Art does not have to translate into value, money, worth. It's defined by space-time and it's uniqueness gives it a role! Art is about roles and meaning, nit necessarily excellence, value, beauty. That's the thing about art it is totally subjective, while at the same time it is not something very objective. Art is not an object, but rather a fleeting expression of something that gives meaning and has a role, be it frequently small!
One can say a museum or art gallery should have standards, and then impose them. That is not to say, however, that any given acquisition is not art in the broad sense of the word. It would be quite sad not to have the ugly to compare beauty against. We need bad art as well as good art. We need to make comparisons. We need galleries full of stuff we don't particularly like, because that adds to our identification of who and what we are. Indeed, we also need tolerance of bad art so that we can point to a more refined direction in which the artist might be attracted!
Fact is, we are attracted to light. Art is like a light that draws us towards enlightenment. That this may not be excellence or beauty is interesting! We need also to understand why some people are drawn towards darkness and ugliness.
People often will say that a piece of art looks like junk. Denny Coates says that art can be divided into the groups of art and sham art.
I don't like to always be a contrarian, but, perhaps, it's not so easy as Denny makes out, and that's the whole point.
I don't appreciate Denny's vantage point because it seems to me to follow a utilitarian view concerning art.
No art that you don't like is just that. It just is! You may think a line drawn in the sand is not art, but that's only your viewpoint given you are inside your brain viewing it with your eyes. The same line to another being whether human or not may have meaning.
And, that's where I am going with this! Art is something that conveys meaning. Art is a medium of communication and interaction with the dimensions to which we belong.
So sorry, Denny, what is crap to you may have little utility, but to another sentient being be full of meaning! A worms meal, perhaps, or a fly's dinner!
 DennyCoates (@DennyCoates)22/07/2011 10:19 AM Ever stood in front of museum "art" and thought a grade-schooler could have done as well? Story... http://t.co/IF4sq9d #culture |