Editorial: The State of the "Art" - Part One

[Clint DeBoer]

Toby Dalsgaard addresses the recent infestation of "art" into our society through the toolsets that now turn just about anyone into a self-proclaimed "artiste".

What happened to the days when talent determined who was an artist? This isn't just paintings and sculptures, either... Have budgets, time constraints and general laziness affected the way people perceive artwork and lowered overall expectations in the marketplace? This article is Part One of a short series designed to tackle this topic and examine why we appear to be headed towards an apathetic acceptance of bad art.

Read the Editorial

[duff]

Good article. *It reminds me of another one written by Conrad Keely of ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. *Apparently he dabbles in the visual arts as well as being part of this fine rock band. *But that's another story.

Check out his quick "Abstract Art is * S h i t" article. *Since it's just one long (and outdated) news/blog page, you'll have to scroll down just a bit to find it.

(The May 7th, 2003 post)

[Phaedrus]

A pointless diatribe. Perhaps he's counting on the same phenomenon to inure us to the apathetic acceptance of bad writing.  There's an unfortunate tendency in the same sad modern world for every disenfranchised malcontent with internet access to fancy themself a critic.  It's truly sad.

There may be a surfeit of bad art, but adding to that with bad criticism is hardly constructive.  Popular art by it's very nature is bad:  as evidence, just look at the work of Andy Warhol.  A mediocre "talent" at best, yet he became an icon by pandering to the LCD (lowest common denominator) and bamboozling the pretentious critics of the day.  Modern populist art is certainly no worst that that.

The whole article smacks of elitism, and perhaps a bit of envy.  In a world full or war, government corruption, media overkill and information overload, is mediocre art really the direst threat we face?

Toby Dalsgaard, go see a movie.  Preferably something starring "The Rock."  Have a good time, take a deep breath, then get over yourself.

Cordially,

P

[steve]

I see this in almost every aspect of my daily dealings. *The same can be said about Engineers in this country. *Too many times, I see the Aerospace Industry, for example, make compromises that had they done a bit more thought, would not have resulted. *Need I state, the space shuttle or the Comanche helicopter as a prime example? Go back in the old days where the SR71 Blackbird was designed, built and tested without a computer, or calculator, or solid model.  It was designed by hand using a slide ruler.  Thus far, we have yet to create another production plan of its kind.

As for artists, they, like most Americans and the world, have become too wrapped up in TV, money and life. *The days of artists working on master piece after master piece is over. *No one to this day, has replicated a canvas that comes close to Divinci or other famouse old world artists. *Instead, they splot some colors on a canvas and call it abstract, then get back to TV, or skiing, or going to work.

Simple fact we must deal with. *Even as art, and entertainment, and engineering seems to go down hill, so do our expectations. *When are expectations go down, artists do less work to please us. *Same with the cable industry. *For too long, no one really investigated the claims of the snake oil companies. *They preyed upon this industry for far too long and most people believed it because they didn't have the time or knowledge to question it. *Now look what a great deal of effort has done.

Very interesting thread.

[Rob Babcock]

I bet he'd really love these paintings then! audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':laugh:'>

[Clint DeBoer]

Who? Toby or Phaedrus?  

[gene]

Phaedrus ;

Perhaps telling Toby to

Quote

go see a movie...

isn't such a great idea after you realize his viewpoints on "I hate the movies.."  

[A. Vivaldi]

I think the state of abstract or contemporary art such as sculpture, painting, etc., is a lot better off today than the state of the musical arts, other than the media forced pop/culture aspect. All one has to do is look at a painting and they can get it's full impact and meaning in a matter of seconds, and decide whether they like it or hate it, and move on. With many Classical/Jazz works, you have to sit there for anywhere from 15 min to four hours to get it's full emotional impact, and sometimes you have to hear it three or four times before it really grows on you! Not to many people are willing to do that in todays age of anxiety. That's one of the reasons why many Classical/Jazz radio stations are disappearing, and why I attend performances to half empty houses.

[A. Vivaldi]

"There may be a surfeit of bad art, but adding to that with bad criticism is hardly constructive. *Popular art by it's very nature is bad: *as evidence, just look at the work of Andy Warhol. *A mediocre "talent" at best, yet he became an icon by pandering to the LCD (lowest common denominator) and bamboozling the pretentious critics of the day. *Modern populist art is certainly no worst that that.

The whole article smacks of elitism, and perhaps a bit of envy. *In a world full or war, government corruption, media overkill and information overload, is mediocre art really the direst threat we face?

Toby Dalsgaard, go see a movie. *Preferably something starring "The Rock." *Have a good time, take a deep breath, then get over yourself."

Cordially,


Hey, I like Toby! He hates stupid people and worthless crap just like I do. As a matter of fact, his movie story sounds exactly like something I would've wrote. Toby and I would make excellent critics. Why? Because we hate everything! Anyway, so what's your definition of good criticism? To have a bunch of pretentious, meaningless words at your disposal*that basically say, "He's a really nice guy, he should try harder"? I agree with you that there are far more important things to worry about, but I can't always worry about what dumb people do. You can't legislate stupidity or morality, and why is it always so bad to be an elitist nowadays? Should we all hold the same commoner type attitudes and standards? A kind of artistic communism? Did it ever occur to you that some people might be elitist in thought and taste by nature, and not because their some kind of perceived wanna-bes? That is how great and memorable works of worth get created. Being an elitist doesn't have to mean your a intellectual snob, but someone who cares deeply for culture, arts, and humanity, and to make a stand against those who would erode it.

[mustang_steve]

I think abstract/contemporary art is just an artifact of our society losing their determination, their drive. *Instead of wanting to do things, they want something quick and now, even if it's a lesser product.

My *theory proves itself when you look at how fast food restaurants outnumber proper restaurants in most citites, how men's warehouse is doing better than many tailor shops that often make a better product for the same cash, and how almost every fast food restaurant has a drive-through now....so you can get your processed excuse for food 3 minutes faster than you could 20 years ago.

I *appreciate the older artworks far more than this modern stuff. *Some of the abstract is nice, but most of the new stuff I see is horrible. *Considering the past four years I lived with no less than one and no more than 2 of my 3 roomates being artists, a good half of them being modern artists....and that stuff made me shake my head.

It's not as much the emotion, but the lack of range they show that is disheartening...it seems all these modern works catch is one specific emotion, but it loses all it's feel in the process....

oh, and I'm sick of every artist plus dog trying to be "dark". *It gets *old quick. *If I see one more abstract painting about "the bad things that happened to me"....I'm going to have to go off....worst is almsot every dark painting is about love....the creativity dept needs more cowbell.

Really, I wish these art schools would be far more selective, and base things on skill. *Writers don't make it to writing school if their writing style sucks, and I have never seen any writing school make up an "abstract literature" category for these people....maybe art needs to take a few cues from teh literature folks.

Same goes for musicians....we need less pop, and more originality. *Hearing the same riffs and beats over and over in the "modern rock" songs I hear on the radio makes me sick.