This is a project where I pay workers on Amazon's Mechanical Turk to review my art and website and pay them $5 for 500 words. This is the 53rd review I've received.
My initial and
overall impression of Paul Shortt's work is that it falls into what most people
would consider 'modern art'. Whether or not Paul accepts that term is unclear
but there is a certain post modern feel to much of the installations and
projects detailed on his website. That was my initial impression, however, it
was not my sole impression. I didn't feel like the work was uninteresting or
unengaging. I would say my deeper impression was that Paul is somebody
fascinated with the human condition and how we need to relate to the world
around us. He does have areas where he focuses on introspective ideas, notably
the portraits (although this is not strictly art by Paul, it is presented on
his site) and The Car My Father Gave Me. 'Please No Photos' brings into
question the public reaction to something that symbolizes privacy. In a culture
where everything is constantly uploaded to social networking sites, the 'no
pictures' symbol is no longer seen as just an establishment rule, it could,
theoretically be seen, as a direct attack on the way many perceive their own
personal freedom. 'Modern Greetings' is perhaps the most typical work by Paul
as it seems to incorporate many of his ideas into one project. The project
deals with modern communication, social structures, and a certain degree of
humor and participation. The photographs depict what appears to be quite an
enjoyable event whereby participants perform inventive ways to greet as
substitute for the norm. I think this focuses on two things: the relevance our
communications have to our every day lives and how people react to stepping outside
of their comfort zone. 'Missed Connections' is particularly interesting as I
feel that it touches upon quite a distinct issue that almost everybody can
relate to. The process of finding love, or even just general companionship, in
the modern age can feel somewhat restricted and inaccessible, due to intense
social structures and the pace at which many live. This project takes the
online ad and puts it actually in the location (via a physical format) that the
ad is referencing. This confronts passersby with the loneliness that can exist
outside of a normally sterile location (such as starbucks) and the type of
thoughts and needs that can be found in a truthful place (such as craigslist).
It's confrontational, but makes quite a profound point. In conclusion, I think
Paul's greatest attribute is that he never does the same thing twice - he has a
theme to his work that incorporates thoughts of sadness, isolation and humor,
but the projects individually manage to convey a new message each time. The
other good thing about his work is that he enjoys outsider participation, this
is typically a good sign that the artist has a need to connect artistically
with those around them. I think that he's quite adept at zoning in on the
essence of his work in the way that it is presented on the website - there
isn't too much in the way of written text, he instead prefers to focus on the
right images to convey the art. The old cliche that goes a picture is worth a
thousand words is certainly true and it is testament to Paul's ability to
relate on an artistic level that he opts to use images over text.
For more info on this project please check out my website: http://paulshortt.com/Pay-For-An-Audience-5-Star-Ratings
