Max Geller (provocateur)

Max Geller is an American performance artist, internet troll,[1] and activist provocateur.[2] Part of the Jewish left, Geller is an organizer and activist for Palestinian human rights.[3]

Max Geller flipping off a Renoir while being physically removed by museum security

Geller attempts to provoke social discomfort without words.[4] His performance art has political themes.[2]

Geller dislikes Renior, the lead developer of the Impressionist painting style, one of the most influential master painters of all time.[5][6][7] He connected his dislike of Renior to anti-Israel activism.[8]

Early life

Geller was on Judge Mathis in 2005.[9]

Anti-Zionist activism

Geller is an active member of groups organizing on behalf of Palestinian liberation, such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and has been a contributor to a variety of conferences and journals.[10]

Students for Justice in Palestine

While Geller was a student at North Eastern Law School, he was president of the local chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). In 2013, the group staged a walkout of a presentation by Israeli soldiers, and the school put them on administrative probation.[11] SJP then delivered mock eviction letters to students, which resulted in the group's suspension.[12] Geller defended the incident in an op-ed in the Boston Globe[3] and an appearance on Democracy Now!.[13]

New Orleans City Council Israel protest bill

In 2017, Geller promoted the New Orleans Palestinian Solidarity Committee (NOPSC), which lobbied the New Orleans City Council to pass a Boycott Divestment and Sanctions bill.[14] The bill passed, but was met with backlash from Zionist groups. The wording of the bill hadn’t explicitly named Israel, opting instead to target “human-rights violators,” but was nonetheless subjected to counter-lobbying by Zionist groups, who claimed the city council had been tricked by NOPSC. Shortly after passing the bill, the city council rescinded it.[15]

"Hate" of Renoir's art

Renoir is considered one of the most skilled and influential artists in history.[6][7] Geller hates Renior personally and dislikes his art.[16] He received pushback from Renoir's great-great-granddaughter, who said the fact that a Renior painting sold for $142.4 million means he did not "suck", and linked the Wikipedia article List of most expensive paintings .[17] [18] Geller organized an anti-Renoir gathering[19] which was criticized by Sebastian Smee, a Pulitzer prize-winning art critic.[20] A further anti-Renoir demonstration took place outside the Metropolitan Museum of New York and other locations.[5][21][22][23]

References
  1. "Leader Of 'Renoir Sucks' Movement Challenges Critic To A Duel To The Death". HuffPost. October 8, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  2. "Renoir Hater Is a Pro-Palestinian Activist". artnet News. October 8, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  3. "Northeastern University limits free speech". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  4. ""God hates Renoir": He sucks at painting, and this is why you should care". Salon.com. November 10, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  5. "Protesters Demand Metropolitan Museum Remove 19 Renoir Paintings". Hyperallergic. October 19, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  6. Distel, Anne; Renoir, Auguste (2010). Renoir. New York, NY: Abbeville Press Publ. ISBN 978-0-7892-1057-9.
  7. Gallery, Park West (September 10, 2018). "What Makes a Master Artist? Meet 7 Legendary Masters in Our New Video". Park West Gallery. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  8. Nathan-KazisNovember 7, Josh; Geller, 2015Courtesy of Max (November 7, 2015). "When Anti-Israel Activist Blasts Renoir, Media Sits Up and Takes Notice". The Forward. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  9. Shapiro, Lila (October 8, 2015). "Leader Of 'Renoir Sucks' Movement Challenges Critic To A Duel To The Death". HuffPost. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  10. "Canary Mission". canarymission.org. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  11. "Free Speech Debate Rekindled At Northeastern". On Campus | WGBH.org Blogs. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  12. "Mock eviction notices lead to suspension of NU's Students for Justice in Palestine". The Huntington News. March 14, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  13. "A War on Campus? Northeastern University Suspends Students for Justice in Palestine Chapter". Democracy Now!. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  14. Chávez, Aída (January 11, 2018). "New Orleans City Council Passes Measure Pushed By BDS Activists". The Intercept. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  15. Chávez, Aída (January 26, 2018). "New Orleans City Council Caves to Pressure From Jewish Groups, Rescinds Human Rights Resolution". The Intercept. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  16. "Leader Of 'Renoir Sucks' Movement Challenges Critic To A Duel To The Death". HuffPost. October 8, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  17. "Renoir Heir Strikes Back at Haters". artnet News. October 6, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  18. "Leader of 'Renoir Sucks' Movement Challenges Critic to a Duel to the Death". October 8, 2015.
  19. Gajanan, Mahita (October 6, 2015). "'Renoir sucks at painting' movement demands removal of artist's works". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  20. Smee, Sebastian. "Review | More and more people loathe Renoir. Is it time for a revival?". Washington Post. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  21. "Un Américain veut chasser Renoir des musées" (in French). October 16, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  22. Buchel, Madeline (January 19, 2016). "'Renoir Sucks' movement questions deeper meaning in fine art". The DePaulia. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  23. "The guy who hates Renoir comes to Chicago". WGN-TV. October 26, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
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