Where would the world be without art?

[mariacallas]

I don't want life to imitate art. I want life to be art.

 

[QuestionEverything]

I understand what your saying about a painting you are painting having meaning in it for you........yes totally but and I mean no offence........its not gunna have that meaning for anyone else unless of course you make them aware of it and then do the jedi mind trick stuff.........lol.

Paintings are cool, seriously and I really did like that one I picked out of the gallery........ I have a really special one here that was done with spray paint while I watched........cost me 20 bucks and was money well spent.

I think the part I dont understand is how you say your emotions are in your painting........I guess our brains just work differently.

If I was a painter and was angry then to display it I would take a can of black paint and chuck it on something.........preferrably the something that made me angry............but of course then i would be happy so I would need a can of yellow paint to make a smiley face........ thats about the extent of it for me.........lol, I dont see emotions in pictures, I just see a picture.

I think people do feel emotion from art, it may not be what I was feeling or put into it, but their interpretation of it. It's kinda like music IMO - those lyrics might mean something to the writer/singer, but then you listen and apply it to your own life, you may relate totally to what is being said and feel emotion, but it could be something completely different than the original emotion/thought behind it. Does that make any sense at all? lol

 

[rm-rf]

mazdan you come off as a walking, talking stereotype.

 

[Khadijah]

MazDan, you have a pretty ..uh.....weak arguement. youre basically asking "whats the point" and you can ask that about anything. Whats the point of playin a intstrument? Whats the point of painting your house in a way that is pleasant to you? What is the point of wearing anything but a burlap sack? What is the point of designing cars, if all they need is to go places? Why dont they just put metal box on wheels and call it a car? Why do we design anything? You aint makin a point, you askin a question that could apply to anything, and becuz its so totally general and not a arguement at all, it aint really sayin shit.

Why is it art that you take such a dislike/apathy to? You could EASILY make your arguement about seriously anything. So can you make it more specific related to visual arts/paintings? Or can you just repeat that you dont understand why anyone likes it, its a buncha donkey balls and anyone could take a shit on paper and it would be the same thing.

Youre basically saying paint +paper=a piece of crap. So...we get it. you dont like art. or, if you do, its a randomly selected jpeg cuz "it has a cool tree" in it or somethin like that.


So lemme ask you,

Do you listen to music?

Do you feel like music is something anyone can do, and is something that aint worth anything in value? Forget the money part, im sayin value as in, does it serve a purpose, at all?

Do you appreciate any kind of music?

Do you understand how music can express feelings?

Then how could you not understand this about art.

Im sure there must be at least one song in this whole world that you really like and means somethin to you personally.

If you can comprehend any of this about music you shouldnt be havin a issue w/art here.

There aint no difference.

At first it seemed like you just didnt understand or had your own personal tastes but now youre basically just bashing art and saying that any asshole can make a picture, and only retards would buy it, and bla bla bla.

That shit aint cool.

You can understand something without havin a personal taste for it you know. but to generalize and make everything that you dont care for "pointless" is just bein ig'nant.

Why would anyone want to look at the mona lisa?

Well maybe cuz it shows a outstanding mastery of using a brush to capture light and the contours of the face. Just TRY to re create that type of soft, gentle, but also amazingly detailed stroke with paints. Da Vinci was extremly skilled at using very light gentle lines/strokes to almost sculpt a face out of the paper and bring it into light. kind of working it into existence with just a charcoal or pen. you act like the ability to accurately render a human form on paper is on the level with pumping gas. But while that shit aint everything, by a long shot, it also is somethin that not too many people, even artists, are good at. there is alot more that goes into art other than "making a realistic portrayal of something." but that is the base that art grows out of and those skills aint some useless trick like the guy who is double jointed bein able to bend his leg in a funky direction.

While i respect that you might not feel the same way about the shit that the rest of us do, that aint no reason to go around yappin your mouth like its all one big piece of crap. And FYI, that pic you posted aint a painting, its a Photoshop, and by the looks of it, not a very good one. (No offense to whoever made the pic, but ima tell it like it is.) That type of shit takes about 15 minutes on a computer. graphic art is cool as hell and i do alot of it, but if you think that cut and pasting jpegs is better art than the mona lisa, then i understand why you dont "get" what were talkin about here.

 

[Belisarius]

^
Ditto.

For me, art is something you have to develop a taste for. Sometimes it comes on its own, and other times someone guides you, helping you to see a previously incomprehensible work in a new way.

For instance, one of Van Gogh's most famous paintings is called "Peasant's Shoes" (of course, the title isn't really English, but whatever...). It is literally a painting of worn peasant's shoes. At first, I saw it as just another still life, until I read that the painting is really meant to be a statement about work itself; the shoes are battered and worn by use, just as the wearer is presumably battered and worn. The meaning of the shoes switches from the quotidian to the profound. Admittedly, I didn't come to that on my own, but once they pointed it out to me, the meaning behind the work became clear as crystal.

Lacey brings up a good point about music. I've known people--indeed, I think we all know one or two people like this--who despise any music that isn't classical. It's like their music appreciation cuts off from the ragtime era forward. To each their own--yet, I can't help but feel that they're missing out on a huge range of possible experiences (and I consider listening to good music as much an experience as sex or a long walk) by not giving other genres a chance. For the record, I *do* like my share of classical music...

That's my two bits.

 

[doofqueen]

The world would be a really ugly, uninspiring and boring place without art. I love art so so so much. It's in my heart and soul ("art", drama, music etc) I just love it all. I have just switched over from a primary school teaching degree and am now doing a fine arts and teaching degree so i am learning how to be a highschool art teacher (amongst other things the degree will give me qualifications for)

I never pursued a career into it cos basically i thought my art sucked and wasnt good enough but i did a few art classes throughout my primary degree and got lots of encouragement from my 2nd art teacher who said that i have the passion and the eye for it. My work is monumental and powerful (i dont think so but i'm glad she said that) and i still have alot of learning to do so if my heart was in it i should switch.

I now am shit scared of teaching highschool students mainly because i will have to deal with half of them thinking art is a bludge and unimortant but hopefully i can connect with them and show my passion and instill it in them.... hope i can do it ... i really really hope i can.

I finally feel like i'm on the right life path and am so excited and over joyed that my life will now always be filled with colour and art. teaching it, looking at it, learning about it, making it and showing my passion to it to others - like WOW! seriously... I can't be unhappy about that!

I hate that the arts are so looked down upon especially in schools. I realise that maths and english are VERY important (and everyone knows my spelling and grammer sux - shutup! ) but i'm just more of a visual and creative type *shrugs* We all learn and love in different ways and creativity is important!

Don't diss the art folks... lots of love goes into it and makes the world so much more beautiful

mazdan - i'm really surprised to your responses in this thread....

 

[QuestionEverything]

I now am shit scared of teaching highschool students mainly because i will have to deal with half of them thinking art is a bludge and unimortant but hopefully i can connect with them and show my passion and instill it in them.... hope i can do it ... i really really hope i can.

I wouldn't think you'd have too much of that to deal with unless things work differently there than they do here. Art classes in high school are generally an elective which the student chooses to take. Of course you'll have the few who take it because they want an ''easy A''. Good luck either way.

 

[doofqueen]

Nah we have art all through highschool here while you can take it as an elective in later years.

 

[protovack]

I recently watched Kenneth Clarke's "Civilization" and it was really cool, how he looked at different art from throughout modern history and explained how it changed with the values of people from each era. And then at certain junctures, an artist would actually change "ahead of the people" and end up catalyzing a change in society.

I understand that art matters. I get it.

I just also happen to feel that my vaccines and running water are more important to me than any painting or song. Sorry, that's my choice, it may not be yours, get over it!

mazdan you come off as a walking, talking stereotype.

Well, WOOD, try to understand that people are different. I happen to agree with Maz Dan, that a painting does a poor job of making me feel a particular emotion. It's not the same for every person.

My problem with painting, and other structural forms of art is that it is a purely static thing. No matter how many times an art critic says a painting captures "movement", it does not move. But a musician can improvise. When you are at a concert, you have a direct line into that person's mind, soul, whatever. You're there.

Staring at a painting just doesn't do that. It may do other things, for other people, but not me

 

[MazDan]

I think people do feel emotion from art, it may not be what I was feeling or put into it, but their interpretation of it. It's kinda like music IMO - those lyrics might mean something to the writer/singer, but then you listen and apply it to your own life, you may relate totally to what is being said and feel emotion, but it could be something completely different than the original emotion/thought behind it. Does that make any sense at all? lol

Yes the analogy with the songs helps and does make sense.

 

[MazDan]

mazdan you come off as a walking, talking stereotype.

lol???????

what did I do?

I have an opinion but Im prepared to state it instead of just shutting up but I am also prepared to adapt my ideas if I am shown something that makes sense to me.

 

[MazDan]

MazDan, you have a pretty ..uh.....weak arguement. youre basically asking "whats the point" and you can ask that about anything. Whats the point of playin a intstrument? Whats the point of painting your house in a way that is pleasant to you? What is the point of wearing anything but a burlap sack? What is the point of designing cars, if all they need is to go places? Why dont they just put metal box on wheels and call it a car? Why do we design anything? You aint makin a point, you askin a question that could apply to anything, and becuz its so totally general and not a arguement at all, it aint really sayin shit.

Why is it art that you take such a dislike/apathy to? You could EASILY make your arguement about seriously anything. So can you make it more specific related to visual arts/paintings? Or can you just repeat that you dont understand why anyone likes it, its a buncha donkey balls and anyone could take a shit on paper and it would be the same thing.
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Lacey, I didnt bother reading past this and I have no plans to........your acting as if i am attacking you.......Im not.......Im trying to understand........help me......help me to see what you see..........If you bothered to read my posts you would know by now I DONT HATE ART.

 

[MazDan]

At first, I saw it as just another still life, until I read that the painting is really meant to be a statement about work itself.

This is what I was saying earlier..........just like me.......you didnt get it..........you didnt see the emotion.........it was just a painting...........then it was explained........thats fine but why shopuld a painting have to be explained......is it because it wasnt good enough in the beginning?.......I suspect so.

Im glad Im not the only person that doesnt understand.

 

[MazDan]

mazdan - i'm really surprised to your responses in this thread....

Yeah Im surprised at some of the responses in this thread as well......dont worry Im not hassled by it.........they is good people deep down......just need to help bring it out a bit.

 

[Khadijah]

Lacey, I didnt bother reading past this and I have no plans to........your acting as if i am attacking you.......Im not.......Im trying to understand........help me......help me to see what you see..........If you bothered to read my posts you would know by now I DONT HATE ART.

Dude, by saying that youre like a guy that walks around like "Those god damn no-job good for nothing negroes, always just sittin around usin up all the welfare money" and then saying, BUT IM NOT A RACIST! ONE OR TWO OF THEM ARE OK!

You say youll listen to someones point if they preseent one yet you say you aint gonna read what i posted. thas fine, i dont give a fuck but you are talkin and doin 2 different things.

 

[QuestionEverything]

Yes the analogy with the songs helps and does make sense.

There is hope after all!

 

[echo off]

the funny part is that each painting represents the time it was created during. Early art, such as the mona-lisa, had to be conservative, and in line with stringent religious boundries and guidelines, enforced by a government to maintain their authority. Artist's pushed these limits, but were forced to do so slowly. Whether this inspired changes in societies values, or the way other way around, I'm not sure.

As democracy became more powerful, barriers were removed, and freedom enjoyed. Thus abstract art starting becoming popular, although at first still based in reality (google 'art the scream''). if art does indeed guide societies values, then this new movement of completely abstract patterns could represent global enlightenment.

by the way, i'm really sorry i don't use the correct 'art' lingo

 

[MazDan]

Dude, by saying that youre like a guy that walks around like "Those god damn no-job good for nothing negroes, always just sittin around usin up all the welfare money" and then saying, BUT IM NOT A RACIST! ONE OR TWO OF THEM ARE OK!

You say youll listen to someones point if they preseent one yet you say you aint gonna read what i posted. thas fine, i dont give a fuck but you are talkin and doin 2 different things.

Lacey........I am only replying now because I happen to respect you..
I stopped reading because you were attacking me and making claims that I had written things that I had not......you also suggested I hated art......I thought i had made that perfectly clear.

I mean seriously lacey.......are you going to bother erading someones post if they are attacking you? Of course not.

I suggest that before you continue, you go back and have a read of what has been posted.

Maybe make some notes for yourself.




In the meantime for those who have been so kind to discuss this in an adult manner and offer some insight.........well I happenned to have a minor epihany the other day.........I was chatting with someone who asked me what his truck was worth..........my answer.....Its only worth what someone is prepared to pay you mate.

DING DING DING..........seriously, bells went off in my head..........the same applies to paintings...........hence if nobody was prepared to pay anymore than 20 bucks for the moning liza then thats all its worth.

Taking that concept further..........hence it is not for me to struggle to understand why a painting is worth so much...........but more to understand why so many people are prepared to pay so much...........and that is a question that probably cant be answered because everyones tastes are different.

Thanks again to everyone, I have learnt something and that is always a good thing.