From: Olga Bourlin (fauxever@sprynet.com)
Date: Mon May 20 2002 - 03:04:21 MDT
Olga Bourlin
From: "Samantha Atkins" <samantha@objectent.com>
> Portraying the heroic or more broadly the best in humanity in
> art would generally be a wonderful thing. We don't get enough
> of that.
In my remarks below, for the sake of simplification - I am not including
carvings, photography, moviemaking, documentaries (and all others forms of
art ...).
Within our species, I suspect the majority of heroic incidents happen subtly
and quietly, rather than the
all-out-conking-you-on-the-head-Baby-Jane-makeup variety ... (i.e., one
needn't shout or exaggerate for the effect, expecially when one is drawing a
picture for posterity).
I'm not certain we don't already have enough art portraying the best of
humanity, however. I'm not certain we don't have enough art period. Don't
get me wrong - I love art (the walls of my condo are not walls - they're my
art projects in various stages of completion). But when you come down to
it, what has fingerpainting ever done for humanity? In a variation on the
pen/sword mightiness question, my vote weighs in heavily on the pen ...
rather than the paintbrush.
There are exceptions. Without a doubt, Leonardo da Vinci was a rare talent
(and unwittingly, through his art, overthrew or inspired a host of societal
innovations, such as paving the way for Western Europeans, at least, to be
able to study of the human body). In da Vinci's case, his art deserved to
be called capital-A "Art." But Picasso? What a pipsqueak! Guernica
notwithstanding (it is fine, if you like cartoons), Picasso was a slob of a
man, and his art reflected all that he was "inside" ... i.e., he was one of
the world's greatest scam artists!
At least Andy Warhol was more honest. He made fun of art and its supposed
"importance," and for that ... people threw money at him! (lots and lots of
$$$$$, which he invested in a collection of cookie jars and other assorted
tschatchkes).
IMHO, art is a wonderful way of expressing one's creativity. It's fun.
It's great and relaxing therapy - great for unwinding. But mostly it's a
playtime activity - no more and no less.
Olga
Olga
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Nov 02 2002 - 09:14:13 MST