Art In A Wide Angle Lense

I wish the "Art Establishment" had a wide angle lens that
showed the scope of African American and of other artists of merit and ability.It seems the "City" determines the cultural success of an artist,black or otherwise, based not
so much on the artist's ability but the artist's proximity to the media machine and the celebrity potential of the artist.I happened to see a book about John Michael Basquiat.
He led a public,glitzy self destructive life in proximity to the 80's art world celebrities.As far as I can see he was a talent that only New York could spawn.JMB was good and readily captured the good/evil complexity of his times.
He chronicled the rise of Hip Hop,drugs,race and the
weirdness of existence toward the end of the 20th century.
I applaud his talent.Yet I can't help but feel he was
not as good as the Hype machine that interpreted his vision to the uptown galleries.The thing that bothered me
about the books glorification of him was their lack of consideration of other working and professional African American artists at that time who had work comparable in concept and execution to his.These others were footnotes to JMB's abilities.They were being ignored by "High Art".
Unfortunately, JMB was a victim of his times.His legend reads like an annual report put together by a Wall Street broker who knows the actual bottom line is running red ink.But the "upside potential" is the money maker.His work made a killing but he became a legend, lived fast and died young.The American Way.
A broader vision in the cultural world might be a good thing.

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