Jez Collins, founder of the Birmingham Music Archive, has published a rebuttal to Dan Cave's recent critique of Joe Lycett's exhibition EVERYTHING MUST GO at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG). Collins argues that Cave's piece rests on a false distinction between serious and fun art, and that audiences should not be forced to choose between a Dante Gabriel Rossetti and a cob.
Collins acknowledges that Cave is entitled to dislike Lycett's work. "I have no objection to Cave disliking the work in EVERYTHING MUST GO," he writes. "That is part of the pleasure of art. We look, feel something, and decide for ourselves. Sometimes we are moved. Sometimes we are baffled. Sometimes we wonder how on earth it got through the door."
Questioning Objectivity in Art
Collins challenges the notion of objectively "good" and "bad" art, asking who gets to decide. He points out that works celebrated today were once ridiculed, while officially approved art has often disappeared without trace. Expertise, he argues, can help understand technique, context, and intention, but cannot dictate personal response.
"If Lycett’s work makes someone laugh, think differently about Birmingham, or walk into BMAG for the first time, that response is no less legitimate than someone standing before a Rossetti and being moved by it," Collins writes.
Museums Are Not Mausoleums
Cave's original article drew a distinction between the serious museum of founding director Sir Whitworth Wallis and the less serious institution today. Collins rejects this framing, noting that Wallis was "a serious man thinking serious thoughts" while Lycett is "a professional sillyman with a pink mammoth."
"But museums are not mausoleums, and seriousness is not measured by the colour of the walls," Collins counters.
The original article by Cave, published previously, argued that the exhibition is more about Lycett's celebrity status than the art itself, and that it is less "serious" than the gallery's world-class collection, much of which is currently in storage. Cave also called for more critical engagement with local art.
Divisive Reception and Ongoing Debate
The earlier piece proved divisive among readers. Some agreed with Cave, others fiercely defended the gallery, and many shared how much they enjoyed Lycett's show. The publication of Collins' rebuttal is intended to keep the debate going.
Lycett himself has admitted he is not a very good painter, describing his art as "like a child that’s been drinking vodka," a comment Collins suggests makes him "at least one of its better critics." The exhibition continues at BMAG, with the debate over its merits and place in the city's cultural landscape ongoing.
