Art on a Mission

If San Miguel is to become a true presence on the international art scene, it must back away from commercialism. One studious look at Saatchi Art online -- the gigantic art site for artists selling their work to internet buyers the world over -- will show you that the global art scene is becoming increasingly commercial. Let me explain what I mean by “commercial.” Edgar Degas railed against the presence of commerce in the Paris art world of his time, so much so that he withdrew from the active pursuit of a career as an artist, buying back as many of early works as he could, and retiring into seclusion in his “sacred” studio. I wouldn’t recommend that artists in San Miguel go quite that far. I understand why many of us have chosen to turn art into a business, that is, to work at making a living as a professional artist. Fine. But if the work being produced here is predominantly commercial in the sense that it looks more and more like “commercial art” – the art that is produced for magazines, advertising, movie posters, fashion spreads, web sites, music videos, etc. – then it is no different in style and sensibility from the work I’m seeing on Saatchi. Work that lacks depth, work that has the high-gloss finish of fashion magazines without any emotional-psychological dimension. Isn't that why we came here in the first place -- to get away from the consumerism and materialism of US mainstream culture? If we've really left all that behind it should not reappear in our art work. I believe the artists of San Miguel should have the courage to produce work that is not of that type, work that has emotional depth, work that has many layers of meaning, work that resonates with soul, spirit, and individuality.  To my way of thinking, that is what true art is all about, and the rest is just eye-candy. Yes, there is a market for eye-candy, but if the artists if San Miguel want to distinguish themselves, if we want to be not only a presence but a force in the global art world, then let’s give the art world something greater, stronger, and more passionate than high-gloss pop art.