It is said that the hoax which fooled certain Art critics as well as readers who fell for this deceit, was done with the complicity of David Bowie, John Richardson ( who is an expert on Picasso's life and times) and the U.S. author Gore Vidal.
According to them "Nate Tate" was an American artist born 1928 - 1960 the "painter" was 31 years old and he suffered from depression. One day, after having destroyed 99% of his work, he bought a ferry ticket to Staten Island and once on board, the "artist" walked towards the back, climbed the fence and jumped. His body was never found. To give it a realistic touch, Boyd included in the book paintings made by him, the photos that were shown, he took them from his private collection without any identifiable persons.
The hoax became stronger when he convinced Gore Vidal to include an anotation on the book. On the false biography Gore Vidal "remembers" Nate Tate as a "dignified drunk, without anything to say". Karen Wright who is co-director of Publication 21, where Bowie used to work said to the British press that the joke was not intended to be malicious. She added that part of it amused them a lot that people were taken in are were agreeing to have heard of him. Some went as far as saying his work was great. According to Boyd this is a fable for our times or any time in which people become Art celebrities over-night.
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12 comments:
I love it when someone plays a trick on art critics.
Normally it's art critics playing the trick - on the public.
True. Did you see the story of the Queen who has one of the most wonderful art collections in the world when she met the Con-Artist Tracey Emin in her home town of Margate? If you can recall Tracey Emin was the one con-"artist" who was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1999 for her "work": 'My Bed' At least I now know, why it is called the Turner Prize. Because Turner would have turned on his grave to see what utter rubbish is being patronised in his name. Anyway.. her Majesty asked Tracey Emin: " Do you show internationally as well as in Margate?" I'm sure her majesty has an exquisite taste in paintings and won't be hanging any of Tracey Emins at Buckingham Palace any time soon. What a lovely put down. I really adore our Queen.
Ha, ha! Emin was upset at the public reaction to the warehouse fire :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyone_I_Have_Ever_Slept_With_1963%E2%80%931995
Oh thank you Robert, how I laughed and laughed to see Tracy Emin's face exactly like a cat's scowl when her "art" caught fire in a ware-house which goes to show that the millionaire who bought her "work" didn't see it fit to keep it inside his house! Who would? The ware-house was the right place for it. There are people out there who have enough money to burn.
Robert but what I loved the most when the Royal couple were touring the Turner Contemporary Gallery during a day trip to the seaside town was what Prince Phillip said before entering the gallery with the Queen: 'I shudder to think what's in the gallery'.. and once he was inside it, meeting the photographic winners with their entries, the Prince mumbled: 'My eyesight's going'. Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha. How I laughed! I was laughing so hard that I was sliding off the sofa. Prince Phillip has a sense of humour that is simply unique!
Yes, Phillip has a good sense of humour.
There have been many funny stories of modern art exhibitions, e.g. the security guard who handed an umbrella to the lost property office - only to discover it was one of the exhibits.
Oh yes, and the one in Germany where a load of loose bricks were removed from the pavement by the rubbish men. When the "artist" complained, the bin-men wrote back that no one had informed them the obstruction in the street was supposed to be an "Art" work. The supposed art work had cost thousands of Euros and the council that was responsible for buying this rubbish "Art" wanted to have compensation. I don't think they got any. It is a tale of our times.
Maria does this mean that if we knock down Westminster Abbey, the building is worth more as a heap of rubble than it is when joined together?
Don't even think about it, not even for one milli-second Robert those are buildings are made for eternity, meant to last, not the rubbish that passes as "art".
Last year there was an "art" show that consisted in having three bars of soap suspended from a string! Anyone could do that and am sure it would look stupid if you put it in your home too. The Turner Art competiton has turned into a fiasco, a joke, just like the Nobel prize where they gave it to president Obama, next year they will give it to Idi Amin or Bush or maybe Tony Blair. It should be re-named the Nobel War Prize.
I think that certain things have become just a farce, and I guess the only reason they are still mentioned is that they provide a good source of hilarity. The Turner prize is one, but the honours system with its knighthoods etc is another, and the Eurovision Song Contest a third.
I would like to see some millionaire put up a really hefty prize for a new competition - call it the Real Art Prize - and invite entries from people who do Proper Art. I'm sure people will show much more interest, and let's face it, if the likes of Emin want to enter they can - if they think they're up to it.
You know Robert we have gone through different currents through history like the Paleolitic, Neolitic, Middle Ages,Gothic,Barroque,Rococo, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism Modernism etc.Now we are in the age of the absurd. The painting by our imaginary painter Nat Tate was actioned two days ago on the 16th of November by Sotheby's the price tag was between £3,000 to £5,000
£5000???
Well now, I haven’t mentioned this before but it so happens that Tate briefly lived in my neighbourhood, and I have a sketch which Tate executed on a table napkin from Fred’s Café. Tate shows the view through the café window, with the corporation dustcart parked outside on which sits a mermaid playing the bagpipes (the latter indicative of Tate’s fantastic imagination). The sketch dates from Tate’s sausage and chips period.
I wonder how much it’s worth.
Quick! Go and change it for cash before it disapears into nothing!
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