telophase: (Default)
telophase ([personal profile] telophase) wrote2004-01-07 12:09 pm

(no subject)

Not sure Mom's ever going to get around to finishing commenting on the Paris pictures, so here's the link to the gallery anyway.

Must do art today. Life drawing class went really well last night and I did one really good picture and as per usual whenever anyone does a really good picture the teacher snarfs it and puts it up on the wall so I can't get a picture and post it in my portfolio. There's another class scheduled tonight, so I may drop by before it starts with my camera to get a copy of it plus one I did last fall that's up on the wall.

[identity profile] mothoc.livejournal.com 2004-01-08 11:22 am (UTC)(link)
Pictures do not need words to be enjoyed. WHy didn't you post the paris gallery earlier, hmm? :)

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2004-01-08 11:28 am (UTC)(link)
You know, there was an argument on the museum professionals mailing list this fall about this very thing -- whether art needs context or not. One woman was very irate and said that by curators writing text about art or even by asking the artist to provide it, you were imposing context on the art. The other side was that you weren't *imposing* context on it because it was the viewer's choice whether or not to read the text.

I tend to fall on the "provide context for those who wish it" side, because I like context. :)

[identity profile] mothoc.livejournal.com 2004-01-08 11:39 am (UTC)(link)
I think good art can exist outside of context. Bad art needs context. That's just my opinion, of course.

:)

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2004-01-08 11:49 am (UTC)(link)
Sure, good art can exist outside of context. But context can enhance it. Despite what some people think, I think that art, being created by humans, is embedded in the context that surrounds that person. It can't be divorced from that. You can enjoy Andy Warhol's work, but if you know the social and political history going on right then, you can bring that to it and understand it on a different level.

Another example -- the Lady and the Unicorn (http://www.licornedecluny.com/GBpages/docdamlicornGB.htm) Tapestries (because I saw them at the Cluny :). You can appreciate them as art as is, just like they are. However, the designers of them created them with a specific visual language -- items represent specific things, from mythological to heraldic. If you know that language, you can read more into it. Even knowing that to many medieval and Renaissance people, the monkey stands for baser human nature adds a little bit.

A bit philosophical for some holiday snaps, but hey.