Art School Confidential
cypher
girlfriend. I had been looking forward to seeing this film for months,
but the actual film proved to be a little bit of a let down. I found
its remorseless cynicism towards art students, art tutors, artists and
art college rather unpalatable. Perhaps I was in too good a mood when I
watched it and I would have found it better after I had received
another series of art world rejections.
Many of its observations about art college were true. Yes there are a
lot of stereotypical, beatniks, hippies, mature mothers discovering
their creative side, angry lesbians, and talentless star pupils. Yes
there are traditionally skilled artists who are over looked because
their work is too traditional while incompetents who produce gimmicky
pop images are hailed as great. Yes judgments about what is great art
is highly subjective. Yes success in the art world requires a great
deal of skill in arse licking. Yes artists are often self-obsessed
aseholes. Yes many art tutors are burnt out failures more concerned
with their own art than that of their students.
But I found many of these acute observations made meaningless by the
raging misanthropy and bile of the overall story. I have a great deal
of anger about the art world and society in general. I am a quite
misanthropic and critical of the human animal. But while there are a
great deal of things I hate in this world, there are also a great many
things and people I adore. Yes the art world is full of talentless
opportunistic aseholes who make me fall out of love with the art world.
But there are also many very talented artists who's work bring me
joy, delight and excitement. Had 'Art School Confidential' shown
some of the heroic and honorable aspects of the art world - like
those artists who make art without greed or lust for fame or sex, or
those artists of sincerity who's work speaks to our humanity, or
those art tutors who inspire and help their students become full
rounded artists and better human beings, it might have actually been a
profound film of real depth and meaning.
I have spent quite a lot of time in colleges, and looking art student
art, and while most of the art created is god awful, the actual people
I found quite sincere, thoughtful, open minded and adventurous. Yes art
students are often middle class, pretensions and self absorbed, but in
reality that does not make they very different from others in the arts.
Actually I think in effect the film was a rather embittered settling of
private scores on the part of its comic book writer Daniel Clowes,
who's own psychology I can only guess at. But there was a general
crassness to the plot and writing that seemed to reveal more about him
than his targets. I would venture to suggest that he feels aggrieved
that comic book art is not thought of as great art in the way other art
forms like painting are. But would he ever turn his scorn on middle
aged comic book artists I wonder? Many of them and those that buy their
work - seem ripe for satire!
Yet again in this film, Picasso took a bashing. The cartoon image of
Picasso, the midget, the bully, the misogynist, is more an indication
of the ignorance of the writer and his audience than a true picture of
this genius. It fails to take into account Picasso technical genius,
his independence, his searing honesty, his stylistic innovation, his
obsessive creativity and the countless times when he took risks in his
art that could have damaged his art market income. Such bashing seems
to always come from semi literate and talentless individuals, who feel
embittered that geniuses actually exist. They are too lazy or stupid or
talentless to compete and learn from great art so they resort to
personal attacks. And so much of this film was little more than this
- cheep personal attacks on the personalities of arty types.
Jerome the lead of the film should have been the hero of the story, but
he came across almost worse than anyone else. Jerome, who is bullied in
school, thinks art will help him get girls and goes to art college in
search of the nude girl on the college brochure. All his attempts at
getting girls fail including with the artist model - he thinks this
is because he is not respected as an artist but it is more to do with
his physical and emotional immaturity. His childish desire to become
'"the greatest artist of the twentieth century" was laughable,
not because many artist have not had similar wishes but because his
declaration of it sober in conversation was childish and gauche,
especially since in reality he was such a wimp. Whether you are a man
or woman in the art world you need to have 'balls'. You need to
have inner conviction, obsessive creativity and more than mere
technical skill - you have to have something to say. Jerome on the
other hand was a childish virgin, a nerd, and a rather stupid character
with no inner conviction. Rather than single mindedly pursuing his
traditional realist style and deepening its psychological meaning (as
someone like Lucian Freud did), he quickly attempts to mimic the pop
images of the classes star pupil (who is an undercover cop with no art
training - yet another poke at the gullibility of the art world which
is supposed to always fall for the naïf). Had he for example turned
his unrequited love for the nude model into a series of work about
lust, longing and stalking, he might have actually made something
worthwhile. Instead the film ends with him robbing the paintings of an
older artist, which turn out to be the mementos of a serial killer and
failed artist. Even this theft fails to win Jerome critical praise or
the girl. The final episode of the film sees him wrongly arrested as
the serial killer. But he is happy, since while he paints in his jail
cell the art world clamors for his art and the girl has fallen in love
with him. In a sense this rings true. Most American's are more
interested in celebrity serial killers than in artists, and many women
do seem to flock to such killers in jail. But it yet again the
misanthropy and cynicism of this conceit, left me feeling let down.
The sad fact of this movie, is that the view of the art world expressed
in it is very close to what the average person feels. But it is not how
I see the art world. I do believe that there are great artists dead and
alive, who made and make art for reasons far more complex that fame,
sex and money. These many come from the results of great talent
recognized, but I don't believe that it is the motivating force
behind real great art. I agree that many talentless artists can make
small fortunes and gain some degree of fame from producing gimmicky art
that cashes in on the current concerns of the art market. But in the
long run such artists are exposed for the shallow idiots that they
really are. Finally I believe that there is such a thing as great art
- which can profoundly touch the deepest aspects of our humanity in
all its complexity - 'Art School Confidential' is not such an art
work. Because while its cynicism is refreshing and humorous in parts,
as a whole it is nihilistic and contemptible.
You can check out my art at www.thepanicartist.com BE WARNED MY SITE IS
FOR OVER 18'S ONLY AND CONTAINS MANY SEXUAL IMAGES THAT YOU MIGHT FIND
OFFESSIVE.
Ashley Clarke
news:1162431582....@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
> Last Night I watched 'Art School Confidential' (2005) with my
> girlfriend. I had been looking forward to seeing this film for months,
> but the actual film proved to be a little bit of a let down. I found
> its remorseless cynicism towards art students, art tutors, artists and
> art college rather unpalatable. Perhaps I was in too good a mood when I
> watched it and I would have found it better after I had received
> another series of art world rejections.
I just don`t TRY any more.
> Many of its observations about art college were true. Yes there are a
> lot of stereotypical, beatniks, hippies, mature mothers discovering
> their creative side, angry lesbians, and talentless star pupils. Yes
> there are traditionally skilled artists who are over looked because
> their work is too traditional while incompetents who produce gimmicky
> pop images are hailed as great. Yes judgments about what is great art
> is highly subjective. Yes success in the art world requires a great
> deal of skill in arse licking. Yes artists are often self-obsessed
> aseholes. Yes many art tutors are burnt out failures more concerned
> with their own art than that of their students.
What a brilliant description of Art Schools!
Yes, it`s all true folks; BUT...
> But I found many of these acute observations made meaningless by the
> raging misanthropy and bile of the overall story. I have a great deal
> of anger about the art world and society in general. I am a quite
> misanthropic and critical of the human animal. But while there are a
> great deal of things I hate in this world, there are also a great many
> things and people I adore. Yes the art world is full of talentless
> opportunistic aseholes who make me fall out of love with the art world.
Let`s face it, there are Clikes and there are Cleeks.
> But there are also many very talented artists who's work bring me
> joy, delight and excitement. Had 'Art School Confidential' shown
> some of the heroic and honorable aspects of the art world - like
> those artists who make art without greed or lust for fame or sex, or
> those artists of sincerity who's work speaks to our humanity, or
> those art tutors who inspire and help their students become full
> rounded artists and better human beings, it might have actually been a
> profound film of real depth and meaning.
Bah, yeh, yet another Movie (I have yet to waste time watching).
> I have spent quite a lot of time in colleges, and looking art student
> art, and while most of the art created is god awful, the actual people
> I found quite sincere, thoughtful, open minded and adventurous. Yes art
> students are often middle class, pretensions and self absorbed, but in
> reality that does not make they very different from others in the arts.
"Something so true".
Most of them simply want a Degree Certificate at the end of it...
> Actually I think in effect the film was a rather embittered settling of
> private scores on the part of its comic book writer Daniel Clowes,
> who's own psychology I can only guess at. But there was a general
> crassness to the plot and writing that seemed to reveal more about him
> than his targets. I would venture to suggest that he feels aggrieved
> that comic book art is not thought of as great art in the way other art
> forms like painting are. But would he ever turn his scorn on middle
> aged comic book artists I wonder? Many of them and those that buy their
> work - seem ripe for satire!
...another conspiracy being conjured up here do you think?
> Yet again in this film, Picasso took a bashing. The cartoon image of
> Picasso, the midget, the bully, the misogynist, is more an indication
> of the ignorance of the writer and his audience than a true picture of
> this genius. It fails to take into account Picasso technical genius,
> his independence, his searing honesty, his stylistic innovation, his
> obsessive creativity and the countless times when he took risks in his
> art that could have damaged his art market income. Such bashing seems
> to always come from semi literate and talentless individuals, who feel
> embittered that geniuses actually exist. They are too lazy or stupid or
> talentless to compete and learn from great art so they resort to
> personal attacks. And so much of this film was little more than this
> - cheep personal attacks on the personalities of arty types.
And now my favorite joke:
When is a Shamrock not a Rock?
When it is a Flower!
Of course its a Money-spinning Conspiracy!
We all go through this phase don`t we artists?
> The sad fact of this movie, is that the view of the art world expressed
> in it is very close to what the average person feels. But it is not how
> I see the art world. I do believe that there are great artists dead and
> alive, who made and make art for reasons far more complex that fame,
> sex and money. These many come from the results of great talent
> recognized, but I don't believe that it is the motivating force
> behind real great art. I agree that many talentless artists can make
> small fortunes and gain some degree of fame from producing gimmicky art
> that cashes in on the current concerns of the art market. But in the
> long run such artists are exposed for the shallow idiots that they
> really are. Finally I believe that there is such a thing as great art
> - which can profoundly touch the deepest aspects of our humanity in
> all its complexity - 'Art School Confidential' is not such an art
> work. Because while its cynicism is refreshing and humorous in parts,
> as a whole it is nihilistic and contemptible.
Why can`t critics like you leave us alone then?!
You can check out my art at www.thepanicartist.com BE WARNED MY SITE IS
FOR OVER 18'S ONLY AND CONTAINS MANY SEXUAL IMAGES THAT YOU MIGHT FIND
OFFESSIVE.
We`re not shy here, but I don`t have my Anti-Virus program running just
yet...
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Ashley Clarke
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