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 ferago2
gnubie
Registered: 03/02/04
Posts: 136
Last seen: 18 years, 28 days
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 what does art mean to you? 
#2800259 - 06/16/04 06:54 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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This is something I wrote a while back trying to answer the question of the above. I never posted it here, and I'm curious what a different than my usual audience audience will have to say 
I was sitting in a boring class today, and the teacher was going on about some crap, so I got thinking about what it is about art and artistic expression that can drive people so forcefully.
In the true tradition of philosophy and Freud I didn't think about this in a scientific sense, but rather just extrapolated from my own experiences and those of a few others.
I don't think creating art is about validation. Someone with high self esteem will know that he or she is valuable and gifted and important and unique without creating anything. The work is never going to come out as well as one hopes, and no amount of praise from anyone is truly going to make one feel that the work itself is flawless or genius.
I also felt that it wasn't about expression really. Once again, the creator of any art can feel it in his or her own mind much more fully realised than anything that can ever be made. Art in its many forms may be evocative to those viewing it, but the most powerful emotions are unique to each indiviual and inarticulable, as it comes more powerfully than words, as a swirl of impressions, emotions, and memories unique to oneslf.
I eventually decided that, for me at least (as someone who has artistic ambitions but who isn't really ready to commit to creating anything just yet) it's about community, home, and a sense of shelter. Whenever I imagine myself creating something, I picture first my closest friends admiring and respecting it, then I see others doing the same. I can count on my closest friends to understand my half realized "You know what I mean" statements and to respond in kind, and I see art as a way to communicate those things with others. The desire to create is paired with the desire to enforce my faith in others; if strangers can share my artistic vision, then they are closer to me, the world is smaller, and I can be at ease and at home more readily.
This isn't a matter of salvation, or enlightening the Philistines, or anything that condescendingly arrogant. It's a real desire, based maybe in the Freudian idea of object identification, to, in observing others share the same experiences and values as you, identify with them, and them with you, so that you create a true community in which you are _inherently_ a member, as it is founded on your own values. If this dream of acceptence of your art is realised, you are completely part of a community created by all those who embrace your art; you're freed of all fears of conformity and acceptance as the values are your own, so there is no dishonesty in your attempting to be part of this community, and by definition achieving it.
This also frees you of all doubts about the values of the opinions of others. You cannot judge your own art except on the basis of how well it communicates its message to others; by having accepting your art, the community proves to you that it is a worthy recipient of your desire to belong. You are freed of the need to constantly judge and evaluate your relationships with those around you, if they accept your art, and can fully enjoy an unstigmatized and honest "conformity" but a conformity that is stripped of all of its negative connotations.
This is why art appeals to those struggling with the issues of conformity, acceptence and community- success, in their minds, whether they are concious of these thoughts or not, will not only solve their problems regarding community and acceptence, but will render them nonexistant.
This is just my theory, and I only thought about it at all today, so it's probably not as together and coherent as I personally see it. I'd be interested in seeing what others think about this- I don't want to hear what Plato or whoever thinks, I want to hear what actual people, in the trenches if you will, think about this. This was probably most influenced by my recent readings on the ramifications of Freud's work- the idea of unconcious, or at least un-realised, desires being at the roots of all of our actions. So, your thoughts?
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 redgreenvines
irregular verb
Registered: 04/08/04
Posts: 38,173
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Re: what does art mean to you? [Re: ferago2]
#2801373 - 06/17/04 02:58 AM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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art is synthesis
things are brought together
the work stands on its own not a validation of artist or community, the wortk exhalts the human spirit.
doesn't matter what the topic, it should breathe - live and connect.
for me creating art is a religious experience: I am always re-connecting (religare - latin for re-connect)
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Positronius
playboy
Registered: 11/27/03
Posts: 947
Loc: montreal-vancouver-tokyo
Last seen: 19 years, 7 months
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you have an interesting style reminiscent of monet. form afar it looks like the image is experiencing slight motion.
if you could define the light source a little more clearly I think it would elevate your style to even greater heights.
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and you know it like a poet, like....babydoll
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redgreenvines
irregular verb
Registered: 04/08/04
Posts: 38,173
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Re: what does art mean to you? [Re: Positronius]
#2801558 - 06/17/04 06:20 AM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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light emerges from every direction
always a surprise
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JacquesCousteau
Being.
Registered: 06/10/03
Posts: 7,825
Loc: Everywhere, Everytime.
Last seen: 1 year, 11 months
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Hey man, are these your paintings? I dig your style.. it manages to be abstract but still very defined and recognizeable for what it is.
I want to get into painting, but I have no where to set up a permanent "painting area".. I will try to get into it when I move in July
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Swami
Eggshell Walker
Registered: 01/18/00
Posts: 15,413
Loc: In the hen house
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Here is my interpretation of a snowflake on DMT:
Note the inadvertent alien face at the top center. Coincidence or...?
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The proof is in the pudding.
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Grav
Registered: 02/06/02
Posts: 4,454
Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: what does art mean to you? [Re: ferago2]
#2801750 - 06/17/04 08:27 AM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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to me, Art is an assumption that there is more going on behind life's curtain. Every piece is a continuously posed question but there is never an answer. Art is a space that im not quite sure is real or unreal, and is something that makes me think twice about what reality is and what it means to be alive right now.
My favorite pieces of art are the ones that make my mind feel totally vulnerable... the ones that i cant rationalize at all why I might be attracted to it, but just has an intangible quality of familiarity to it. the mystery of it is everything.
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redgreenvines
irregular verb
Registered: 04/08/04
Posts: 38,173
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Re: what does art mean to you? [Re: Grav]
#2801818 - 06/17/04 08:59 AM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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right on, grav!
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