It's a dog's life
"Zane+Ostendarp" on life, ego, and art at Drive-By Projects
Life can kind of suck sometimes. The art world can, too. You put your heart and soul into an artwork and trot it out for the world to see, and … will people like it? Will they get it? Is it any good to begin with? And jeez, how do you set a value to your life’s blood poured onto a canvas? Then again, suppose your work is seen, suppose it catches on? That’s got to feel great, right? Until, well, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s confusing as hell. Not to mention everybody takes high-valued art so seriously. And the legacy of painting – of art history, for crying out loud – how do you live up to that? Maybe it’s better to just keep the work in the studio, for your eyes only. And your dog’s. The dog loves you.
In “Zane+Ostendarp” at Drive-By Projects, Carl Ostendarp and Joe Zane take all the anguish of being an Important Artist into consideration. Each has a history of skewering the art world – Zane takes down the precariously over-inflated ego of the genius artist (and in this case, art critic. We’re also geniuses, did you know?). Ostendarp’s paintings throw a wrench into the works of painting’s grandeur. The humor is sly, dry, and wry, and it goes down well, with a slight burn. Here’s my Globe review.
And, yes, there’s even a poop bag. It’s bronze, so it’s also Very Important.
Cate, love your take on this work and you sharp observations.