It's a combination of this really being about nothing and fatigue from a recent local case that was about something but still inspired fatigue in the end.

I just got this press release:

Controversial Artist Curates Himself onto The Frye Art Museum’s Walls

Seattle, WA, September 17, 2009. Artist Mat Benote continues to leave his mark on Museums around the world. He left another piece of “Life’s Puzzle” at the Frye earlier this week. Since mid-August, Benote’s sprawling polyptych has been divided and hung as separate pieces in other prominent museums from the massive MFAH in Houston to Missoula’s boutique style MAM, and in Omaha’s Joslyn Museum which has included Benote’s piece in its permanent collection. Benote’s antics have been discussed in all the usual art blog forums, drawing both admiration and scorn. Is this a vandal trying to desecrate the walls of some our best known art institutions, or is it an artist’s attempt to contribute what he feels is something compelling to the art world? Is he just another egocentric artist seeking more attention than he deserves?

Of course, Benote wants his work to be seen, but he’s also giving something back to the museums he must hold in high esteem. According to his website, Benote’s intent is to give something back to museums that have, “shown a strong commitment to their local community.”

All of the museums he has hit, including the Kemper in Kansas City, the MCA Denver, London’s Saatchi Gallery and the St Louis Art Museum, have met the artist’s criteria of supporting local artists, offering free days, and collaborating with one another. This approach could be seen as vandalism or artistic altruism, and a compelling case for either the former or the latter could be made. After all, one could argue that the security guards might be reprimanded for having let someone place his work on the walls they are paid to protect.

The latest section of panels from “Life’s Puzzle” was placed in plain view at the Frye Art Museum, bringing the total number of museums hit to ten. The piece is an ambitious style mash-up that blends both very personal and, at the same time, ecumenical images while merging pop art, graffiti, and fine art. It’s unknown whether these individual displays will ever be seen in their unified and perhaps intended form, but given the chutzpah and talent on display, Mat Benote is an artist worth watching.