Do We Value Art Anymore?
Art is what we do, not what we say we do.
We're Not Experiencing Art Like We Used To
I came across this article via welcome.jpeg, and there's truth in what he writes that while we collectively say art is important, the way we spend our time seems to indicate that "our belief that art is important is an empty habit." And that's a bit of a wake-up.
Welcome.jpeg
There's lots of aesthetics talk in the middle, but if you make it to the end, he gets into (stay with me here) "accretive aesthetic experiences" which are those that happen when you appreciate the juxtaposition of things or images gain meaning as you add context from other images. This works non-digitally as he explains while seeing a show of madonna and child paintings in Prague. Seeing images in context with other images can help you see similarities and differences and understand individual works in a different way. This isn't news, it's the basis for curated art shows. But there is a digital version of this which you may have experienced but not thought about:
Scroll quick enough and disparate aesthetic objects begin to blur, and an accretive aesthetic experience emerges. Accretive aesthetic experiences of this sort are often tainted by the overstimulation and negative emotions social media is designed to deliver, but this is the fault of the platforms and the content, not the mode. An accretive aesthetic experience is a fascinating thing, and one productive horizon presented by our current method of consumption.
Aggressive Context
This is the truest meme I've ever seen. There is SO. MUCH. CONTEXT. And that can be a good thing, but I find it has become aggressive. There are literal paragraphs on the wall explaining to you a show before you even see the first artwork. My rule is I read nothing on my initial walkthrough. That way I can decide in my own head how to feel about a work. If I like it or not. What it means to me. Understand the timeline through the work itself. I'll go back through and read some of the context where I want it. Sometimes I like a work even more when I know more. Sometimes, say less. But I've allowed myself space to decide what it means to me first.
Art Meditation
I have saved this since college because if you are not sure how to approach a work or want to spend time with it, this is great to refer to. You don't have to tick off every one. If something stops you online or on social media, this is an excuse to pause for a moment. This does not have to happen in the white walls of a gallery or museum. You don't have to write an essay about it. You do not need to query the internet. Whatever it means to you is correct. Take five minutes of art meditation time.
I think I'm writing this to remind myself to seek out both looking at and making art. Because it is important to me, and the way I spend my time should reflect that.