Well Shia LaBeouf threw down the gauntlet and James Franco has picked it right up.
The problem is James Franco really has to stop trying to be an artist. All his bad art and these stupid art world antics are starting to annoy us. Enough is enough Franco, no more art world posturing — are you reading this Klaus Biesenbach? (See Why James Franco’s Cindy Sherman Homage at Pace Is Not Just Bad But Offensive).
Anyway back to today’s story. When LaBeouf’s graduate student collaboration #Introductions hit the web last week it was received with the same joy and fascination as his previous projects (see Watch Shia LaBeouf Collaborate with Grad Students To Make Video Art).
It has also attracted the attention of fellow conceptual art actor James Franco who has, along with many others, remixed Shia’s now infamous “Just Do it” speech (see Shia LaBeouf’s Motivational Video Will Scare You Into Achieving All of Your Goals).
“Just Poo It” was released onto the web in the last 24 hours and sees Franco mimicking LaBeouf’s stance and gestures, but, rather than lecturing prospective artists, he directs the rant at a toddler going through potty training.
This is a contender for the most bizarre remixed version of the video clip:
Shia LaBeouf began collaborating with Nastja Säde Rönkkö and Luke Turner in 2013 after experiencing what he called an existential crisis. Since then the collaborators have gained much attention for their work, although not always for the right reasons (see Shia LaBeouf Sexually Assaulted During Performance At Cohen Gallery in Los Angeles).
However, LaBeouf‘s endeavors have been better received than Franco’s. Although seen as a more arty and intellectual actor–he even taught briefly at Columbia University–Franco has struggled to gain approval from the art world (see James Franco’s Terrible Nude Paintings of Seth Rogen Get Gallery Show and, James Franco Selfie Calendar Is Narcissistic Nonsense)
#INTRODUCTIONS follows in the footsteps of #METAMARATHON, #IAMSORRY and #FOLLOWMYHEART, which showed LaBeouf wearing a paper bag on his head, running a marathon and transmitting his heartbeat across the web.
The most recent project was made up of pitches given to LaBeouf by 36 graduating students from Central St. Martins but, out of that number, Joshua Parker’s “Just Do It” section seems to have gained the most attention.