The ‘In response to much recent criticism we have recieved of Stuckism’ Manifesto of The Other Muswell Hill Stuckists
Stuckism has done no harm to anyone. We address the three main criticisms of Stuckism, that recently from our friends on YouTube, we keep hearing again and again:
That Stuckisms negative view of conceptual art is prejudiced, reactionary, knee-jerk, ill informed, and wrong to white-wash one view across an entire genre.
Just because a view is negative, and applies to an entire genre of art does not mean it is prejudiced, reactionary, knee-jerk, ill informed or wrong. Some people hate chick flicks. Some hate classical music. Some hate football. We hate conceptual art.
The Other Muswell Hill Stuckists have given conceptual art much thought. After careful consideration, internal discussion, and reading much writing published on the Stuckism website, we have decided that all conceptual art is crap. It is also obvious to us, that the writings on Stuckism’s website are comprehensive, and have given full consideration to conceptual art as well.
You can disagree with it, but the Stuckist view of conceptual art is valid, and should not be dismissed on false grounds, or misrepresented.
It is a view that would be worth putting across, if only as an exercise in honesty and freedom of speech, and as a revealer of those that can’t tolerate it. It is good to be hated by such people, as it is a starting point to friendship. Not necessarily agreement, but the Stuckist view should at least be accepted for what it is.
That Stuckists are old-fashioned traditionalists.
Contemporary art is about being a novelty manufacturer for the rich. Which thanks to the likes of Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Jeff Koons, has an emphasis on decorative furniture. An enormous amount has been spun to make the Tracey’s and Damien’s look like controversial rebels of art. Not the uber-conformist, micro-managed X-Factor puppets we see. Only slightly less boring than the establishment, gallery, art college, super-rich and media bores they impress.
Compare Philip Absolons red sky corn fields, or Joe Machines troubled sailors to your bog-standard water colour society landscape, or Damien Hirst IKEA-esque feature piece, and the truth is obvious. The truly relevant and contemporary art is being made, as would make sense, by the ones the spin doctors are trying to push aside; the Stuckists.
That Stuckists spend too little time painting, and too much time on self-promotion.
An honest approach to art is not necessarily about spending a lot of time doing it. The Other Muswell Hill Stuckists happen to spend as much time on art as energy and opportunity allow. If we don’t feel like painting, we don’t paint. If we don’t feel like painting for a year, we don’t paint for a year. Not that that has ever happened, but the point is, so what? We paint when the passion is genuine.
Success is to get up in the morning and paint, as it would mean painting every morning if we felt like painting every morning. To get up in the morning and feel obliged to paint is failure. So what if we spent all our other time on self promotion? Not that we do. Our prolific catalogue speaks for itself. If we had assistants doing our work for us, and a 24 hour tax-sponsored publicity machine, we guess it would be alright. But Stuckism is an honest DIY art movement. No surprise then, that the establishment call us ‘Enemies of Art’.
The Other Muswell Hill Stuckists
29.04.2013
