Of Patronage

I wanted to shout a little shout for Rebecca Solnit's piece in this weekend's LA Times about the recent sale of Asher B. Durand's Kindred Spirits to Walmart heiress Alice Walton.
Solnit's suggestions that Walmart is trying to clean up its act by opening a museum of all the things it is not is a shrewd bit of linguist prestidigitation, but one wishes she's lingered longer on the history of robber barons cleansing their consciences through acts of public largess than on the preposterous notion that Walton might take an interest in "the art of her time". The fact remains that few have an interest in the "art of their time", especially among the patronage classes, who are inclined to even less interest when said art is critical of them and their business dealings.
Though I find the idea of a Walmart Biennial amusing, it would be foolish to insist it include only artists who protest Walmart’s policies and practices, in part because such a show would be a dreadful bore. As if providing any artist whose work amounts to propaganda - from the right or the left - would be a public service. Better to recognize the terrible complexity of the issue and look for artists who don't pretend to be above it. Perhaps, if they could be found, such artists might rekindle the public's interest in contemporary art, which they might (rightly) feel shares little with their own lives.
Then, we might really be kindred spirits again.