Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Wednesday, April 6. 2011

What is Art?

Bruce linked about that this morning. I am more inclined to ask "What is music?" than "What is art?"


Impossible questions are usually the wrong questions. "What is art?" is the wrong question. Is this art?



That's an H&E- stained microscopic slide of the human Pituitary gland. A bit of the Anterior and the Posterior, with the margin. Absolutely beautiful. You could hang it on a wall, art or not. I call it "God's art."


Another pic of God's Art below the fold, which Gwynnie stumbled on while fishing his stream the other day -

Posted by Bird Dog in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 12:06 | Comments (19) | Trackbacks (0)

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The fewer tax dollars that go into subsidizing or displaying it, the better it looks!

It wouldn't look good in my house, though.
#1 mudbug on 2011-04-06 12:31 (Reply)
The posterior pituitary is on the left, the anterior on the right as you look at the picture.

The left is clearly neural tissue, the right glandular in nature.
#2 Andy on 2011-04-06 12:47 (Reply)
Woops.
#2.1 Bird Dog on 2011-04-06 12:56 (Reply)
"Posterior?" Which picture are we talking about?
#2.2 Big___Al on 2011-04-06 12:58 (Reply)
I can't tell you what art is, but I know it when I see it and Gwynnie definitely stumbled on some!
#3 mudbug on 2011-04-06 13:23 (Reply)
I had no idea that was what was meant by nymph fishing.
#4 B Moe on 2011-04-06 14:52 (Reply)
BD: THAT was the Maggie's Comment of the Year! Please give B Moe my entire prize, oh heck, the royalties too.
#4.1 Gwynne on 2011-04-06 21:39 (Reply)
Art is like value - it's whatever you think it is. As they say in economics, "one man's trash is another man's treasure". I've seen velour "art" that I wouldn't go near in people's homes. I'm not impressed, but Hey - THEY like it, so that's all that matters. I don't live in their home, I only visit.

I love spending time in museums looking at art. I remember as a kid wanting to rush through. It was BORING. As I aged, I gained appreciation for the product, the effort and the beauty. Still, my wife has no interest in artists like Dali or even El Greco, while I enjoy them. We both love the Flemish artists, and the Renaissance or Impressionists. But I can't stand JMW Turner, and she likes his work. I do enjoy Constable and she tolerates his stuff.

Modern art is more difficult. I can appreciate it, but there is alot that simply doesn't speak to me at all. Splatter paintings? Good lord, I can do that, there is no effort at all. I really enjoyed the parent who entered her 4 year olds work in a Modern Art show and won high praise. This speaks volumes to me. I'm sure others will disagree - and that is why the MARKET should guide art. Disagreement on values is what creates a market. If I like something and I'm willing to pay $1,000 for it, then good for me and good for the artist. If others want to pay $10,000 - that is my loss (or I'd better come up with it!). On the other hand, if I'm the only bidder and I'll take it for $20 and I like it, even better for me!

Art is what it is....which is, whatever we want it to be.
#5 rick on 2011-04-06 17:02 (Reply)
I have a velvet painting of "Dogs Playing Poker". :>)

Hey, I like it. :>)
#5.1 Tom Francis on 2011-04-06 17:12 (Reply)
Call, and raise you one velvet Elvis.
#5.1.1 Big___Al on 2011-04-06 17:27 (Reply)
Shoot. My brother has a custom painted nude of some Thai woman on black velvet circa 1974 or 1975. I think he paid a whole $15 to the guy to have it done.
#5.1.1.1 JoeC on 2011-04-06 20:18 (Reply)
Well, let's try a little experiment just for grins.

Which one of these would you consider to be a major contribution to modern art?

http://www.swsports.org/images/ArtorNotArt/Chinks-in-The-Armor.jpg

http://www.swsports.org/images/ArtorNotArt/Contemplation.jpg

http://www.swsports.org/images/ArtorNotArt/Phantasy%20II.jpg

http://www.swsports.org/images/ArtorNotArt/Phantasy.jpg

http://www.swsports.org/images/ArtorNotArt/Shadowed%20Light.jpg

And then which one do you like? :>)
#6 Tom Francis on 2011-04-06 17:10 (Reply)
I took your quiz, Tom. Now don't go by me, because I am an art critic, in the sense that I find most of it useless.

#1 "Which one of these would you consider to be a major contribution to modern art?"

None

#2 "...which one do you like?"

The tree.
#6.1 Big___Al on 2011-04-06 17:34 (Reply)
I thought most of them looked like Microsoft desktop backgrounds, although I did like the tree. But is it art? I guess that would depend on the professor and the aims of the art appreciation course. (see my diatribe? discourse? comment? in the post "Even Art Students Find It Hard To Tell The Difference"
#6.1.1 JoeC on 2011-04-06 20:23 (Reply)
I'll second that. I'd call them all designs, I suppose, but not art.

But I did like the tree (Shadowed) . Looks kind of like a Chinese painting in black and white (though not as well done). And I might use Contemplation as a background on a web page...nice pattern.
#6.2 Kathy Kinsley on 2011-04-06 19:01 (Reply)
Isn't all "art" design?
#6.2.1 Tom Francis on 2011-04-06 19:29 (Reply)
I know this - that nymph picture wasn't taken during black fly season.
#7 Tom Francis on 2011-04-06 17:13 (Reply)
I'll note that neither of the examples of "Art" that Bird Dog posted were Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern, or Dadaist.

'Nough said, because I was a Physical Anthropology Major, and clearly didn't take enough Art Appreciation classes. I'm going with his #2 picture all the way.

Were I a Trout? I'd hit that!
#8 jefferson101 on 2011-04-06 19:51 (Reply)
I'd rise to that bait!
#9 Sam L. on 2011-04-06 22:33 (Reply)

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