Reflections on Goldberg: The Media Generation

Jessica Wildman

In Goldberg’s discussion of "the media generation”, the author explains that, “by 1979, the move of performance toward popular culture was reflected in the art world in general" (p 190). The 1960’s and 1970’s saw performance artists like Adrian Piper and Carolee Schneemann vehemently rejecting the art establishment in terms of race and gender inequality; however, the media generation of the 1980’s gave rise to a group of artists who began to commercialize the form, breaking what Goldberg calls, “conceptual art’s cardinal rule, of concept over product, by turning from performance and conceptual art to painting” (p 190). I find this commercialization or commodification of art to be quite interesting. Goldberg states, “the generation that created this about-turn mostly comprised students of conceptual artists who understood their mentors’ analysis of consumerism and the media” (p 190). I wonder if those, “struggling unknowns”, who were transformed into, “art stars”, in the early 1980’s produced that identity and career themselves or if it was the construct of the art world elites? With that question in mind I can’t help but think of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, and the significance of those elite networks within the art world. 

I was in Barnes and Noble last week sifting through the magazines and there was a publication with Marina Abromovic on the cover (I forgot the publication). The article was fascinating. Arguably the most prominent performance artist of recent years was discussing how she often does not get paid for her performance work, and makes most of her income teaching. It makes me think that performance is the one form of art with a driving force that sustains itself, not monetarily, but on meaning. That’s not to say that traditional art forms like sculpture and painting are churned out and contrived, but knowing that performance is difficult to monetize those suspicions dissipate. Is this true? As an artist myself I find that to be an existential question. How can one create work that sustains a life and art practice that isn't consumable/consumerist?