Warning wank and 'artistic integrity'
Just a general disclaimer, this rant is based on what I’ve experienced, and it’s my personal opinion. I’ve locked this because it’s a rant, and I don’t particularly want to jump into the fray of this wank. I've decided to make this public, because I feel this needs to be said a little louder.
I very rarely post about fandom wanks and things like that. I usually just keep quiet. I'm not approaching the broader issues of this wank. But there is one particular phrase that has been thrown around that has made me actually seethe with rage. And want to nailbat things.
Artistic integrity. WTAF
When I started studying art fulltime, I had a fantastic bunch of teachers who routinely got us to talk about our art, the art community and what is expected of us as artists. No matter if we were professional practicing artists or not. The phrase ‘artistic integrity’ is very heavily related to the phrase ‘artistic responsibility’. There is an expectation of an artist, that no matter what you are putting out into the world, you have a full blown responsibility to your work. On the physical side, if you are creating a public artwork, you have to research the rules and regulations and make your art safe for a public space. If you create a sculpture, and that sculpture is unstable and hurts a member of the public you are liable.
Art is one of the most used platforms to promote sensitive issues. It was pounded into our brains that if we were going to put sensitive issues into our work we had to fully understand them and fully understand we were putting out work into a public space. And that we were responsible for it, for the possibilities of people being hurt by our work. And that we had to take that into account, and if we had no way to stop people being hurt by our work (by not being able to add warnings, because adding warnings to art is not done often.) Then we were expected to take different avenues, and create something that still approached the issue but didn’t hurt anyone in the process. No ifs, not buts. Our work, our responsibility.
When dealing with art, no matter if it’s written words, visuals, sculpture or installation. No matter if its fanart, fanfiction, if it’s in a public space and it has ‘artistic integrity’ then it has artistic responsibility. These rules in the art community aren’t always followed, but they are expected. If you don’t take responsibility for your art, then guess what? Your art looses its integrity. No ifs, no buts. बुला रहा है जो टेलीफोन नंबर से. You are forever seen as that asshole who was too wrapped up in themselves to understand that they, as an adult has responsibility for what they put out into the world.
I don’t care if the internet is just seen as harmless fun for people, if they can’t warn for triggers and harmful content in their art or fiction on the basis or ‘artistic integrity’-then they’ve just lost any integrity they and their work have. And if they ever enter the real world, boy have they got some growing up to do.
If you claim your work has artistic integrity, and you believe that somehow your fanfic or fanart has merit above the usual standards, then you also have to claim responsibility. Integrity in art does not come from the content but how you handle the content. Warning and spoilers are never going to ruin a story. If your work truely has something to say, it is going to say it.
The whole point of this rant was, those people hiding behind the phrase ‘artistic integrity’? They don’t have a leg to stand on.
I very rarely post about fandom wanks and things like that. I usually just keep quiet. I'm not approaching the broader issues of this wank. But there is one particular phrase that has been thrown around that has made me actually seethe with rage. And want to nailbat things.
Artistic integrity. WTAF
When I started studying art fulltime, I had a fantastic bunch of teachers who routinely got us to talk about our art, the art community and what is expected of us as artists. No matter if we were professional practicing artists or not. The phrase ‘artistic integrity’ is very heavily related to the phrase ‘artistic responsibility’. There is an expectation of an artist, that no matter what you are putting out into the world, you have a full blown responsibility to your work. On the physical side, if you are creating a public artwork, you have to research the rules and regulations and make your art safe for a public space. If you create a sculpture, and that sculpture is unstable and hurts a member of the public you are liable.
Art is one of the most used platforms to promote sensitive issues. It was pounded into our brains that if we were going to put sensitive issues into our work we had to fully understand them and fully understand we were putting out work into a public space. And that we were responsible for it, for the possibilities of people being hurt by our work. And that we had to take that into account, and if we had no way to stop people being hurt by our work (by not being able to add warnings, because adding warnings to art is not done often.) Then we were expected to take different avenues, and create something that still approached the issue but didn’t hurt anyone in the process. No ifs, not buts. Our work, our responsibility.
When dealing with art, no matter if it’s written words, visuals, sculpture or installation. No matter if its fanart, fanfiction, if it’s in a public space and it has ‘artistic integrity’ then it has artistic responsibility. These rules in the art community aren’t always followed, but they are expected. If you don’t take responsibility for your art, then guess what? Your art looses its integrity. No ifs, no buts. बुला रहा है जो टेलीफोन नंबर से. You are forever seen as that asshole who was too wrapped up in themselves to understand that they, as an adult has responsibility for what they put out into the world.
I don’t care if the internet is just seen as harmless fun for people, if they can’t warn for triggers and harmful content in their art or fiction on the basis or ‘artistic integrity’-then they’ve just lost any integrity they and their work have. And if they ever enter the real world, boy have they got some growing up to do.
If you claim your work has artistic integrity, and you believe that somehow your fanfic or fanart has merit above the usual standards, then you also have to claim responsibility. Integrity in art does not come from the content but how you handle the content. Warning and spoilers are never going to ruin a story. If your work truely has something to say, it is going to say it.
The whole point of this rant was, those people hiding behind the phrase ‘artistic integrity’? They don’t have a leg to stand on.