98
“IT IS IF IT ’S IN AN ART GALLERY.” Richard Embrey
WHAT IS ART?
Last month I wrote about what is an Artist, saying that it is simply someone who produces art; but what is art? Some say that if it is in an art gallery, then it is art.
This means that anyone can take anything they like, place it in an art gallery and call it art and many ‘artists’ do just that. Usually, and to try and justify it, the ‘art’ comes with and essay of meaning or political statement. Marcel Deschamp first started this in 1917, when he exhibited a porcelain urinal signed R Mutt. Recently Damien Hirst followed his lead and just put shelves full of medicine and then washing powder soap etc, like from a supermarket in his gallery stating, “is it art?” “it is if it’s in an art gallery.”
I think it’s down to our each individual opinion on whether anything can be art. I think most people would say that it’s not good art, or something you would want in your home; but we do live in a time when a 10 foot tall Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons is not only considered art, but someone was willing to pay $58.4m in 2013 for it. Proof that anything can be ‘art’ and people will buy just about anything in the name of art. Good luck to Jeff Koons and his net worth of $950 million, but people do ask whether these pieces of art will be around in 100+ years time and what will they be worth.
I feel that these modern conceptual pieces are of their time and of their time only. I think Andy Warhol’s work suffers from this and that his work was so new and striking when it was first done, but now
lack that initial impact as time moves on. Unlike many great Old Masters paintings and sculptures, that still today can be as fresh and striking as they were hundreds of years ago. Like a pop music track that captures a nation when first released, but does not stand the test of time as classical music does, or rock and roll. Mentioning no names, Timmy Mallett, the Birdy song etc, etc.
We are seeing a return of portraiture or figurative painting being popular again. Probably due to the now saturation of photography, as most people carry a quality camera with us at all times in our phones and photos now lack the impact and interest they did only 20+ years ago.
Gone are the days you’d take your camera film to Boot’s and excitedly await the prints, as it was an event for everyone to see your holiday snaps.. So modern inventions and leaps forward in technology and art, never completely replaces the old tech and after a while people miss the old ways and go back to them. Seen as many go back to Records over downloading music, slow cooking food over microwaves, physical art over digital art/NFTs etc. Hopefully in time we will put down our phones more often and engage with the real world again.
I do believe that anything can be art, if it has a compelling reason to be in an art gallery, but sadly this is often not the case. As the artist is just looking to produce something quickly and easily to
LIVE24-SEVEN.COM
ENTERTAINMENT ART GUIDE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
