PAINTING FOR THE DEALER

In March 2000 I began a series of nude portraits of well-known art dealers.  This series (The Go-Go Nudes) was created in response to what our very exciting art world has now become: controlled, predictable, and conservative.  It was my intention to demonstrate to artists that they don’t have to conform to this ideology.

Not so long ago artists were able to freely express themselves, their art covered the subways, buildings, city corners and nightclubs.   They did not hold back.  Art dealers soon followed these artists to their community in Soho and opened galleries to sell their work.  This art district originated from an artist’s community, and the artist was essential for the neighborhood’s success.  This community has now changed.

A district of art dealers was established in 1994 in West Chelsea by one of my art dealers, Marilu Lannon (see Art in America,1994).   These art dealers were seeking inexpensive rent as they left the inflated Soho real estate market and moved to West Chelsea.  Through the evolution of this neighborhood, I’ve watched the art dealer become more sensationalized than the artist and their artwork.  What is most disturbing is that the dealer must conform and behave in a certain manner in order to be accepted in this community.  Their exhibitions must be acceptable as well.

I believe artists should create their work through free expression without limits.  They are not being true to their art if they hold back because someone objects or finds it disturbing.  This stifles the creative power.  Many dealers are contributing to this by formulating their galleries into a very controlled gallerist community.  Such control only suppresses the dealer which in turn suppresses the art being exhibited.  It is the dealer’s absolute fear of being outcast that drives many of their choices.

Over time I’ve watched how artists have transformed with this change of art dealer status.  No longer do artists passionately speak about creating their work, but are more concerned about how they may please the art dealer.  Most artists excessively flatter the dealer in order to be liked and possibly get their work shown.  Artists are now creating for the dealer, rather than creating for themselves.

With the Go-Go Nudes, I wanted to show my fellow artists that they don’t have to change their work in order to impress the dealers.  I wanted to demonstrate that artists can still express themselves and that art dealers are not idols.  To illustrate this, I created several unauthorized portraits of the top "art stars" as I imagined they would look in the nude.  My goal was not to impress them with beautiful athletic bodies, but to depict them how they might really appear, overweight and silly looking.  I took the project very seriously.  I studied and collected images from museum libraries and hired models to pose for the various body types.  Art historians, critics, dealers and art collectors supported and even funded my efforts.

The Go-Go Nudes were created to show the art community that they don’t have to suppress their creativity in order to be included in a very conservative "cutting-edge" group.  It is still possible to be an artist and take risks.  It is only the most fearful art dealers and artists who object to the Go-Go Nudes.  Being true to oneself without fear of expression is essential to creativity.

Julie Harvey