art
versus "art"
by Bruce Cornelison |
 |
When Chocolate
Thunder first approached me with the
idea to contribute to their online mag, I have to
admit that I was perplexed. Was this dark
chocolate? Would there be lightning? Did they
want art or entertainment? Do I have to
learn how to read before I write for them?
I would remain perplexed
until I spent an evening with A. Gram Bail, of
Chocolate Thunder, and mutual friends at the Red
Carpet Lounge in Charleston, WV, on what a large
percentage of Americans thought would be the last
Christmas night of all time.
Nestled in the heart of
chemical valley, the Red Carpet provides a
welcoming not-as-regal-as-it-used-to-be
atmosphere well suited to carbonated crackpot
idealism and misinformation of the artistic and
intellectual variety.
It was in this setting,
among the people, the people’s people, that
a fuss about art and audience reared its ugly
little head. Theories were emerging. Camps began
forming. Beer was disappearing. Critical thinking
became critical of itself. The following list is
a summary of some of the ideas expressed and the
issues I feel should be a bit more important to
artists today:
| 1. |
There is very little
to no dialogue between
"artists" and
"regular people." |
| 2. |
Defining
"regularness" is as
problematic as distinguishing
"art" and
"non-art." |
| 3. |
Many
visual artists feel it necessary
to write a statement about their
work with more words than the
number of works they exhibit. |
| 4. |
Most
people have more channels on
their television than artworks on
their walls. |
|
click here for "Dog
Sphere" by Bruce Cornelison
Bruce Cornelison ©
copyright 2000 |
click here for "Spine
People" by Bruce Cornelison
Bruce Cornelison ©
copyright 2000 |
| 5. |
Some
people make "art" for
their "peers." |
| 6. |
Some
people make "art" for
the "viewer." |
| 7. |
Some
people make "art" for
"themselves." |
| 8. |
Some
people make "art" and
they don’t even "know
it." |
| 9. |
Some
people think they are making
"art" and they
don’t know that they
"are not." < |
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