Comments on: Whither the Critic

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:52:07 +0000

So when David does it it’s “populism” and bad, but when you do it it’s “democratization” and good. That’s perfectly consistent. Oh, also, please learn the meaning of “begging the question” if you’re going to attempt to use it in an essay. Thank you.

By: Ben Asriel

Ben Asriel — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:07:30 +0000

I just want to mention something that Kristan Kennedy brought up in yesterday’s chat: It’s a mistake to divide the world into sports people (populist) and art people (elitist). D.K. Row implies this distinction in his argument and it doesn’t hold water. As just one example, I myself rushed from thurday’s Timbers game to check out Gang Gang Dance, as did many of my friends.
Of course, it’s important to have a breeding ground for any progressive community, but I expect TBA to bring the best art that it can and make it available to everyone in the same way that i expect the Blazers to bring the best Basketball and make it available to everyone.

By: Ben Asriel

Ben Asriel — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:06:05 +0000

By: Rod

Rod — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:24:05 +0000

Hmm. A few more random, and numbered, thoughts for DK:
1) If “not reaching out” to “the average person” leaves the festival “vulnerable,” I don’t see how. It’s going strong for the 7th straight year. If it were to cease being what it is, in order to secure more money from more “average people,” it wouldn’t just be vulnerable, it would be gone — turned into something else. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither.
2) Haven’t we had enough of dumbing things down yet?
3) To place “big” above “good” would be the fatal error of a capitalist society that can’t shake its addiction to more/faster/cheaper.
4) Who wants to go to ANY event that attracts 25,000 people? Any time I find myself among that many people I usually start asking what mistake got me there. Blazer games are for Blazer fans. Art is for art fans.
5) The “average person” already has enough TRITE TACKY CRAP to choose from. TBA is available to them if they want it and if they’re adventurous enough. If they don’t choose it, that’s their choice. But if we stop offering it we’re denying them the choice.

By: eva

eva — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:45:26 +0000

There is room for more than is supposed. OK, so some dealer doesn’t go to TBA. No surprise there, necessarily – and no biggie either. We aren’t all looking at the same thing and there’s lots to look at right now in Portland. Good!

By: Seth Nehil

Seth Nehil — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:03:49 +0000

Here’s my comment from Oregon Live. It seems like this populist vs. elitist argument is everywhere in Portland right now. At least a step up from the stridently anti-intellectual tripe I used to hear 7 or 8 years ago.
DK, couldn’t we say the same thing about the gallery scene? Every art has an “in crowd” of some kind, which is unfortunate, but then we can’t all be interested in everything. If I had to attend every Seth Rogan movie I would be in serious mental pain.
But I would hope that your art dealer informant might be interested in T:BA because she appreciates that painters are inspired by dance, that performance artists are looking at films, that installation artists are studying experimental theater, etc. Enforcing these separations between the arts, between “high” and “low” cultural activity just seems counter-productive. A pointed critique of a single performance which examines issues of audience accessibility vs. challenge would have been more productive and more accurate. PICA can only make this range of activity available and do its best to curate engaging, interesting work.
At a certain point, it just seems like pointless flailing to wish that more “common people” would attend difficult theater, or that a festival like t:BA should do more outreach. Heck, most of the T:BA ads I saw were on buses. I think that most people already have their minds made up about what they do and don’t like. You’re not going to convince me that Pineapple Express is an amazing movie.

By: Fredrick Zal

Fredrick Zal — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:01:24 +0000

Thank you.
Yes, challenge yourself to go to that which you do not know, that which scares you, that which might be outside of your norm. You have only to risk expanding your perspective, knowledge and vision to the arts and your personal affinities.

By: janelle

janelle — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:51:11 +0000

Have any of you ever read anything else by D.K. Row? If you had you would know that he has supported many performers and artists included in this years TBA. He is not against the form, but rather the festival itself. It seems to me he is only being critical of the incestuous scene that TBA creates; lot of young hip kids with “open minds”. Their minds are so open that they forget to be critical themselves.

By: David James Clark

David James Clark — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:17:22 +0000

Thank you for writing this. DK Row can go fuck himself. This town really needs more writers like you, who are well-spoken, open minded and welcome new forms. PICA does a brilliant job of thrusting Portlanders into high gear with world class talent coming to our city and taking over for 10 days. This will be my 4th year, and frankly, TBA has become my favorite 10 days of the year (this from a person who thought he didn’t really like performance art before experiencing TBA). The art scene is small, but thriving in Portland, and there is surely something for everyone, but what we really need to do is try and support each other especially when we are in a position like DK Row is.

By: Giuseppe

Giuseppe — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:28:57 +0000

Ever since I moved to Portland 9 years ago, I’ve had the distinct impression that Portland is full of frustrated disgruntled artists turned critics who bash anything from theater to croissants for being too big city or too amateur. Feedback should obviously be less personal diatribe and more informative.
Besides, I never understood the point in a bashing. Especially with performances of this type. All it accomplishes, if anything, is to stifle.