Scott Hocking at MCB
For anyone who missed art night at the Motor City Brewing, here are some pics of Mr. Hocking's latest work. Again another great show...lots of fun! I even got a free leftover bumpy cake out of the evening!
Humm...these are some good prices! Good thing I got a darling Hocking piece of my own. Ok, Scott start making millions!
posted by art blogs are fun at 9:21 AM
5 Comments:
I think this work is bad. I must be the only one in Detroit. the work just has no substance.
is putting down the work of successful young detroit artists going to help the scene?
scott does his thing, it sells, it elevates the city's arts visibility - and that needs all the help it can get.
do black and white photos of suburban hair salons and christmas lights have more substance?
There's always room for criticism in an art community. We have a larger problem here in our scene of no one taking work seriously enough to enter into critical discussions. (They may happen occasionally in private, but they rarely enter the public forum where they might develop into real substantive discussions.)
That being said, and with all due respect, I think both of these posts are typical of a community generally devoid of critical insight. Why not take this one step further?
John: Saying Scott's work is "bad" is pretty presumptuous. Detroit is obviously the *subject* of his work. How do you feel he misses the mark in addressing some of the issues and themes the city raises? There is a long history of "Readymades" and "Found Object" work for Scott to pull from. In what ways do you feel Scott fails where others have succeeded?
Not Scott: Selling does not equal substance. How does Scott's relative visibility help the art scene? In what ways do you feel his work has value? If you feel John’s comments are unwarranted, refute them (not by taking pot shots at John). And, if you feel John’s work warrants criticism, make it happen.
Just because we're not in school anymore doesn't mean critical discussion of art stops. It's everyone's responsibility to elevate the level of dialog in this city.
Hope this finds you well.
-Nolan
well said nolan!
I think Scott Hocking's work is right on. Although it comes from a history of found object work, it has its own identity and purpose, chronicling and documenting a city...a civilization. It lacks pretense, even though it could easily fall into that trap like so much clever post modern work does. It feel fresh, unto itself, and avoids resting on hip-ness.
And on a purely asthetic level, the work is incredibly beautiful, with a great sense of color and gesture.
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