Movement Manifesto:
Art today appears to be pulled by two forces: uninformed consumers, and the egotistical art community.
The uninformed consumer doesn't like using his brain, he thinks art merely has to look nice, and mental exertion of any kind require from a song, a painting, a film etc. is a sign of an arrogant artist and a signal to them to switch their brain off and dismiss. The most unfortunate part of this force is that it is imaginary, a conjuration of studio's and commissioners, who sole effort is to make a sure buck. These corporate bodies are shackling artists, or even worse inspiring new or existing artist, to create formulaic, shallow pieces or art work that re of benefit to no-one.
Equally to blame are the numerous pompous artists that are caught up in their arrogance. These men love to create work that is nigh impossible to access or understand. Every time I have to read a blurb explaining a painting in order to glean a shred of meaning, I die a little inside.
Good art means something. More specifically it means something to the artist. It represents something that the artist feels or sees and is reflecting on. The best art is just that, a reflection on a truth they have witnessed and desire to share. It can be critical, it can be praising, but it can also be an ambiguous reflection. Once the artist finds something that inspires him, finds something he wants to share, it is then up to him to present it in a way that can be received by his community (note. his community can be anywhere from his family to the world, depending on the commonality of his subject or truth). Art should be well composed, half of what makes good art is the craft of the artist. This isn't to say that art is beautiful, but the beauty or horror should come from the subject matter and not the composition or craft.
Good art is honest. And it is up to the artist to use his craft to convey his truth to his audience. If art fails, it fails because it is meaningless (or lacks significant meaning), or there are problems with the craft. Art is a fine balancing act, neither the craft nor the subject matter should overwhelm each other, instead they should exist in harmony.
Our Pledge.
1. Must be well composed and aesthetically pleasing.
2. Must reflect the society in which the artist lives, or is apart of.
3. This reflection of society or life must be easily determinable.
4. The craft and the subject matter mustn't overpower each other. They must work in harmony.
No comments:
Post a Comment