Alex Kovacs

The opening of Alex Kovacs’ ‘The Currency of Paper’ enthralled me: an introvert named Maximilian, somewhat disillusioned by the ‘normal life’ would take himself off grid, as it were, and live free from society’s expectations. He set out a plan to explore each and every of his interests for as long as he cared to, refusing to be a mere cog in the great machine, instead achieving a buddhisteque fulfilment through investing time in himself and helping others he perceived to be unsung and doing good for the world – those like himself who saw through the facade of capitalism and its serving of the elite ruling class who lined their pockets to the detriment of those in the rat race below .
Sadly though, the tale quickly fell into something that resembled a fine art student’s experiments with conceptualism: his activities, although interesting, extinguished any substantial narrative as he pinballed along from one interest to another all which were somewhat empty and hypothetical that no real person would either be so passionately inclined to door able to accomplish. The sheen of the premise partially wore away for me upon discovering the capital for his venture would be that of counterfeited money (he was a printer’s apprentice for many years hitherto ‘going it alone’). It seemed jarring that a reasonably profound ambition had to rely on illegal funding to support it.
Amongst others, Maximilian’s whim-like pursuits included: depositing notes of laboriously researched quotes of optimism on people’s persons for them to later find, collecting and storing daily newspapers to put in a warehouse he was converting for a museum of humanity, renting out flats for squatters to live in, writing and sending thousands of postcards to strangers, setting up an employment agency only for creative individuals, losing his virginity as a 50 something year old then hiring out prostitutes to fulfil eccentric sexual practices with him on a weekly basis and nearing his end, donating vast sums of his wealth to socialist and communist organisations.
Even picking the book up again to help write this review brought back pangs of distaste, such is the vastness of endearment I lost for it. I wanted a story of a man and instead it read like the writer’s series of musings stapled to a protagonist who was largely flat, awkward and immature in his worldview; in the way that he didn’t really develop and seemed to view his existence as better and more worthy than others. Basically he wasn’t a credible character. Kovacs has apparently only written one book and seems to have vanished from the literary world. I find this intriguing but at the same time no surprise, after finishing his sole effort #burn.
… (altro)

This book is not what it seems. According to its Library of Congress/CIP cataloger the is a satiric work of fiction about London swindlers/swindling. Perhaps that designation was said cataloger's wry sense of humor. If he meant that the moneyed oligarchs have taken over the art world and basically corrupted it so that it is hardly recognizable as an art world at all, just another reality show peopled by the tastelessly rich. (Contra De gustibus non est disputandum.)

What this joyfully wonderful book is, is a manual for living the life artistic. With a very, very wry sense of humor. A perfect book to send along to anyone who has ever contemplated doing art, who is on their way to art school, to any art school teacher. Every single page will supply dozens of ideas for your next art project. You may laugh at some of the activities undertaken by the work's hero, Maximilian. But then, look more closely, and you will discover your very own next project.

Send this work along with your son, daughter or friend who is off to art school, and they will suddenly realize just how hip you are. While you're at it, add the following titles as well, build them a studio in the backyard and save a bundle on art school. The money saved will buy a hell of a lot of art supplies.

Now read: Do It: The Compendium, edited by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Draw It with Your Eyes Closed: The Art of the Art Assignment, edited by by Paper Monument, n+1, Any work by Sophie Calle, What Good Are the Arts? by John Carey, The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa, by Michael Kimmelman, and On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity, by Ellen J. Langer.

Now stop reading for a moment and do something "artistic." Wait, actually reading can be artistic as well (for which see Kimmelman's Accidental Masterpiece).… (altro)