The Contemporary

They say that Aristotle was the last person to understand the entirety of his culture. They go on to say that today's modern human lives in a world that is just too complex for one person to fully grasp.

Aristotle, they might conclude, was the world's last, true contemporary.

Now, I don't know exactly who this "they" are, and I'm not so sure where one would even begin in an attempt to collect a complete understanding of the zeitgeist today, even if for only one fleeting moment, but I do know this: there was at least one contemporary artist, by Agamben's standards, whose work was showcased at the Armory Show this year.

The contemporary, Agamben argues, not only refuses to adjust to the new world, but also, almost by definition, must sit at least a little outside of that which is "in vogue". The contemporary must be a witness of the time we live in, and how can we witness and observe that which we are immersed in?

So, sitting outside the circle of popular art, the contemporary observes and comments. The artist at this year's Armory to whom I am referring did his commenting through his art:

The image above, in the shape of a neon circle, reads simply enough, "The true artist makes useless shit for rich people to buy."

This work, as far as I noticed, was the only piece that commented not only on the state of High Art today, but also on the Armory Show itself!

And interestingly enough, as I stood there, a few feet off to the right, I watched countless people come up the work, drawn in by the bright neon lights. Their necks craned around the circle, reading in an attempt to discover just who the "true artist" was. And more than once, when the viewer finally read the end of the sentence–neck now fully strained–he or she, miffed and mumbling, immediately left the gallery without further comment.

I guess it's also true that the Contemporary is often times also unpopular.