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BFA Schmeee-FA!
Okay class, get out your number 2 pencils and your blue books. This test
is essay.
What is art? More importantly, what makes art, art?
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Now I'm not going to answer this one for you, but I think it's time people
really sat down to think about this one. It's been all over in the media
lately. From the $220,000 two story high "Big Blue Shirt" on the walls of
General Mitchel airport's parking garage to "Yo Mama's Last Supper"
appearing in New York. (Note: Is this a rip off from the opening to
Goodtimes?) Art is the water cooler talk of late.
Everyone is getting twisted up and yelling and pointing fingers and
preaching about the first amendment and public funding for the arts and
blah, blah, blah. No one is asking the question, "What is art?" So I am.
Because that's the root of the issue. What is definable art and what is
hacksville crap? Hurm?.
"Art is in the eye of the beholder?" Well, that might have been a quip
from Arthur C. Clark while looking in the mirror, but either way, it
begins to define the problem at large. Who's looking at it and where is it
going? Should that matter? Is the Mona Lisa any less important in my attic?
Is it any less intriguing? The Cistine Chapel would certainly be less
influential if Michelangelo had painted his mural on the side of a van,
but does that make it less inspiring? Probably a bad example, but the
question is still there? Is it still art?
"Sweeney's 'Jesus Defecating on a Popsicle in Blue No. 12' is pure genius.
His painterly expressive beard is a sharp contrast to the angular
smoothness of the Popsicle stick. It harkens to the early Japonism of the
20(superscript: th) century. His tawdry use of blue is breathtaking..."
Now, lets think about that? as painful as it may be. Does the startling
emotional impact of the subject matter make it art? Or is it the fact that
I painted it , make it art? Now, this painting doesn't really exist, to
the disdain of many of you I know, but does that make it any less artful?
"Dogs Playing Poker" when painted on canvas is art, low brow as some may
find it. However, "Dogs Playing Poker" when printed on cotton makes it a
beach towel. (Does printing "Dogs Playing Poker" on a twenty foot by twenty
foot piece of velvet makes it a tapestry?)
Hold that thought?. Lets get back to the beholder issue. There are
basically two schools of thought for this arena ? in the public as well
as in the "art world." First, there are the "feelers." These are people
who generally use quotes when referring to "art." (As I just have? Despite
the fact I do it everywhere, I deplore the use.) Art is in quotes because
it is special. Art is elevated. Art can do no wrong. Art is pure
expression. Art is pronounced with an h. Art is art and art is art and
it's all about my "art" whether you get it or you don't. Hey Andy, that's
one hell of a big can of tomato soup. No, it's "Art."
As you may have guessed, the second group defines art rigorously. Edges,
rules, lines, subject matter, emotional impact, quality, style?. And most
importantly, Audience. Art is designed for a specific audience and the
subject matter is prepared accordingly. These individuals are usually
considered the less exciting "artistic types" and usually wind up working
in the "real world" somewhere, selling their "creative soul"for a
paycheck. Most recently you can find these individuals making a handsome
living working as web designers. (sigh)
Now, in the art community at large, despite the fact that these two types
disagree on "art", they get the inside joke about the quotes around it and
agree to disagree. They realize that they need each other. Without one, the
other is void. To be daring and to break all the rules, first you must have
a set of rules. To think out of the box, first you must have a box. To put
a big ass blue shirt on the side of a parking structure you first must
have balls of steel? Not for risking the questionability of your artistic
integrity. Not for risking affronting a community frightened of their own
blue collar heritage. No, you gotta have a set of charlies for first
trying to get it off Paul Bunyan's back!
Now, put down your pencils and talk amongst yourselves.
* Look for Mr. Sweeney's article "Particle Physics and Bob Ross" later
this week.
**The opinions expressed in Weekly Commentary are those of Mr. Sweeney and his alone. Any attempt at finding sanity or logic in his rantings are feeble, at best.
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