Right, art should be a thing, measurable, like a rock. Derek wants art to be like geology. Any idea that does not conform to Derek's still quite hidden ideas is silly. It always works to go to the extreme of exaggeration in denouncing ideas. First, distort them by reinventing them as something else and then just call them silly, muddled, fuzzy, Standard stuff. And worthless as intellectual inquiry.
WC --- Derek Allan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I think this kind of thing (below) is just games > with words - verbiage. Like > William's claim that the beauty of Goya's late > paintings is in the absence > of beauty, or whatever exactly it was. > > The basic question is: do we want words in art > criticism and aesthetics to > mean something or do we not? If we are happy just > to play games with words, > then why not go the whole hog and call Goya's > 'Saturn' (eg) pretty or > elegant or joyous or funny or something of that ilk, > and when anyone > questions us, we can just reply (with a suitably > condescending air): "Well, > it's just something Felt" (as per below), or 'Well, > its prettiness is in the > absence of prettiness' etc, as per William. > > It's the kind of thing that gives art criticism and > aesthetics a bad name. > What intelligent person would bother with a field of > study in which words > can be made to mean anything the writer chooses them > to mean - and can > simply dismiss objections on the grounds that the > 'presence is in the > absence' or 'you just have to feel it' or something > equally feeble? > > Art deserves to be a subject of serious study and > reflection. Not an excuse > for waffle. > > Derek Allan > http://www.home.netspeed.com.au/derek.allan/default.htm > > > On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 11:28 AM, > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > In a message dated 4/28/08 9:26:08 PM, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > > > > > Derek, this is what D. H. Lawrence would tell > you: > > > "Beauty is an experience, nothing else. It is > not a fixed pattern or an > > > arrangement of features. It is something Felt, a > glow or a communicated > > > sense > > > of fineness. What ails us is that our sense of > beauty is so bruised and > > > blunted, we miss all the best." > > > Boris Shoshensky > > > > > Good quote, Boris! Precisely where did he say > this? > > > > > > > > ************** > > Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for > U.S. used car > > listings at AOL Autos. > > > > > (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp00300000002851) > > > > > > > --
