Friday, August 22, 2008

Today's Iowa Pollock Commentary

Wall Street Journal leisure and arts page editor Eric Gibson in today's paper: "With luck, the chorus of condemnation will forestall any Pollock sale by the University of Iowa."

Lee Rosenbaum cheers him on.

Responding to this post of mine yesterday, Richard Lacayo agrees that "some sales are justifiable" -- but thinks this is not one of them. He adds: "For the record, I even proposed last year that, as a way to avoid the calamitous relocation of the Barnes collection to a new home in Philadelphia, the Barnes would be better off to take the otherwise unjustifiable step of selling off a major canvas, one that would bring in enough money to replenish its endowment." (For the record, I made a similar proposal in 2006.)

Sergio Muñoz Sarmiento is not impressed with Felix Salmon's argument in favor of a sale: "The problem with this perverse argument is that it rests not only on class-centrist notions of culture, access, and appreciation, but more so on an artwork's monetary value (not to mention a complete disavowal of a donor's intent)."

Sergio also announces the imminent launch of a new blog. Can't wait!