High profile musicians crossing over into the art world: Four case studies, 2013-present.

摘要

In this paper I explore the trend of music crossing over into visual art in its historical specificity today, primarily in terms of a new degree of market and media orientation. I identify and discuss how musicians are: 1) performing, 2) curating, 3) collecting, and 4) exhibiting within visual art. I am not arguing that this phenomenon is new; starting with the Italian Futurists in 1909, there has been a crossover between music and visual art. I am purely interested in how the trends manifest today and how they affect the current art market going into the future. This is a description and analysis of these current trends, in regards to how they came about, their reception in the media, and how they could possibly affect the art market. In order to explain these trends and their significance, I limit the scope of the paper to four important recent case studies. The case studies involve not only musicians who are influenced by and utilize the art world to enhance their creative practice, but also art world professionals and institutions (gallerists, collectors, museums, auction houses, art fairs, etc.) who find it advantageous to team up with the musicians.;My four case studies are: 1) Jay Z and his six-hour performance of Picasso Baby at Pace Gallery, inspired by and including the participation of Marina Abramovic; 2) Sotheby's Auction House teaming up with rapper Drake to produce a private selling experience in order to achieve a younger collector demographic, 3) Swizz Beatz and his collecting and promoting of contemporary artists, and 4) the Bjork Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art and the ensuing controversies. I identify, describe, and analyze the trends in terms of their relation to art historical relevance, raising questions about potential ramifications for art and the art market.