DELUSION OF GRANDEUR

NEVERTHELESS GALLERY DECEMBER 2016

Delusion of grandeur is an inspiration from the book „the hoods“ by Harry Grey from 1956 ,

„delusions of a grandeur“ is a phrase I read in one of the last chapters of the book.

-„delusion of grandeur“ is a thought at the end of a surrealistic, nearly impossible heist of Harry Grey, the protagonist.

It seems to be not only his thought, but a conclusion of all things which had happened to him. His mind surprisingly understood, what his life was all about.

I closed my self up for three days in the studio and read this book constantly.

I couldn´t stop, I couldn´t do anything else than reading it.

It get me in soo deep, that days after I was walking like a lunatic, under the impression of what I´ve read.
This book has absolutely NO connection to art. It is a mafia novel.

„So what about MY art? Or Art in general… – Is it a „mafia Novel“ as well — ?

Can Art, by any chance suddenly escape its usual borders and become something else?

At the end it is all about a big journey and the beginning of new believes, wishes, thoughts, expectations…

By rolling back time, it seems, that all the life of Harry Grey is built on delusion, on illusion, on grandeur.

How can this exciting life be described with a dramatic sense?

Is it faith, or is there any rule? If a strong, adventurous and independent mind travels it´s own, unpredicted journey, it gets busted. Why is it criticized for taking important decisions all alone?

However we are a brave society. We love good things and critisize the bad ones.

We acknowledge success and we seem not to accept artists without it (In this case there are many indicators for success).

We build up our society to look good from the outside. On pictures, in social media, on wall paper. We shine up our public image to feel better about ourselves. We do not change, we do not confront, we just are.

What about the inside, is there still anything left, while we work on a shape, on a delusion?

Therefore our lives are well organized within a society, which is consuming its own goods without choosing them. It is like a fake desire, in which we see our emotions and feelings, which are often taken from the childhood.

And art is a psychological component of intuitively understanding what is happening. I believe, everything is connected between each other, So: „Art is what we do and culture is what is done to us“ Barnett Newman once said, it was about 40 years ago.

And now, is there any difference? Is art what is done to us by giving us a concrete model of „how to make art“ ?

Frames and patterns to produce art. And if so, it sarts „to look like art“, pretending to look alike, instead of being it. Naturally it starts to become a product, because it should fit in „certain rules“ , which of course are mainly formal. But the concentration on the formality of art- business, art development, also the contemporary art history, which is mistreated by giving fake examples with too complicated text and huge lists of exhibitions, in which the curators and institutions shine with their „social care“ and cultural impact above the actual thing, above the art. A theatre. Why are we triyng to boast about what we do?

„Art is for rich people, who try to define their hobby“ — Donald Judd.

Simply this „ product“ starts to become less valued and more replaceable.

Maybe the rules of an economic market can be related to contemporary art production….

But there is a more global product in the world, the product of society, a unmaterialistic outcome.

Also we observe art with associations to exiting, and already established art works. So it can be explained like „this is a homage to…“ or

„it confronts the rules of the painting era…..“ or „Its style is about a mix of …“ or „It is like the design of the Sixties and architecture of Twenties…“

But why can´t we leave it without any relations, explain it as what it is?

Maybe then we would define a new perspective.

Explain it as what it is. Don´t out into a context of art history.

It seems to me the path has changed:

„Culture is now what we do, and art is what is done to us“

….

Delusions of Grandeur becomes the inner excitement of a thief, who had gone to far.
with his feelings, with his excitement, with his delusion of grandeur to rule the world.

tbc..

Anastasia Malkhazova, November 2016