The 100 Day Project #14
After Jack
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art — Kansas City, Missouri, USA, 2013
The 100 Day Project, Day 14
I love art. I don’t always like the artist. It’s likely an unpopular opinion, yet I really dislike the work of Jeff Koons. It’s mostly because he doesn't credit the fabricators whose hands actually make his work. To me, presenting an artwork as your own when others built it — and then not acknowledging them — is rude, egotistical, and very "dude."
Art is collaborative. Always has been, always will be. The artist and the curator. The artist and the museum. The artist and the viewer. The artist and the people whose hands actually make the art. That last relationship is the one the art world has been slowest to acknowledge.
Which is what makes the wall label for Clytie Alexander's artwork Diaphan 15, Orange Yellow/Orange at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art so refreshing. It gives equal billing to Jack Brogan, a legendary fabricator who for decades was made invisible in the art world — his name absent from labels, catalogs, and, rumor has it, exhibition receptions.
The artwork itself is stunning. A large sheet of metal perforated with thousands of tiny holes. Painted a bright sunshine yellow, it feels like confetti at a summer birthday party. It sits a couple of inches off the wall, and the room's light casts the holes as shadows behind it — a second artwork living quietly beside the first. It’s a delightful experience.
This image is part of my project Co-Authored — a collection of abstract photographs born from my discomfort with artistic appropriation. I embarked on pilgrimages to photograph artworks in some of the most inspiring museums around the world, resulting in a collection that is playful and mysterious, yet sophisticated and elegant. Because museums are largely filled with art made by men, I titled each artwork after the partner or spouse of the artist whose work I photographed — my way of giving voice to the unrecognized support systems that have made so many male artists' careers possible.
About the photo: After Jack
Jack Brogan (1930–2022) is known as a legendary fabricator who helped artists realize their creation. For decades, his hand in the process was obscured from the art community and his name as not included on labels, catalogs, etc. Rumor has it that he was often not invited to the exhibition receptions. Thankfully, his role is now known and celebrated.
Artwork: Diaphan 15, Orange Yellow/Orange
Artist: Clytie Alexander
Location: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art — Kansas City, Missouri, USA
About the 100 Day Project: A global creative challenge where thousands of artists share a piece of their practice every single day for 100 days. I'm joining creatives around the world, and I'm excited to bring you along. Each day I'll be sharing one of my photos — some recent, some old, and some from my current project — along with the story behind it: where I was, who I was with, and why I love it