Brooke Marcy
Summery of May I Help You? by Andrea Fraser
The setting for Andrea Fraser’s performance piece May I Help You?, is gallery space exhibiting 100 works by artist Allan McCollum. “The Staff” are three performers given a script portraying seven separate personas. The personas are taken from a variety of sources including writings by Pierre Bourdieu, whom she references several times, and the dialogue is derived form direct quotes. Her seven personas range the gamut, and when approaching a visitor to the gallery, the staff member exhibits differing behaviors influenced by individual taste and varying social, educational and environmental backgrounds.
The first Staff persona approaches the visitor with well-spoken elegance. She is polished, educated, and wealthy. She has obviously lived a privileged life and has been exposed to art her entire life. She believes that art belongs among the polite society of the upper classes, and that the value of the artwork is not monetary but spiritual. The next persona is also wealthy and educated. She has similarities to the first, and believes that loving art is a reflection of ones own superiority of taste. The third persona, who is privileged and educated, looks at he artist as well as the art. Unlike the others, she doesn’t allow her upbringing to influence her perception of art, instead she lives in the here and now and enjoys the art for the excitement and originality of the pieces. The fourth persona approaches the art with a more business like attitude. She did not grow up exposed to art, but she has been educated and associates art with quality. She is still not confident in her knowledge but hopes being around art will give her more credibility. The fifth persona, like the fourth, did not grow up around art but appreciates the work. Her lack of education makes her unsure, but she is hoping to better herself through an understanding of the work. The fifth persona comes from a low-income background and has no formal art training. She has experienced Museums and galleries and associates art with wealth and beauty. The sixth persona comes from a low-income background, most of her time, like her mother before her, is spent trying to make ends meet. She likes the art, but has no art education, and is preoccupied by her own daily needs and responsibilities. The last persona has had little education and feels art is produced for the wealthy and completely inaccessible to a person with her background. Looking at art upsets and reminds her of her own lack of education and social status.
Through seven different personas, Andrea Fraser examines how society and environment affect taste and perceptions associated with art.
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