I think it's another Childish meaningful prank... a damned funny one. But, as all pranks, he actually means it. Anybody with tons of time. money and a desperate need for attention on their hands can conjure up a load of crap and bucket term it "conceptual art" because you know, us poor rubes probably just don't get it if we think it's a patchwork quilt of varying degrees and shades of shit. The attention needed is usually gained because it's in an exhibit hall or gallery. and the public doesn't know the better.....
Example: Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010), Mr. Brainwash's character. He "creates" massive amounts of art, i.e., has all the money & time to invest in renting out a huge warehouse and hire tons of actual artists to rip tons of other real artists' styles for the big opening exhibit with only his name tagged on it, aptly called "Mr. Brainwash." One person could not have produced that much in such little time on his own hand (well unless he's also on meth).... I digress: Opening night... Voila! He's an artist. He get's the fame he seeks. A real artist (indeed I said it) has a passion to create that never goes away, oh yest, you are indeed "born that way", and can only do it yourself. Much like the attention seeker was "born" with his/her deep abysmal void that never gets filled...
So Stuckism is saying yes you can explore and take risks ad lib because as an artist you will (ex. Picasso), who eventually became known for Cubism, but ultimately he's a highly skilled figurative artist who can render anything from life by his own hand like the classic figurative artists did before.
I really dig this, "Against conceptualism, hedonism and the cult of the ego-artist." Damn skippy! There are artists and there are egos (tho' I'd prefer to call them desperate attention seekers rather than ego-artists). Why? There are plenty of ego maniac actual artists out there. Ex. Don Van Vliet, (i.e., Captain Beefheart), whose very name "Captain Beefheart" was actually Frank Zappa's concept. But Don VV made his musicians (as Don VV could only play harmonica & sing) work like dogs under his direction and control, or whatever it is he did, poetically compose?, etc., he created something of lasting value artistically that is truly art. But from everything I've read and seen he was this miserable control freak that just directed the whole show through intimidation. The music belongs to the musicians he played with, but there wouldn't be no "Captain Beefheart" if it wasn't for his desire to create it, which in part actually came from him.
But it's the difference between an artist and fartist-type like Mr. Brainwash (total fucking scam artist attention seeker with no actual talent) that draws the line....
