In National Poll, Wide Support For LG Williams
This poll parody imagines Williams as a national policy question requiring bipartisan measurement, government support, and public anxiety. Americans overwhelmingly support him, yet remain dissatisfied with the reception and consequences of his art--a contradiction that perfectly mirrors the public's appetite for art without discomfort. The press release translates healthcare-style polling into aesthetic administration, asking whether the government should support Williams and whether Republicans or Democrats can improve his impact. Its funniest and most bitter invention is the fear of "nationalized art," as if Williams's work might be rationed across the country by federal mandate. The piece exposes the absurdity of treating culture as a managed public service while also insisting that, in a better nation, Williams might indeed deserve a national plan.
- DATE:
- June 24, 2009
- DOCUMENT TYPE:
- Essay / Critique
- NAMED ARTISTS / FIGURES:
- LG Williams; Kevin Connelly; Bill Clinton
- INSTITUTIONS / VENUES:
- New York Times; CBS News; US ArtNews; Democratic Party; Republican Party; Congress
- KEYWORDS:
- nationalized art as fear; wide support without consequence; aesthetic administration as policy; poll as absurdist authority; government support satirized; art as campaign issue; bipartisan approval of Williams