My visit to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston included a walk through an exhibit of recent work by Tim Noble and Sue Webster of Britain. Some of their pieces reveal some talent, such as a sculpture from rubbish which creates a projected silhouette of a man and woman. All of their pieces reveal intelligence. Several reveal a snide, narcissistic, rudeness.
According to the Museum,
The artists integrate satire and punk strategies with the study of modern sculpture and a keen awareness of the self-importance of the London art scene. Responding to the media hype of the British art world, Noble and Webster find inspiration in pop culture and advertising, creating brilliant animated light displays, or illuminations, such as the fountain and dollar sign in this exhibition. By contrast, their “rubbish,” or shadow sculptures, are brought to life when a simple light is projected over a carefully arranged pile of domestic garbage. “Tim Noble & Sue Webster” explores the team’s mature work, including seven examples of illuminations, shadow sculptures, and their latest neon forms: a boy/girl couple covered with streetwise slang.
www.mfa.org is tame in comparison with its exhibit. A sign outside the exhibition space warns away those who might object to the language. One piece in neon outlines a heart in colorful repetitions of the phrase "f__ing beautiful" (uncensored in the original).
Leaving aside respectful comments about the "strategies" of at least two contemporary artists, I think one can safely say this: In an atmosphere where the place of high art is uncertain, that is, in a world where we no longer know what role high art is to play, and in a world where it is so hard to grab the attention of viewers who are used to seeing a plenitude of shocking images, some artists find it necessary, convenient, or profitable to shock for shocking's sake.
In such an environment, we may do well to leave aside "high art" and make do with lower-brow varieties.
-- H. A. Massig