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Sounds like a name for a pretentious "artsy-fartsy" movie doesn't it? Well, I *love* "artsy-fartsy" movies! Especially "artsy-fartsy" movies about artists.
Either being a bio or a made up artist, anything that sheds some light on the odd inner workings of artists is always a welcome thing. Now I do confess that some older movies like to play up the cliché' of the starving artist who is nothing but a misunderstood pariah of the upper crust art collectors/gallery owners/ established artists who are really nothing more than puppets of the "Man".
Yeah, ok those storylines are fun but not everyone necessarily had a Van Gogh lifestyle. He is my hero though and will always be. Movies such as Pollock, Frida,Theo and Vincent and even American Splendor ( bio of the underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar) are truly wonderful for the simple fact they show more aspects of the artists and the people in their lives.
Take for instance, a lot of people- artists and non-artists alike- heard of Jackson Pollock...but oddly and sadly enough none had heard of or knows much about his wife and manager ,Lee Krasner.
She was one of the most motivated and original women artists of that time in my humble opinion. It is also a shame that there had to be division of artists by gender. Many collectors and agents took few women seriously in the visual arts.
Luckily light has been shed on them then and now.
Hmm, now why do I have food in the title? Mostly for two reasons. One of my housemates from a long ago past era was (still is maybe) an experimental cook. All us were are all in my old household are coming up with inventive ideas for us and for "feasts" at SCA events.
Thinking of our simple but oh-so-good feasts had my mind wander to food artists. I am sure some of you have watched them on channels such as the Food Network in those competitions where they create the most amazing sculptures with edible mediums.
I see that as viable as art as I do the Mona Lisa ,and more tasty I am sure.
Back to my "artsy-fartsy" movies. Some may view all things on film as art. I love action movies and I fully am aware of the talented artists who made possible. Actors,Directors,Gaffers,Props People,Writers,Wardrobe,Background Art and/or Miniatures.
Strangely enough I don't see such movies like Die Hard as "art"...even though artists made it. How odd. It then occurred to me that it is the same thing as commercial art. Who looks at a can of peas, a layout for a tool catalogue, or newspaper ad for a department store and thinks...."Wow..now that is a beautiful art piece?".
Not many do; even other artists. Especially the elitists who sees it as beneath them. The person who designed that billboard or vacuum cleaner ad is a real artist too. They know how to draw. They know composition and colour theory.
Being a former commercial artist ( who in fact had designed all of those products) it is no fun. Yes it is a nice, steady source of income. Yes it allows you to apply your talent to a viable job. But your name is never known except in the advertising circles and then only if you're damned lucky.
So this makes me ponder as to why I am such a hypocrite when it comes to your average Action movie made by anything but average artists.
It seems the one unifying element is the masses of consumers being happy and spending money for an active economy; especially padding the pockets of Producers ,Studio executives, and Stockholders.
So does economical viability make a product, be it an ad, jingle,talkshow, or summer movie less of an artistic endeavor?
In some ways I think it does. Maybe it all comes down to that ideal of selling out; even if it merely a subconscious act. We all fall for it too.
So lets go back to the Action Movie. Is it art? Is it art after all of that knowledge of who made it make it art? My pragmatic mind says yes. I do justify my words and feel comforted by the fact though art can be art but not always "good".
Many people compare Kandinsky to their 3 year old's scribbles. You know what, I find many scribbles of some 3 year olds pretty damned good. As I see it raw talent has no age limit.
I put death in the title too. Well, I don't plan on babbling on about some metaphysic thought or tossing out words of wisdom. I think the subject of death- be it literal or metaphor- threads throughout this entry.
And now I will do what a Nihilist thinks of death. I will just stop now.
Kristof
