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But is it art?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:24 pm
by Dave Watterson
Someone sent me this link recently:
http://www.kontraband.co.uk/videos/1658 ... thing-WTF/

It is worth a look. It raises a question about the nature of art. Is what these guys do just a gimmick? In this case it is subtle advertising, but is it more?

There is a long tradition of impermanent art ... Andy Goldsworthy is a name many may know. A lot of his statues and art works are designed to fade away or be worn away by the elements. There is also a tradition of performance art.

When we film such works are we somehow betraying them by preserving them?

In the case of the example in the video link making the film was an essential part of the "performance".

Dave

Re: But is it art?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:39 pm
by billyfromConsett
Yep it's definitely art. Crazy art maybe. Tony Hart would have liked it. John Noakes with Shep would have loved it.

Is it advertising though?

Re: But is it art?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:11 pm
by ned c
YES!! It's also fun which is more than can be said for dead animals in formalin.

ned c

Re: But is it art?

Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 9:29 pm
by Michael Slowe
Odd question that Dave but then you only wanted to get people going, especially the old ones like me!

As video goes yes, I suppose it is art, and it's quite amusing but not really satisfying as a piece of work in my view. It works better as it gets more surreal but the connection with the Mona Lisa seems utterly irrelevant. Maybe I'm missing something. Watching these downloads is a pain anyway as either you watch it in bits as it come through or wait while it downloads. I watch so little on the web that I'm probably doing it all wrong, someone please enlighten me.