Page 21 - Julia Cseko the Rant series

JC: The main dilemma of our time seems to be sustainability. The gold paintings are hopeful. They hail art as an indicative of thinking past short-term necessities. Similar to basic scienti c research–without which most discoveries can’t take place–art is a great way to test out ideas, accepting the lack of guarantee that any results will be achieved.
JT: The third canvas of the black triptych says, “Alternatively, take a sel e with me.” It feels like it just gives up, like “Fine, I’ll be your backdrop for a picture that you’ll never look at again if this is the best I can get.”
JC: Yes, I remind the viewer of their direct involvement. These paintings critique their own impracticality as sellable
pieces of art. They are self-conscious of how hard it is to accommodate nine 50” x 50” canvases in a home. Yet, they still try to guilt trip the viewer: “Take a sel e with me,” “My very existence depends on your gaze,” “Yes, you.”
JT: That back-and-forth is the strongest thing about these paintings to me. I was constantly trying to gure out how much to participate. It actually makes me think about Facebook.
JC: Really?!
JT: De nitely. The whole series makes me think about Facebook
statuses–the main place people voice their opinions and rant. So a lot of people can see it and participate or not participate. And there doesn’t seem to be a general “rule” on when, how or if to respond.
JC: I guess the advantage of having this text, this rant, in this form is that it’s stuck there. You can’t scroll past it.
Image on page 16: Sel e takers at the opening with Black #3
Opposite: Sel e with Black #3 featuring (from left to right) Ileana Selejan, Matt Pearsall, Sarah Montross, Federico Guillermo, Patrick Farley and Julia Csekö
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