Now is Not the Time to Panic
My friend Ashley sent me this article about a woman who, oopsies, knocked over a Jeff Koons sculpture that then shattered into “at least 100 pieces.” This story conjures a lot of responses, which I will first summarize via emoji: 😱😂🧐 They are: 1) second-hand shame and embarrassment (because who else has “what if this happened” thoughts in museums and galleries?); 2) genuine laughs at its ridiculousness, esp since it’s love-him-or-hate-him Jeff Koons; 3) (this is the best one) intrigue about how “the meaning of art” perpetuates itself in unexpected ways. (See to see an excerpt of the part of the story wherein people wondered if this was Banksy-esque performance art and someone wanted to purchase the shattered pieces.)
Via NYT
Ahhhhh, the age-old question: What is art? Everyone chatters about how its “meaning” (and “beauty,” of course) is in the eye of the beholder — as much as that may make an artist (or writer, for that matter) cringe. And when you pile on adult commentary about art that young people may like, absurdity may ensue. (See: Records played backward to reveal supposed evil hidden meanings.) Kevin Wilson uses the overarching plot of a teenager-created poster that inexplicably results in a nationwide panic to also explore obsessions (not the creepy kind, more like the random hobby/topic kind) and transformative friendships in his sixth book, Now is Not the Time to Panic.
To be clear: I’m not sure it’s possible for me to love this book any more than I do.
{Shout out to Matt’s childhood friend whose guerrilla art escapades of yore track a bit with this book. If you don’t know someone whose projects have caused the authorities to get involved, are you even experiencing art?!}
originally published on instagram