Stuff that I wrote

[evil_underlord]

I realise that I spend an awful lot of the meagre amount of time that I do spend posting on Livejournal basically laying into books that have annoyed me and writers that I think come up short. I am also aware that it is easy to be a critic when you have never made anything yourself, and possibly even easier to be a critic when you are a frustrated

Comments

[egghunter]

I also do not subscribe to the view that art...

Interesting. Impulsively, I'd want to say that I agree, but as ideals unfortunately are not very well reflected in this world, it becomes a very relative matter, which in the end still ends up in the eye of the beholder: Who decides what's good art and what's bad? I still see wonderful artists consistently getting rejected whilst crap still sells, and the creators makes shitloads of money. Now money is not the issue, and this may sound like a diversion to what you really meant, but as you say good art is important to the world, that good art need to be seen, or for that matter heard.

Just because you have something to say doesn't meant that you need to be heard. Also true. At least to a certain degree, thus I point back to the comments on good art. As far as I am concerned, few people find the good stuff, as the good stuff is mostly hiding. The good stuff (sorry for repeating) does not feel it needs to be heard (Iä! to that) , but in order to convince, convert and conquer, it needs

[evil_underlord]

Hi, no need to worry about intruding. As a sort of incomplete answer to your points - I agree that there is a relativistic element to the question of good and bad in art but I don't think that that changes my position. The fact that good art often doesn't make money or get heard is part of what makes art hard - and yes, also forces artists to get better. However, good art has at least justified itself, necessarily so because that justification (whatever it is and however it is manifested within the mind of the consumer) will be what makes it good. Bad art can also sometimes justify itself, too but the point is that that justification is based on what it does, not merely its existence as art. Commercial success can be one of those justifications too...

I hope I have made some sense there, and not just muddied the waters maore. On a side note - did you come to the Underfire table at Bristol this year? You won't find much about Underfire on LJ as it is, I'm the only one of us who's on here - and even I dont post very regularly.

[egghunter]

Ok, cool! :)
Yeah I could have written a whole lot more too, but stopped myself at the "essay" alert. I think we basically share the same view, although we might look at it from different angles.

Trying to be...hell no, being an artist, is something I find more and more complex the further I got involved, and the further I evolve(d), the more I realize(d) how hard art really is. Especially if you're not in it just to please the masses, which isn't the case for any true artist, I'd like to believe. ... I will not rant on too much about this, but one main reason why my mind at all wanders this way is simply that it is so much ...crap out there, wasting space

[evil_underlord]

Cool, I thought it might be you. I was one of the guys who you talked to - the long haired one. I've still got your portfolio and Bob, the other guy who you talked to, was going to get in touch with you sooner or later when he has his plans a bit more in place. You might realize that we're rather slow moving... Thanks for the heads up on the Website too - I didn't realise that was down so I'll have to look into it. That is pretty much it as far as our web presence goes.

[paulwoodlin]

I think everyone should develop their artistic side; it is a part of being a fully rounded human being. However, that does not require people to appreciate their art. I lived in Portland, OR, for five years, going to poetry readings, and the quality of the poetry varied wildly, but it was a poetic community, not an enterprise or a movement shoving it in your face. You listened so others would listen to you.

[evil_underlord]

I think community art projects are great, definitely. Many people do need a safe space for expression, as not everyone is trying to create great art - or even art that should be approached in objective terms - and so they wouldn't want their work to be judged on those terms. and anything where people get together and do stuff just for the sake of being with other people and getting something done is great. I'm not sure that I subscribe to the view that everyone should develop their artistic side though, if only because it's a little proscriptive - I know plenty of people who have no real aptitude or desire to do so or who express themselves via other means. Thanks for commenting.

[paulwoodlin]

Perhaps "everyone" was a little too strong a word, but since I mostly hang out with artists it came naturally. I did once take a class given by an artist who made us work with crayon as a part of unlearning the idea that we "couldn't draw" that he says we're taught far more often than is true.

Maybe I should have said a personal side, since I think the demands of life constantly try to deprive us of the personal time needed for that something that expresses yourself. There is always someone who will take your free minute if they find out you have one.