Happy Atheist Forum

General => Art => Topic started by: MarcusA on April 25, 2023, 08:31:37 AM

Title: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 25, 2023, 08:31:37 AM
To me, art bespeaks a mood, an attitude. Art is the mirror image of science. Art explores the mind for clues. If not, the heart has its reasons. Art is heroic.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: Asmodean on April 25, 2023, 08:40:29 AM
I understand art as evocation of emotion. there is also an oft-cited condition of it having no purpose outside itself, but I think it very well may. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel does, after all, keep the rain from coming in.

A story becomes art when it resonates with the reader in such a way, as to paint pictures in their head. A picture becomes art when it resonates with the onlooker such as to tell a story. Music can satisfy either or both conditions in its listeners, but then, all of that can just be a pleasant and comfortable way to pass the time. Is it still art if it's elevator music, a newspaper article or an architectural drawing? It can be - or not.

That is not too unlike what you propose, if one thinks about it.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: No one on April 25, 2023, 09:41:40 AM
A guy with no arms or legs, hanging from a wall.


A guy with no arms or legs in a pile of leaves? Russell.



Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 25, 2023, 10:51:24 AM
If you stick it on a wall, it's art. On the other hand, comedy is an art that you live and die in.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 25, 2023, 10:54:50 AM
As far as I'm concerned, art is that which is popular.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: Asmodean on April 25, 2023, 11:08:11 AM
Not sure I'd agree with that. For example, the "artsier" the film, the more pathetic its box office usually ends up being. Then, while some artists are larger in death than ever they were in life, a lot "never" get even that far.

I suppose you could say that art is that, which is popular in much the same way as you could say "cars are popular" without specifically saying that Chrysler PT Cruisers are, but that... Doesn't say all that much.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 25, 2023, 01:11:49 PM
Art is popular to the masses because it's an obscenity to them. It's expensive. It's dear to the heart. Not all arthouse films are bad. For every proposal, there is a critic. And, I have watched more gay films than I really need to because of the critics. I'd rather trust the public in matters of taste because not everyone is a philistine. Critics have agendas that they want to push.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 25, 2023, 01:36:27 PM
briefly blancmange,
transcendentalism -
a Rothko

I think that I nearly fainted in front of the damn picture.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: Asmodean on April 25, 2023, 01:51:53 PM
Quote from: MarcusA on April 25, 2023, 01:11:49 PMArt is popular to the masses because it's an obscenity to them. It's expensive. It's dear to the heart. Not all arthouse films are bad. For every proposal, there is a critic. And, I have watched more gay films than I really need to because of the critics. I'd rather trust the public in matters of taste because not everyone is a philistine. Critics have agendas that they want to push.
Critics and/or perceived or even objective quality are one thing. Popularity is quite another. I would argue that "the masses" tend not to care about the vast majority of art. It tends to have its niche, which is rarely mainstream. Even if we consider, say, films like Avatar to be art - most people have not seen it and/or have little passing interest in it. That one made like two billion plus (And you can pick your Avatar - they both did, with a fair margin) in box office, which is "as good as it gets" in terms of popularity - relative to other films of similar release conditions.

By a similar token, the average Joe probably doesn't have much interest in seeing the Mona Lisa either, beyond a certain "been there, seen that" aspect. Hundreds of thousand people are, however. So... "The masses" on both sides, first-degree approximated to people with an opinion and those without.

Is art popular to the masses? Which art, to which masses?
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 25, 2023, 02:09:15 PM
"Beauty is fame." What is genius but an undiscovered artist.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: Asmodean on April 25, 2023, 02:22:54 PM
Why undiscovered? Or do you mean that a genius is undiscovered as an artist?
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 25, 2023, 03:13:02 PM
There's no such thing as genius, only developed talent.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 28, 2023, 07:17:03 AM
Art for art's sake is better than art for God's sake.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: Asmodean on April 28, 2023, 07:50:25 AM
Talent, developed and applied past a certain threshhold is genius.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 28, 2023, 08:08:03 AM
Genius is exempt from the norms of society.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: Asmodean on April 28, 2023, 09:04:53 AM
Mmmh... The society may be more tolerant of excentricities in a genius, but exempt would be taking it a bit far, methinks.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 28, 2023, 10:08:30 AM
I associate genius with God - divine madness.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: Asmodean on April 28, 2023, 10:15:23 AM
Albert Einstein was one. He associated God with gambling.  :P
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 28, 2023, 10:30:25 AM
Quote from: Asmodean on April 28, 2023, 10:15:23 AMAlbert Einstein was one. He associated God with gambling.  :P

Einstein said God doesn't play dice, he was talking about determinism.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on April 29, 2023, 09:10:53 AM
I am not going to fall over myself for art.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on May 17, 2023, 01:56:11 AM
Art is not worth killing and dying for.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on June 03, 2023, 08:00:02 AM
Art is bad ass.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: No one on June 03, 2023, 09:57:12 AM
I prefer the art of a good ass.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on June 03, 2023, 11:19:46 AM
Quote from: No one on June 03, 2023, 09:57:12 AMI prefer the art of a good ass.

There's plenty of it around.
Title: Re: What is Art?
Post by: MarcusA on July 11, 2023, 02:54:29 AM
Is the artist heartsick or otherwise sympathetic?