The White Pube: Discussing ‘Poor Artists’ & Why The Art World Needs To Change - with Gabrielle de la Puente and Zarina Muhammad
Episode 69 of ‘All About Art’: The White Pube: Discussing ‘Poor Artists’ & Why The Art World Needs To Change - with Gabrielle de la Puente and Zarina Muhammad
In this episode, I sat down with Gabrielle de la Puente and Zarina Muhammad, the co-founders of The White Pube, a platform launched in 2015 where they share reviews, essays, social media posts and memes critiquing the elitism and inaccessibility of the art world.
The name the duo chose, The White Pube, is a play on the White Cube, a globally successful mega contemporary art gallery. It is also a tongue-in-cheek reference to the display format in which contemporary works of art are generally shown. Pristine white walls, wood or concrete floors, high ceilings… space of veneration or quiet contemplation, sterile where nothing other than “the art experience” can happen. The provocative name has even deeper layers when considering the references to white supremacy and ageism within the arts, as well - so listen on to hear me speak to Gabrielle and Zarina more about that later in the episode.
We chat about how they got started as an art critic duo, and how they have been working together and successfully collaborating for nearly a decade - having never had ONE fight (well, in this interview you will hear Zarina say that they did have a fight once… but it was about art).
I also got the pleasure of speaking to Gabrielle and Zarina about their recently published debut book called ‘Poor Artists’, in which an aspiring artist has to navigate money and power, and is faced with the decision of whether she cares more about success or staying true to herself. I ask Zarina and Gabrielle to delve into their writing process as co-authors, and to tell me more about what the experience was like to conduct interviews and weave them into the narrative, as the book integrates anonymous interviews with real people in the art world into its story. We touch on how writing the book has impacted their view on the arts sector, what the future holds for the White Pube, and so much more.
Thank you Gabrielle and Zarina, a.k.a. The White Pube, for coming on the podcast!
You can check out The White Pube: https://thewhitepube.co.uk/
and you can purchase Poor Artists here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/455873/poor-artists-by-pube-gabrielle-de-la-puente-and-zarina-muhammad-aka-the-white/9780241633762
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ABOUT THE HOST:
I am an Austrian-American art historian, curator, and writer. I obtained my BA in History of Art at University College London and my MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. My specializations are in contemporary art and the contemporary art market along with accessibility, engagement, and the demystification of the professional art sector.
Here are links to my social media, feel free to reach out:
Instagram @alexandrasteinacker
Twitter @alex_steinacker
and LinkedIn at Alexandra Steinacker-Clark
COVER ART: Lisa Schrofner a.k.a Liser www.liser-art.com and Luca Laurence www.lucalaurence.com
Episode Production: Paul Zschornack
Italia