Abstract art

[Vallerina 2]

(Sorry for all the threads today, Sangiro!)

Yesterday, our company took us to the Art Institute. There are some incredible art works there (I really like the one of St. Peter), and we were going to get a tour. I always like going on the tours because they give you information you wouldn't have otherwise.

Yesterday's tour started out in the abstract art room. YUCK! Yes, I know that there are all these political/artistic statements being made all over the world with abstract art, but I just don't get it. My favorite "piece" yesterday was a chain hanging down from the ceiling with what looked to be fly paper covering it. The tour guide was in love with this piece and tried to explain it to us.

I really don't get abstract art. I don't get why a gray frame with a gray tube sticking out of it is worth millions.

Phil and I hated it, so we snuck off to the decapitated head room.

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"I don't get why a gray frame with a gray tube sticking out of it is worth millions."
Thats not what its worth, but it is what some folk are prepared to pay for it.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[ZoneRat 0]

It's ok not to get it. I don't get much of it either anymore. A lot of art requires a firm understanding of art history (both old stuff and what's been happening in the past few years) to truly understand. They're building on the concepts and ideas of those that came before them. Kinda like having to learn basic math or philosophy before you can appreciate the advanced stuff. It's often not really targeted for the layman or casual art enthusiast.

I liked your responce. A typical layman's responce is usually far more indignant. "You call THAT art? Looks like a bunch of crap to me... Emperors new clothes for sure." That's pretty much what common people have been pre-conditioned to do. ( The 1960's and 70's produced a ton of crappy, poser art and snake oil artists... mass media quite understandably made a lot of fun of them. Now when a layman is confronted with art they don't understand, they often parrot the jokes/ stances of 70's tv sitcoms). The art equivellent of wuffo.

A better responce is curiosity. Or at least respect even though you don't understand. It's hard to get stuff into a major museum. Really hard, I'd imagine. There's a reason why it's there.

Nothin' says you have to actually like it though. But the mature responce is to accept that it may have value you may not understand and wander over to the stuff that you do enjoy lookin at. Decapitated heads or what have you.

Kinda cool that a company would take their employess to a museum.

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

[Vallerina 2]

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Kinda cool that a company would take their employess to a museum.

Yup! It's one of the reasons that I love working in Chicago. We do all sorts of fun things on our "field trips."

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[ZoneRat 0]

Oooh. Progressive!

btw I hope you get your Birthday Present! lol... (If anyone gives ya grief about it, you can flick your hair, strike a pose and coolly state "Oh yes, that. Well. What can I say, I have a penchant for dadaist art..... Martini?" )

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

[SpeedRacer 1]

Some abstract art is really cool.

And no, you don't have to have some kind of fancy degree to appreciate it.

Usually the reason you don't "get " something is because there is nothing to "get".
Most "abstract" art doesn't make a statement that you put into words, often it just makes you think about the shapes & parts or space in a new way.

If I had the time I would post some cool examples. Maybe the particular pieces you saw were crap, but really, there's a lot of great abstract art out there.

Speed Racer
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[dterrick 0]

I spent an afternoon at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (not enough time to really let things sink in). There was a room of gigantocollossal photographs (Viking, oh Viking ... who's the famous dude with the European name who does funky things with filters and multiple exposures in 20 x 30 (...feet...). That was very cool room. A life size soccer pitch ... the bundesbank (sp?), a Madonna concert shot from the rafters... some resort swimming pool area with, um, nearly life size details. It was good. The Warhols and Pollocks were also fascinating but they had some origina Miros as well (I was hoping that one might be the Dave Brubeck cover art from the 60's)

Then there was another room, that was, well, avant garde. A pile of dirt, quartered, mirrors strategically inserted in quadrant form. If you looked at any one quadrant it looked like you were seeing the "whole pile" except you werent. 90 left (or right) and you had another view ... the same but different. There was an antique urinal entitled (...wait for it...) "urinal".

My "favorite" .... a 3 pannel canvas - total size about 8 x 18 ft. It was pure white. The description from the artist suggested that it was "to represent purity and simplicity". Further, his instructions were to repaint it if it ever became discoloured or soiled. Apparently this piece had more coats of paint than my living room !!

Go figure.

-Dave

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[Zenister 0]

so does that mean you dont want the Jackson Pollack paint-by-numbers kit i got you for Xmas?

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[VanillaSkyGirl 6]

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Some abstract art is really cool.

And no, you don't have to have some kind of fancy degree to appreciate it.

Usually the reason you don't "get " something is because there is nothing to "get".
Most "abstract" art doesn't make a statement that you put into words, often it just makes you think about the shapes & parts or space in a new way.

If I had the time I would post some cool examples. Maybe the particular pieces you saw were crap, but really, there's a lot of great abstract art out there.

What a great post! Thanks, SpeedRacer...I totally agree with what you wrote.

Val, it's ok to not be inspired by this type of art. Some of it is a little weird sometimes.

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