June 27, 1989
Tuesday, 7:55 am

ART+ met last night for an emergency session to discuss how to handle Ronald Feldman about Mark Kostabi. Bill Dobbs, Simon, me and either Hunter or Neil will meet with him at 4:00 today.

Feldman doesn't want to meet with us to begin with. He would like it all to go away as soon as possible, particularly since it is such a small, stupid incident (at least to him). However, it's just this sort of incident that we can run with. Like in art one small mistake, divergence from the norm, can lead to an entirely new direction. We will be able to make inroads into the art establishment and publishing with an eventual target of S.I. Newhouse.

That's in the future, though, and we have to write the script for today.

The problem is the use of AIDS as spectacle but not aimed at solutions. Some people use AIDS for publicity, as Ross Bleckner does with his paintings, though even Bleckner has inserted AIDS into the dialogue. If not for his paintings some influential people would never be confronted by the politics. And that's very sad.

If it wasn't for Kostabi and his stupid remarks we would have anything to grab on to. He set up the perfect scenario and is the perfect villain. That's also a problem. I feel like Batman chasing the Joker. We ignore him and concentrate on those connected to him.

We should use the same tactic with Feldman that we used with Abbeville. Go in, let them talk, then counter. He will, of course, give us Kostabi's letter. We will say it's not acceptable, that it uses the things we are fighting for his excuse: that it was a performance, that people know Kostabi doesn't mean those things.

Our strongest argument is against feeding PWA bias by giving it form and legitimacy. Kostabi gave legitimacy to the argument by spinning the controversy for his own profit. He was acting in the interest of those who buy his work.

Of course, this is all a first amendment concern: Kostabi has a right to say whatever he wants; Vanity Fair has a right to print their perception; Feldman has a right to sell his work and give him support. We have the right to respond, and we will respond, again and again. We want what he said in jest to be a stain on him, on Vanity Fair and on Feldman.

Anthony Haden-Guest is another problem. He reported what Kostabi said, it wasn't libel. It was, however, a sleazy cheap shot for attention from someone who doesn't give a shit about other people.