Tuesday, May 16, 2006

But is it art?

"There’s nothing wrong with discussing whether this or that is or isn’t Art."

... I beg to differ. "It isn't art" has no meaning, it is just a way of denegrating something you don't like.
Even the worst art, say a Barbie-doll photo-comic, is definitely art.

It is not even very productive to call it bad or good. It is just for different audiences.

I think the art snob has his head up his ass. When he complains that pop art (music, literature, whatever) is crap, he is forgetting that we all are at different points and perspectives. It is no use to demand that somebody should read Shakespeare or Milton, if that person is challenged by Adventures of Batman.
(And incidentally, that title is for kids. There has also been Batman stories written for adults which have been damn fine art/literature and decidedly for adults. The Dark Knight Returns comes to mind.)

2 comments:

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

We have no way of knowing, do we? But I know I'm enjoying it tons. :)

Anonymous said...

I am a freelance comics artist, and occasionally I am asked "what is art." My answer is this:

"Art is anything made by the hand of man (or woman) that evokes an emotional response."

I think that just about covers it! That can be a hammer, a screwdriver, a house, a painting, a sculpture,... the list is endless. And it doesn't have to be a GOOD emotional response, you can HATE something and it still be art. And the response need not be the one the "artist" intended. As long as it creates an emotional response, it is art.