Art is a tricky thing. One man's slop is another man's masterpiece. Take a dump in a toilet....normal. Film yourself taking a dump to show the reality and truthfulness of thought versus action of a 28 year old male in the prime of his life......art? Not buying it (but you should.....I'm trying to raise some money for a boat!). There's a fine line for sure. I tend to think you can pass off anything as art in the form of expression to at least that one person who's willing to believe your story. Literature is no different.
Some of the "classics" of literature are filled with symbolism exemplified by the language of their characters, the form in which they wrote, the places in which the characters interact, etc. But as a reader without context to the author's point of view......it's shit. Why is it necessary to write like that? Is it too easy to write symbolic messages and tell you everything about the symbolism? Writing about a person's broken heart as a record player stuck on the same place for ten years....really? Can't you just use a metaphor?
Anytime someone says to you, "What the author was trying to say here is..." look him straight in the eye and tell him you're sorry his parents neglected him. What the author was trying to say is on the god-damned page! If it's not there it doesn't exist. If he wanted to say something else than what he's written on the page then he's a moron. Write what you wanted to say! Say it!!! Don't confuse us mere mortals with mind readers. If an author has to clarify to the so-called experts what he's written to make it look smarter, more in-depth, or more culturally relevant it's bullshit. You won't see me saying those things (I never read what I write!).
The worst way of "artistic expression" comes in the form of the actual way the author writes something. "I used 5 words in this sentence to show the beauty of the English language. There is nothing better than simplicity. Simplicity is beauty. Simplicity is real. Simplicity is life." I reply, "But all you wrote was 'Nachos, lemonheads, my dad's boat.'" Powerful stuff. That's the crap I can base my life on!
I don't get the paintings either. Hence the Mona Lisa. Smallest painting I've ever seen but somehow the Louvre has huge crowds in front of it all throughout the day that only allow me to get 4 deep to take a picture. No worries about the massive painting directly across from it that is easily 300x the size and way more intricate. But I guess that's why I'm not an artist...
ReplyDeleteI agree with the anonymous poster above. I don't think it has anything to do with being an artist though. I think it all has to do with people being brain-washed into thinking that this is a masterpiece because we've been told over and over again that it is by everyone. And who is everyone that decided it? Well I can't answer that one. Why is it famous? Cause Da Vinci did it. Alright so? Well look at her posture and her smile and her eyes. Alright I get it, it's a lady (i think it's a lady) sitting and posing for a portrait. Why is it the most recognized painting in the world? Because I'm telling you that it is amazing and that is why.....moving on. And thus the cycle goes on and on. No free thinking allowed. It's great because I told you it's great.
ReplyDeleteBut why doesn't she have eyebrows? It's great!!!!