The Art Thread

[Xann]

1 hour ago, A'Villan said:

What is that, @Xann? What am I looking at and what's it meant to portray?

It's not deep, its grotesque. Reflecting decisions being made by the Trump administration at the time.

Quote

 

Disney World Opens Its Gates, With Virus Numbers Rising

Thousands of giddy visitors streamed into the Florida resort, as Disney tried to prove it can safely operate at a highly dangerous time.

 

New York Times, 20th July

[AvonVillain]

Fellow Villa Talk-ers

I’m currently working on a project about modern art, and I wonder if you might have an opinion on the current state of modern art and art in general. What ‘is’ art? What makes ‘good’ art? Do you have to have a certain amount of skill to create art?

Is a dead shark art? Is an unmade bed art? Is a vase art? Is a banana duct-taped to a wall art?

I would love to know your thoughts.

[mjmooney]

12 minutes ago, AvonVillain said:

Fellow Villa Talk-ers

 

I’m currently working on a project about modern art, and I wonder if you might have an opinion on the current state of modern art and art in general. What ‘is’ art? What makes ‘good’ art? Do you have to have a certain amount of skill to create art?

 

Is a dead shark art? Is an unmade bed art? Is a vase art? Is a banana duct-taped to a wall art?

 

I would love to know your thoughts.

 

Anything that a human has created with the intent to evoke some sort of emotional or intellectual response from its audience. 

[bielesibub]

I'd sum art up by saying - one mans rubbish is another mans treasure. 

Someone could spend months making a bedroom untidy, at the end of the day it's just an untidy bedroom. Likewise a dead shark is still a dead shark. In modern times, someone spends weeks painting a landscape, where they could have taken a picture and spent the rest of the time tidying their bedroom - now thats an art! 

I like what I like and love computer game box art, arcade machines, pinball (I owned a Silverball Mania table just because I liked the art) - I am a geek. I think I quite like Takashi Murakami works.

[chrisp65]

If someone says it’s art, then it’s art.

You might not like it, a specific piece might not be very good by most metrics, but it’s art.

Personally, currently, I absolutely love the work of Grayson Perry. I’ve had a few goes at ceramics over the years and it’s spectacularly difficult.

I’ve had a few goes over the years at large scale drip paintings, in the style of Jackson Pollock and a few of them have been half decent (self assessment is a wonderful thing). But in reality, it’s the original idea, that’s where the beauty is.

I quite like the Secret Postcard auctions, where you have various people with very different reasons for buying. Some trying to spot a bargain by an established name. Some trying to bag an investment from a rising name. Some randomly supporting the arts. Some, buying the pieces they like at the prices they can afford. 

[sharkyvilla]

I'm not really all that arsed about paintings of old dead people, I'd rather go round the Tate Modern and look at some weird shit.

[villa4europe]

if you're throwing him in there then I love banksy and a bit of graffiti in general (I hate tagging) the guy is a genius IMO both in his art style and the thoughts he provokes, been to 3 of his exhibitions

this is maybe the one that brings the biggest smile to my face

and then this purely because based on the documentary it was so misunderstood

Edited September 1, 2020 by villa4europe

[Stevo985]

9 hours ago, mjmooney said:

Anything that a human has created with the intent to evoke some sort of emotional or intellectual response from its audience. 

Absolutely this.

Art is as much the explanation behind something as it is the actual "thing".
I don't like it when someone says "I could have done THAT"

Yeah but you didn't. You didn't think to do that, and you didn't think and explain what that evokes and the message it sends.

I really like Tracey Emin's Bed. Anyone who has been anywhere close to depressed or knows someone who has been depressed will understand what that represents. And her reaction was exactly what I said above when people claimed anyone could do it "Well they didn't, did they?"

Edited September 1, 2020 by Stevo985

[AvonVillain]

Am I wrong in thinking that the overwhelming majority of people don't rate or actively dislike modern art?

Not exactly a scientific study, but judging by my interactions growing up in Birmingham, and having lived in various places including the SW now, the majority seem to view art with suspicion, or outright hostility. Is this not what others have found?

[villa4europe]

2 minutes ago, AvonVillain said:

Am I wrong in thinking that the overwhelming majority of people don't rate or actively dislike modern art?

Not exactly a scientific study, but judging by my interactions growing up in Birmingham, and having lived in various places including the SW now, the majority seem to view art with suspicion, or outright hostility. Is this not what others have found?

its for posh uns innit

to be fair that's maybe why I like banksy and graffiti, got that bit of grit about it which can easily be misconstrued as being a working class thing (when no doubt it isn't)

after that im far more in to photography if im honest, especially linked to the big wide world, off to see a forest fire photo exhibition at the local art museum next week

[AvonVillain]

I think the working class have been screwed out of a genuine source of lifelong pleasure by the education received (like my own - until college/Uni.). Add to this the relentless hostility toward modern art over the decades by the tabloid press, and a certain section of society are practically bullied into a skewed view of the world.

One of the (many) reasons it's so hard for working class artists to get anywhere in the art world, is the lack of network to begin with, the lack of support, time and money to able to dedicate themselves, which is not the case for the middle/upper class. I would argue that the people who could benefit the most from actively pursuing an interest in culture is the working class, and yet, it seems largely viewed as dispensable.

[Mark Albrighton]

I think the majority of people don’t find either “classic” or modern art interesting. Not the vast majority, but a majority still. They might see a picture in a shop or somewhere and think “oh that’s nice”, but I don’t think it often goes any deeper than that.

Old “classic” art is, as sharkyvilla says, seen as mostly paintings old dead people and modern art is seen as pretentious. The majority don’t want a history lesson and they don’t want to feel ignorant for not “getting” what’s great about an unmade bed.

Both are probably considered elitist, as per Villa4europe’s post.

I was reading about “The Ambassadors” by Holbein not long ago. I’m interested enough to read up on the interpretations of the painting, the figures involved, what they might represent, the historical background of the artist when he painted it. But in the main, I just wanna know what’s the deal with the weird skull in the middle.

[bickster]

3 hours ago, AvonVillain said:

Am I wrong in thinking that the overwhelming majority of people don't rate or actively dislike modern art?

I'm the exact opposite of that statement. Modern Art is my thing, Old Masters and the like I can generally ignore. There are some exceptions obviously but I definitely lean towards the modern

[AvonVillain]

Perhaps it's a slightly self-defeating question, unfortunately moved to a more generic thread. I guess if you had no interest in modern art or art in general, then you would simply ignore this thread, so I'm only likely to get answers from people already invested.

Thanks for the responses anyway. Pleasantly surprised.

[Xela]

I struggle with modern art. Stuff like an unmade bed or a light going on or off. Just think its a load of tosh. Obviously its not for me!

I can appreciate Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. I love the Raphael Rooms. The Renaissance sculptures from Donatello are mesmerising and what can we say about Leonardo's Last Supper and his contribution to not only Art, but Science as well?

Overall though, my favourite ninja turtle has to be Raphael. 

[Xann]

[Xann]

Brandalism.

Jimmy Cauty is in this group.

[AvonVillain]

I do like the Brandalism thing.

On 01/09/2020 at 16:25, Mark Albrighton said:

I think the majority of people don’t find either “classic” or modern art interesting. Not the vast majority, but a majority still. They might see a picture in a shop or somewhere and think “oh that’s nice”, but I don’t think it often goes any deeper than that.

Thanks for this, I think you're probably right.

[Xann]

             Pongdrian

[mjmooney]