Hi Nathaniel
Monday, May 14, 2007
In response to your (possibly rhetoric) question as to the real reasons behind anonymity, I'd like to defend myself a bit. Anonymity refers to having no name, I prefer to think of myself as working under a pseudonym, and one for which I take full responsibility for (hence, my willingness to appear at "exhibitions all over the world"). There are many examples in popular culture of people using a pseudonym, not to disguise, but to enhance. John Wayne's had the the sissy boy name Marion Morrison in "real life." I would also like to point out that it's pretty standard practice for people to have online pseudonyms, alter egos and stuff (lonelygirl15, etc), not necessarily a bad thing at all, perhaps an effective marketing strategy. Regarding not being known before the blog, Perez Hilton wasn't known before either, and using a blog to get my voice heard is generally why one has a blog. As for exhibiting myself, we all have our own ways of producing art which I think we should be receptive to. I, for one, don't run around with a scanner tied to my neck, but I won't tease you about it.
The reason I defend this is because it's far too easy to send barbs at what ArtHeat and Robert Sloon stand for in the art world, without examining the "crap you have to wade through" for which I will refuse to apologise.
love
Robert Sloon
ps. For those not aware, my real name is Luther Blisset.
The reason I defend this is because it's far too easy to send barbs at what ArtHeat and Robert Sloon stand for in the art world, without examining the "crap you have to wade through" for which I will refuse to apologise.
love
Robert Sloon
ps. For those not aware, my real name is Luther Blisset.
Labels: Nathaniel Stern, Not Aggressive, open letter
posted by Robert Sloon at 11:48 AM
33 Comments:
Isn't art a funny thing... here one tries to be as open and obvious as possible, but you forget there are folk out there who have no humour or style, to whom you have to explain every joke you make in large print. It's a hard road sometimes.
This was posted in repsonse to robert on my own site, but I thought I should put it here, too, as he did....
No it wasn't rhetorical, and I'm glad you responded. And this is not a barb, nor have I asked for an apology. Though I will say that I, myself, am sorry if my language was too harsh - been feeling a little ill lately, so I apologize if my grumpiness came out against you or your site.
But I still have to argue.
You don't have a "sissy name." Robert Sloon is not a handle and it's not a performance (and if it is, you've broken the illusion too many times for it to be considered a very good one). I agree there's nothing to lose in a pseudonym, and there's potential gain, but Art Heat is unlike any of the examples you give above. It pushes and pokes and hides behind the lack of a central person to debate with; it's a writing site about other artists and their work (supposedly), so how does it fit in with lonelygirl et al? I'm not sure I get why you'd pride yourself on gossip, post quotations on the site that glaringly criticize the "crap" often displayed, then get offended when someone points it out somewhere other than your own comments section. What is to gain, in your case? Only this: poke, poke, poke, and then, "What, you took me seriously?" I think it's less John Wayne and more Krusty the Clown.
You mention "what ArtHeat and Robert Sloon stand for in the art world" - could you tell me what exactly that is, please? You have just said you stand for something and even have a "marketing strategy" for it. Other than yourself, I'm curious what it is you're selling, and to whom for that matter.
This is not ridicule; it's criticism. I have been supportive of you and Art Heat from the beginning; which is exactly why I can call your bullshit without feeling bad about it. All clever one-liners aside, you sometimes have wonderful and engaging things to say, and I appreciate that. Some agree, some disagree, but I think there's merit to much of your work. That doesn't mean I have to agree with the whole package. I'll say it again: I'm really glad Art Heat is around, and I wish more people would get off their asses and do things like it. BUT 1) I think your reasoning behind the anonymity-turned-pseudonym thing is garbage; and 2) I find the gossipy crap about your Cape clique really dull (AND boring).
I am not alone in that substantiated opinion, but nor do I say it is anything other than an opinion. You can keep trucking away without apology, and I'll keep reading, linking and, occasionally, criticizing. I expect nothing less than the same from you.
Mr Sloon
How do you think you are? You and your ego need a good kick in the bum.
Someone is perhaps a little big for their trendy shoes. Delusions of grandeur? Absolute power.
You're just another asshole. Get with the program.
And what was that spout about painting? You don't know shit.
Oh, and your mother wasn'nt bad last night, either.
okay okay...
i've been looking at the ddebates and bickering that goes on here for a while, just picking up the vibe and with this post i just thought i must say something.
Firstly, nobody outside cape town knowns, or really cares, who you are, all of you, you too mr stern. i understand the need for public attention to art and thats great, you're doing a really good job, but in all honesty its a bit hermetic, but i suppose that's what cape town has given us.
the posturing you adopt as a commentator is funny, yes, but where is the art? instead you've allowed it to be about the people and personalities, rather than the production. reception is the key, i hate to think that this is the form that reception takes.
...i wonder if any of you know shit.
why dont you fuck off with you blisset crap. Jesus fucking christ, have an original thought for a change rather than stealing from history in the persuit of being too fucking cool for your own boots. soooo avant garde it makes me hold back the vomit
I look at artheat a lot, and know from talking to people that everybody who's anybody reads it, and a lot more do besides. if you say something on art heat the whole country knows about it soon enough. And I think one of the reasons for this is precisely because it's not a formally-worded bunch of art crits like everyone else has. It makes a place for erudite chaps like dickface to say their thing, and it's really allowed people to thrash out a lot of stuff. I'd say that rather than having academic art crits it has an attitude, and that is something that people recognise and it enables them to feel they can be themselves and participate
I don't have a pseudonym.....
In response to Nathaniel, your tone is very catty...which is great, really, in the bigger picture of what art heat actually is.
I'd like to pick you up on the "not ridicule but criticism" delusion you are suffering from...you would probably be more truthful if you replaced the word criticism with jealousy/bitchiness-krusty the clown? come on play nicely!
Art Heat does push and poke but it doesn't hide..well not exactly, and certainly not behind a lack of a central figure...so Robert Sloon is not the central figure's real name-I'll bet most of what he writes is not totally his real opinion either. The fact that the central figure with which we may debate is a fiction doesn't mean the debating is any less good.
And, in terms of de- centralised debate, I think the fact so many arguments take place in the comments between many (more or less fictional) characters is really much more interesting reading-who wants to visit a site over and over just to see what one person thinks about everything? If that's what you're into go home and watch Oprah, or go to church.
The use of pseudonyms is vital to Art Heat because it allows the freedom of speech that makes it a success. The Cape town clique which people seem to find so upsetting is also important...without the gossip where would the juiciest debates get started?
If I want to read straight up reviews or art critique there are a million other avenues to take, the whole point of Art Heat is that it is a tabloid gossip column with more than a glimmer of intelligence, and a lot of the time far more integrity than a more orthdox journal, let's say artthrob, where most of what's publish is hugely biased by the fear of upsetting strategically built social networks which further the careers of the authors. Art Heat's integrity is afforded by the anonimity or otherwise of the pseudonym ... oh and one last thing, Nathaniel you are wrong-he does have a sissy name!
I think it is very typcial of people to roll everything into one and forget who actually says what. I think that artheat has released a huge amount of negative emotion in people that really needed to be let out, and the pseudonyms and freedom of speed have allowed that. But the people who are actually ripping folk to shreds are anonymous bloggers, and not Robert Sloon, who I think has actually been fair and kind to people.
Maybe all the freedom's a bit too much for you Nathaniel. Try jumping up and down and shouting "daDAAA". It'll make you feel better
oh lighten up fellows.
sloon is the berries... who care's who he is?
artheat makes people happy everyday which is a lot more than can said be said about most art related practices...
thank you bob and all the others.
yay yay.... i love artheat so much i want to burst.
I HART New Comments.
and i think the meanies MUST be in the mix otherwise it would all be nice and fluffy and printmaking-y and it's quite mild compared to other forums on the internet. tame to say the least.
It functions like a masked ball, although the outcome is decidedly more chaste.
I've really appreciated having the opportunity to say things which are hard to say otherwise in a town so small that every artist showing is friends with ten people you know.
As people have noted, that situation stifles criticism, so artheat has been a great leveller. And nobody's the big authority so you can take anyone to task if you feel like it. On occasion I've even argued with myself!
carry on arguing with yourself, chop.
Nathaniel is hairy.
Sloon
Get into your overalls and go and clean something up. Like a sewer, or your mouth, or your convoluted little brain.
Or, how about trying to do some art. I've got it on good authuority that you're crap at that too.
buuuurn!
shame, pick on robert sloon day today.
This argument has got to be a set-up. Nobody in real life could be a stupid as dickface.
go fuck yourself holmes
sloon
too busy trying to do art to make a post?
fucksakes.
somebody suck this guy's face, he might shut up for five minutes
come on sloon, write something so we can start rippining into something (or somebody) else, this comment window has gotten boring.
hey sloonage
you picture of luther blisset (originally a black football player in england, you cheeky fuck)has got some tight-ass li'l boots on! tiny waist and one hairy ass chest, sloon you poof!
penis, penis, penis!!!
I like this window. the real info on this blog is what a bunch of nutcase wankers all these bloggers are. who needs art, for fucks sake
Anonymous 10:59, was that really necessary?
Rrobert Sloon
sloon, sloon, sloon
Thanks, That's Hot! You can check out the Real Luther Blisset on this cool YouTube video.
the real Luther Blissett made all those tacky football yobs look like tacky football yobs. Luther Blissett!!!!
I just can't wait for global warming to drown Cape Town and for the remainder of you sad little South Africans to contract the AIDS virus at your soonest convienience.
oh you sweet-talking son of a gun
Watford fuckin' rocks, man!
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