Tuesday, January 16, 2007
That's a Good Question, Lester Hayes!
The Artful Art of Lester Hayes
Check out this new art show at Triple Candie, a non-commercial gallery in Harlem (preferably before you finish reading the blog; my thoughts might make a whole lot more sense to you and I don't want to "spoil" anything). What a wonderful way for Triple Candie to celebrate Black History Month-by creating a "hero". That's all we need-more manufactured stardom!
BTW, American Idol began its new season tonight. Do you have any idea how that name sounds to an OT scholar?! What's next, calling our stadiums "high places"? Welcome to America, the Christian nation that revels in reviving paganism! Anyway, I digress . . . again. Really, AI thrives on the same basic principle that drives Dr. Laura-the voyeuristic, almost-giddy joy of watching people be humiliated, particularly when the embarrassment is self-inflicted.
Back to my thoughts on the great unknown artiste Lester Hayes. His "work", if you can call it that, really is an exploration of the meaning of "art". What is it? What makes it good/not good? Who decides? So I splatter a car tire with eggs and melted Crayolas and call it My Pregnancy; is that art?
John McWhorter, a linguistics prof at UC-Berkeley and one of my favorite writers, wrote this amazing piece in Books and Culture (a mag that's totally awesome if you are an OT scholar whose hobby is analysis of cultural trends and how they impact the church) about "classical" music, really it's about what makes art, "art". The basic premise: the fundamental criterion of "classic art" is universal appeal-at root, artistic endeavors must be simple enough for the "common man" to understand. Modern art, especially, lost the subject and focused on the artistic media. Modern art wasn't "about" something (this is an oil painting of that tree); it was explorations of what the tools could do (what unique effects can be produced with oil on canvas?). This is commonly called "art for art's sake"!
So, read up on Lester Hayes, then ponder the imponderable: is it art? Share your thoughts!
BTW, speaking of new artists, be sure to check out the upcoming ApTube feature on 90/9; anybody want to do a video of themselves riding a tricycle over a Ziploc bag filled with vanilla pudding and M&Ms and call it Racism? Hey, if it doesn't make ApTube, call Triple Candie!
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Check out this new art show at Triple Candie, a non-commercial gallery in Harlem (preferably before you finish reading the blog; my thoughts might make a whole lot more sense to you and I don't want to "spoil" anything). What a wonderful way for Triple Candie to celebrate Black History Month-by creating a "hero". That's all we need-more manufactured stardom!
BTW, American Idol began its new season tonight. Do you have any idea how that name sounds to an OT scholar?! What's next, calling our stadiums "high places"? Welcome to America, the Christian nation that revels in reviving paganism! Anyway, I digress . . . again. Really, AI thrives on the same basic principle that drives Dr. Laura-the voyeuristic, almost-giddy joy of watching people be humiliated, particularly when the embarrassment is self-inflicted.
Back to my thoughts on the great unknown artiste Lester Hayes. His "work", if you can call it that, really is an exploration of the meaning of "art". What is it? What makes it good/not good? Who decides? So I splatter a car tire with eggs and melted Crayolas and call it My Pregnancy; is that art?
John McWhorter, a linguistics prof at UC-Berkeley and one of my favorite writers, wrote this amazing piece in Books and Culture (a mag that's totally awesome if you are an OT scholar whose hobby is analysis of cultural trends and how they impact the church) about "classical" music, really it's about what makes art, "art". The basic premise: the fundamental criterion of "classic art" is universal appeal-at root, artistic endeavors must be simple enough for the "common man" to understand. Modern art, especially, lost the subject and focused on the artistic media. Modern art wasn't "about" something (this is an oil painting of that tree); it was explorations of what the tools could do (what unique effects can be produced with oil on canvas?). This is commonly called "art for art's sake"!
So, read up on Lester Hayes, then ponder the imponderable: is it art? Share your thoughts!
BTW, speaking of new artists, be sure to check out the upcoming ApTube feature on 90/9; anybody want to do a video of themselves riding a tricycle over a Ziploc bag filled with vanilla pudding and M&Ms and call it Racism? Hey, if it doesn't make ApTube, call Triple Candie!
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
# posted by Luke @ 9:12 PM 
Comments:
<< Home
After reading the Lester Hayes article, I see why left-brain types like me are at a total loss when contemplating the art world. An art gallery does not excite me. An art show celebrating a mythical artist leaves me scratching my head.
Post a Comment
<< Home
