Art. What IS it?

Seffay! 

I hope you are all well! I'm getting myself ready for the big Valentine's Eve Romantic Watch Along tonight! Eric and I have an opening sketch that was really making us laugh hard on the phone the other day.  I'm sure I'll see some of you in the VIP Zoom before the show! If you haven't gotten tix you can get them right here: 

Engineer Wes was in yesterday setting up and it's gonna be a GAAAAASSSS! 

I feel apologies are in order for my seemingly flippant attitude towards visual arts... I think there were two points being batted around that melded into one topic, but I see them very differently. One was in regards to Presidential Portraits - Historically they were painted because that was really the best way to portray the physical likeness of the person.  When photography was invented, that became the  more accurate way to portray someone, but the official paintings remained a tradition, I assume out of respect to the office, obviously a painting is a more time consuming and gives the President and the painter an opportunity to say something more than a photograph. I admit, I am not always exactly sure what that is they're trying to say, but I don't argue that there's intent to create something that goes beyond an accurate representation of the physical likeness.  

But, you can't deny that photography, filmmaking, as well as CGI has in some cases replaced the functional duties of traditional painting and drawing...  Where one might have only been able to illustrate a... oh lets say a wheelbarrow for sale (mostly to remind you it's not wheel barrel) now you can photograph it to show the most accurate version of the object. And of  course,  with any of these mediums, they are useless without a skilled practitioner at the hand; the artist. 

Secondly, there was the more hypothetical idea of what it means to be an artist and whats the relationship between, technique/craftsmanship and personal expression/point of view... There are plenty of artists that can very accurately paint or photograph or film the Grand Canyon, capturing it's majesty and beauty, accurately, without injecting their own point of view...  and so if painting, drawing, sculpture, photography,  filmmaking, game making are all just different tools set in front of an artist, there are going to be artists who pick them up and use them literally to best represent the physical world, and those who pick them up and use them to try to change the way we see the physical world.  It seems to me,  that maybe filmmaking gives the artist the most complex set of tools to work with to date, but I say this while not discounting the incredible skills and talent it takes to be a visual artist and boy I hope it doesn't become a dying art. I may be thinking about this all wrong, but it's one of those thought experiments that gets stuck if your head.  I can easily disprove my point by considering that Picasso lived along side great filmmakers and still managed to make great works of visual art. I don't know if he ever considered making films. Maybe he did. You see? I'm not all that educated on the subject. 

I'd like to know more about the state of painting, and visual arts... There was quip from Fran Leibowitz in Pretend It's a City that the biggest cons right now is happening in the visual arts/modern art world... more about the inflated prices and how's its gotten out of control... and if there's lasting value... one artist i'm friends with who's work blows me away is Eric White...   His stuff is HUGE and really detailed and makes ya think!  And my life would be a little less than complete without my official painter, Sarah Reeds up there capturing my ESSENCE!  

Anyway, feel free to share your thoughts, or artists we should all check out. 

Speaking of ARTISTS! Adam Curtis  is back with a new SIX PART SERIES! Wow! I'm half way through and it's wonderful of course. 

Have a great long weekend gang! you deserve it! 

Peace and Love! t 

PS, minor apologies for suggesting Marilyn Manson should have overdosed. you know I'm just kidding. It's just funny (dark, not nice,  but funny!) to think about a personality like that having missed the window when an untimely death would have been better for his career.