What is art?

[Thalassa]

All started with Picasso and the movement away from the real. However, even in the real, art has been grotesque. Re-creation to the core. You relish in the sadness of death. Problem?

Art depicts everything conceivable. You may as well whine about whining. Why are you whining? You are lamenting? Now you know. You spread your message like an artist, but in my eyes lacking beauty and complexity. Be angry at me and know pain, know the pain of an artist in the midst of his critics.

Oh, but you think there is a cause to the feeling of misfortune? You think times are a'changing? They may appear to be, but pain whipped us away from anything that could cause us harm the minute nerve endings were invented.

Why not start a thread about society's sorrow and stop beating around the bush?

I want to this on weheartit or press a favorite button. There isn't even a LiveJournal "memory" feature.

 

[Ginkgo]

Depiction of war and bloodshed is a tradition older than written word. Egyptian hieroglyphics are violent, surreal, and anthropomorphize death. Hades was death incarnate. Hades take this thread.

 

[Viridian]

I'm with those who say art is subjective, since I think that aesthetics is something more flexible than a lot of people think and that it is only a part of the artistic experience.

Those artists who were considered the greatest of the modern age were the ones who challenged the perceived boundaries of their medium and of art itself. Picasso toyed with the canvas' two-dimensional aspect by blending different perspectives. Van Gogh used bright colors and brief strokes to portray a world he saw as beautiful. Dali based his surreal paintings on Freud's theory about the unconscious, trying to reach something raw and primal within his phyche.

That said, I have a strong urge to kick anyone who uses the word "kitsch" in the shins. Can't we all get along? ;_;

 

[Mole]

Art is the suspension of disbelief. And when we say a piece of art works, what we mean is that this work of art has succeded in suspending our disbelief.

And how we love to have our disbelief suspended. Suspended by the movies, suspended by television, and yes, suspended by the telephone, and even suspended by a book. But most of all, we like to have our disbelief suspended by God.

 

[Patches]

Hipster Panda rejects your mainstream opinions of art. That is, until rejecting mainstream art gets mainstream.

 

[Thalassa]

There's something that fills me with infinite glee when an ISTJ tells an ENFP they have mainstream notions of art. This should serve to dispel some lame stereotypes.

*hugs Hipster Panda inappropriately*

 

[Thalassa]

I can avoid making crude statements but..... what does it take to put out something as simple as what you see?

?

I'm all about crude statements. I r confuze.

I just meant to not assume that matchy-matchy bathrooms was the SJ idea of aesthetics. Apparently we misunderstood one another.

 

[Ginkgo]

OMNOMNOMNOM

 

[Patches]

OMNOMNOMNOM

God, modern art IS grotesque.

(See what I did there? I was being ironic. Because that's how I roll.)

 

[Ginkgo]

God, modern art IS grotesque.

(See what I did there? I was being ironic. Because that's how I roll.)

"Vote" for Patches.

 

[Rail Tracer]

?

I'm all about crude statements. I r confuze.

I just meant to not assume that matchy-matchy bathrooms was the SJ idea of aesthetics. Apparently we misunderstood one another.

My bad. Toilet seat covers still stand

 

[gromit]

why isn't art beautiful anymore? why are modern artists so indulging of the grotesque, the ordinary and the base? why is art no longer used to inspire to a higher ideal, beauty, or motivation? has art become an expression of shame or hopelessness?

What is ordinary can be beautiful. Stunningly so. Perhaps more than lofty, fancy, elaborate things.

 

[ajblaise]

Arguably there's more quality deep introspective art in the world being produced right now than ever. I think it's true.

It's only that unless you actually try and seek it, most of the art you see will be part of a marketing campaign somewhere, designed for the lowest common denominator. It's great for 14 year olds and dumb 40 years olds, and to make money, but just because paintings, abstract art, sculpting, romanticism, expressionist, post modern etc... hold an extremely small market compared to just a couple artists on the Top 40 doesn't mean it's not out there.

Back in the day when there wasn't electricity and mass communication, the popular art had to deep because there wasn't as much to do in your leisure time, or as much of it. Today's Michelangelo no one would notice.

 

[Ginkgo]

 

[Rail Tracer]

Arguably there's more quality deep introspective art in the world being produced right now than ever. I think it's true.

It's only that unless you actually try and seek it, most of the art you see will be part of a marketing campaign somewhere, designed for the lowest common denominator. It's great for 14 year olds and dumb 40 years olds, and to make money, but just because paintings, abstract art, sculpting, romanticism, expressionist, post modern etc... hold an extremely small market compared to just a couple artists on the Top 40 doesn't mean it's not out there.

Back in the day when there wasn't electricity and mass communication, the popular art had to deep because there wasn't as much to do in your leisure time, or as much of it. Today's Michelangelo no one would notice.

If people are desperate for those type of art, heading to a local museum of sorts or a gallery showcasing an artist works is an ideal setting. While it isn't as grand as the Sistine Chapel, it still warrants a lot of awe considering how some things like blowing glass sculptures can take a lifetime to fully master. I was required to see Dale Chihuly's work when his gallery was at S.F.. And really, to say something like this sounds easy or not as inspiring as the old ages is to truly not know how long some of these things can take.

If art has served its purpose, it has served its purpose. Whether to the few or to the crowd. If art was directed towards children, it has served its purpose. If it was directed towards the crowd, it has served its purpose. If it was directed towards the "elites" it has served its purpose. If it was made to inspire, it has served its purpose. Take that cross up there for example, it looks like a "t" what is so special about it? It has meaning. Otherwise, it looks like the letter "t".

 

[Mole]

Do you find me plausible - am I a work of art?

All art is a lie.

For instance, the art of drawing or photography collapses three dimensions into two. Of course this is a very clever lie, but a lie nonetheless.

And the only thing that matters with a lie is whether it is plausible or implausible.

I always ask a pretty girl, "Would I lie to you?". And then I reply to my own question by saying, "Only if I could get away with it". In other words, is my lie to a pretty girl, plausible or implausible? And of course it is all in the eye of the beholder - does she believe my lie - is my lie plausible. And if it is plausible, then my lie is art.

And in the same way all religion is a lie - a lie that is plausible to some and implausible to others. Some us find Ganesh, the elephant headed God, implausible; and others find the Trinity implausible. But a billion Hindus find the Hindu Gods plausible, and about a billion Christians find the Trinity plausible.

But always remember, and never forget, that propaganda is neither true nor false, but only plausible or implausible.

So let me ask you, face to face, eyeball to eyeball, do you find me plausible?

 

[Elfboy]

All art is a lie.

For instance, the art of drawing or photography collapses three dimensions into two. Of course this is a very clever lie, but a lie nonetheless.

And the only thing that matters with a lie is whether it is plausible or implausible.

I always ask a pretty girl, "Would I lie to you?". And then I reply to my own question by saying, "Only if I could get away with it". In other words, is my lie to a pretty girl, plausible or implausible? And of course it is all in the eye of the beholder - does she believe my lie - is my lie plausible. And if it is plausible, then my lie is art.

And in the same way all religion is a lie - a lie that is plausible to some and implausible to others. Some us find Ganesh, the elephant headed God, implausible; and others find the Trinity implausible. But a billion Hindus find the Hindu Gods plausible, and about a billion Christians find the Trinity plausible.

But always remember, and never forget, that propaganda is neither true nor false, but only plausible or implausible.

So let me ask you, face to face, eyeball to eyeball, do you find me plausible?

you're such a Ti user

 

[Southern Kross]

I think modern culture in general has become too clever, contemptuous and self-referential. Everything is an in-joke of an in-joke; parody of parody; abstract of abstract. Its all become too conceptual and smug. There needs to be more purity and less intellectualism. That said, I worked in a photo gallery/digital printing studio for a year - I saw a lot of 'artwork' that was too pretty-pretty and lacked complexity and artistic vision. That isn't much better.

 

[Thursday]

Art is what opens up possibilities. It is both indirect and spot-on. Art is also a reflection of the artist's experiences and generation. If art is done right, it cannot be replicated.

 

[Viridian]

I think modern culture in general has become too clever, contemptuous and self-referential. Everything is an in-joke of an in-joke; parody of parody; abstract of abstract. Its all become too conceptual and smug. There needs to be more purity and less intellectualism. That said, I worked in a photo gallery/digital printing studio for a year - I saw a lot of 'artwork' that was too pretty-pretty and lacked complexity and artistic vision. That isn't much better.

So modern art has been infected with hipster-dom?