"Only men are capable of aesthetic greatness."

[naamah_darling]

You know, my opinion of modern "fine art" aside, this is an interesting article. It discusses the disparity in price between men's art and women's art. The most telling quote is this one, from a first-rate sexist pigfucker named Brian Sewell who is, predictably, both male and not an artist. Just a critic. And a cack-brained one, too.

"The art

Comments

[laeticiav]

This made my day: "Hey, Brian. Go fuck your left hand, you self-important jerkoff. And while you're at it, shove your inflated opinion up your ass for an extra thrill."
It meant I didn't have to scream at him because you had expressed it so eloquently already.

[archanglrobriel]

Only men are capable of aesthetic greatness.My art history professor when I was an undergrad said pretty much this exact same thing in class. At the time I thought it was a loathsome thing to say, but I didn't know that I should've gone to the department head and thrown a huge fit about it. I've felt guilty about that ever since. But the point I was trying to make about this is that I've been in the art world for about twenty years now and I've heard this -over- and over and over and over again

[coen]

As long as there is no clear definition of "aesthetic greatness", you can say anything about, since it cannot be proved one way or the other

[ms_daisy_cutter]

I take it you're familiar with the Guerrilla Girls?

Who "they" decide is a serious and "good" artist has nothing to do with the art and everything to do with rampant, screaming, obvious and unapologetic misogyny. With an unhealthy dose of classism and racism and homophobia thrown in for extra vileness.

Not to mention a lot of completely stupid "art" done for shock value, or just to be a pretentious douche who can then sneer that nobody understands him/her. If this makes me a philistine, fine, but I'd love to see the art world refocus on figurative art.

[kaikaku]

Women get the short straw in industry too. I've always looked upon it partially as a learned helplessness thing. I think most women do not expect to be taken as seriously as a man of a similar skill would be, and in the art world self-promotion is incredibly important. Maybe. I don't know. Either way, that's without even taking into account blatant sexism. And blatant sexism, as we all know, is a huge obstacle on its own.

Also, if a critic starts out saying that "Only men are capable of aesthetic greatness" I question the objectivity of their critique.

[kaikaku]

I used to always change the water cooler, it was some combination of showing off and getting a 10-second break from boring computer work. They've never seemed that heavy to me, so it's always been perplexing watching guys in the office react like I'm doing something dangerous. Hopefully I won't prove myself a fool one of these days and hurt my back doing it, but, so far so good.

Hehe, good job getting him to do it. What an arse. >:-)

But seriously, I think the 'helplessness' manifests itself in a bunch of ways... I always hear that women are less apt to ask for raises even when they deserve them, and are more likely to otherwise sell themselves short. It comes from a life of being systematically beat down, I guess. That's definitely part of it...

(Then again, even if we did things absolutely perfectly on all levels, the system still sucks.)

[ms_daisy_cutter]

I always hear that women are less apt to ask for raises even when they deserve them, and are more likely to otherwise sell themselves short.

And when we do demand things for ourselves, we're "selfish," "unnatural," and "pushy bitches."

That's the whole point of patriarchy: Whatever we choose to do or not do, we come in for criticism.

[naamah_darling]

Most of the artists on my f-list are female, too, and almost without exception the best artists I personally know are female as well.

[kyra_neko_rei]

This air-wasting shitstain wouldn't know aesthetic greatness if it bit him on both ass cheeks. And I greatly wish it would do so.

(Although it's ever-so-slightly comforting that he doesn't think himself part of the art market ("[it's] not sexist")---not sure why, as such, he considers himself a sufficient expert on said market to declare it completely free of sexism, but he seems like the type of person that needs help remembering which hole shit comes out of.)

Meanwhile, I have a list of other things he can fuck. Starting with a rusted pipe, and then a lemon.

Then a porcupine.

[naamah_darling]

Salted porcupine. THEN the lemon.

[kyra_neko_rei]

*laughs ass off*

You are perfect, you know that?

naah, He can be a rewrite of filksong. Buggered WITH a Hedgehog

[capybyra]

Several times a day. Of course in deference to PETA et all we'd be using a Replicant or synthetic 'hog. After all-it's the larger detail of having our critic get buggered with a FEMALE hedgehog. The other reason for using a replica 'hog?

Not even I am cruel enough to suggest anything living touch him.