Art Patronage as Money Laundering
Jim Johnson's pragmatist take on the controversy surrounding the fact that the Tate gets lots of money from British Petroleum:
"I think we need to dispense with the moralism. What precisely is the alternative you propose? Government funding for the arts? Some sort of list of 'socially responsible' patrons? (How, in constructing such a list, do we decide which sins are the most egregious?) The art world ... is, let's face it thoroughly infused with commercial and political pressures. What is the alternative you are proposing?"
"I think we need to dispense with the moralism. What precisely is the alternative you propose? Government funding for the arts? Some sort of list of 'socially responsible' patrons? (How, in constructing such a list, do we decide which sins are the most egregious?) The art world ... is, let's face it thoroughly infused with commercial and political pressures. What is the alternative you are proposing?"
Post a Comment