Banal Complications by Marc Bell (Mini Kus! #90)

Banal Complications is a dense read, and I don't mean that in a pejorative sense. There's a lot of content and entertainment value for the $. Chop Salad is an artist who begins a journey to NYC to reclaim some 50 of his art pieces from solo shows, which appear to be out of favor. Banal Complications is also exactly what the title implies, a tale chronicling the convoluted management of works, from sales to donations, loans, bartering, and reframing all across North America. Bell uses blocks of free-floating text with spot illustrations to also highlight difficulties with living arrangements, spaces, taxable income, and the endless myriad of tasks that talent must contend with and juggle in The Life of an Artist. Bell also shows some of the sample works of art, which adds to the overwhelming volume of mind-numbing details and bizarre nonsensical guidelines emanating from galleries, landlords, and the government. Once you surrender to the chaos magic of the information being shoveled at you and exactly how the sausage is made once you glimpse behind the scenes, Banal Complications enjoyably sells it points.