RE: Art is a Threat

I think it’s pretty clear that the concept of art and the art industry/art scene only overlap, sometimes just barely.

I wrestle with the concept of what art actually is sometimes (not too much cause words are just words and I value feeling over that) but the meaning I am happy with now is “play + meaning +craft”. You can focus on two aspects more than another, most modern art emphasizes play, teases meaning and disregards craft.

It’s valid but also very open to manipulation by the art scene and the artist (which in itself is a kind of part of the art. I know an artist who put post it notes in her bathroom just to get the art journalists riled up and see what they’d say).

I prefer art that balances the three, but in the end I feel of the artist gets something out of the art, it’s meaningful to them and worth creating.

I create most of my art to heal or grow or expand and to try and invite others to do the same. I am trying to balance my own self satisfaction (fucking around), a desire to improve (make something more and more beautiful), and a present in a way that feels like it brings out whatever meaning I am trying to convey much more powerfully than saying it directly would be.

I appreciate the pop art when it fucks with peoples expectations. I get very tired of it when it continues to pull on the same strings or tries to shock without saying anything or challenging the artist.