June 7, 2013 – Critter debuts Art Of Lesser Value at Videri Chocolate Factory. Hung throughout the space are more than a hundred strung marking tags with little illustrations of his bald man talking. Speech bubbles convey the Ten Commandments¹, and Monologues, Dialogues, Celebrations, Totem Polls, and Shame Polls. His Ten Commandments are better than God’s. They include SEEK UNDERSTANDING, DELIGHT IN SENSATION, and HAVE FUN. One of the six Monologues is I WON’T APOLOGIZE FOR FEELING PERFECT. AT LEAST NOT SINCERELY. Totem Polls ask questions like YOU EXPERIENCE PLEASURE WHEN YOU OBSERVE WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING? Answers for that one include TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS, FLAVOR GRADIENTS, COLOR GRADIENTS, THOUGHT GRADIENTS, and ALL OF THE ABOVE. Shame Polls ask WHO ELSE BELONGS ON THE SHAME POLE? Look for responses like MISERY ENTHUSIASTS, HAPPINESS ADVERSARIES, and REGRET APOLOGISTS. Pleasure seems to be of utmost importance. At the artist’s request, a heavenly batch of brown butter, bourbon, maple syrup bonbons has been specially made for the exhibit. After you purchase chocolate, simply exchange your Videri Chocolate Factory receipt for Art Of Lesser Value.

Book of Lesser Value is an indispensable and revealing supplement to Critter’s hedonistic Art of Lesser Value exhibition. The opening essay describes the work, explains the influences, and hypothesizes the value. Each of the hundred-plus pieces in the exhibit is pictured actual size in the Catalogue of the Exhibition. HONK IF YOU LOVE PLEASURE. The last pages include an Artist Statement and a statement of Gratitude. The back cover doubles as the Art Of Lesser Value Order Form, and gives the Intrinsic Value of each piece listed. Finally, Buy Videri Chocolate and get Art Of Lesser Value free.

1 Critter, Ten Commandments