I must confess ... art sometimes confuses me

[bristol scout]

Originally Posted by Terrencejones

For me art starts with the eye. If it holds no aesthetic appeal I delve no further. I put a frame around of what is and what isn't art in much the same way a painting is framed. I believe we are naturally conditioned that way and no amount of unmade beds or throwing feces at statues will ever change that.
Take the frame away and you are lost. Creative ability, skill, talent and effort are important to me and after spendng some 40 years or so pursuing those things I reserve the right to say £$*! off to those so called works of art that make a mockery of that.

Terry

VERY true---I am with you Terry.

"if what happens when you open your mouth is anything like when you open your paintbox we'd all be drenched in phlegm"

OR

"Damn silly george, looks more like a pair of socks and a stick of pineapple to me"


Dave.

[Ricardo Reis]

"Art" is only pleasantness then? Or pleasantness is an imperative in Art?

And also, would you reckon that your appreciation of something, the "meets the eye" is dependent on your past experiences and the amount of knowledge you have (or don't have) about it?

[bristol scout]

Originally Posted by Ricardo Reis

"Art" is only pleasantness then? Or pleasantness is an imperative in Art?

And also, would you reckon that your appreciation of something, the "meets the eye" is dependent on your past experiences and the amount of knowledge you have (or don't have) about it?

Art should either be pleasing to the eye or tell a story (I don't claim the two are mutually exclusive) or excite ones imagination or make the heart beat a bit faster (like poetry).

Of course it can be helpful (most) to 'know a bit about the story' often (a picture is seldom worth a thousand words I feel.) Take the Bayeaux Tapestry for instance, it helps to know what it's all about (or read Latin)

But a lot (most of) of 'impressionist' and so called 'modern art' is rubbish (for me-you understand) because (for me) it does none of the above things.

This may be serious failings in me personally --or just a failure to see the beauty and aesthetics of these paintings---or indeed it may be that they are trash, and I was right all along

Dave. I also went to Art School here in Newcastle 40+ years ago ......not that that means anything either.

Dave.

[rexee]

Art and art activities are lumped together with the handiwork of our modern tailor shops and fashion industries.And to be sure following the maxim:every year something new.One day Impressionism,then Futurism,Cubism,maybe even Dadaism,etc.A further result is that even for the most insane and inane monstrosities thousands of catchwords to label them will have to be found,and have indeed been found.If it weren't so sad in one sense,it would almost be a lot of fun to list the slogans and cliches which the so -called "art initiates" have described and explained their wretched product in recent years
These concepts are neither old nor modern,but are only artifactitious stammerings of Men to whom God has denied the grace of a truly artistic talent and in its place has awarded them the gift of jabbering or deception
"Works of art" which cannot be understood in themselves but for the justification of their existence,need those bombastic instructions for their use,finally reaching that intimidated soul who is patiently willing to accept such stupid or impertinent nonsense
The eye shows things differently to certain human beings than the way they
really are,that is that there really are men who see the present population of our nation only as rotten cretins who,on principle see meadows blue,skies green clouds sulphur yellow and so on or, as they say," experience" them as such
All these dumb mendacious excuses,this claptrap or jabbering will no longer be excepted as excuses or even recommendations for worthless or integrally unskilled products

[bristol scout]

I suppose what it boils down to ---for me--is this,
I can see the beauty in a sunset, in a bird in flight, in the poets big heart, in the sweep of a Viking ship breasting the waves, in a mona lisa, in a Parthenon or any of the things like that---you know, what I mean.

Those things, and all the things like them are wonderous works of real and timeless beauty----they took immense skill and a superb 'eye' to accomplish and a beautiful 'soul' to imagine in the first place.

The rest---well, a baby let loose with some paints could do as much- wheres the 'humanity' in that--no skill, no wonder no 'soul' no magic....

OK OK i'll shut up

Dave.

[Terrencejones]

I think there is enough unpleasantness in the world without adding to it and calling it art. Some so called art is simply designed to offend , what is the value in that apart from gaining a bit of notoriety?
Anyone can appreciate art regardless of past experience or amount of knowledge.Therein lies the problem, those talentless morons who insist they know better. They turn a decent and worthwhile thing into a world of confusion and elitism. It was a sad day when those words were first uttered "I don't know art but I know what I like." It should have been "I know art and that isn't it!"

Terry

[Ricardo Reis]

Darn Impressionists! Kill Monet and his ilk! The bastards... only trying to offend the Bourgeois...

I, for instance, am happy I can derive pleasure from what pleases (me) and am glad some stuff doesn't pleases me but makes me think hard. Think, for instance, why I don't like what I don't like. And, once in a while, I find that what gave made my eyebrow go up one day is what makes me smile the other day. Another times I find it's important not be pleased. So things shouldn't go on as they are. What does it adds to the equation of life, that's my motive.

My main interest lies in sound and radio. And I find myself liking stuff I wouldn't like some years ago. And unable to derive much pleasure from other things I was really into some years ago also. Because they are not challenging anymore. What's the difference besides life experience and gained knowledge? Once there was ugliness and then I found beauty. Happens sometimes. Too everyone, me thinks. Growing process, me thinks.

best,

[rexee]

Originally Posted by rexee

Art and art activities are lumped together with the handiwork of our modern tailor shops and fashion industries.And to be sure following the maxim:every year something new.One day Impressionism,then Futurism,Cubism,maybe even Dadaism,etc.A further result is that even for the most insane and inane monstrosities thousands of catchwords to label them will have to be found,and have indeed been found.If it weren't so sad in one sense,it would almost be a lot of fun to list the slogans and cliches which the so -called "art initiates" have described and explained their wretched product in recent years
These concepts are neither old nor modern,but are only artifactitious stammerings of Men to whom God has denied the grace of a truly artistic talent and in its place has awarded them the gift of jabbering or deception
"Works of art" which cannot be understood in themselves but for the justification of their existence,need those bombastic instructions for their use,finally reaching that intimidated soul who is patiently willing to accept such stupid or impertinent nonsense
The eye shows things differently to certain human beings than the way they
really are,that is that there really are men who see the present population of our nation only as rotten cretins who,on principle see meadows blue,skies green clouds sulphur yellow and so on or, as they say," experience" them as such
All these dumb mendacious excuses,this claptrap or jabbering will no longer be excepted as excuses or even recommendations for worthless or integrally unskilled products

Okay,I admit it,I didn't pen these words,I stole them from another"artist"
[and you guys fancy yourselves "historians" shame on the bunch of you!]

Rexee

[Terrencejones]

Originally Posted by rexee

Art and art activities are lumped together with the handiwork of our modern tailor shops and fashion industries.And to be sure following the maxim:every year something new.One day Impressionism,then Futurism,Cubism,maybe even Dadaism,etc.A further result is that even for the most insane and inane monstrosities thousands of catchwords to label them will have to be found,and have indeed been found.If it weren't so sad in one sense,it would almost be a lot of fun to list the slogans and cliches which the so -called "art initiates" have described and explained their wretched product in recent years
These concepts are neither old nor modern,but are only artifactitious stammerings of Men to whom God has denied the grace of a truly artistic talent and in its place has awarded them the gift of jabbering or deception
"Works of art" which cannot be understood in themselves but for the justification of their existence,need those bombastic instructions for their use,finally reaching that intimidated soul who is patiently willing to accept such stupid or impertinent nonsense
The eye shows things differently to certain human beings than the way they
really are,that is that there really are men who see the present population of our nation only as rotten cretins who,on principle see meadows blue,skies green clouds sulphur yellow and so on or, as they say," experience" them as such
All these dumb mendacious excuses,this claptrap or jabbering will no longer be excepted as excuses or even recommendations for worthless or integrally unskilled products

Wow Rexee! I dont think anyone could put it better than that!

Thought we had awoken the giant in you there Rexee. Still, they are great words though.

[Russell Smith]

The past century of art has been a period in which the strange, novel and outrageous have been elevated for their own sake. The defining questions of “greatness” in art have been “has it ever been done before,” “Is it totally original” and “does it expand the definition of art?” Modernsim has attempted to eliminate the rules and boundaries of more traditional styles and asks the question ad nauseum: what is art? It has become intellectually chic to think that art has no boundaries, and thus anything and everything is art. The problem with that is without some definition, there is no art - in other words, if everything is art then nothing is art. Ironic, isn't it?

Modernism has not expanded the definition of art. What it has done is attempt to destroy art by creating works that represent this destruction, and then called these works the thing that they have destroyed - i.e. works of art.