"Dark Matter: Activist Art and the Counter-Public Sphere" by Gregory Sholette

http://www.neme.org/main/330/dark-matter

There were three central objectives of the article. One was to map the creative realm that exists for professional and amateur in an institutionalized art world. Secondly, the literature draws attention to unanswered questions pertaining to the “shadowed zone” of the art world that lacks critical attention. Bridging unorthodox art practices with emerging politicized art is the final objective of Sholette.

Sholette attributes corporate management over the art world’s collective experience due to the threat it creates to political and symbolic power. The attributes are labeled through collective media identities given to the works. Some identities that are connected to these concepts are militarism, patriotism, community, and national pride. The author continues to draw connections to aristocratic social circles that define art history. Bourgeois culture defines our social and historical history. Bourgeois social circle, according to Sholette, pertains to those who value scholarly research and theory over creativity, form, or aesthetic. The art world attempts to incorporate fields of art and science that directly attempt to go against the institution. Because the art world strives to capitalize on this, it creates an opportunity for elitist culture to seek into the ‘dark matter’

The dark matter, in physical terms, relates to immense invisible entities that were a result of the Big Bang Theory. Dark matter is only indirectly visible. Observations of stars and galaxies point to evidence that they exist. It is believed that as much as ninety six percent of the universe consists of dark matter. Dark matter, according to Sholette’s definition, is “invisible primarily to those who lay claim to the management and interpretation of culture – the critics, art historians, collectors, dealers, curators, and arts administrators.” Amateur photographers, internet art curators, memorials, crafts, creative hobbyist all fall into the dark matter. Interestingly enough, the art world depends on the dark matter to exist. Despite corporeal matter accounting for a minuet percentage of overall space, dark matter sustains its being. “It needs this shadowy activity in much the same way certain developing countries secretly depend on their dark or informal economies.”

The essential component of the art world is the hobbyist, amateurs, and students that create the economic structure for institutionalized bourgeois art world. There is no difference between professional or amateur artists. The dark army runs administrative and fabrication technologies that sustain production. Without the dark army, the institution of art would be pointless, displacing museums, art supply stores, galleries, etc. The everyday artist is the foundation of the art world.

Amatuerization is a large component of the shadowy world. This is also a major factor that prevents the ‘Sunday’ painter from becoming an elite painter. Reproductions with relatively minor incongruencies create little value in aesthetic characteristics and capital.

Las Agencias was an anti war strategy starting at the street level. Showbus mobile and guerilla machines were a few projects.

Yo Mango is a culture jamming group that exploits protest clothing, champagne demonstrations, civil disobedience, tactile assault on globalism, and active audience participation. Construction on counter public sphere without structure but creates an understanding of the ‘dark army.’

Zines are a media tool that is creative, economical, and informative. Zines create messages for the sake of putting out a message, to say what wouldn’t be said and push boundaries. The small publications were on various controversial topics