Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) shows his assistant Jess (Juliana Canfield) how to make life easier in every way possible
Art World Family. That’s the phrase that inspired me to click on the listing for an Executive Assistant position on NYFA’s classified listings (UPDATE: As of Friday, February 17, the listing has now been deleted, but good thing I kept this PDF as proof), curious about what this mysterious organization Art World Family was. I never heard of it before. Was it some sort of nonprofit for families in the art world, a notoriously low-paying (for most jobs), healthcare-less, and not exactly family-friendly industry? A childcare service? A program offering art education to families?
No. It was meant literally. A family of art monsters, to crib a phrase coined by Jenny Offill’s 2014 novel Dept. of Speculation that was recently used by Zadie Smith to describe Cate Blanchett’s Lydia Tár from the eponymous Oscar-baity film. My reference to Tár is not accidental. This job listing reads as if it was written by Lydia herself! Likely mid-insanity spiral! That plus a combination of other wealthy gargoyles of the big and small screen, from any of the Roys in Succession to Schitt’s Creek’s Moira Rose to The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly to even, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. Psycho being the operative word. This is the most nightmarish job listing I’ve ever seen in an art industry filled with nightmarish jobs. Just take a gander at some of the phrases used here that have never been uttered by a person in touch with reality, such as “dog systems” for “potty breaks, food, day care, dog walkers, vet appts.” You mean, caring for a dog? Tell me you don’t care for your dog without telling me you don’t care for your dog! And that’s before even reaching “closet systems.” So many systems so little time! Also notice that they make sure to let you know those stores from which you’ll be picking up clothes are “high end”! Classy!
What exactly is this job you ask? Well, here’s the easiest explanation: “The ideal candidate must be dedicated to a simple goal: make life easier for the couple in every way possible.” Upon further perusing, however, this job does not seem so simple, particularly after browsing the bullet-pointed list of every task you will do incorrectly and be vigorously yelled at for in your likely short time in this position! And how much will you be paid for these 5-6 jobs rolled into one role in which you’ll be expected to be on-call before and after work, as well as on weekends, to, well, edit all their photos if I’m understanding the mention of Photoshop correctly? $65,000-95,000 a year! Seems a bit measly if you ask me! Even with the two weeks of “built-in” vacation, which I assume means you’ll go on vacation with THEM and continue to work! It’s also not lost on me that there are a few grammatical errors here (I kept it as is): I mean, “discrete”? They should hire an Executive Copy Editor too! (I don’t volunteer).
Now, I already spent a good amount of time trying to wrack my brain to figure out who this Art World Family might be. And I haven’t come to any real conclusions. I suspect it might be someone with a lot of money who exists on the periphery of the art world, dabbling in it rather than a big name art star. Even the most obnoxious famous artists aren’t THIS ridiculous! But, I could be wrong! If any of you intrepid Filthy Dreams readers want to apply and report back before you have to sign that air-tight NDA, please do! We’ll buy you a drink! (UPDATE: I’m getting intel, secret and not-so-secret (see the comment below), that the listing is allegedly from Tom Sachs and Sarah Hoover).
The listing is extensive and rewards repeated reading in giggles of disbelief. It also unfolds like a blooming onion—many layers, all of them stink, and leave a bad taste in your mouth. It also reads like a genius piece of satire about the complete disassociation of the rich from everyone else’s everyday life and viewing the rest of us peons as servants to make their lives simpler. It’s a perfect unintentional parody that I already saved it as a PDF in case they ever take it down. So much so that I didn’t want to ruin the magic by overpowering it with too much of my own input. Instead, I’ve decided on the recommendation of my cousin to copy-paste the full listing as is with a dash of reaction GIFs for flavor.
So without further ado:
***
High profile art world family is seeking a full-time Executive/Personal Assistant who is extremely detail-oriented, has excellent communication skills, and possesses a professional demeanor with a high level of discretion.
Must have the ability to seamlessly juggle multiple priorities in a dynamic, unstructured environment and possess flexibility to change course at a moment’s notice. The ideal candidate must be dedicated to a simple goal: make life easier for the couple in every way possible.
Responsibilities Overview
Travel
- Manage all travel bookings and itineraries
- Liaise with external high-end travel vendors to coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements. Create detailed travel itineraries for family to follow and make last minute complex changes when needed. (This includes all aspects of business or personal travel i.e. cars, hotels, reservations, restaurant and personal activities, and airport escorts)
- Flag and arrange any international travel visa, health, or other requirements for travel when necessary.
- Manage travel family and Studio members when necessary.
- Provide support to family and team during both domestic and international travel, making any necessary changes and sharing updates throughout the trip.
Calendars/Appointments
- Make restaurant reservations and RSVP to events (in communication with Studio Manager)
- Coordinate and confirm personal appointments. Prepare family for anything they may need to do ahead of time. Submit and process all paperwork related to appointments
- Follow up on all appointments ahead of time to confirm or reschedule as necessary
- Send daily schedule rundowns and reminders
Personal/Homes Duties
- Serve as the central point of communication to household staff (includes chef, nannies, landscapers, dog walkers, housekeeper, contractors, and building managers)
- Coordinate all cleaning, repairs, and guest stays
- Manage dog systems (potty breaks, food, day care, dog walkers, vet appts), and help Studio Assistant with in-studio cats
- Apartment rooftop garden maintenance; watering twice a week, checking in to check on garden
- Run home-related errands around Manhattan and Brooklyn (Ex: dry cleaning, dropoff/pickup clothing from high end stores, purchase gifts, grocery shopping, FedEx drop offs/pickups, delivering gifts to friends residences, etc.)
- Coordinate deliveries at private residence while maintaining a high level of respect for privacy
- Be at residences to let approved messengers in and out when needed
- Coordinate schedules and payments for personal and home invoices with external accounting team
- Keep private family documents up to date and organized (e.g. passport renewals, birth certificates, global entry forms, drivers licenses, etc.)
Other Duties
- Manage online subscriptions
- Manage IT needs (phones, iPads, computers) with Organizational Officer.
- Pack for travel
- Organize closet systems
- Setup and oversee libraries reorganization
- Work with Studio to help with ad hoc studio tasks (e.g. event planning and setup, studio organization, studio tours)
- Maintain guest lists for openings and events. Provide clean and updated list to Studio Manager ahead of exhibitions
- Draft thank you notes when necessary
- Assist Organizational Officer and Studio Manager with Studio parties and events
- Answer phones and greet guests
- Put together presentations and PowerPoint decks for work and personal projects
- Make in person and online purchases (i.e. shopping, subscriptions, show tickets, etc.)
- Draft external correspondences for review
- Assist in content creation for social media
- Manage all medical need requests
Requirements:
- Must be comfortable with children as the family has a four year old child. You will be in their personal residence spending a lot of time with nanny and child. Sometimes left with the child alone. Flexible to be on call outside of the 10am-6pm workday. Will have to answer messages and take care of tasks before and after work, as well as occasionally on weekends
- Must be extremely discrete and professional in all communications
- Must have a valid driver’s license and be comfortable driving in and out of New York City (Ex: to Long Island)
- Some out-of-state or international travel may be required
- Knowledge of the art and fashion world is a plus!
- Bachelor’s degree preferred or 2+ years of administrative or personal assistant experience. Proficiency in Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Slides)
- Proficiency with Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator a plus
- Final candidate will be subjected to background checks and a non-disclosure agreement must be signed upon hire
To apply, please submit 1-page cover letter, 1-page resume, list of 3 professional references, and something of your choosing that gives us a sense of your personality. Submit all application materials via email with “Executive Assistant” as the subject.
The original NYFA listing has been scrubbed but I can assure you this is courtesy Tom Sachs and his “organizational officer”. Thank you for making this PSA
That’s what I’ve been hearing!
Funny- seems plausible. I came extremely close to working for said artist 10 yrs ago and was reminded of hiring experience while reading this. Always be Knolling…
Emily, thank you for enshrining this job listing. I was an assistant to a BIG global artist, no mountain low enough to phone for my help. Working with him, I learned to say No. They remind me of Jared and Ivanka. And her high end clothes sense? And whats with being available outside of work hours? Does that pay double time?
I feel so much better about everything now. Thank you, Emily.
I’m pretty sure it’s Daniel Arsham
Oh no, I know for a fact that this is Tom Sachs and his wife Sarah, worked there and did 1/2 of the things on this listing under a different title and watched people do it too.
The way ‘studio’ is used, studio cats, dogs, 4 year old, all checks out, it’s everyones favorite Art World Fam ya’ll, the Sachs family!
Well, I applied…even though I probably couldn’t do half the shit listed with anything resembling coherence.
Have they acknowledged your application? I need to show this to my mother, as I’ve done/still do nearly everything on this list for her…for free. LOL. Seriously though, I hope they also offer a life insurance policy because whoever they hire will most likely drop dead within a week from lack of sleep alone. “Must have a death wish” should’ve been one of the requirements.
No they have not. 🙂
This is definitely Tom Sachs. Worst person I’ve ever worked for. People should know!
I was his Registrar and it was truly one of the worst experiences of my life. I don’t think he even knew my name and I had to look after his kid more than once. I constantly had to do personal jobs for his family and his wife Sarah who was never appreciative of anything.And the pay was under 50k….
Horrible; came to this via NY Times. But any fellow mothers not quite bat an eye at this list? I mean minus the pets but also the chefs and nannies and other staff, this is my life.
Funny. I came very close to working for said artist 10 yrs ago and recalled the interview experience when I read the listing. Seems plausible, likely. Several interviews in with various gatekeepers, I was asked to interview with his wife at the gallery she worked at. Red flags everywhere but I kept going despite better judgement. She must have seen into my damaged psyche as someone who could weather abuse, because i was then invited to interview in the studio with the man himself (Barbie Slave Ship WIP era).
And then he called me as I was being prepped for a root canal to ask if I would join him that evening for an artist talk or something, no doubt the final test before being offered the job of (oh did I not mention?) his bookkeeper. I politely declined with a mouth full of lidocaine and never heard from him again. Never forgot the phrase “always be Knolling” ✌️
I guessed it was Sachs and wife immediately! They have a 4 year old, a dog, his studio is in the same building as their apartment. Didn’t know they had a rooftop garden though. this just confirms what I had thought of them- entitled assholes!
there’s a reason these are posted every six months! it seems he forgot to even try to veil what a nightmare he is with this one. most miserable work environment i’ve ever been subjected to. wouldn’t be surprised if he’s making one of his poor assistants work on somehow taking down this blog post as we speak. no is not a word he understands
Oh, I’ve heard some secret intel they ARE working to try to get this blog post taken down!
this is still America. They can’t do that.
Someone should write an expose about that studio. It is one of the most toxic workplaces in all of the arts. It makes the Devil Wears Prada look cushy.
I’m all ears and my email is public! emilycolucci@gmail.com
God someone needs to write an article about this guy, so many skeletons in the closet.
Omg 10 Bullets. iykyk
The Devil (tries to) Make Art
Just the tip of the iceberg. Tom and Sarah (and studio members that facilitate this toxicity) are so far removed from reality that they wouldn’t see anything wrong with the NYFA post. To them these are all completely normalized things to ask for. The trauma I have from the time I worked for him still haunts me to this day, it’s so sad but everyone I worked with there feels the same way.
Wow can’t believe I’ve finally found the Internet forum for venting this – trauma from working for him for real, for years. Most insane part is the way it’s facilitated by the people around him. Recognized his tone in this job post instantly. Been waiting for the expose on this (although tbh always felt like he wasn’t well known enough for it to be even worth it.) NYT picked this up so crossing my fingers.
Yes when you have a closed culture and a power imbalance this happens and it just becomes a closed culture of abuse. At it’s most extreme it is how T4 happened.
When asked what is the “worst thing about the art world” in the hyperlinked interview, Sarah said, “entitled, coddled men.” The irony!!
Remember his barbie slaveship art?
Oh GOD!!! I think I blocked that out of my mind entirely
he had a drawer in the studio containing pre-written barbie slave ship apology letter drafts in the event he should ever get publicly cancelled for it
Tom and Sarah are monsters through and through. The man preaches sustainability and anti-capitalism but has his own garbage Nike line. Everyone I knew when I worked there talked about him behind his back, he garners no respect from the studio.
Seriously can all of us former employees get together and take an expose to Vice or something? He’s a trash person who doesn’t even touch or understand how to make any of the art that comes out of his studio.
Shit, why didn’t I think of this?! I need to hire someone to attend to my work systems and home systems so that I can focus more on beer systems!
Oh my sweet Jesus, I read the puff piece on Sarah and looking at the “wings” on her dress, I thought maybe the job also entails holding them out of the toilet when she has to go.
I don’t know Tom, but I just watched his Tedx talk called: “How to succeed as artist in spite of your own creativity.” It was the worst 13 minutes of my life.
Thank you. I just looked at the comments on the video. I didn’t watch more than the first couple of minutes of the video, I’m afraid. But if this is right, and this is the man who put the ad up, then people need to be linked to this blog. So I’ve done that.
This is the first time I have ever heard of either of these people, thanks Google, one “artist” I of which I will skip any shows. The Emperor’s New Clothes, for sure.
I recognized the tone of this instantly – sent shivers down my spine. But I am enormously heartened to see so many former employees chiming in here – the worst part was leaving the job after the other people who worked there were so used to enabling that they never even acknowledged how deeply messed up that place was, even after objectively really disturbing events. Have been waiting for the expose but also he isn’t really the celebrity he thinks he is so I wasn’t sure if anyone would ever bother to write one.
But a fictionalized account like Devil Wears Prada would be so good!
Hey all former employees!! Get together and compare notes and then fill us all in!!! I came to this by accident and now I’m hooked!!!
Undoubtedly, one of their assistants/managers/coordinators was fired for this debacle, despite obviously having no culpability other than transcribing.
would the employers mind if I wore my MAGA hat to work?
This just sounds like being a mom. I do all of these things already AND have a profession too. Would love the bonus $65-95K for doing this already.
Apply!
Just thinking the same!!!
The header should have read “Wanted – extra wife with none of legal rights of the role. Expect to be undervalued, overworked, disrespected, stressed and criticized, The position will demand 24 hour availability, 7 days a week with one 2 week vacation a year during which you will remain available to the household as may be necessary. Expect to handle all household needs, including vomit and excrement when children are sick and/or dogs are walked. You will cater to all the quirks and personal needs of the entire family and guests with special attention to the patriarch and wife #1 until you quit, or you collapse with exhaustion, or have a nervous breakdown, when you will be summerly fired with no notice or severance package.”
Can it possibly get any worse? Oh yes: https://www.modaoperandi.com/editorial/a-dress-like-that-sarah-hoover
LMAO:
WHO ARE YOUR HEROES?
Bernie Sanders for being a steadfast outside-of-the-box thinker. Guy Debord. My husband. Gloria Steinem. Angela Davis. Before you disagree with me on any of these, I know some of them are problematic. Everyone’s a contradiction. They are still inspirational to me.
Sure it’s cringe, but I bet there are thousands of jobs at arts organizations that are a worse deal. At least this offers up to 100K salary, medical/dental insurance, paid vacation, a 401(k) and a clear set of responsibilities that relate to the mission. Sad the bar is so low, but I think there’s far more abusive situations out there.
Tom Sachs studio manager, is that you?
Seriously laughed out loud!!! I’m dying over here!!
Nope. I’m not saying the job’s good, I’m just saying there’s a whole lot of abusive employers out there in the field.
Former employee here. All true. Now please all of you, consider shining your hate beams upon every other bloated aristocrat in your Insta as well.
I worked for Tom for almost 3 years and I still have nightmares about it. The second I read the quotes in the Times I knew it was him. This comments section is so cathartic thank you to everyone who is sharing. He really does a lot of damage to a lot of young artists who trust and admire him.
I worked there for some years and “cathartic” perfectly describes the experience of reading the comments of my colleagues. Strange to say, but, I’m so glad to hear you all still have actual nightmares too. Woooo, I’m not crazy!!!
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/fashion/weddings/sarah-hoover-and-tom-sachs-weddings.html
How is it possible to hate people I’ve never met?
Ah, what a great wedding column. It’s extremely funny to see smashing cake in her husband’s face described as “a bit of performance art.” I had always thought the people in those weddings I’ve been to who did that were kind of tacky, but it turns out I’m the gauche one who didn’t appreciate the art.
I think the word tacky pretty much covers the entire article. And narcissistic. Who cares what they ordered for dinner on the first date? Yawn.
The dude is a total psychopath & a preadator. He took her to Balthazar when he was already a famous artist when she was a just out-of-college entry level gallery staffer for a Steak Dnner & Seafood tower in NYC and “forgot” his wallet asking her to pay and she did. Obviously a total dick move. I don’t know what type of shit test he was trying to do here, but if that was me I would definetely be not be able to pay. Did he try to see if she was coming from money ( she was, her family owns a chain of successfull restaurants in midwest and her dad is a lawyer) who were able to pay for her Columbia & NYU art degrees… Entry level jobs pay shit, and there was no way I’d be able to pay if he puled that with me. At that age, I would just straight up panic and start balling my eyes out in public, at the table, sobbing loudly for everyone to hear, causing a major scene…. everyone would be forced to look in our direction and the Major’d would have to come and ask what is going on,- the dude would look like an ass… And I would sob and explain that I was invited, and can’t afford to pay, and am poor and if I were to pay, that would mean I can’t pay my rent this month and would end up homeless on the street…
It is a relief to see the comments on here and know I am not alone. I have PTSD and nightmares from working for Sachs and co. Some of the worst abuses came from his underlings who claimed to do his bidding. They are ruthless in the treatment of employees.
I hope the NYT steps up and writes the real story about this studio and save other young artists from falling into its abusive trap.
I cannot stop laughing…I feel like scripting a comedic short!
I’m pretty sure the person currently doing this job is the one who wrote this ad. Malicious compliance at its literary best.
Artists are essentially cowards. Their willing participation perpetuates this system down to the most provincial level of regionalism. I used to lecture (unproductively rant) at my students that if they were fortunate to get a dealer and even more fortunate to sell some work through said dealer that when it came time to collect said payment that they had better get used to staring at a really beautiful pair of couture shoes or stand there listening to another story of their dealer taking their family to a tropical island for the 2nd time that year and then be told that you need to accept a payment plan or that you are getting exposure or just plain being told tough shit. Revolution baby! But that won’t happen. Kiss Tom’s ring. He’s kissing someone else’s up the ladder. This was good for a laugh. Plant seeds. Grow food. Respect all living things. Barter for a good knife and keep your mouth shut about the guns you keep locked up. Pay your respects to the earth. Feed and forgive. You’re on stolen land and short on time.
Stfu
The job post is more proof that the super wealthy are sociopaths. Literally no soul. And bet they think it $95k salary is ‘high’.
Never worked for him. But I worked for many other high profile ppl in the field, that job posting has nothing new to me, this is what many (and too many) employers ask to their EA/PA to do and pay them low. This is the real side of those who are so concerned about their reputation and yet so fragile : here comes the NDA to sign (I went through). I have so much trauma working for those ppl, and it’s all accepted by their peers. I could write a book about all of these job experiences. They all do the same. I wish that ppl will come out and and speak out about their job experiences and hopefully that will change the way we work. And they ask for “references” while they don’t provide any to employees. I would have wished to know how my past employers were before taking the jobs!
Ooh, I want this job. Anyone know how to get in contact? I’m serious lol
God, so embarrassing for them. I can’t tell you how many people have shared this with me. Sarah Hoover is typically prolific on Instagram and is noticeably quiet. Such a hypocrite. She’s constantly spouting all these progressive values but clearly doesn’t believe what she preaches. Ick.
Maybe she’s quiet on Insta bc she has do the dog and closet systems herself. LOL. These ppl sound awful. I hope they send their kid to boarding school so he can escape the fluid, unstructured environment (translation: shitshow). They don’t seem that interested in raising him anyway. Too busy shopping for “high end” stuff and posing for cameras.
No one has flagged the grammar errors? Some are probably just typos, like “manage travel [for] family and Studio members”. But others are mistakes that would be flagged by MS Word or Google Docs. The fact that they’re in the final document points to willful ignorance, such as “Must be extremely discrete [sic].”
Sorry but it’s a job. Apparently the type Millennials sneer at.
Many people younger and older than that particular generation would understand that the employer has gone through so many bad workers that he/she is being extra-specific to avoid getting burned yet again. And (as with those who voted for Trump or Bush), there are no tricks here; if you are paying attention, you will know simply by reading the ad exactly who it is you’re working for. This isn’t Disneyland and it’s not art school.
On the other side of it, the work described is 150- 250K worth of work. I would advise they split it among 2 people, perhaps a couple.
They are seeking competent, experienced, professional adults and they will probably find them.
Millennials? I guarantee you this ad is aimed at Gen Z. They are not looking for “competent, experienced, professional adults,” they are looking for someone either straight out of college or with a year or two of work experience who doesn’t realize that it is not normal to be expected to be on call 24/7 and babysit your boss’s kid (when you are not the nanny.) They probably run through employees in their early 20s every few months. This is not a job posting seeking a mature, experienced, professional 30 something with a life and responsibilities outside the job. They are looking for a young aspiring artist they can exploit on a short term basis.
Sarah Hoover, is that you?!?
Yawn. Another Trump derangement comment completely out of context of this discussion but you just couldn’t wait to put it in somewhere. Lol
Having worked as Personal Assistant/Estate Manager for HNWI (High Profile CEOs/Film Producers) for 10 years – the job listing is essentially what anyone is this position would expect to be doing. But seeing it so obsessively knolled out seems indicative of the guy it’s for. More concerning is the blind or active inability to not see this posting as a problem and allow it to go out – gives me creepy David Koresh vibes.
As other have noted, this job posting is extremely underpaid, and any experienced Personal Assistant would never apply when the field is highly lucrative for someone with the experience, skills and patience to efficiently manage the work load and extras.
Also missing from the incentives are: annual holiday bonuses, and yearly performance based raises, vehicle use, mileage pay…
For any serious PA/Estate Managers out there – use Google and find a reputable agency, they’ll get you top dollar, guarantees and contracts. It’s odd but telling that Tom and wife chose to not use an agency – however it seems to make sense since they would be required to pay a commission for a successful placement – this also speaks to their desire to take advantage of someone less experienced with the work.
Overall, pretty lame.
I do all this for my husband and kid and am told that I “don’t work”
Yes! Drop the high end stuff and it’s a great description of American motherhood. Except we are all those other servants too, and we don’t ever, ever, ever turn off, and no salary! Ha!
I was reading an unrelated article on Guest of a Guest which is 🤮 but this was at the bottom. All about the First Lady of Art! Enjoy, preferably before eating. https://guestofaguest.com/london/royal-pains/sabine-getty-is-so-not-about-the-new-meghan-and-harry-documentary
OOPS- wrong link copied! here is the correct link to the article on the First Lady of NY’s Art Scene!
https://guestofaguest.com/new-york/guest-list/who-is-sarah-hoover-meet-the-fab-first-lady-of-new-yorks-art-scene
Hate to break it to you, folks but this is what personal assistants do. It’s what I did for years and for $95k I’d do it again. I respect said Art Couple for laying it all out there. If you don’t want to water plants or book travel or be kid adjacent (he has a nanny after all) don’t apply.
Sarah Hoover, is that you???
cant help but laugh. it’s so obvious when there’s a sachs simp (or sachs/hoover themselves) who comments
Worst job ever? The is a great description of American motherhood. Working in or out of the home you get to do all these things but at Target and Walmart not 5th avenue. And you’re all the other servants too. And you don’t get a salary.
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sachs-hoover-terrible-assistant-job-ad-2262564
I’m so ready to storm the Bastille.
I read about this in the New York Times this morning. Bravo for you for getting that coverage! I read the PDF (thanks for saving that). It’s haunted me ever since, if only because I recognize the person who would answer this ad: me, right after I finished my MA in Fiction Writing from Syracuse University. (The degree became an MFA after Saunders took over.) I was a first-generation college student who managed to get through not one but three degrees. I won awards with my writing, but I was prone to shyness and extreme self-deprecation. And I was trained by my parents to be a wife and mother. So yeah, I would have taken this job, thinking it would give me that brush with greatness I needed to move ahead. I would have gotten this job, too, because I got jobs with abusive bosses easily – I wore my imposter syndrome on my face for most of my working life. I would have worked really hard to get these psychos to notice me. And they would have treated me like the dirt I thought I was. Ha! Same reason folks take low-paying adjunct jobs at college. THIS is what’s wrong with the Arts and Humanities in the USA.
The New York Times should be flogged for picking up this blog – this is just a declaration of ENTITLEMENT to the worst degree. You have to ask yourself, who is more entitled here – the art couple who put the ad out or the person who wrote this blog?
Emily’s LinkedIn would indicate that she has never actually worked through a tough, dirty job. She’s got a variety of “consultant,” “freelancer” and “planner” roles. Most of them are short-lived. As an employer, I wouldn’t hire her.
To the person who commented that they were ready to “storm the Bastille,” I would venture to say that Emily won’t be leading you to the promised land. No, she’s busy writing things like, “Can Rectal Realism Inspire?” How many poor people are thinking about this? How many commoners or working people want to dig into “rectal realism?” Based on her writing and following, I would think that she and you likely are the bourgeoise. I’m going to also assume there are no people of color commenting here either, because the art world, is mostly white.
Life is hard work. $94,000 is a whole hell of a lot of money in most circles. There are lot of immigrants who would love to have a position that paid $94K, where they didn’t have to be laboring in a field, but working inside air conditioning. I am an immigrant, who worked in a number of “the worst jobs ever” and respected the people who gave me those opportunities. When the job didn’t work for me any more, I moved on and they moved on. It took me 20 years in my profession, which is a good profession (usually requires a college degree) – to make $94,000 annually. I currently own a business and make $130K annually and I pay some of my employees more because they have a specialty my company requires and I pay some of my employees a lot less – including assistants who make around $50 to $60K — and yes, I ask them to take my dog for a walk and pick up my dry cleaning. Their job is to make “my life easier” so that I can work and build the business and keep increasing their salary. I have one assistant who grew with me and helped me and now runs a division of my company. This person started at $15 per hour (ten years ago) and now makes $100K annually.
The role of an assistant is to help in a number of tasks. It requires someone who can multi-task. And, no, you won’t have time to endlessly scroll art galleries on Instagram or text your significant other all day. It is a J-O-B. Like every other job, it comes with requirements and a salary. If you don’t like it, don’t apply and don’t take it.
I listened to someone recently who said that people now want to live on the curve. You know the curve in school that teachers dislike providing, but if everyone fails a test – sometimes they offer a curve so that it looks like some of the students actually passed the test. Mediocrity is the way. Everyone gets a trophy. No one has to work hard. Everybody gets a $100K. Why not?
… the answer to your question is definitely the art couple who put the ad out.
Your experience is not pertinent to the discussion at hand. It sounds that you are either ignorant of abuses in this industry, or are oblivious to the work lives of others not you.
The applicant for this job would most likely be a young hard worker, eager for opportunity to start their career and desire to please. The problem with the job is that their employer would not give them the tools to succeed, would be abusive, inconsistent, have impossible, unspoken expectations, and foster an environment of fear and hostility. The worker would be expendable, to be discarded when used up.An older, more experienced worker who would be able to deal with their bosses and tasks in a healthier way would either say “I see too many red flags, I don’t need to go down this road,” or, “ok I’ll do it for 250k.” That is what this position pays. The extra 150k is for the experience, abuse, patience, and handholding required.
Shocking that he’s still working with Nike after exposing himself to employees.
Thank you for throwing yourself on this grenade of stupid. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.
One of the benefits of turning my back and walking away from the NY art scene when I had the chance is I had no idea who Tom Sachs was until now. Whoever coined him as a “Dollar Store Andy Warhol” clearly nailed it though.
Jeff Koons must be breathing a sigh of relief that there is finally a bigger a-hole around to make him look better by comparison.
NYT 2016: Oh but he’s just a silly Willy Wonka type.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/arts/design/tom-sachss-workshop-willy-wonka-would-approve.html
Have you seen the article on curbed.com and in New York Magazine about all of this? I hope more and more people come forward about his abuse. I am not a lawyer, but some of his workplace abuse and harassment seems criminal if not liable civilly. Remember the R Kelly expose- he’s in jail now. Weinstein- jail. here is the link : https://www.curbed.com/article/tom-sachs-studio-employees-office-culture.html#comments