Jenkins on Gopnik's Idea

Mark Jenkins checks in with some thoughts on Gopnik's Corcoran idea:

Thomas Paine vs. Blake Gopnik

By Mark Jenkins

I admit I didn't make it through Gopnik's whole read.

I kept thinking of what a "common sense" decision it was for the Corcoran to do such a thing. And that got me to thinking about Thomas Paine's Common Sense: "these are the times that try men's souls..." the impassioned pamphlet (or memo if you will) that helped ignite the American Revolution.

And then I saw the irony since Gopnik has talked this same talk: "With so much courtly dissolution on show in art these days, you have to wonder if a revolution isn't due. And if it comes, will Whitmore put his classy talents at the service of the rebels?"

This is from Ian Whitmore's review at the Fusebox. Another review I read of his talked about awaiting the next artquake and I sent him a link to Banksy's pranks in NYC. No reply.

What I have noticed is that the Corcoran is doing art out on the street. I saw a chalk drawing on the sidewalk by a student, and this upcoming piece Stripped, ditto.

Instead of getting a Gehry addition (zzzz....) the Corcoran might do better to take the top off the museum, pave a road through it and let the students do street art. I'm sure the students would perk up at the idea.

Really, DC has enough museums; It is a museum Mecca.

And they're all conveniently located on the National Mall so that tourists never have to set foot outside it. If it wasn't for the National Zoo tourists probably wouldnt travel further North than the White House.

That being the case, even if the Corcoran gets hyper trendy with photography, gets a Gehry piece, it may still atrophy just because its just a few feet too far removed from the Mall and you have to pay to get in.

Mostly for me though, the Corcoran is known for their revolutionary school, and so to me its a school first and a museum second. Corcoran is also the only museum where a local artist has a shot at getting works on display. Turn it into a photography museum and await an Ansel Adam's show? Well, the Corcoran might hang on and survive but I don't think it will be birthing any "artquakes." But I don't think Gopnik looks to DC to do anything for the art world, but instead sees it as a container to showcase it. And if the Corcoran takes his advice I think he may be right.