Good Art, Kindergarten Edition:
Bad Art; Die and Burn in Hell Edition
As you can see, it’s not the aluminum foil that makes art bad. As I wrote back last December, intention informs everything, and I cannot for the life of me understand what intention was behind the design of that bizarre and unprayerful crucifix, but I cannot believe the artist was hoping to inspire a viewer to worship, humility or any sort of contemplation above and beyond “Good Lord, what the hell was he thinking?”
If the artist is not a baby boomer, I have no doubt his parent was one. Deconstruction is the conceit of too many boomers, and I can’t wait for them to either get over it or die. In their world, by their lights, everything that came before them is useless - nothing is interesting, meaningful or worthwhile unless it’s been strained through the sieves of their enlightened imaginings. You know…clown masses. Palm Sunday done in pantomime. That sort of lasting liturgy.
But no. I promised myself, no ranting for Ash Wednesday. Maybe tomorrow.
Meanwhile Light on Dark Water takes me to task on the boomers.
February 21st, 2007 at 4:52 pm
UGH, as a former art major, I agree. I think my breaking moment was in a dicussion of Thomas Kinkead (I will admit, I’m not a fan of his). One girl said, “Well, I guess I just have this problem with his cottages…I mean, if he painted them IRONICALLY, then it might be good art.”
No. No. No. No. NO> We’ve had enough of irony, and biting satire, and tearing about.
If TK is about beauty, then I’ll stand with him. And so will Michelangelo, Fra Angelico, Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, practically every medieval, and Plato.
By all means, let’s tear down false things, hurtful things, evil things. But let’s also build up the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. You don’t combat evil by making ugly art. You combat evil with good art, beauty, truth.
*end rant*
For good contemporary art, look at the video art of Bill Viola, the paintings of Sharon Ellis (do a google image search for hers, lots of them are online), and the poetry of Justin Rigamonte.
*ok, really, ending rant now*
February 21st, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Actually this is from a Church- in Aachen. The church looks pretty ugly from the outside as well. But- I suppose someone must like it and feel it communicates with God, non?
February 21st, 2007 at 5:23 pm
I see more humanity in that little kid’s robot than in that crucifix.
February 21st, 2007 at 6:10 pm
The Robot reminds me of one of Cub Scout Day Camp. The theme was Space. For a craft, we provided a variety of “junk” and let the kids go nuts with glue. Some of them were very creative.
.
DS#1 made “robot arms” and DS#2 (who was about three) made a cute robot using tuna fish cans, a plastic cup, and a large Christmas light bulb. Wish I had kept them!
February 21st, 2007 at 7:05 pm
But no. I promised myself, no ranting for Ash Wednesday. Maybe tomorrow.
Oh, may as well. Me, I’m giving up self-restraint for Lent.
February 22nd, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Tastes differ I suppose, but while I don’t like a lot of modern art, I find this Crusifix rather compelling. Their is a very interesting dichotomy between the frailty and unfinished nature of the corpus with the industrial looking cross.
I think it makes one reflect more on what the whole thing really means then the more standard Crusifix.
That said, I have never really understood how the symbol of the torture of God is something people would want to worship of contemplate anyway. I wish the church had stuck with the fish.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Dave, I can’t believe you’ve been reading me all these years and you still think that all Catholics see up there is “torture.”
We see Much more than that!
February 24th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
I love this — why boomers tick me off!!
Whoever wrote this — thank you!! You have appropriately stated their rediculous attitude to the “T”. Bravo! “…nothing is interesting, meaningful or worthwhile unless it’s been strained through the sieves of their enlightened imaginings….”
or, I might add…if they “re-created” any issue in their own half-baked image…..” Too many supervisory staff in the corporations today are just this…..this lack thereof….and they are clueless as to what is basic right from wrong…..it is all relative to their vain imaginings!!!!