h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thank you for sharing. I think.

Wrong button, squigs?

It was a suitable underline anyway (probably). So long & thanks for all the dish (cushion).

RtB

Well, inspired by this thread I toured the exhibition galleries of Tate Modern last week.


Meh.


Saw a few genuine Picasso's, better than most stuff in there granted but still not my thing.
Frankly, most of the stuff in there was the stuff of nightmares. You'd frighten away all future guests if you put some of that on the wall.

Some was pretty good too though.


Prefer traditional stuff myself though.

That's allowed. But can you maybe expand on what it is that you're getting from the traditional stuff but not from the modern?

Myself...I find it hard to see a distinction. It's all Art. Even the traditional was modern in its time. Constable, for example, was shocking.

(Want me to explain why?)

Because it looks nicer to me.

Were you looking for more.

If there is Architecture for sheltering and/or for artistic enjoyment, Cooking for feeding and/or for artistic enjoyment,

Is there a figurative traditional art made to be consumed and accepted easily? And an art made to create surprise, a kind of art made out of experimentation, investigation, creation...difficult to accept as are some architechtonic or gastronomical innovations?


sorry for the long questions

ah, one more, Does not tradition drinks from previous innovations?

>> (Want me to explain why?) <<


Omigod, he's never asked our permisssion before!
I do hope he's not suffering a loss of confidence brought on by a simple twist of fate. No, it cannot be so! For lesser primates perhaps but not the loquacious bobono. Just to be sure then let me reiterate my belief that freedom of speech, especially in cyberspace, can never be hindered and this includes the right to babble on at any length on any subject at any time. Becasue, someday, someone, somewhere will read it. Until all the lights go out and all the batteries fail.

~jwf~

>> Is there a figurative traditional art made to be consumed...<<

If I understand your question correctly you're wondering if there is a parallel in 'Art' to the functionality of basic architecture and the essentials of food preparation.

Yes. And because the term Art is currently applied to so many media I'd have to say that there are many examples, many ways and at many levels.

For example, pottery is considered an Artform but at a basic level it is merely functional and perhaps the oldest of the 'arts'.

Crafts and trades of all sorts are often now elevated to the status of 'Art' but all are essentially functional. Even primitive decoration, face painting, totems and amulets had primary psychological benefits. A sense of refined esthetics and an appreciation for non-functional 'Art' (especially as a trade commodity) are a fairly modern development.

When asked by entrepeneurial anthropoligists, the Belanese (according to Marshal MacLuhan's 'The Medium Is the Message') were proud to reply, "Oh ,we have no Art; we do everything as well as we can."


~jwf~

>>Because it looks nicer to me.

>>Were you looking for more

Oof. On one level...fair enough. De gustibus non thingummy. On the other hand...imagine how many marks an Eng Lit GCSE pupil would get for.
'I liked this poem.'

If it's worth liking, it's worth enthusing about. Tell people what they're missing. *Inspire* them to enjoy it.

Well most of the stuff in the modern art gallery seemed to be art to scare small children by. Heck it would scare me if I came across it in the middle of the night.

Call me weird but a picture of a nice landscape or a stormy sea is more pleasing to me than one that 'explores the link between sex and violence in abstract form' which is one example I noted in Tate modern.

Mostly though, I guess, I'm not really interested that much in this sorr of art I guess. Sorry.

Well no, I'm not sorry

Saw this today:
http://www.list.co.uk/article/7933-jim-lambie-forever-changes/

CrazySexy!

And I fell over in hysterics wheb I say te bit called 'Warm Leatherette', since all week I've been going round sinfing Grace Jones' 'Apple Stretching'.
















Plus, I was well stoned. <blush?

>>Well no, I'm not sorry

You should be! Anyone who closes themselves off from ideas - and who makes a virtue of doing so - should prostate themselves in abject apology. I'm not saying you have to *get* the ideas...but at least recognise that people are trying.

Warm.....beeeeeep....leatherette....booooop...

repeat!!!!

Why ponder life's complexities when the leatherette's smooth on the passenger see-ee-ee-eat...

Bingo!

Did I say I'd closed myself off to anything?

I merely make no apology for having my own interests.

I rather suspect you're not as interested in Science as me.
I bet you won't apologise for that.

>>I merely make no apology for having my own interests.

Ah. My bad. You seemed to be apologising for having *no* interest (in modern art) .

>>I rather suspect you're not as interested in Science as me

That would be curious, given that I work as a Scientist. (Well...a Technologist). I've published. I haven't (yet!) published in literature or exhibited (well...apart from my Flickr flower photos - a couple of which have sold.)

CP Snow wrote about the 'Two Cultures' whereby those who know about science don't know about Art...and vice versa. This is often true. On the other hand...Melyn Bragg, Jonathan Miller, Isaac Asimov, Ian McEwan, Gunther von Haagens, Ernst Gombrich...

Well I'm an academic research chemist so it's all different levels

You're not interested in having another string to your bow, then?

I get most of my scientific inspiration from Art and Literature. It's all about ideas, innit?

Leaving that aside...You seem to share the popular misconception that there's a divide between 'Modern Art' and 'The Proper Stuff'. Yes? Have you not thought about how, even before the Modern age, there was a stream of revolution and innovation in representative (and decorative) art?

Can I convince you that you simply haven't thought about it enough yet?

Can I convince you to start with any book by Ernst Gombrich (widely available) and take it from there?

>> imagine how many marks an Eng Lit GCSE pupil would get for.
'I liked this poem.' <<

Isn't that how you get a A* these days? Frankly, I'm surprised they still study poetry...