Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the adage goes, but when
it comes to looking at contemporary art, the eyes often have
their work cut out for them. So much of what now passes for
"art" in the trendy galleries strains the lenses that
it's a relief to welcome Artexpo to town. The 2006 annual
exhibition at the Jacob Javits Center, March 2-6, is bigger than
ever and even has an Oscar nominee headlining one of the
exhibits: Terrence Howard, nominated for Best Actor for his
performance in "Hustle and Flow," will be unveiling the
official art of the U.S. Olympic Team.
Whenever I've written a column on the subject of art, I'll get
the occasional snide e-mail asking, "What right do you have
to criticize an artist's work? What do you know about art?"
I will freely admit that I just don't understand what passes for
art, in this day and age. I find the exhibit Bodies ...the
Exhibition, currently showing at the South Street Seaport, an
interesting anatomical study for medical students - but can we
really call it art? Bits and pieces of real human beings who
donated their bodies to science have been plastinated and
displayed in various poses exposing the inner workings of the
human body. Similar corpse shows have attracted millions of
visitors in galleries in Asia, Europe, and Los Angeles.
Technically, I suppose, one can view this exhibit as art because
the definition of art in the American Heritage Dictionary is:
"Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract
the work of nature. The conscious production or arrangement of
sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner
that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of
the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium."
Corpse art, however, can hardly, however, appeal to our sense of
beauty. But again, there is that "eye of the beholder"
to consider.
I had always found it much easier to say, "I am a
writer" than "I am an artist." That word used to
mean so much more than it does today, and I hesitated to think of
myself even minutely in that league. "Artist" once
conjured up images of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Rembrandt, but
now it's easier for me to identify with that group because the
term "artist" has been so diluted.
So I answer those e-mails with the news that I am an artist with
an opinion on modern art. I was the president of the Artists
Federation, a nonprofit cultural organization, for three years. I
have sold paintings and I have even had my paintings stolen. I
can take a pencil and sketch a recognizable portrait of my
inquisitor if I so desired. I therefore feel perfectly
comfortable trashing junk art.
I also recognize the fact that there are different strokes for
different folks, and one of the most pleasant aspects of the
Artexpo is that one is virtually guaranteed to find something to
suit one's taste among the hundreds of exhibitors. The show began
in 1978 and has showcased the art of Andy Warhol, Peter Max,
Leroy Neiman, Robert Indiana, and others. Artexpo is the perfect
place to buy the work of future stars before their prices go sky
high. This year, actress Jane Seymour will be on hand exhibiting
her fine art. There will also be exhibits of the works of famed
rock 'n' roll artists such as Ron Wood, Grace Slick, and Janis
Joplin.
These are well-known names, but the general public isn't as
familiar with the name of Steven Lavaggi, known to the world of
art as "The Artist of Hope." Mr. Lavaggi will be making
his first appearance at the Javits Center, and it is his story
that demonstrates the real meaning and value of art. His son was
born with an open spine; his wife of 10 years left him, his son's
pancreas failed with full-blown diabetes leading to blindness,
and his business partner stole his successful graphic arts
company. Most of us would have rolled ourselves into a fetal
position and given up, but Mr. Lavaggi turned his tragedies into
hope, faith, and love.
This is what an artist does - creates beauty out of nothing with
the simplest tools. Mr. Lavaggi has been spreading his message of
hope in fund-raisers for the victims impacted by September 11 and
Hurricane Katrina. In a recent press release, he said,
"Without love, we are nothing. Only what we do out of a true
heart of love for others will last for all eternity. With my
creations, I am focused on inspiring Faith, Hope and especially
love in our world."
Incidentally, all of Mr. Lavaggi's creations are easy on the
eyes.