I hate abstract art...

[redsoxliberal]

kill me.

Yes, that includes poetry and that modern art vomit-on-a-piece-of-paper-and-call-it-love-and-sell-it shit.
It irritates me that:
A)People look down on those that don't view each 'great' poem as great.
B)"Artists" can get be successful with such shitty productions and make loads of money.

It makes me so fucking angry... especially when "intellectuals" say they see shit in a poem or painting that just isn't there... like looking at a dot and calling it the war of the worlds or something.


GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I'm done now.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

1. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

[redsoxliberal]

2. NO!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA STOP IRRITATING ME!!!!!!!!!

[rawtribe]

4. Maybe it's

the gullibility of the beholder?

[redsoxliberal]

7. indeed.

right on, man.

[egoprofit]

57. maybe you can't enjoy abstract art because you're not

a creative person maybe? not everyone likes the same thing. it's really no big deal. here, smoke this and you'll like it. (just kidding)

[redsoxliberal]

68. I'm creative.

I like creative music. I like creative states of mind.
I like daoism.

I hate blank canvases.

[Modem Butterfly]

3. Representational art is dead

Deal with it, literal boy.

;)


How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb?

FISH!

[redsoxliberal]

6. NO!!! THE WORLD IS OUT TO GET ME!!!!!!

I HATE ABSTRACT ART AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT!!!!!!!!!!











pffffffffffffffff

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

76. There's abstract art and there's con jobs

Dali (most of his pics at least) is abstract art.

A canvas painted in solid yellow with a red circle on a corner is a con job.

[Goldmund]

5. I see. And the definitive authority on what is and isn't there...

...is who?

Redsoxliberal. But of course!

[terrya]

9. I suspect there's still anger over Christo.

And I wish they would just let it go already. We all have our ideas about what is art.

[redsoxliberal]

11. uhhh duh.

no, seriously though...



What would your reaction be if someone said "this is the inner evil of man."?

Or what would you do if someone referred to this as the greatest poem ever?

at on a frog.
The frog went splat.
I got wet.

I will never sit on a frog again.

[terrya]

19. I don't know...it may not appeal to me..

but who am I to say that it's NOT art?

Hell, some people think Thomas Kinkade is an artist. What he creates is art. It doesn't get my rocks off...but, if those people want to think of Kinkade's work as art. more power to them.

[Goldmund]

21. What would my reaction be?

Well, it would be "how so? Why do you think that? How does it make you feel? Where do you see that?" -- it certainly wouldn't be "you weirdo!".

I'm not very proficient in visual art. But my degree is in music composition. And I can tell you of a countless number of times when modern pieces that would literally rip me apart caused such reactions from lots of people... Like, "dude, this is just noise!".

[Cocoa]

8. don't get mad, get sarcastic

just ridicule the pretentious people, it's fun, not to mention easy. :-)

[redsoxliberal]

13. My new strategy! Thank you, oh wise one!

My english teacher will feel my wrath tomorrow!

[Cocoa]

25. you clearly don't need sarcasm lessons

:-)

[redsoxliberal]

I am one of the most sarcastic people on the planet

I just never thought about being sarcastic with this... game on.

[JohnKleeb]

10. You know to some weirdo, this is art

<

[Goldmund]

12. Tsk, tsk... Being a liberal should mean more than voting Democratic.

An open mind is one of those things, dontchathink? And calling people "weirdos" because they see things you don't isn't very open.

[redsoxliberal]

14. I don't really care. It aggrivates me.

[JohnKleeb]

17. Oh come on, if someone acts weird, youre gonna call them a weirdo

I eat fast food too, does that make me any less liberal now?

[name not needed]

18. Yes

[JohnKleeb]

22. What if I were to smoke two joints in the morning and two joints at night?

[name not needed]

24. I smoke two joints in the afternoon. It makes me feel alright.

[JohnKleeb]

27. :) amen

I smoke two joints,
in time of peace,
and two in time of war
I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints,
and then I smoke two more

[redsoxliberal]

31. now THAT'S a poem.

[JohnKleeb]

32. Yes it is

I sure would love to be high right now
to be high and in love
To eat pie and have my love
I sure would love to be high right now
:)

[redsoxliberal]

34. I would have so much more appreciation for poetry and art

if they just freely admitted that it takes then 10 minutes to do it and that they are not great works of literature.

[JohnKleeb]

39. Most of my best poems have been written at lunch time

When I was bored as hell. It just comes to you.

[Goldmund]

26. No, not at all

This isn't about some pet cause like boycotting Walmart or fast food. We all have pet causes and to chide others for not joining them is childish.

But thinking that there is an absolute standard for defining "weird" does make you less liberal, me thinks (you define a "weirdo" as "someone who acts weird" -- as if that defines or explains anything). It's not a dogmatic political point, like fast food -- it's about the mental constructs which can include absolute definitions of "weird" and the inherent supremacy of mainstream.

[terrya]

33. Actually, it reminds me of the right wingers who want to kill the NEA

after something comes out that doesn't conform to THEIR standards of art. Same kind of mindset.

[Goldmund]

38. Exactly.

"Crucifix in urine! Now you tell me, is that art???"

And for Cristo bashers -- I think you're just jealous that your city/town is a big strip mall.

[JohnKleeb]

41. I really am sorry if I offended

I was just mocking what I regard as silly.

[Goldmund]

43. No, no offense

To the contrary. This can be an interesting conversation. What is "weird" to a liberal?

[JohnKleeb]

46. Ok, good

Oh there is plenty weird to a liberal. Things people with OCD are weird to me.

[Goldmund]

49. See post #47

[JohnKleeb]

36. There are definely standards of weird

I can't explain it fully but there is definely a standard of weird.

[Goldmund]

40. Then explain it partially.

What's a standard of "weird"?

[JohnKleeb]

Well I think anyone who keeps everything they buy is

for sure weird.

[Goldmund]

47. That's not an explanation or a definition.

That's just citation of an example.

That's like "define 'cold'" -- and me responding "it's like it was this morning.".

It's really not a frivolous question. You think there is an absolute standard of "weird". So what is it? I'm not asking for a definitive philosophical thesis, just throw together some thoughts.

[JohnKleeb]

53. Not an absolute standard of weird

God youre making me think too much, that hurts my head. Goddamn you know how to hurt a guy's head, dont ya.

[Goldmund]

Comes after years of practice at hurting my own head

but anyway, I'm not challenging you or anything, think about it whenever you want and have time.

[JohnKleeb]

55. Its ok

I Admit it, I cant define weird but can I cheat and give a Potter Stewart answer, I know it when I see it.

[Goldmund]

59. Nah you can't cheat

because using your personal impulsive reaction ("when I see it") to define what is and isn't art is equivalent to what conservatives do.

[JohnKleeb]

60. Damn it

Defining things truly is so hard.

[Goldmund]

65. Not necessary unless you step into the realm of the absolute.

You don't need to define what YOU like and what YOU don't like. You know it when you see it, as you said. But once you step into the realm of what IS and ISN'T art, then you claim to have an absolute standard. And absolutes need definitions.

[JohnKleeb]

66. I guess youre right

[redsoxliberal]

74. agreed.

[Worst Username Ever]

58. Your intolerance of his intolerance disturbs me.

Does my intolerance of your intolerance of his intolerance disturb you?

:P

[Goldmund]

61. Well,

being intolerant of your intolerance of my intolerance of his intolerance would be intolerant.

And I am disturbed by intolerance.

Actually, so much so that my intolerance of my own intolerance of your intolerance of my intolerance of his intolerance is in itself intolerant.

And I am disturbed by intolerance.

[Debi]

15. WOW

What beautiful art!

:loveya:

[redsoxliberal]

16. :slitswrists:

[JohnKleeb]

20. Thank You

but it was purely symbolism.

[Debi]

23. I love symolism

:loveya:

on edit:

It's so symbolic

[JohnKleeb]

28. I love lamp

[name not needed]

29. I think I ate your chocolate squirrel

[JohnKleeb]

30. Where did you guys get your suits from, the toilet store?

[name not needed]

35. We've taken a break from our pledge drive to kick some ass!

No commercials, no mercy!

[Worst Username Ever]

48. Oh christ, what is that from???

Its on the tip of my tongue... help...

[JohnKleeb]

51. Mr. Burgandy you have an erection

Anchorman.

[Worst Username Ever]

56. Damn, I should have known that. Thx!

[JohnKleeb]

63. Agree to Disagree

San Diego means Whale's Vagina in Spanish.

[RubyDuby in GA]

37. I'm kinda with you there

My philosophy on art is "If I can do it, it's not art". I went to see a new exhibit one time where there was just a huge blank canvas. That was it, but people were talking about how brilliant it was. :wtf:

[redsoxliberal]

45. we would get on well.

Brilliant blank canvas people are exactly what I'm talking about... those faux-intellectuals.


GRRRRRRRRRRRRR it pisses the hell out of me every time I think about it.

[JohnKleeb]

50. Whats so brilliant about a blank canvas?

Anyone could do that. Not everyone can write terrific music, draw amazing pictures, and write amazing poetry in a seperate unique style.

[redsoxliberal]

54. amazing poetry is good

abstract poetry is not.


and I completely agree:

"Anyone could do that. Not everyone can write terrific music, draw amazing pictures, and write amazing poetry in a seperate unique style. "

[JohnKleeb]

62. Yep

I agree with you about the faux intelluctuals too, I prefer just to be a dumbass, its easier than truly thinking :).

[Goldmund]

64. I see.. so, it's either amazing or abstract?

Do you prefer Hallmark poetry? Can't get less abstract than that.

Or, Kinkade mall paintings?

[redsoxliberal]

67. not at all...

I object to that.

I do quite like Robert Frost.

[Goldmund]

69. I like Frost too.

[TlalocW]

42. There is some abstract art that I like...

But there has to be effort put into it. Good example would be a modern art museum I visited in Chicago for both effort and non-effort.

Effort: A seascape painting with a man and woman sitting on some rocks. They both had fish heads instead of normal heads. Not really what I'm in to, but I can tell that they are fish-headed people sitting on rocks by the sea.

No effort: A stack of 24 by 12 inch pieces of white paper with a one-inch black border on them, sitting on the floor. The description on the wall above it invites you to take a sheet or two because doing so makes it an ever-changing, fluid work of art. No, it's a damn pile of paper cut to a size that's not very usuable except for making giant paper airplanes, which I did and threw around the museum.

Effort: A room with 36 oil barrels filled with water. Above the barrels is some sort of set up that projects the artist's photographs down so that you see the reflections in the water. Neat effect.

No effort: That stupid artist who puts things like basketballs into plexiglass and then hangs store-bought posters of NBA superstars around them. He had a piece that consisted of different vaccuum cleaners in plexiglass. No effort plus it's stupid.

Effort: A film showing an artist destroying a hotel room, running without sound, and backwards. Destroying anything is thirsty work; it had some neat images, and the artist was a babe. :)

TlalocW

[redsoxliberal]

52. sounds about right

I don't hate art... I just hate art that I could do with ease... and I HATE the faux-intellectuals who pretend to understand.

[bobbobbins]

75. maybe the intellectuals really do understand...

and you just hate them because you don't.

[izzie]

44. I hate for you to say that. All art is an abstraction of real things.

When you put an image on a flat paper from the 3 D world you have abstracted it. You do not have to like it but do try to see the point or just look at it or read it or what ever. Always keep an open mind about the world you live in.

[Squeech]

70. I like Tlaloc's effort principle, but it's incomplete

It doesn't allow for "conceptual" art. Not all of which-- not even much of which-- is worth a bucket of warm spit. This is the stuff like that stack of paper with black borders. By itself, it's thin gruel. Add something else to it-- say, a section of the Wall Street Journal, with those black-bordered corporate ads they actually call "tombstones," plus maybe a front page story from the NY Times about more deaths in Fallujah-- and suddenly it's not nonsense, it's actually become a subtle but powerful statement about how capitalism implies death, mediated by those pieces of black-bordered paper.

The trick here is to figure out what images will say what you want to say. And it works the same way as a lot of that poetry you may think is silly: these weirdly juxtaposed words that don't add up to a legitimate sentence might instead add up to a legitimate image. See some of the poems of e.e. cummings, who loved to fuck with convention even to the extent of insisting his name be published in lower case (he was also prone to strew punctuation around randomly in his poems), but his texts often have a stark minimalist clarity, like haiku. (And haiku may not look like it requires "effort," because the goal is to come up with the seventeen syllables in one breath, to capture the immediate impression of this exact moment, so it may look like the poet is just dictating his inner laundry list. But try it yourself and see if it isn't fucking hard.)

I'm actually still a tyro at the visual arts. I always thought Jackson Pollock was kind of a jerk, splattering paint around on a bender and calling it art. Then a friend of mine pointed me toward a Pollock canvas called "Autumn Rhythms," and pointed out how the motions of the paint kinda tracked the back-and-forth descent of leaves in autumn. So the trick is to see it as a rhythm, as an abstraction of movement, not as a "picture" of real objects in the real world. or even ideal objects in an ideal world. Pollock had actually been through all the technical training a painter should have, and decided that the technique actually inhibited whatever he really wanted to capture on canvas, and the only way he could get shut of the technique was to do this action stuff, do things with the paint that you or I or the proverbial three year old kid might do, but do it with a painterly eye and taste, which is much harder.

I'm still not sure I understand it all, but when it works, it works. And you get to decide for yourself when it works, just like you get to buy the records you like and see the movies you like and read the books you like. Just that you should know something about it before you make your final decision. You don't reject Stravinsky because he doesn't sound like Green Day (or vice versa), do you?

[redsoxliberal]

72. interesting take... I guess I am just not one who sees the 'fine touches.'

so the three year old with an artist touch still looks like a three year olds painting to me.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

71. Artists make loads of money?

Where is this elusive easy street into the profits of the art world? How does one get there?

I disagree completely with your statements, but I'm sure you could have guessed that. Abstract art can convey energy, emotion, and everything else that realist art can. Brushstrokes, textures, colours, compositions, patterns, shapes, etc... all convey something to at least one person. If it means nothing to you, then it means nothing to you. That doesn't mean it's not art. You can hate it, but to somebody else it still holds value and it is still artwork.

[Placebo]

73. That's just your hormones talking.

You'll get over it.