section of blogs. I guess hiding behind a computer screen gives some people courage […]
I suggest you read MAO blog about Catherine Opie AGAIN and realized that you quote the wrong comment with MY NAME.
It is highly irresponsible to quote me with the wrong comments.
I will never express myself in such negative away about an artist, its work or its looks. Please retract this comment and in the future make sure as a blogger the information its accurate.
If you check my art blog (ARTmostfierce.blogspot.com)
you will NEVER find that kind of negativity towards anybody in the ART business from ME or anybody that post comments. I have zero tolerance for it!
Please correct the quote. It is far from my character and you can ask MAO for any reference regarding who I am.