L Haywood Coffey: photos

Art connoisseurship is about maintaining the exclusivity and special status of art, not about the quality of art as such. It is also perpetuating the mythical status of artists in defining a culture, the specialness of their vision determined by a small clique of "art experts" who can then pronounce what's so wonderful about an unmade bed or a pile of bricks. Fakes puncture this pomposity, and art forgers are therefore one of the rare kinds of fakers who should be applauded. Liberate art, and kill the idea of art as defined by art critics and connoisseurs.

Years ago I went to the Florida Dali museum and was told by a docent that "Dali' is near death", to which someone yelled "We hear that every day now". Well, Dali died. As in, you know, dead. As it so happens the Super Bowl was in Florida that year and Ted Bundy was about to be executed the Tuesday after the Super Bowl. I passed a large bar with a marquee that said "SUPER BOWL PARTY SUNDAY: AFTER SUNDAY WE FRY BUNDY". So, Dali died just and after that Ted Bundy was executed, and at his execution people danced in the streets all over Florida. So now I can't think of Salvador Dali without thinking of Ted Bundy. I suppose you could say it's surreal

L Haywood Coffey

photos

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Danville Museum of Fine Arts & HIstory