Principles of Negative Art
Negative Art defines itself negatively. It can only be described by a catalog of what it is not.
Negative Art does not entertain, educate, illustrate, or criticize. It does not inform or amuse either.
It produces neither sublime nor spiritual experiences.
Negative Art avoids being put to use. It refuses to provide what other existing practices or areas can deliver.
In order to assure its existence, Negative Art may mimic other forms of art. It may raise expectations associated with such practices. It will, however, not fulfill these expectations.
As everything is being traded, Negative Art will be traded too. Yet no matter what exchange value it is assigned, Negative Art always carries within itself the knowledge of its profound worthlessness.
Negative Art compromises what it touches. It’s the rotten apple in a bowl of fresh fruit, the steel bolt in an aluminum thread.
Whenever it is recognized as a positive entity, it transforms itself and becomes unrecognizable again.
At its core it is pure resistance.
Negative Art is true art while all other types of art are eccentrically veiled forms of employment.
Olav Westphalen
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