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Another Offensive Blog Post
I have a tendency to think on the backgrounds of subjects. I blame it on my brain wiring which has led me to the study of why things happen in many areas from Political Science to computer support to martial arts to computer repair to art to whatever happens to strike my fancy. I also have a tendency to think on things for a long time, years or more, teasing out ideas, setting them aside, avoiding a decision or judgment until I can back it with a line of reasoning that will withstand scrutiny. Yes I know this sounds incredibly boring and I am sure it truly is to those who do not enjoy it, but then, so is anything that takes concerted effort and thought.
My friends are used to me bringing up conversations from years ago, Conversations where they'd asked a question I could not answer at the time or had posed an open question. In many cases, they remember the question. In other circumstances, they remember a decision or statement I had made that was either wrong or undefended and are happy that I have finally come to realise my errors.
As an aside, most of these errors were the result of insecurity on my part. I had an answer, I liked the answer, and I was not secure enough to admit I was wrong or had come to a conclusion based on a need to be right rather than any correctness of position.
And so over the last few weeks I've been thinking more on the subject of art. Art has been a favourite thought exercise of mine for over three decades and while I do not pretend any expertise, I have come to some conclusions recently based on observations and interactions.
Art, firstly, is in the eye and mind of the beholder. I know this and believe this and do not have a problem with this in the least.
The issue that nags and gnaws at me is the classification of art, not as good, but as better.
Let me digress for a moment. OK, actually that should read, "try to stop me from digressing" because I have an example I will trot out and nothing short of instant death will stop me. Of course, right now I had the thought of just posting this blog up to the last complete sentence. That would have been funny to me but I fear the humour would have been lost on some much like the time some 20+ years ago when I changed my answering machine message to say "I'm locked out of my apartment, please leave a message." which I found hilarious but my friends, not so much.
And that's not even the digression, it is the digression from the digression, so to speak. The digression is the following.
Better is a qualitative term that is misapplied through insecurity in many cases.
Huh?
I hate strawberries, because they are vile. I know, I know, again with the strawberries. If I make the statement, "Grapes are a superior fruit to strawberries and people who prefer grapes to strawberries are smarter and more in tune with all that is right with the world", what I have done is to take my personal prejudice and assign it moral currency and deem all those who do not agree with me inferior, not in their preference of fruits but in their intellect and moral fibre.
And let's be honest, that is just moronic. My preference of grapes does not make me a better person. It does not make me smarter or handsomer or more knowing or wise or charismatic. All it does is indicate I have made a choice based on personal tastes and absolutely nothing more no matter how I might want to dress it up or present it.
Now, let's apply this to art. In art we have many qualifications within each field. We have primitive, classical, transitional, modern, abstract, etc., etc., etc. A preference of one style or artistic medium or artistic class over the other does not make anyone smarter or more accomplished or more handsome or more charming. All it does is indicate a personal preference.
After all, we are not looking at an impressionistic painting and railing against it because it does not implement classical use of form and color and lighting. If you want to judge grapes against other grapes for texture and ripeness and sweetness and flavour, have a frigging ball. And if you want to critique on how well a piece of art meets the standards established within it's stated classification, excellent, please do.
But to indicate the preference of a style of art equates with a person being better than people who do not prefer it is, simply, idiotic and is, per my conclusion, a result of insecurity and arrogance.
I prefer as a class, surrealism, impressionism, and classical forms of visual arts. I appreciate some modern and abstract and other forms of visual arts on a case by case basis but I do not prefer the class. This does not make me any more or less sophisticated, intelligent, or charming. It may mean that I am less popular which, oh and here is a big surprise, is of little concern to me.
Because if we are going to make the statement that what is currently popular defines intellect and sophistication, well then, grab your leisure suit and your mullet and kill the commies.
Popular culture is only popular culture and if we all embraced popular culture exclusively there never would have been any impressionism, jazz, abstract sculpture, or free verse.
Like and prefer anything you desire just keep from offering qualitative conclusions on the likes of others in the cases where they differ from yours. If you can't, you are not clever, just arrogant.
No doubt someone will decide this blog entry is a personal attack on them. As this is beyond my control it is also beyond my concern.
My friends are used to me bringing up conversations from years ago, Conversations where they'd asked a question I could not answer at the time or had posed an open question. In many cases, they remember the question. In other circumstances, they remember a decision or statement I had made that was either wrong or undefended and are happy that I have finally come to realise my errors.
As an aside, most of these errors were the result of insecurity on my part. I had an answer, I liked the answer, and I was not secure enough to admit I was wrong or had come to a conclusion based on a need to be right rather than any correctness of position.
And so over the last few weeks I've been thinking more on the subject of art. Art has been a favourite thought exercise of mine for over three decades and while I do not pretend any expertise, I have come to some conclusions recently based on observations and interactions.
Art, firstly, is in the eye and mind of the beholder. I know this and believe this and do not have a problem with this in the least.
The issue that nags and gnaws at me is the classification of art, not as good, but as better.
Let me digress for a moment. OK, actually that should read, "try to stop me from digressing" because I have an example I will trot out and nothing short of instant death will stop me. Of course, right now I had the thought of just posting this blog up to the last complete sentence. That would have been funny to me but I fear the humour would have been lost on some much like the time some 20+ years ago when I changed my answering machine message to say "I'm locked out of my apartment, please leave a message." which I found hilarious but my friends, not so much.
And that's not even the digression, it is the digression from the digression, so to speak. The digression is the following.
Better is a qualitative term that is misapplied through insecurity in many cases.
Huh?
I hate strawberries, because they are vile. I know, I know, again with the strawberries. If I make the statement, "Grapes are a superior fruit to strawberries and people who prefer grapes to strawberries are smarter and more in tune with all that is right with the world", what I have done is to take my personal prejudice and assign it moral currency and deem all those who do not agree with me inferior, not in their preference of fruits but in their intellect and moral fibre.
And let's be honest, that is just moronic. My preference of grapes does not make me a better person. It does not make me smarter or handsomer or more knowing or wise or charismatic. All it does is indicate I have made a choice based on personal tastes and absolutely nothing more no matter how I might want to dress it up or present it.
Now, let's apply this to art. In art we have many qualifications within each field. We have primitive, classical, transitional, modern, abstract, etc., etc., etc. A preference of one style or artistic medium or artistic class over the other does not make anyone smarter or more accomplished or more handsome or more charming. All it does is indicate a personal preference.
After all, we are not looking at an impressionistic painting and railing against it because it does not implement classical use of form and color and lighting. If you want to judge grapes against other grapes for texture and ripeness and sweetness and flavour, have a frigging ball. And if you want to critique on how well a piece of art meets the standards established within it's stated classification, excellent, please do.
But to indicate the preference of a style of art equates with a person being better than people who do not prefer it is, simply, idiotic and is, per my conclusion, a result of insecurity and arrogance.
I prefer as a class, surrealism, impressionism, and classical forms of visual arts. I appreciate some modern and abstract and other forms of visual arts on a case by case basis but I do not prefer the class. This does not make me any more or less sophisticated, intelligent, or charming. It may mean that I am less popular which, oh and here is a big surprise, is of little concern to me.
Because if we are going to make the statement that what is currently popular defines intellect and sophistication, well then, grab your leisure suit and your mullet and kill the commies.
Popular culture is only popular culture and if we all embraced popular culture exclusively there never would have been any impressionism, jazz, abstract sculpture, or free verse.
Like and prefer anything you desire just keep from offering qualitative conclusions on the likes of others in the cases where they differ from yours. If you can't, you are not clever, just arrogant.
No doubt someone will decide this blog entry is a personal attack on them. As this is beyond my control it is also beyond my concern.