Does the tail wag the dog?

I was very surprised to find that Chester's flag and ears had got the chop. A pudding bowl haircut, his tail with wedges cut in it and his ears with wedged layers. As a springer spaniel, I'm sure he isn't too concerned with his looks but it will be while before I think he's as pretty as he was. It's not about looks though - a dog's tail provides balance and hair can warn of obstacles, so it's more about his effectiveness as a gun dog. He doesn't go hunting much these days but he does chase the pheasants resident in the nature reserve nearby (they are used to being roused) and I hope his enthusiasm for springing around hadn't been dampened.

Jeremy Deller, http://sacrilege2012.co.uk

I was asked recently what exhibition I had seen and what I thought of it. Normally a very sociable question, this was an interview situation, and although the question was reasonable it made me squirm. I hadn't been out the door recently, and Jeremy Deller's Sacrilege came to mind. It even came to Southend On Sea, three miles away from where I live, and I didn't go out the door to see it. I didn't see the Olympic Stadium, or Frieze Projects East...

Anthea Hamilton and Nicholas Byrne
Love
Location: Poplar Baths, E14 0EH

which I thought were great fun. Maybe more adult in content, these inflatables were less populist and more informed by everything else. I didn't see those either. Darn.

Deller's touring project has been well documented - 'offer your images to the gods' - he has linked a flickr account so it's the shared experience of "hey, there's me in this whole great experience." I understand that 'reach' is really important - getting those who do not normally participate in the arts to enjoy an art experience, and I do see the enrichment of a shared cultural experience (etc etc) but what do we need to do to obtain that reach? Providing a shared experience with social media platforms - Deller may be bringing the mountain to Mohammed with his list of tour dates and mystically-flavoured website. Does the tail wag the dog?