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Art Can't Have Nice Things? (Rant)
15 years ago
So I've just got back from a critique from one of my classes, and a girl's in-progress piece is a series based on a couple finding love right? No irony or anything, it simply is what it is. The professor remarked that the theme is too cheerful and feels like a greeting-card or something, and this got me thinking.
Why can't a work of art have a simple, positive meaning to it? Does the theme have to be more negative for it to be considered "real art?" I've come to the personal conviction that an artist should have the right to express their full range of emotions, and that angst doesn't make one edgy, but in fact it itself might be cliche. I'm not saying that everything is fine and life is great all the time and everyone should put on a fake smile, just that there is a time and place for everything, and I'm sorry but life is not always shit. Even if you want to go the nihilistic route and say that happiness doesn't exist, then you must admit that depression doesn't exist either, and in fact art doesn't exist and it's all a free for all anyways. Heck, this is even coming from someone that just submitted pieces that have a very dark theme, but I also like to submit things with a little humor or camp too, it's just want I want to do at any particular time.
I know a local artist that likes to make cute sometimes, and you know what, I don't see anything wrong with it.
Why can't a work of art have a simple, positive meaning to it? Does the theme have to be more negative for it to be considered "real art?" I've come to the personal conviction that an artist should have the right to express their full range of emotions, and that angst doesn't make one edgy, but in fact it itself might be cliche. I'm not saying that everything is fine and life is great all the time and everyone should put on a fake smile, just that there is a time and place for everything, and I'm sorry but life is not always shit. Even if you want to go the nihilistic route and say that happiness doesn't exist, then you must admit that depression doesn't exist either, and in fact art doesn't exist and it's all a free for all anyways. Heck, this is even coming from someone that just submitted pieces that have a very dark theme, but I also like to submit things with a little humor or camp too, it's just want I want to do at any particular time.
I know a local artist that likes to make cute sometimes, and you know what, I don't see anything wrong with it.
Art, by definition, is subjective. I don't see how a good professor can dismiss anything simply based on its subject. I do hope he/she at least made some observations/critiques/etc. of other aspects of the girl's works.
If someone is happy and allowed to create whatever they want, why would they wish to create something angsty and dark? Or vice versa.
Sure, lovey stuff has been done. But what hasn't?
What bugs me the most about this story is that the PROFESSOR of art, who should mainly be concerned with nurturing each students' unique style and ability, seems to be telling the girl that she's not an artist at all because HE thinks the subject is wrong.
Everything after that sentence went completely the opposite direction from what I was anticipating. That certainly speaks volumes, but I'm not sure about whom — me, you, or humanity in general.