# Art by the people, for the people?



## susurration (Oct 22, 2009)

Or

*Art by artists*,* for artists*? 
_
general gist is; is art to you solely self expression, or is it a way of communicating? can it be both, or are they two separate, contradicting things?_


I personally know young artists who put on exhibitions, and find the great majority of people who attend shows are either friends, or artists themselves. Financially they are struggling, common to most creative lifestyles. Would they like more of the public to see their art? most certainly. Why is it that 'every day people' don't go to these shows? Why is art not seen as an intrinsic part of culture, like it once was in indigenous cultures?

Is there fault with... the subjects explored in the art?, the medium? the way it's communicated? the artists themselves? the 'people' who cant/wont read between the lines? the presumption of artistic egoism? the commoditisation of art? changes in the 'consumption of art'? too much individualism? is there no issue at all? should we measure the 'success' of art? is that even possible or purposeful?

Are you an artist? do you like art?... What are your thoughts on contemporary art?


----------



## Rourk (Feb 17, 2009)

I think I missed the point.


----------



## Seducer of the Homeless (Jun 14, 2009)

this is very hard for me, i want so badly to believe that art is not everyone, it probably is. the thing i have over the rest of the people who try to bring me down and destroy me is my artistic, and ultimately intelligent, pure and honest world view. if everyone can do this then what am i but....well, i am useless as i cannot function so perfectly in the system like they can, all i have is art and thought. but this kind of narcissism (truth is it is selfish) would not exist if it weren't for the belief that it is everybody's duty to fit into the system, do as they are told and not to think for themselves, we live in a Society of Myopic Simulacra (i can make cool names too :laughing. if it were a free world we lived in then the kind of narcissism i unfortunately display would not exist. i believe that people can adapt to anything, i believe 'the people' are infinitely underestimated. i know that people can be good, they can be peaceful with the right environment, it is just they are ingrained with the belief that reality is constant and solid, and there is no point in trying to change it. this is wrong, the illusion of stability is maintained by these lies that are told and have become accepted as being at the very core of humanity. 'they' and 'the system' is not a specific system, or ruling, it is not big bad guys sat at a round table at the core of the earth - it is a mindset. "they decieved us" is not wholly true, 'they' themselves have been lied to and indoctrinated not by a system but by the belief that "this is it, this is all you can be and this is all there will be". it is not a man at the top who controls all, dictates what we can do, it is the voice at the back of his head that 'this is it'. tradition is the illusion of permanence, and we mindlessly maintain this illusion because it is "what we are supposed to do" with no conceivable reason why. we all need to discover that all of our closely held ideologies and beliefs are....meaningless, and shallow. if we stop to think about we discover "shit, why did i _believe_ this?!" and when that happens we must all define life and ourselves and in doing so we all become artists and philosophers.

i think 

:crying:


----------



## murkrow (Oct 12, 2009)

K first off I should express my own connection with the arts. Both of my parents are stage actors, both of them have had varying degrees of success throughout their lives and both of them currently work non-artistic jobs. Because of this I've known a lot of artists of all descriptions since I was young, I've seen the sort of people who show up for indie plays, I've seen the sort of people who show up for indie art showings, I've been the sort of person who shows up for indie musical performances.

Expecting people outside of the arts scene to attend any sort of event is usually unrealistic if your goal is simply art. I'm pretty sure you're well aware of this though.

As someone who loves art in all its forms, I do not want to see talented artists dillute their work for mainstream appeal.

As someone who loves business in all its forms, I do not want to see a quality product with a high potential for profit wasted.

So yeah, the state of the art scene bothers me. It's especially bothersome to know that the working actors are almost all vapid socialites huddling together like a cloud of moths around a lamp of government funding. 

I do think it is possible to market art without altering it, but it takes talent. (not artistic talent, marketing talent)

A problem that faces the artistic community can actually be described pretty well by typological thinking. It is beneficial to have a diverse stock of aptitudes in your roster, this enables you to fill a greater degree of necessary positions without having to outsource and therefore without comprimising motivation. The artistic community is a mess of FP in all its guises. A bit of Te is needed to accurately determine the marketable aspects of a body of work and use that aspect to introduce the attached beauty which can then be appreciated by the mainstream. I agree with Seducer that the people are generally underestimated (in the way of their potential tastes).


----------



## susurration (Oct 22, 2009)

Rourk said:


> I think I missed the point.


general gist is; is art to you solely self expression, or is it a way of communicating? can it be both, or are they two separate, contradicting things? 

I might change the opening post to clarify


----------



## Seducer of the Homeless (Jun 14, 2009)

oh shit, i missed the gist too, dammit

no, wait, i think i was kind of on topic.....?


----------



## susurration (Oct 22, 2009)

OP= "What are your thoughts on contemporary art?"

Anything goes :wink:


----------

