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{Lives of the Artists}
2015
1000 retrieved online searches
Taking its title from the pioneering Renaissance work by Giorgio Vasari, Lives of the Artists investigates the concept of artist biography in the internet age. Compiled from information returned by a six-month automated Google search, the grid of profiles comprises all (and only) those people who meet the search criteria, and presents them for our scrutiny. Further artists are featured and information boards are helpfully provided as the work attempts to map out and make sense of the seemingly limitless amount of online content. Lives of the Artists replaces Vasari’s subjectivity, selectivity and authorial certainty with the equally problematic approach of inclusive egalitarianism and undifferentiated searching.
Exhibited at Westminster Reference Library, London, with thanks to Rossella Black
1000 retrieved online searches
Taking its title from the pioneering Renaissance work by Giorgio Vasari, Lives of the Artists investigates the concept of artist biography in the internet age. Compiled from information returned by a six-month automated Google search, the grid of profiles comprises all (and only) those people who meet the search criteria, and presents them for our scrutiny. Further artists are featured and information boards are helpfully provided as the work attempts to map out and make sense of the seemingly limitless amount of online content. Lives of the Artists replaces Vasari’s subjectivity, selectivity and authorial certainty with the equally problematic approach of inclusive egalitarianism and undifferentiated searching.
Exhibited at Westminster Reference Library, London, with thanks to Rossella Black
"In February 2015, Westminster Art Reference Library, in the heart of London’s West End, hosted Robert Good’s excellent show ‘Lives of the Artists/Phaidonidae’ The exhibition - which was accompanied by an interesting illustrated talk by Robert - revolved around the concept of artist biography for the internet age and questioned the nature and reason behind collecting and cataloguing. It was a particularly fitting concept for a specialist collection and archive as well as being a visually attractive show which attracted a lot of attention, admiration and comments from other artists and the general public. The Library is proud to display on semi-permanent loan, Robert’s piece ‘Phaidonidae’, a stunning collection of approx. 1400 paper butterflies, pinned in an original Rothschild specimen cabinet. I enjoyed working with Robert very much and look forward to our future collaborations."
Rossella Black, Librarian