Left this comment on "Thinking About Art"'s blog and record it here too

There's always too much fake mystique in the art world. It has long infected art making, has extended to art administration and continually metastasizes with every arising opportunity to replicate elitism and pretentiousness. Sorry, my attitude shows.
Anyway, I (an artist) curated a few small art exhibits some years back. Did so to exercise control over the context in which my own painting would be seen (a motive that I highly recommend). But since I knew the other artists I had selected as participants and had researched their work, I also had a chance to mold an installation that would (I hoped) reveal the strengths of each one as individuals as well as to design a presentation that made an appealing "ensemble" of the group. I consulted the other artists regarding meaning in their work. I also took some liberties in presenting their works, occasionally adopting ways they might not have chosen themselves. Overall, my impression was that the other artists were pleased with the result -- an important result when strong talents are put together.
Attempting to be true to the work selected ought to be the chief goal -- otherwise you are taking other people's things and attempting to mold their ideas into your own (curator's) image -- an ugly monomania all too common in exhibitions one sees.
In contrast, one hopefully chooses the works for the strengths of the artists' ideas so allowing those ideas to have their full sway only makes sense. Another obvious consideration, largely disregarded today, is to consider the audience one is trying to reach and to put something together for the spectator to enjoy. I personally long for a more humane idea of the exhibition -- something nearer in spirit to what one finds in museums -- whereby real people are welcomed into the process with works that they might actually care about -- as opposed to the "let's shock" idea that descended long ago and made art jaded and BORING. That's my bee and my bonnet. Best wishes. Oh, PS, I'm all for genuine "mystique" in art. But it is very rare and wonderful. The fake is there to fill the void felt in the absence of the real.