On Thu, Dec 13, 2012 at 3:55 AM, William Conger <[email protected]>wrote:
> On the other hand...(no pun intended).... > > The contemporary art now being shown at the big and glossy art fairs is, > taken > as a whole, is well crafted, sometimes exquisitely so. Such art often > results > from specialized assistants, machines, and engineering expertise and is > most > evident in conceptual sculpture and painting. In fact, the world of > contemporary painting is now going through a phase of very tricky > craftsmanship > with almost magical technical results. There's a very high degree of > theatricality and self-consciousness in this work. Paint splatters and > drips, > for instance, (now very popular in bright colors), seem to be pre-planned > for > best effect, probably practiced like a ballet step over and over before > being > 'performed' on the canvas. In the old days of abstract expressionism, > splatters > and drips were popular, of course, but then it was because they were the > natural > result of furious 'action ' painting, not pre-planned. It's hard to decide > what's worse, the loss of basic skills in art-making or the exaggerated > display > of superhuman (read machined) polish and refinement. If we look to art > history > for help, it's plenty clear that the low points occurred when technical > polish > reached an acme whereas the times of low skill always signaled a > forthcoming big > change in worldview. > > As far as I am concerned, once the technical problems have been "solved," then art becomes all about style over substance, i.e., the gilding of inspiration.
