On Fri, Dec 14, 2012 at 1:06 AM, joseph berg <[email protected]> wrote:
> 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. > According to the following: - Technical perfection isnt perfection per se, because that slight bit of imperfection humanizes an image and gives it personality. http://blog.mingthein.com/2012/05/15/balancing-content-and-technical-perfecti on/
