Meaningful Art in a Meaningful Universe: the Fallacies of Abstractionist Ideology

Art Renewal Center ^ | FR Post 4 July 2005 | Frederick Turner

[x]

Most "art" of whatever school is wretched. It takes skill, talent, and effort to produce something of lasting value. Not every artist can do it. It's easy now to take shots at abstract or "modern" or conceptual artists and their worthlessness.

If we didn't have them around, people would still be sniping at untalented and unimaginative academic artists as they were a century ago. Kudos to artists who go back to the old ways and media, but that's no panacea, either.

[taxed2death]

Check out Craig Frasier from Air Syndicate.....Juxtapose magazine is worth a look too.

[Jack Black]

I'm not a fan of modern sculpture, with a few exceptions. Calder and Smith for instance. But I fine the paintings of Kline, Pollack and Rothko wonderful.

[PGalt]

Bump.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"I'm not a fan of modern sculpture, with a few exceptions."

I like the ink blot concept, and water colors. I can see all kinds of shapes in mountainsides, for example. Maybe we're on the same wavelength. But the NEA, with it's 'Piss Christ', etc, should be funded in the private sector. Sure you agree.

[Blind Eye Jones]

Howdi Republicanprofessor! I remember talking to you before on new art and I was mentioning animation... I think the new art form will be taking animation to a very high level. They will animate actors with such life like qualities that you would think they were actually filmed. You remember the problem in art between the real work and the forgery. That dilemma will apply to film where a panel of experts can't tell difference between the real movie and the animated forgery. For example, two showings of Casablanca but one is an animated forgery... but who can tell? They look and sound identical!

[Republicanprofessor]

I was thinking about this while watching Nemo last night. I do think that some of the most amazing art is in animation, because animation allows the imagination to create some wonderful creatures (like Shrek) and equally stunning special effects.

I don't necessarily think the future will be in animated human movies, (but who can say). I think it might be a wide range of "abstract" animation, if you will.

I mean, what has been more exiting lately: the NYC exhibitions, like the Whitney Biennial, or the animated movies like Toy Story, Shrek, Finding Nemo, etc., etc.? I can't even think of a "great" artist who showed in the Whitney, but millions saw those movies, and (moreover) have them at home to watch again and again.

[Blind Eye Jones]

There is the animation of Shrek, Nemo, etc., and the exhibits in NY. If art is dead to a lot of people and doesn't really speak to them then maybe the museums are really mausoleums. Art has left the stream of life and has nothing to teach mankind. If art is a 'sleeping beauty' who is dead to the modern world we either need a Prince Charming to awake her or one of the seven dwarfs to put her to final rest -- a mercy killing! Perhaps Art terrorists (sponsored by an international league of curators) will destroy all art in the world as an act of euthanasia. There is greater dignity in dying a noble death than hanging forever on a wall. I mean the Mona Lisa probably feels like a tart who's smile is constantly being touched up, the David feels that anybody his age that has a great body like his is unnatural, the thinker can't even remember his last thought, let alone his name... yes, they have to go and are willing to go!

[Blind Eye Jones]

Incidentally, the curator who is the mastermind of destroying all art in the world (the 9/11 of the art world) is Sir Tumble Merry Mound.

[fish hawk]

I bought an Abs-tract recently and I've lost 10 pounds and went down a waist size. Abs-tract is a good thing.