Art-world positioning shielded Richardson’s raunch from criticism
Evidence
Despite their different markets, Joe Francis and Terry Richardson were two sides of the same raunch culture coin. Both enjoyed equal impunity: No one could criticize Francis’s raunch positioned as entertainment, and no one could criticize Richardson’s raunch positioned as art. Yet, as author Rachel Shukert quipped, “Only one of those sets of pictures is going to wind up in some chic gallery on Rivington Street or in the pages of French Vogue.” — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 67
Categorization
Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims
- XREF: Art-as-immunity echoes the book’s status mechanics — institutions conferring legitimacy that insulates behavior from moral judgment.