Eleanor Heartney on Art & Money politics in the art business - artnet Magazine

Eleanor Heartney on Art & Money politics in the art business - artnet Magazine Eleanor is absolutely on the mark and expresses what many artist and critics have been feeling and thinking as well as writing for some time now. The problem is the nerve to say it and get it out there where people can see and read our say. The rich can afford to pay taxes. They are benefiting in ways that would have been unthinkable during my father's working life. The politicians are riding rough shod over the working class and middle class. In art they are trying to erase our cultural heritage by refusing to fund restoration of works of art right here in Queens where I live (Frederick MacMonnies, Civic Virtue) Of course none of my so called representatives do have any! Anthony Weiner who is supposed to be one of the "good" guys suggested selling this master piece of American art on Craigs list! How do we elect these under educated cretins? In Maine much the same thing is taking place with the removable of a mural depicting the virtues of work and labor by ordinary people. To me these folks are the glue that holds our American society together. How people can be so misled as to vote against their own interests I simply do not understand but that is what has happened in this last election cycle.

Is it that only art critics and those who have been taught to think critically can see the writing on the wall? What happened to the so called honorable opposition. The democratic party that has become the demock-ratic party when it comes to representing the working class and working wage earners. That used to be an honorable thing to do. Now it is only money and who pulls the strings on the puppets who are allowed to be elected.

I have said this many times before - without campaign reform- the candidates we get are only those who have been hand-picked by special interests. So we have a choice less selection of the least of the worse not true civil servants. What can be done about this? Keep on holding the line I suppose.

As art critics we have to call it as we see it. Eleanor has done that. Now the question is what can we do to keep our artistic heritage from being destroyed by these monsters?