tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post6589339350313823548..comments2024-03-28T16:35:26.665+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: UglificationBruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-77954985450600573602013-02-22T05:58:44.645+00:002013-02-22T05:58:44.645+00:00@Thu - The way to have better popular art is for t...@Thu - The way to have better popular art is for the gallery owners and critics to discriminate and top quality art of this type. But most of them are ignorant fools - who lack a basic understanding of the art form.<br /><br />I am not especially arty, indeed I am only somewhat and intermittently interested in the field; but (partly having been educated by my father who was briefly a art teacher, and a skillful amateur landscape painter), I can discriminate among portraiture (specifically) to a sufficient extent that I realize how many in the art establishment are at a lower level than I am. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-44902983750011499172013-02-22T05:36:08.311+00:002013-02-22T05:36:08.311+00:00A better example than Kinkade of a failed attempt ...A better example than Kinkade of a failed attempt at genuine beauty would be that favourite of Roger Scruton, Alexander Stoddart. Stoddart's work is kind of boring, but it is a genuine attempt at beauty. No sickness of soul there.<br /><br />But then Stoddart isn't really reviled by the art establishment like Kinkade, whose art is both wildly popular and thoroughly revolting.Thursdayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13002311410445623799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-54633224236202717142013-02-20T20:42:14.213+00:002013-02-20T20:42:14.213+00:00Have a gander through the paintings of Christi Bel...<i>Have a gander through the paintings of Christi Belcourt, a Metis painter who has talked about having to leave Toronto for northern Ontario in order to paint well</i><br /><br />I find all those pieces pretty garish and ugly. But you know what they say about opinions. Anyway, of course there is still good art being made; cafes and gift shops in touristy towns are always full of nice works by amateur painters - but that's part of the point, isn't it? The only good art is being made by amateurs doing it as a hobby.Samson J.http://samsonsjawbone.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-32730171066929594722013-02-20T16:55:51.545+00:002013-02-20T16:55:51.545+00:00the effect of his canvases displayed prominently, ...<i>the effect of his canvases displayed prominently, respectfully in galleries is soul-draining, nihilistic.</i><br /><br />Yes, elevating the merely decorative to the status of great art is corrupt, and corrupting. Thursdayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13002311410445623799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-88873947914290294232013-02-20T16:54:33.893+00:002013-02-20T16:54:33.893+00:00Your 'sickness of soul' tone seems to sugg...<i>Your 'sickness of soul' tone seems to suggest that this is harmful, debasing, and the world would be better without it.</i><br /><br />Absolutely. It's physically painful to look at.Thursdayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13002311410445623799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-84100317237839722152013-02-20T16:50:05.211+00:002013-02-20T16:50:05.211+00:00There is some very good, even great art still bein...There is some very good, even great art still being produced, but in out of the way places, away from the media and the art establishment.<br /><br />Have a gander through the paintings of Christi Belcourt, a Metis painter who has talked about having to leave Toronto for northern Ontario in order to paint well:<br />http://www.christibelcourt.com/Gallery/Paintings/2011/ManitouWaabigoniin700p.jpg<br />http://www.christibelcourt.com/Gallery/Paintings/MyHeart800p.jpg<br />http://www.christibelcourt.com/Gallery/Paintings/2010/Honour800p.jpg<br />http://www.christibelcourt.com/Gallery/Paintings/2009/untitled600pixels72dpi.jpg<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwNHNm9dw6Y<br /><br />Or David Blackwood:<br />http://www.davidblackwood.com/the-work/<br /><br />In Canada, I'd name Christi Belcourt, Garner Moody, Robert Davidson and David Blackwood as still living artists of extremely high esthetic value. But, of course, many of them are natives, often animists, off in the boonies, or, in the case of Blackwood, some white guy all the way off in Newfoundland. (Davidson and Moody are poorly represented on the web.)Thursdayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13002311410445623799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-35941523829729165412013-02-20T16:49:13.427+00:002013-02-20T16:49:13.427+00:00@Thu - No I'm not letting-off Kinkade; you are...@Thu - No I'm not letting-off Kinkade; you are grossly over-reacting to only-moderately-successful art.<br /><br />Your 'sickness of soul' tone seems to suggest that this is harmful, debasing, and the world would be better without it.<br /><br />But there are good qualities in the painting I display here, and its obviousness (aka kitsch) is necessary in order to make an impact on 'middlebrow' people who are only moderately appreciative of art. <br /><br />I agree that Rothko is not actively-repellant in the Gilbert and George mode - but the effect of his canvases displayed prominently, respectfully in galleries is soul-draining, nihilistic. <br /><br />In context, the world would be better-off without Rothko on display (I'm sure the canvases could be put to use, out of sight - maybe in covering cracked plaster or something): as a public artist he does net harm, I feel sure.Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-62009025443400492562013-02-20T16:11:54.384+00:002013-02-20T16:11:54.384+00:00The problem with Rothko isn't that he's ug...The problem with Rothko isn't that he's ugly (there's absolutely nothing wrong with a sombre blue or black), but that he is merely decorative. Wallpaper is exactly what he is. There's nothing particularly wrong with making wallpaper, but it's aiming really low.<br /><br />And you're letting Kinkade off way too easy. The over the top kitschiness of a Kinkade painting is not merely a sincere but failed attempt to create genuine beauty; it's evidence for a real sickness of soul. Kinkade may be a different manifestation of the aesthetic problems created by modernity, but he exhibits them just as much as the favourites of the critical establishment.Thursdayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13002311410445623799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-91102610334656431092013-02-20T15:02:07.770+00:002013-02-20T15:02:07.770+00:00@d - yes, he seems like a wise old cove. But it is...@d - yes, he seems like a wise old cove. But it is too late, too late...Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-31603974358515727562013-02-20T14:54:13.269+00:002013-02-20T14:54:13.269+00:00@MC - I agree, some of TK's work is better, so...@MC - I agree, some of TK's work is better, some is worse - fine by me. <br /><br />I could have used Bob Ross as an example, but perhaps people love him too much (for his voice!) to savage him; and he was in fact an *extremely* skilled painter. Anyone who can watch his shows (and I have seen scores of 'em), and fail to recognize Bob Ross's amazing technical ability is not competent to discuss painting.<br /><br />Or, I might have used Norman Rockwell - but Rockwell was so wonderful a painter that I cannot even entertain for the sake of argument the notion that he was a bad artist. At worst you could say he was 'good bad' - like Orwell said about Rudyard Kipling as poet - thus, Rockwell was good-bad in the same way as Kipling. Or in other words he was superb!Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-18938633587530848152013-02-20T14:48:07.120+00:002013-02-20T14:48:07.120+00:00Ahoy, Bruce. Is this link up your street?
http:/...Ahoy, Bruce. Is this link up your street?<br /><br />http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/02/20/carver_mead_on_the_future_of_science/deariemenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-71503165901824336562013-02-20T14:27:19.079+00:002013-02-20T14:27:19.079+00:00Some of the best Kincade stuff isn't bad (this...Some of the best Kincade stuff isn't bad (this picture is definitely far from his better work).<br /><br />He poured his entire soul into his art and they savaged him for it, mercilessly and brutally.<br /><br />As someone who tries to create (positive) art through nature photography, I agree wholeheartedly with the spirit of this post.Matthew C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-13311210005473896302013-02-20T08:14:21.137+00:002013-02-20T08:14:21.137+00:00Corky - Sorry but that is my blogging style, my th...Corky - Sorry but that is my blogging style, my thinking style - repetition on a restricted range of themes with only modest variation...<br /><br />I once caught myself having recomposed an almost identical post to one from several months before. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-50858140408195561442013-02-20T08:00:28.929+00:002013-02-20T08:00:28.929+00:00Forgive me saying "I told you so" but th...Forgive me saying "I told you so" but this is exactly the point I was trying to make here a while ago, about women wearing makeup etc in a vain attempt to look young and beautiful, versus the deliberate, in-your-face transgressiveness of tattoos, piercings, purple hair dye, and so on. CorkyAgainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16118775131210676777noreply@blogger.com