#tinatran

The differences between our visit to BRIC yesterday (and subsequent discussion this morning) and Christie’s today are quite striking, but we should take heed to not overextend the comparisons to the point of making the discussion a binary, about haves and have nots. Instead, I considered BRIC and Christie’s along a spectrum, both places with unique strengths and weaknesses and both could learn quite a bit from one another. BRIC’s potential to expand art viewership and access to many populations that have been traditionally excluded is incredibly exciting. In addition, there is a real sense that BRIC artists are drawing their inspiration from the community and are from that community. As one of the staff members mentioned, “we want to reflect Brooklyn back onto itself.” On the other hand, because of BRIC’s somewhat regional focus, its programs can fail to have the broader appeal that many of Christie’s products might have. Furthermore, there are also limitations in how far BRIC would be able to advance an artist’s work. One of the major strengths of Christie’s is their seemingly endless resources that can turn a relatively obscure artist into a superstar. And this is not just about the money. Of course, the additional financial security is appreciated, but more importantly, an artist with Christie’s backing might be able to reach a global audience, to challenge and inspire multitudes, a capacity that BRIC cannot support. Historically, having art and knowledge of art has been a way to proclaim one’s own high social status while reinforcing others’ lesser status, and institutions like Christie’s are among the pillars that hold this hierarchy in place. But by focusing on the elite, Christie’s is excluded from the art that is being developed on the streets, and in ordinary communities, conversations that organizations like BRIC are leading the way on. Christie’s role as a conduit sadly restricts the company from shaping the art discourse and having first-hand viewings of potentially revolutionary art the way BRIC could be. BRIC and Christie’s face unique challenges; however as a whole, they represent overwhelming success in their respective missions. Overall, both places showcased the inseparably nature of business and art, art as much commodity as experience.

Nowhere is the connection between the human body, in all its fragility and beauty, and art more apparent to me than with dance. I am so stoked that we spent some time today in Mark Morris Dance Group, both moving around and watching some incredible dancers. I really appreciated the director's frankness when he talked about dancers and aging. As Professor Hinton mentioned, it seemed like the director was struggling with some of those same transitions himself. This interaction made me consider much more from an artist's perspective. Recently, my friend had a shoulder injury that forced her to quit playing flute, something that had been apart of her life for the past 15 years. This friend came to mind again when thinking about these dancers and the inevitable end to a major part of their identity. How does one come to terms with that? Thoughts are appreciated.