Helen Molesworth on Laziness as Artistic Virtue
In the latest CULTURED magazine focused on indulgence, curator Helen Molesworth dives into sloth, which she considers the most complex of the seven deadly sins. Embracing her Taurus inclination towards laziness, she has fostered a strong work ethic to balance it out. Molesworth draws inspiration from artists who highlight the beauty of idleness, like Lee Lozano's "General Strike Piece" from 1969 that avoids the art scene, Robert Barry's "Closed Gallery" of the same year, which didn’t open for its exhibition, and Tom Marioni’s enduring piece from 1970 about enjoying beer with friends. She also mentions Marcel Duchamp's admission of his "enormous laziness" linked to the secretive development of "Étant Donnés" (1946–66), as well as Mierle Laderman Ukeles' "maintenance art" (1970–73) and Paul Lafargue's 1883 essay "The Right to Be Lazy," questioning whether laziness is truly a sin or if capitalism is the real issue.
Key facts
- Helen Molesworth reflects on sloth for CULTURED's Indulgence issue on the seven deadly sins in 2026.
- She identifies as a Taurus and associates indolence with that sign.
- Molesworth is attracted to artists who flirt with not working, including Lee Lozano, Robert Barry, Tom Marioni, Marcel Duchamp, and Mierle Laderman Ukeles.
- Lee Lozano's 1969 'General Strike Piece' commands avoiding art-world functions.
- Robert Barry's 1969 'Closed Gallery' exhibition featured a closed gallery.
- Tom Marioni's 'The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art' began in 1970.
- Marcel Duchamp said 'Deep down I’m enormously lazy' and created 'Étant Donnés' (1946–66) secretly.
- Mierle Laderman Ukeles' 'Private Performances of Personal Maintenance as Art' (1970–73) counted daily labor as art.
- Paul Lafargue's 1883 'The Right to Be Lazy' argued that God rested after six days of work.
Entities
Artists
- Helen Molesworth
- Lee Lozano
- Robert Barry
- Tom Marioni
- Marcel Duchamp
- Mierle Laderman Ukeles
- Paul Lafargue
- Karl Marx
- Shirley Chisholm
- Jamieson Webster
- Dries Van Noten
- Christine Sun Kim
- Griffin Dunne
- Mia Khalifa
- Brontez Purnell
- Joshua Foltz
Institutions
- CULTURED