EXHIBITION: Art? Product?
November 2008

Art? Product? is a working exhibition. On the wall are objects from Kasini House’s private collection. These items have been collected because we see them as examples of Art Product. We are also including Subobia by Heather Bischoff and Geoff Bennington and Captain’s Log by Katie Loesel, two products available in Artshop.

Art Product are those things made by the art world which are not fine art, not simply reproductions of fine art, and not craft. Art Product is a family that includes the following genera: Ephemera, Publications, Multiples, and Small Art.

Ephemera are transitory visual and written materials. They serve short-term purposes and are not intended as historical documentation. The classification of an item depends on the object itself, the intention of the artist, and the function of the product by the end user. Ephemera include materials such as exhibition postcards, gallery newsletters, pamphlets, and posters. Ephemera are fleeting, often promotional.

Publications are printed materials that document and disseminate words and images. This category may include books, periodicals, ‘zines, and journals.

Multiples are three-dimensional works of art produced in editions. No master work exists and each edition has equal value to its cohorts. Multiples may include prints and books when the object itself is presented as a work of art and not as a material that documents and disseminates words an images.

Small Art refers to those objects that are not the primary expression of an artist’s art making practice, rather those things one-of-a-kind items an artist makes, primarily to sell. This can include small sculpture, paints, and photographs, but may also include collage and assemblage pieces. Small art works are informed by the market, designed to meet consumer need or demand, and are populist in nature