How do you have so much but nothing to say?Have we reached peak Maximalism? | More is Less In an era where this new movement, whatever it should be called, has entered the covers of magazines, the walls of institutions, and the rote dead-eyed simplifications of Art-director/influencers spamming instagram reels, I want to take a moment to appreciate it. Channeling from every past movement, incorporating new mediums and dimensions, the artists leading this very exciting time are doing so in a finessed, nuanced, and sublime way. Yet, I do wonder if we are losing the thread rather than successfully redefining it. Ironic over indulgence in the place of a tangible emotional narrative. I spoke with a friend who noticed the same thing. That his undergraduates were trying to cram as much as possible into compositions, and not editing down. The Viewer is overwhelmed on a daily basis already. It’s not enough [for an artist] to bait an already hyperactive mind. And sure, ubiquity is the point: a device, an emphasis on dissociative nature, a feeling of isolation and dread so common in post internet art. I find this approach cynical and fatalistic as I’ve seen the capacity for this new form to connect through various spectrums. The Artists successfully doing this are reaching through not just mediums but also dimensions of history, culture, self referential material, and elements outside of the traditional scope of visual art. Currently, Audiences are accustom overstimulation but the application of this format without meaning, is a waste. We are not yet in the singularity Alexander Gouletas 5.19.2023
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