Comments on: Motivation for Art Making http://www.indyish.com/motivation-for-art-making/ You might be awesome, but we are the Indyish! Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:54:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Nadine Benny http://www.indyish.com/motivation-for-art-making/#comment-25998 Nadine Benny Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:43:15 +0000 http://www.indyish.com/motivation-for-art-making#comment-25998 Very interesting post. I just finished reading Sartre's first novel, 'La Nausée', crude existentialism, but eventually gets to the idea that art is above matter and exists in the purest form, it transcends. Sartre is one of a handful of people to ever refuse a Nobel prize, and when he refused it he said something along the lines of "A writer cannot let himself become an institution". I get that, but the path to becomming an institution is long and blurry I think. I like the idea of art existing on a higher plane and definitely believe that, but I think like all things spiritual, they should also be practical, so I do believe art can still be art if it's 'comissioned' or sold. After all, I doubt Christo and Jeanne-Claude got 722 200 square yards of pink polypropylene on a shoestring budget! Very interesting post. I just finished reading Sartre’s first novel, ‘La Nausée’, crude existentialism, but eventually gets to the idea that art is above matter and exists in the purest form, it transcends. Sartre is one of a handful of people to ever refuse a Nobel prize, and when he refused it he said something along the lines of “A writer cannot let himself become an institution”. I get that, but the path to becomming an institution is long and blurry I think.

I like the idea of art existing on a higher plane and definitely believe that, but I think like all things spiritual, they should also be practical, so I do believe art can still be art if it’s ‘comissioned’ or sold. After all, I doubt Christo and Jeanne-Claude got 722 200 square yards of pink polypropylene on a shoestring budget!

]]> By: Liz Beck http://www.indyish.com/motivation-for-art-making/#comment-25989 Liz Beck Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:43:58 +0000 http://www.indyish.com/motivation-for-art-making#comment-25989 I guess the interpretation of what art is maybe as unique as the individual doing the contemplating... Christo and Jeanne-Claude are in the process of planning/obtaining permits for a new project called "Over the River", where fabric will be suspended over the Arkansas River. In National Geographic, they discussed that the fabric will not be continuous, allowing for known wildlife spots not to be disturbed...in this case the artists seem to be working directly with gov't officials and environmentalists to ensure the safety of animals, plants and those who may be doing some rafting down the river. I guess the interpretation of what art is maybe as unique as the individual doing the contemplating…

Christo and Jeanne-Claude are in the process of planning/obtaining permits for a new project called “Over the River”, where fabric will be suspended over the Arkansas River. In National Geographic, they discussed that the fabric will not be continuous, allowing for known wildlife spots not to be disturbed…in this case the artists seem to be working directly with gov’t officials and environmentalists to ensure the safety of animals, plants and those who may be doing some rafting down the river.

]]> By: Risa Dickens http://www.indyish.com/motivation-for-art-making/#comment-25983 Risa Dickens Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:54:30 +0000 http://www.indyish.com/motivation-for-art-making#comment-25983 thanks for the post, liz. i find christo's stuff fascinating and irritating and mind blowing. i hate the thought of those islands suffocating under all the fabric, but it makes you feel something of the intensity of the human presence on the planet, and it's visually astonishing... don't know if art needs or is affected by having a purpose, i do like Wilde's dictum the "all art is utterly useless" but in some places Christo talks about the wrapping work as having a philosophy of "revelation through concealment," which may not be a use, but is still a good function, or should i say intention, or let's just stick with philosophy for art.. thanks for the post, liz. i find christo’s stuff fascinating and irritating and mind blowing. i hate the thought of those islands suffocating under all the fabric, but it makes you feel something of the intensity of the human presence on the planet, and it’s visually astonishing… don’t know if art needs or is affected by having a purpose, i do like Wilde’s dictum the “all art is utterly useless” but in some places Christo talks about the wrapping work as having a philosophy of “revelation through concealment,” which may not be a use, but is still a good function, or should i say intention, or let’s just stick with philosophy for art..

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