shock and yawns

Yale art student submits new work for senior thesis. (artinfo.com via c-monster)

This has been kicking around for a couple of weeks now and my reaction to this latest twist is a big resounding, '90's pseudo-nihilist "whatever...".

"(Aliza) Shvarts had allegedly told the university administration that she had not in fact performed the described acts, but rather that the story itself was the artwork"

I'm not entirely sure what her intent was with the original thesis, but she certainly managed to be up there with the shock factor, alongside this guy. Self-inseminating and then self-aborting will no doubt garner a lot of attention with today's atmosphere surrounding sex a woman's right of choice in how she uses her body.

However, if, as stated in the latest report, Shvarts work was the story, then it falls flat. The so-called news is saturated with 'stories' like this all the time-where there is not real story, just a collection of innuendo and false leads.

In terms of false leads, she might have actually accomplished something-the classic bait and switch for fame. Student puts forward a controversial idea for a work of art, gains tons of attention and at the last minute, submit something more 'palatable' for her thesis committee to consider and voila! instant attention around the art world and byond.

Can you hear it? "Is it art? Did she really do that?, This is why I hate so-called contemporary art!" and on and on... Everyone yells, screams, praises, questions, and pontificates and then it all dies down until the next time.

She'll either captialize on this attention or we'll never hear about her again. At this point, I couldn't care less.