Every once in a while an artist comes along, pokes fun at our prevailing world order and gets away with it – even managing to sell the works exhibited – using satire as a scathing tool. In William Powhida’s work, he satirizes the ephemeral nature of the art world in an exhibition underway at Schroeder Romero in Chelsea. I had some time yesterday afternoon and decided to go by to Schroeder Romero to take a look at the commotion and I was not at all disappointed. William Powhida combines elements of painting (graphite and gouache is his medium of choice) and merges MAD comic style satirical musings on the art world in a tight graffiti format that really makes you think. I was reminded of Banksy‘s writings when I came across his paintings (if you want to call them ‘paintings’). Of course I was also reminded of those list formatted chain emails which manage to look at life in terms of ordered lists…
A drawing that caught my eye was the one where he laid out a set of rules for the artworld… Some of the ‘rules’ are reproduced below… (the punctuation/grammar has not been changed to reflect Williams’ work)
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If you want to SELL this shit make it just like someone else whose ALREADY sold out Why?! A. Your dealer has a famous artist to compare you to B. It validates said sellout’s career. Collectors love that!
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Ten years or ten minutes of work can sell for a million
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Anything can be ‘editioned’. Repetition is your friend
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Don’t make your ‘pitch’ at the gallery (or BOOTH). Follow the dealers to the BAR. You might get a show and a FUCK.
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Once you do sellout make the same thing until the market collapses. Think ‘reiteration’ and ‘variation’. THAT HELPS!
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Serious artists trying to make ‘art’ should be prepared to labor in OBSCURITY for twenty years
William Powhida The Rules 2007 graphite and gouache on panel 24″ x 18″
Another highlight of the show was an imaginary rendition of the future cover (2010) of the New York magazine (and ‘drawings’ of the complete article) that chronicles William’s eventual rise to stardom in 2010.
William Powhida The Bastard 2007 graphite and gouache on panel 44″ x 54″
His artist’s statement contains a playful but keen taunt to the publicity and glam that surround the artworld:
“my one man SOLO show, opens May 11th at Schroeder Romero. Those bitches hos HOOKERS, excuse me, are ecstatic to present my new work, which is destined to confirm my GENIUS and secure my reputation as the greatest artist ever. Now, I know that sounds a little presumptuous on my part, after all I haven’t been reviewed in The Times or sold anything to Saatchi, but it is true, I promise.” Read more here.
William Powhida Pricing Guide 2007 graphite and gouache on panel 14″ x 11″
By laying bare elements of the art world in such an unsettling manner to the viewer and having the courage to exhibit this is very brave – both on the part of the artist as well as the gallery. Most of the works were sold out – very well for an artist who is only in his 20’s.
On reflection, our world sure is a funny one. His art (which are in the thousands of dollars) and the perception it generates is interesting to think about – the former (his art) is nothing much to speak about, just a bit of carefully laid out graffiti on masonite. The perception it generates is affirmation of the fact that the artworld is indeed topsy-turvy with some of the ‘rules’ being brutally true whilst the fact that the works having been sold out also means that buyers do not really care the situation the artist was trying to satirize. Interesting indeed.
Sunil,
Thanks for another review. The way you’re packing in the gallery visits, pretty soon you’ll be able to write out the Rules yourself. Be sure to do it here for our edification, no matter what New York magazine offers!
Living far from the Center, I’ve been pretty much spared or deprived of this style of intellectual, self-referential art. Neither aspect is off-putting for me, though probably it is for some. Regardless, it’s an interesting idea that Powhida explores with humor. I enjoyed spending time with it, even if I’m not ready to buy it for my wall.
Steve,
The New York magazine article is really a drawing done by Powhida… As I mentioned above “rendition of the future cover (2010) of the New York magazine that chronicles William’s eventual rise to stardom in 2010”. His play and satire in this case was very cool – I thought…
I got that, but I guess my attempt to take it a step further flopped…
Sunil:
Scandal, scandal, scandal. It’s like location, location, location in real estate. Nothing much is happening in art now except the somewhat weary Imus/rapper bitches and ho’s thing.
The gallery puts up a bad boy (another NYC contempo conceit) and the word gets around. With any luck the show generates a little buzz and maybe some ink. Romeo Sombrero, or whatever the gallery name, gets some notoriety. A good tactical follow up could be a nice show of Grandma Moses reproductions.
I get the feeling reading this that the New York art world has lost its way. Is New York in decline as an art center? Is London the next big center? Or, is this sense of art in decline really New York at its best?
Jay,
I really do not know if we need to be in such a rush to be dismissive of this artist. I do not think much of the artwork anyway (like I pointed out in the write-up above “bit of carefully laid out graffiti on masonite”), but the ideas contained in it are powerful and mocks some of the ‘sham’ aspects of the local NY artworld… Very few artists would actually say this sort of thing – maybe Powhida may be playing all of us and getting some ink written about him this way, but in the process one does learn a little more about the local NY artworld – where merit counts lesser and lesser nowadays…
I think it is also ironic that the people who bought his work agree with the ideas behind the art (why else would they have bought it), but seem to be going along for the ride anyway – willing participants in a ride in which they seem to be making fun of themselves – wonder who is laughing all the way to the bank…
By the way the Whitney bought a couple of his pieces.
Karl,
I do not know about the decline part – I am much too inexperienced to comment on that. What I do know is that the markets are currently commanding the artworld – and what NY has in close proximity is access to the juiciest set of people who make the markets. Of course all said and done, without the markets in close proximity, the artworld would indeed be a dull, boring and uninspiring place. That does not mean that the financial epicenter would remain NY. These epicenters keep shifting: London, Hong Kong, Bangalore over the next 100 – 150 years… You do get some amount of dilution in principles and new ‘rules’ of order when you have access to this much of unbridled money, fame and glitz – and this is what Powhida is trying to mock – I think…
Sunil,
I have the idea that there is more to great art than the proximity of money. There are historical instances of powerful financial centers that were not important art centers. For example, London has a long history as a power center, but England produced a relatively low proportion of important artists since the 17th century than other powerful centers. Spain was a super-power in the 17th century, but its artistic output compared to the Dutch Republic was small I think. Of course there are individual artists who break these trends.
I got the idea that NY is in trouble because Ed talks so much about London, here for example.
Karl,
It is indeed funny that you mention Ed Winkleman in relation to this post. I had gone by to Ed’s gallery to see Andy Yoder (exhibiting at Ed’s).
I also noticed that Ed’s gallery shares a common extrance with Schroeder Romero in Chelsea and decided to peep in there… This is how I happened to run into William Powhida’s work. I also happened to read later on Ed’s blog where he has referred to Mr. Powhida as “the amazing William Powhida, who has a killer exhibition up at the moment at our neighbors, Schroeder Romero. Don’t miss it”.
I resisted Ed’s endorsement to see how the A&P crowd would react to art without endorsements…
Your other point regarding art and proximity to financial markets is well taken and is factually correct – historically (where art and money had a more or less symbiotic relationship with instances of one feeding the other and vice-versa). Not too sure if unmitigated capitalism engenders the same today.
Sunil:
Powhida goes Scot free in my estimation. And I’m sure that much of his work merits institutional attention. The “gallerists” get a pass too, as I’m sure that getting noticed is tough, and they’re doing whatever. I really don’t know enough about these people to tell you if I have damned with faint praise or what.
But you made my point in your comment: merit does count for less and less these days in too many places. But I can be dazzled anytime the spirit moves me, by things artists everywhere are doing. It might be that the mockery thing is completely nullified when the mockees are buying it, and the whole game feels empty somehow.
Sunil,
If Ed likes it then I’m sure it’s good.
Sunil,
I appreciate your review and I’m glad the show engaged you on a critical level. I tend to agree with you that the art isn’t really much of anything by way of painting, or a Modernist perspective that privileges it. I’d like to think the art isn’t simply found in the visual pleasure of the object, but in the ideas it contains and suggests. I sense from some of the responses and other criticism that there are a lot of viewers who don’t care for the humor and are essentially upset with the subject matter of the work, vapid celebrity, wealth, power, and the art market. I’ve been working on a rather elaborate project to create a larger narrative around the character ‘William Powhida’, who I am not. I take a more literary perspective of art making and have created a fictional narrator out of this character who alternately rages and retreats into hedonism. I have tried to create a loathsome, yet recognizable character based on my experiences in the art world. I find it closer to some form of alternative writing than my BFA and MFA in painting prepared me for.
Having been a critic for many years, I really respect your attempts at analyzing my work, there’s not much to describe. I’d like to think the work encourages people to say what they think, and value their own voices.
Lastly, I’ve actually managed to get out of my twenties, and am a dangerously old thirty -one year old artist. My career could tank at any moment in this market.
-Best,
William Powhida
I haven’t gotten around to commenting on William’s show here, but I’d like to say that I find his work pretty hilarious.(That’s a good thing). I’d checked out his website awhile back when he had a drawing installation between the two galleries, and I kept cracking up laughing.
William,
Thanks for some of the artist’s perspective and the news on where you’re going with this. I’m all for exploring ideas, and don’t care so much whether the manifestations are called art or not. Of course it affects how your career develops, whether through art galleries or some other route. But thinking back to my pondering whether I’d want one of your pieces for my wall, I recalled an earlier discussion here in which it came out that plenty of people displayed in various ways non-(traditional)art objects, such as stones, feathers, signposts, etc. Of course: anything with associations we care about. Not to mention that one purpose of what’s on the wall is to spark further conversations.
Oops, I think I might be starting to steal from a guest post going up tomorrow, so I’ll shut up now.
I wonder if William’s work will change now that he’s a senior citizen :)
To Whom:
You’re not William Powhida but “William Powhida” if I get this right. So a fictional character pulled my chain. Love it!
Kinda like one of those robots that venture into a minefield in order to get things to explode.
If the art thing doesn’t work out, you might be able to get a job at Williamsburg, Va. as an “in character” chararcter – “you” being so earnest and all.
Thanks for the opportunity to scathe on thin ice.
Scathing on thin ice. Got to remember that one.
Sir William Powhatan. Are you yet one more artist trying to outDuChamp Duchamp?
So now we’ve got Duchamp’s “Rose Selavy” (Eros c’est la vie).
Will I am. Pow! Hi da (da)?
I apologize for saying “yet one more” regarding artists in Duchamp’s spirit. I do think he was such fertile ground we will be responding to him for many more years. Especially because he said the first rule is that there are no rules, which is also ironic in looking at the “rules” of the artwork of this show.
I also couldn’t help but think of the artist with naked bitches at parties parodying Duchamp’s photos of himself playing chess with naked women. Parodies within parodies within parodies.
“William,”
“William” or William, — and Sunil —
I’m not sure to whom I should address my comments. I surely liked “Will I am. Pow! Da!”
Before I read “William’s” comment, I was thinking — ok, fun idea. Very much an in-group thing. My welder father would have had to spend hours trying to understand and then would have been dismissive — “whatever.” As someone a bit closer to the action, I would have had to say “Dad, you had to have been there.”
But once we get the joke I wasn’t sure what else there was to get.
However, the magazine covers gave me a bit more — but then, as Martha remarked, “oh yeah, I get it.”
Looks to me like there’s a graphic novel in the making. But like all pastiche work, the beginnings tend to be a bit clumsy; working toward a new synthesis can be tricky because the old underwear keeps sticking itself into the nose of the reader.
Good luck.
June:
Perhaps that underwear matter is the source of Jer’s miseries.
William,
That is quite a brilliant concept. I did not know that William Powhida is some kind of a nom de guerre… I think you are right in your assertion – that painting seems to be more of a path where you can express words that you have in your head in a more succinct, direct way…
It is funny, I was planning on looking you up for an interview when I visit Brooklyn – but I guess I need to look for this Powhida artist person by another name… What’s wrong with the thirties – it is the new teens…
Thank you for responding.