Art
How Cringe Culture Is Appearing in Contemporary Art
“Live for Now,” commercial for Pepsi, 2017. © Pepsi Global, via YouTube.
The Australian siblings and filmmaking duo Dan and Dominique Angeloro, known as Soda Jerk, created the film Hello Dankness (2023) earlier this year, a work composed entirely of samples from other films and advertisements to narrate the sociopolitical landscape of the United States from 2016 to 2021. The piece opens with an unedited, extended version of Kendall Jenner’s 2017 Pepsi advertisement, “Live for Now.” In that commercial, the model is seen leaving the superficial environment of a fashion photo shoot to join an “authentic” protest, filled with young creative types marching together and bonding over their shared love for equality…and Pepsi.
Jenner, presumably emboldened by the radical politics of consumerism and its ability to cross political bridges, gives a Pepsi can to a riot officer in this commercial. The exchange is meant to signal a break in decades of police brutality that can only be accomplished through the offering of a soft drink, a Pepsi, specifically. For Soda Jerk, the commercial marked the arrival of “cringe culture” as the leading social norm of 21st-century media. Contemporary artists, as respondents to the sociocultural times they live in, have begun to respond to cringe culture and incorporate it into their practices.
Christine Wang, Bella after, 2021. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin/Cologne/Munich.
Christine Wang, Bella before, 2021. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin/Cologne/Munich.
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According to Andrew Paul Woolbright, an artist, curator, writer and gallery director of Below Grand, cringe, as a 21st-century cultural sentiment, is a response to the performance of sincerity that emerged through reality television, social media, and post-9/11 nationalism. The more we began to watch others perform authenticity, the more awkwardness became a central feeling of the 21st century.
Contemporary artists like Boo Saville, Christine Wang, Carrie Schneider, and others are making art that encapsulates the feeling of cringe. The work itself might induce cringe or it may reference encounters that evoke cringe across popular culture through celebrities and political figures, from Mariah Carey to Angela Merkel. These artists’ paintings and photographs demonstrate that cringe might be the most contemporary subject in our midst.
But what is cringe, exactly? The word cringe describes feelings of awkwardness or acute embarrassment, most often from the way that a person acts or interacts with others. Cringe may arise due to the performance glitches, like when Ashlee Simpson awkwardly danced off-stage during her 2004 Saturday Night Live performance after lip-syncing to the wrong song.
Artist Christine Wang, whose paintings incorporate internet memes, popular personalities, and text, defines cringe as “secondary embarrassment that involves two people: the subject who judges and the object that is judged to be cringe,” she told Artsy. “The first person or point of embarrassment is the object of my cringe. The second person, myself feeling cringe, is the subject in the sense of the word—I am subject to the feelings of embarrassment for the first person.”
Christine Wang, Galadriel, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin/Cologne/Munich.
Galadriel, the character played by Cate Blanchett in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, where she shows the future to Frodo through a water bowl. What makes the scene memeable is Blanchett’s deadpan delivery and intense eye contact. Wang’s painting further intensifies this through her mixture of acrylic and oil paint that creates a near-photorealistic reproduction of the image. As close to reality as Wang’s paintings appear, they never quite feel seamless, thus producing an uncanny feeling that adds to the cringe factor.
“Cringe allows me to have sympathy and aversion towards the cringey person at the same time. I feel fear and I identify with cringe,” Wang explained. “Cringe culture also involves the internet, and my work is about how the internet recontextualizes images of celebrities within a meme format. Cringey people don’t think they are embarrassing, but when their images are recontextualized and circulated, the cringe becomes cringey.”
In a similar fashion, Carrie Schneider’s painterly photographs of popular icons that share either the same first or last name as the artist, recontextualizes how these figures have emerged in memes or in GIFs. In her series “I Don’t Know Her” (2023), which was featured in her solo exhibition of the same name at CHART earlier this year, Schneider recontextualizes a popular GIF of singer Mariah Carey. The artist rephotographs—still by still—Carey’s infamous “I don’t know her” response to a reporter when asked about the work of Jennifer Lopez in the early 2000s via a makeshift ultra-large camera on photo paper.
“I don’t know her” is the epitome of awkward as Carey blissfully smiles while shaking her head “no,” as the reporter tries to get her to say more. In the 20 years since that cringe encounter, the sequence has become the ultimate sign of what Schneider defines as a “feminine refusal.” For Schneider, the “I don’t know her” response was Carey’s way, through awkwardness, to refuse to be baited by the press to deliver a scathing remark that would have made headlines; hostile press surrounded Carey at the time, as she was recovering from a nervous breakdown. In this light, cringe can actually be seen as an opportunity for audiences to find a deeper meaning within the performance, like uncovering Carey’s agency in that awkward moment.
Christine Wang, Merkel Raute, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin/Cologne/Munich.
Schneider noted that she is thinking of “I don’t know her” as “a structure of social entrapment, where there is no good (useful, productive) way out, so the only answer is to drop out.” She added, “[Carey’s response] is meta while being completely and totally germane on the street. Her simple refusal operates on multiple registers which is why it struck a chord with so many of us, and has continued to resonate for so long.”
Jesse Firestone, curator at Montclair State University Galleries, similarly explains that cringe can be examined as the “punctum,” as described by Roland Barthes, of many artists’ practices, as a means of resonating with the viewer. In all of the above insights, cringe is felt or explained through the individual’s ability to feel cringe, to recognize their awareness and ability to respond to art and media based on how they feel about the work.
Like the Pepsi ad and per Wang’s and Schneider’s work, cringe is often recontextualized or identified by others across everyday media. Cringe is not a space of outright mockery, nor is it a gimmick. In fact, Firestone warns against the situation where “cringe is the sole focus of an artist’s practice, rather than a mode they engage with.” Instead, as the curator concludes, cringe in art can be considered “a way to remind us of some of the most raw human emotions [available]: Failure, accountability or lack thereof, and shame.”
Art
Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone BBC.com
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The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”
On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”
The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.
Blaze in the West Wing
The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.
About Somerset House
Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.
Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.
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