John Chilver's 2007 Essay Examines Why Visual Art Groups Struggle with True Collective Agency

In his essay 'Group and Gang (The Absent Collective)', released on April 18, 2007, John Chilver explores the existential issues surrounding group agency in visual arts compared to music. He notes that music facilitates simultaneous actions that promote collective thought, whereas visual art necessitates language-driven discussions, which can create hierarchical struggles for dominance. Chilver cites figures such as Warhol, Koons, Murakami, and the assistants of Damien Hirst, who earn £8 per hour, alongside collectives like early Art & Language and Group Material. He draws on Siegfried Kracauer's perspective that group achievements can weaken collective authority, exemplified by the historical rivalry between Stalin and Trotsky. Ultimately, Chilver contends that visual art groups struggle to attain improvisational agency, leading to conceptual tyranny and a shift towards branded authorship.