Some tricky questions for a tricky discussion.

[Redder]

I was talking to a friend when she posed a question to me. She asked "What is art?" I thought I knew the answer.

What is art? How is a David Hammons torn sweatshirt hood piece considered art in comparison a Vincent Van Gogh painting.

What defines art? Is it a piece or thing created by a skilled person? Are Marcel Duchamp's "Ready Mades" not considered art since they weren't created by him.

What makes art, art? Is it something you like as a person or an emotional expression created by a skilled person thought the medium of his or her choice?

[Isric]

bwahahahahaaahaa

[OLSEN]

Art is the big peanut that makes the elephant of life jump. If it doesnt make the elephant jump, it´s not art.

[MGH]

Olsen, I have to honestly say, that is one of the best definitions I've ever heard. No need for any essays folks.

[OLSEN]

Yea, it´s pretty good, thanks.

[kungfu_chook]

or its not a peanut.....

[OLSEN]

Yes it is.

[kungfu_chook]

now i'm lost......should have put down a trail of peanuts to follow back...........but then the elephant would have found me............unless some cheeky monkey stole them........

[ClocktowerArtworks]

one time i ate a peanut...and then i stopped.

then there was this other time that i ate a peanut...

and then this one other time i saw an elephant.

[kungfu_chook]

see you were following the trail of peanuts! You found the elephant! bet you didn't challenge him for the peanut.

[Blue2]

OMG!!1 OMG!@ PEANUTS R T3H L33T H@X0Rz!!!!!!11

[kungfu_chook]

huh? you've been eating THOSE peanuts!

[OLSEN]

This looks more and more like religion...

[ClocktowerArtworks]

no... i think religion is the big peanut that doesn't make the elephant jump. in my opinion.

[Blue2]

Originally posted by ClocktowerArtworks
no... i think religion is the big peanut that doesn't make the elephant jump. in my opinion.

did it eat the peanut instead?

[OLSEN]

Clocktower-> Are you saying this thread is art then?

[kungfu_chook]

OH NO! they've discovered us members of the Church of the Lost Peanut! Run and hide brothers! RUN AND HIDE!

[ClocktowerArtworks]

i simply meant that religion (the peanut) does not excite or bear meaning for the elephant (me, in particular). as for what is art as opposed to what is not... Art is a warm straightjacket on a freezing man.

[OLSEN]

Something that gives you warmth but at the same time limits you? I suppose that can be true about art in some cases, but i would like to think that art is more of a freedom thing than a straightjacket.

How about this one:
Art is the drug that makes the freezing man forget that he is freezing to death.

[AnarchyAo2]

Anything and everything is art. I shit art, I breath art, I feel art, I taste art, I see art, I smell art. No question about it, everything is art. In essense, its just like space, it consumes everything, its apart of everything. Now, you have different types of art. Like you have Art->human made art->Drawing->Conceptual Art, is an example of the kind of art I make. And weither its good or not is in the eye of the person that critises it. Like, Michangelo was great artist, right? Well, we have plenty of artist in this world that can match his skill. Why arn't they reconised? I don't know, maybe its because people are so damn cliche, or maybe its because he was a part of history. I guess its just a matter of opinion.

[kungfu_chook]

Originally posted by AnarchyAo2
I guess its just a matter of opinion.

exactly. art is in the eye of the beholder. that's what people need to realise.

A critic, no matter what of (art,music,film, sport etc) is still just someone giving thier opinion.

They can be a professor with 1500 years of study, but in the end it is still their opinion.

[OLSEN]

Eye of the beholder? pfffff! Humbug... now, weres my peanuts...

[kungfu_chook]

CRUNCH! oops sorry, me and my clutsy feet......hey man look at the pattern they made, now thats art!:D

[otis]

Art is the language of Life. ;)

[Anto]

Art is lies that tell the truth.

Art is art. Everything else is everything else.

Art is what you can get away with.

:chug:

[OLSEN]

I think a better word for art would be stuff. Seriously, art can be anything, so theres no point in calling anything art, is there? This forum would be named conceptstuff.org, i would call my self a stuffist, becasuse i do stuff for a living. Keep reading.

If you want to be more precise, you could say something like, i do 2D visual stuff, im a 2D visual stuffist.

To put art in the eye of the beholder sucks, it makes the artist a to the beholders, all it takes is for one beholder to say "thats not art" at the wrong time or the wrong place, and it´s not art anymore, the artist is screwed.

Try this: Stuff is in the eye of the beholder. That sounds like bullshit to me. Stuff takes the power away from the beholder, and gives it back to the stuffist, formerly known as the artist. You can now say, i do stuff, im a stuffist.

Nobody can take stuff away from you, stuff is timeless. Art is not in your hands, it´s in the eyes of the beholders. Make your choise, are you a stuffist or an artist?

[ClocktowerArtworks]

amen...i'm a stuffist...no longer a to others' whim. although...this may discount your peanut theory.

[Redder]

The "big peanut" theory has to be the best explanation I have heard. It was a good chuckle to read.

The only question now is the peanut honey roasted or dry roasted?

Hehehe.

[OLSEN]

Clocktower: Im glad you have seen the light and cast aside the burden of art :D Too bad about the peanut theory though, i liked that one.

Redder: Even if the peanut theory is no longer valid, i´d say dry roasted.

[kungfu_chook]

Originally posted by OLSEN

To put art in the eye of the beholder sucks, it makes the artist a to the beholders, all it takes is for one beholder to say "thats not art" at the wrong time or the wrong place, and it´s not art anymore, the artist is screwed.



That's what i was talking about, it is only that persons opinion! And the artist would only be screwed if they were like a commercial artist, or commercial stuffist:) or if they were totally insecure about their work, if your doing art for the fun and enjoyment, who cares what the opinion of one is?

[kungfu_chook]

would be cool to start a 'stuffist' movement, years later people would study us and say "so what did they do?" and the answer would be ...............stuff:D

[ClocktowerArtworks]

the stuffist movement already started and sadly ended due to the fact that our "stuff" was not appreciated in our time and we all died of alcohol poisoning, drug od's, and syphilis.

[kungfu_chook]

so it was stuffed then.......

[OLSEN]

Yea, and besides, it´s impossible getting good art related jobs when your CV is filled with:

1998-2000 Did stuff
Summer 2001 Did more stuff.
and so on.

Long live the peanut.

[kungfu_chook]

so do we call it peanut instead of art then??

Fine peanut, commercial peanut, digital peanut etc

and you would be a peanutist?

[kungfu_chook]

Also then when people asked what you do you could reply proudly "I'm a peanut" , get u some weird looks anyway