These questions border on the incoherent. What does representational art signify now? Here's a perfect example of the creative use of words as signs. Does representational art mean in this case, imitations of other so-called representational art, a tradition? Does it mean any art that is intended to depict something already coded, a conventional image? And what do we make of the word signify here? Does it mean significance in the qualitative sense or in doe it mean to point to, in a referential sense? Then the question about monetary values, what do we make of that? Is it really possible that a certain class or genre of art sells for more (anywhere?) than another? If you offer a genuine Rembrandt for sale on Craiglist, what would it earn? Most likely a whole, whole lot less than if it were offered at Sotheby's.
As for titles, how do they determine quality of art? I once named an abstract painting Marsh. Although I don't think any painting can really be abstract and any image will evoke allusions, narratives, fantasies, the title Marsh, in this case, evokes images of marsh-like conditions, fecund, muddy, not easy to build upon, deceptive, etc. -- and in particular, the unwelcome environment where Chicago was built in the 19C -- and one may liken those conditions to art itself, as if art were a marsh too. So a word may be disjointed from its typical image and put to service with its many other acquired "meanings" just as we do with shapes and colors. Together they unlock new concepts, paradoxes, and visual adventure. wc ----- Original Message ---- From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, January 17, 2011 8:05:43 PM Subject: Re: representation and its sgnification I want to know what representational art signifies now. Is it , only art if it's old and craft if it's new, ,-what? If new abstract and conceptual art sells for a lot more than representational art, why is that and what does it say about representational art?, You see an abstract painting called something or other marsh-it's art of unknown value, you see a representative painting of a marsh-it's a jigsaw. Contrast and explain. -----Original Message----- From: William Conger <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, Jan 17, 2011 5:23 pm Subject: Re: representation and its sgnification One could argue that all signs are made by people. A photograph, for instance, is not a sign until someone designates it. wc ----- Original Message ---- From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, January 17, 2011 12:12:57 PM Subject: representation and its sgnification -Getting back to that I didn't mean the system of signification in the works, I meant the general signification of representation made by people, not machines. like cameras. What's it used for as art. Kate Sullivan
