Savant-- modern art

[lilianapontes]

Dear Group,

This is a very intersting post i found on the internet. It makes a very good
point, directly relating to modern art.

The following column appeared in the "Parade" section of the Washington
Post on October 15, 2000. It was written by Marilyn vos Savant who is
listed in the "Guinness Book of World Records" Hall of Fame for the
"Highest IQ" Her column, called "Ask Marilyn" involves answering
letters from readers. I thought this particular response was extremely
important to our cause. The fact that it is written by a intellectual
who is not considered an art authority and will probably be understood
by most people regardless of their backgrounds in art, it should have an
impact. I hope Ms Savant will publish more letters on this topic.
Perhaps this letter or similar letters could be publish in ARC. I
sometimes feel our magazine is a bit beyond the average citizen and
should make more effort to reach a little less sophisticated public.
Gerald King

Dear Marilyn,
[ I've been listening to famous art critics say that Pablo Picasso
was the most talented artist of this century and maybe of all time. I
cannot make myself believe this after seeing his works of "art." Can
you explain this phenomenon?
Gene Anderson,
St. Louis, Mo.

I believe Picasso's success is just one small part of the broader
modern phenomenon of artists themselves rejecting serious art-perhaps
partly because serious art takes so much time and energy and talent to
produce-in favor of what I call "impulse art": artwork that is quick
and easy, at least by comparison. In my opinion, in the abstract work to
which you're referring, Picasso was more like one of the weavers for the
emperor in Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Emperor's New
Clothes" than he was an artist. The weavers said that their extremely
expensive cloth had the quality of being invisible to every person who
was either "Unfit for his post" or else was "inadmissibly stupid."
Because the ministers who were sent to examine the cloth on the
emperor's behalf dint want to seem unworthy of their positions and
because none of the people in the kingdom wanted to believe that he or
she was a fool, everyone praised it. But in fact the cloth didn't
exist. It wasn't until the emperor knighted the weavers and decided to
wear his new clothes" in a public procession that a little child finally
declared, "But he doesn't have anything on!" Soon the entire populace
learned the truth.
I believe that someday those famous art critics will find themselves in
the position of the ministers who finally looked at the emperor honestly
and discovered he was wearing nothing at all. ]

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[Scarlett]

If I hear the phase "Emperor's New Clothes" about art that isn't
understood by the common masses I shall projectile vomit!

Scarlett
http://ScarlettDecker.homestead.com

"lilianapontes" <lilian...@email.msn.com> wrote in message
news:#Bqv42lsAHA.296@cpmsnbbsa09...
: Dear Group,

:

[Ulrich Osterloh]

no I am sorry this is too much. Not being a huge fan of Picassos work, i
still recognize that many of his paintings are very laboured and well
crafted.
By the way, you will find abstraction in all cultures, especially the
'great' ones. Just because something looks 'easily' made doesn't mean it
was, on the contrary
It's very easy though to recognize a true work of art, either abstract or
figurative -
just ask your heart

[quig]

Just as I wouldn't want Jed Perl, Hilton Kramer et. all to work on a
artificial heart (I'm using hubby Jarvik as an example since has MvS *done*
anything?). "Ms best-test-taker-in-the-whole-world" should get off her
soapbox and foist up somebody other than Norman Rockwell as the artist of
the century (Wyeth, Freud, Neurdrum etc...).

But, that might, ya know, require the reader to say, pick a up book or go to
a museum. If that happened they would miss the "celebrity profile" on the
back page.

lilianapontes <lilian...@email.msn.com> wrote in message
news:#Bqv42lsAHA.296@cpmsnbbsa09...

[" "]

I completely concur with regard to most contemporary art, and funny enough
have often used the same story of the emperors new clothes. But I have to
say that although Picasso, in his later life, was probably taking the piss,
his early works were brilliant. have you ever seen his student works? He
could do it, but sadly, these days they want to skip the learning years and
move straight to the art which their tutors tell them is relevant today.
Consequently, most of todays art is unskilled. Sad.

"lilianapontes" <lilian...@email.msn.com> wrote in message
news:#Bqv42lsAHA.296@cpmsnbbsa09...