Artists, Intelligence, and Controversy
By Zyrnuvex
There will always be difference of opinion
There will always be contradiction
There will always be war
What one should ask them self is
Is this war worth fighting?
What am I defending?
Am I working
for or against what I believe in?
War will always bring pain
and casualty.
A certain respect is due those who question our
intelligence or belief
It offers us a chance to show we are open-minded,
to check our ego, to offer our minds a challenge,
and give us the
opportunity to grow intellectually.
No one person has all the
answers, and if one does, we will never know.
We would deny that one
person the respect and credit they would deserve.
We prove this in
our daily affairs, and as open-minded as any one individual may be, at
times all doors close.
Some people have a naturally combative
disposition towards one another.
This is based on the same principal
of attraction and similar emotions.
The truly intelligent learn to
recognize this, and attempt to maintain the strength to keep things in
a perspective light.
Everyone has an ego and with it comes the
desire to defend it, it is part of what gives our inner strength, and times
what makes us weak.
What I ask, is it definable as intelligence
or truth, when one puts themselves in an elitist position where they have
let
their ego get the better of them through what could be maintained
as civil debate. Where they are no longer open-minded
and have become
opinionated to the point where they feel they or what the belive is redoubtable?
Art is an indefinable pattern of word, color, emotion, and perception.
It is not the how or why that art is designed it is that
it was designed
at all. If ever the quote "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" it is
in reference to art or anything perceivable as art. It also gives presence
to the fact the the meaning of art is to each an individual experience.
If I am wrong in this, and art is actually intended to impose specific
opinions that should go unquestioned and hold only absolute
truth
with no room for interpretation and personal meaning, then I do not want
to be called an artist, and have no room in my life for it.
In
closing I must state I would be remiss to separate myself from these statements
for I am flawed and at times prone to such behavior at times.
Hopefully
in those times I will recognize and correct, or give due respect to those
who point this out to me.
Zyrnuvex
Elitism
The belief that
certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored
treatment by
virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect,
social status, or financial resources.
a. The sense of entitlement
enjoyed by such a group or class.
b. Control, rule, or domination
by such a group or class.
consciousness of or pride in belonging
to a select or favored group.
Debate
a discussion, as of a public question in
an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints
a formal contest in which
the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing
speakers.
to engage in argument or discussion
to deliberate;
consider
to deliberate upon; consider
Open-minded
having
or showing a mind receptive to new ideas or arguments.
unprejudiced;
unbigoted; impartial.
Ego
the "I" or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing,
and distinguishing itself from the selves of
others and from objects
of its thought the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts
to the outside
world and thus mediates between the primitive drives
of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.
self-esteem
or self-image; feelings: Your criticism wounded his ego.
the enduring
and conscious element that knows experience.
the complete person
comprising both body and soul.
egotism; conceit; self-importance
Redoubtable
that is to be feared; formidable.
commanding or evoking respect,
reverence, or the like.
Opinionated
obstinate or conceited with regard to
the merit of one's own opinions; conceitedly dogmatic.
Awards
Comments on "Artists, Intelligence, and Controversy"
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On Friday, November 25, 2011, Devilish
(2633) wrote:
Perfect!!!!
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A former member wrote:
still a great read.... but ya know... elitism... I wouldn't want a paraplegic to be my police officer (unless I was the criminal) I wouldn't want my medical doctor to be my carpenter.... or vice versa... I mean... we do not all develop the same skills... and society encourages that people specialize in certain jobs or fields.... at that point, I would say that contextually, we can make distinctions between people who are 'right for the job' and 'wrong' for the job... and this distinction, this designation stating that person X is better for the job... in other words, entitled to the position, or worthy of more respect and reverence than another... seems to make sense, to me... as for whether or not beauty is in the eye of the beholder, well, there are many aesthetic theories, most of which point out that it is not only a matter of individual taste or objective truth... but a matter of social, historical, cultural influence that evolves over time, but is generally steered by the interests of many... here I'm not talking about one piece of art and two people liking or disliking, I'm talking about what ends up in museums, how artists become 'known' as good by a populous, who is celebrated by a community and who isn't... and the commonalities that must operate across sections of society for people to 'agree' more or less on what are criteria for evaluating something like art... thus, no I think it's very hard to argue that one person decides if Maya Angelou is a great artist or not... Maya Angelou is a great artist ipso facto because she will be recorded as such in history... whether any one or several individuals deny her as such or not.... I may not like her art, but I have to recognize her as a great and celebrated artist or I am just being stubborn to the point of ignoring her status as an artist recognized by perhaps a simple majority, or maybe just those people who have found their way to a position of reverence (art critics) because of their specialization in the field. Sure, we may disagree with the 'experts', we may not share the taste of the majority... but we cannot change what is by simply stating our opinion of any given work of art... I don't think this means there aren't great artists who will never be recognized as great, it's just that such a claim could be difficult to substantiate since if that artist is not acclaimed... then without criteria (or systematic power structures, as in Dickey's instrumentalist aesthetics) or both, we have nothing to argue that they should be 'great' other than "I like them." Critics themselves study the history of art, study the genres of art, the become experts on art... and while no one is infallible... generally speaking... they have a skill that the majority do not, and that skill is part of the nexus of factors that can result in an artist being 'discovered' and then becoming popular. I'm not saying there aren't other ways of being discovered, but I think most people who are trying to get published and dealing with editors and working with critics will probably tell you that it's hard to get any recognition without being able to meet the criteria (and they change, certainly, even though they will probably share similarities... like being based on context, audience, type of publication, etc.) of those critics... those specialists in the field who are in the business of deciding who will be made available to the public, and who will not... who will win the awards and who will not... who will be invited to display work at an exhibit, perhaps, and who will not... what band will open for whom, or get played on the radio... or not... so... I don't think it's as simple as subjectivism or objectivism, and I don't think that elitism is always a necessarily 'bad' thing... I mean yeah we all should be treated equal under law, equal opportunity... but that doesn't mean we all can do an equally good job at any given task... nah... we aren't equally skilled... some have more skills in some areas than others... I respect those who are more skilled than I at many, many things... but I also recognize that I am more skilled than other in certain fields... that is the nature of society, I think... and I doubt it will change any time soon, unless you would have someone who is a carpenter receive just as much respect and reverence for his surgical abilities as you would a surgeon... and I doubt that's the case. The surgeon is superior than the carpenter at surgery... yep... and even within the field... there are elite surgeons and not so elite.... we cannot live without valuations and distinctions/judgments based on evaluations.... it's human. thanks for the post.
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On Friday, November 25, 2011, The Dybbuk
(895) wrote:
I think it's pretty hilarious how there are books (journeyman poet member) indicated next to my words (as the former member Ainsof) here and on other posts as if to market the cabal? I was never a journeyman poet, nor did whatever scholarship that is indicated in these comments come from the DP College... If I didn't have books after my comments when I was leaving them as a former member, why are they there now? and why don't I have them now, since I have never passed the course that is offered here? A mystery, indeed....
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On Monday, June 28, 2010, unspeakable truth
(94) wrote:
Being human, individual, just who we are, that last part a bit hard to comprehend when one sits down and starts assigning what they believe in, or can't, or just won't, their likes, dislikes and the madness in between of trying to figure out everyone around and yet forgetting to find themselves. What they feel so deep within their soul, while the fear drives, because it does. And then to defend who they are, way beyond what one views as beauty , what excites, destroys at times in the same moment. I took so much from this way outside any box and will surely revisit and play it all out in my head, over and over. Yet in the end, no matter what the view, the feelings brought on by the how the words dance in our heads, or the paintings that tease our eyes, and on and on encompassing for me every bit of the what each day brings I have learned that everything change including the view, especially since we all have one huge constant that we are forever learning.
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A former member wrote:
ya know.... one of the reasons I admire Nietzsche (fritz) and Heidegger is the way they can conceptualize without demarcating too much.... guess that's why they are considered forerunners in post modern thought.... much like Deleuze and Guatarri and the 'body without organs'... so the notion of superego is viable since it seems they, in effect reduce 'ego' to a force (energy) in society imposing identity on us.... the existential vel in Lacan.... you have authenticity... or you have meaning... but never both..... I'm on a tangent. I should stop.
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On Friday, November 25, 2011, The Dybbuk
(895) wrote:
For instance, I doubt any of the journeymen poets could explain the relationships mentioned here between Nietzsche, Heidegger and Lacan, much less Deleuze and Guatarri, yet... here my comment lies with a tag seeking to marked a cabal I was never a member of... interesting usurpation of my words, indeed.
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A former member wrote:
hmmm I spose that was a lame comment for such a thought provoking post. Hope you don't mind if I join the conversation.....I was thinkin... about art... aesthetics, really... and I was taken by the indefinable pattern idea... on the one hand... I thought... GE Moore... a simple indefinable property.... but then I wondered about the pattern... seems like a pattern would be repeating... the basis of prediction in science...identifying patterns. But I suppose the pattern could be somehow fluid but not too fluid to disrupt the pattern.ness... reminds me of John Dewey... yep, he was a philosopher and his aesthetic theory looked at "patterns" in nature.. rhythms and cycles.... good book "Art as Experience" a staple in the realm. Funny... Kant felt that redoubtable was the essence of the sublime.... like that which is beyond art, where art is beauty.... and a tribute to the sublime....now for the Freudian conception of ego... well there is something there... but I like Fritz' idea more.... an influence on Freud perhaps... helping move psychology into a realm of its own maybe.... that there is no 'I' (where ego is a pronoun) really... that there is only will... and, I would qualify, the energy it imparts or absorbs... one is never completely conscious of oneself.... I gotta post somewhere.... but society relies on patterns... and each must assume an identity... assume self same when there is overwhelming evidence that we are not the same person throughout our lives.... Heraclitus... can't step in the same river twice...maybe, perhaps. Anyways. I gotta stop thinking now, but thanks for very thought provoking post... and I really like your take on things.... still, words to live by.... where would we be without an open mind?
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On Friday, November 25, 2011, The Dybbuk
(895) wrote:
Um, this is mine, too.... why aren't there books after it? A matter of selective marketing, perhaps? *shakes head*
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A former member wrote:
this sentence: "If ever the quote "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" it is in reference to art or anything perceivable as art." could use a few more words in it. And it's followed by what appears to be an unintended fragment.... really, such pedantic matters have no bearing on the truth value of the statements.... just one of those patterns that I like to witness if not create.... thank you.
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A former member wrote:
this has 'response to drama' post written all through it lol.... well expressed ideas, truly.... perhaps, words to live by.
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A former member wrote:
Like Draven, I had to come back to this one again! I will be back again... believe that! Thank you again for this! :)
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A former member wrote:
This write was so nice, I had to comment twice! Check out this movie I made for my blog, man. Fits nicely, methinks.---> http://darkscribbles.blogspot.com/2010/03/american-poet.html
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A former member wrote:
You have touched on a subject I am so very passionate about. I could never have said it as beautifully as you did though. I thank you so much for bringing it to light on here. I wish all artists felt the same way... hell I wish people in general felt this way, artist or not. I only hope, when your piece is read, your readers all take a closer look at themselves and then look at their fellow "artists" with just a little more respect, than maybe they did before. Thank you so much for this! From one artist to another.... your words here were brilliantly put! :)
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On Friday, June 25, 2010, NikesRain
(1240) wrote:
i'm just going to echo foster and the others as they've said my thoughts but much more coherent and gracefully
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A former member wrote:
This is perhaps one of the most intelligent and well written pieces I have ever read, on this site or, anywhere else. I really feel I should not comment, simply to avoid sullying the beauty of it with my clumsy and sometimes random words. But, I just could not help myself. You have said here, in a VERY clear and quite articulate way, something I have always felt myself but, always struggled to put into words the way you have. Thank you for this. And that is said with the most sincere sentiment imaginable, trust me. I too do not want to be considered an artist if being one means there is no room for interpretation and personal meaning in art. I'm happy just being a clown, if that is what being an artist means.--Draven.