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dot_fennelI used to be a big advocate of the idea that almost any endeavor is a potential vessel for art, and that the spirit of art eimproves pretty much everything in life. Though I still think anything can be done artishly ("artfully" does not, sadly, mean what I want it to), it's starting to feel like the main result of saying so is just that ill-thought-out stuff is defended as "art". Thus, I introduce a contrary crusade:
The word 'art' isn't an excuse for anything. It comprises a wide range of intentions and purposes, but your 'art' lives and dies on those purposes, not on the extra-special bonus lapel pin that says it's art.
This sort of still turns on the idea that almost anything can be art, or have the seeds of art in it, or however you want to rephrase the crux of that first paragraph; the idea of "making something art", as if it wasn't already, is nearly meaningless, so if you "make it art" to cover for whatever it's not accomplishing, who KNOWS what you're really doing?
The word 'art' isn't an excuse for anything. It comprises a wide range of intentions and purposes, but your 'art' lives and dies on those purposes, not on the extra-special bonus lapel pin that says it's art.
This sort of still turns on the idea that almost anything can be art, or have the seeds of art in it, or however you want to rephrase the crux of that first paragraph; the idea of "making something art", as if it wasn't already, is nearly meaningless, so if you "make it art" to cover for whatever it's not accomplishing, who KNOWS what you're really doing?
