My Biggest Problem With Art

In this postmodern society, we allow everyone to do what makes them happy regardless of what makes others happy.  As long as what makes us happy doesn’t hurt anyone around us, it is all well and good.

There is no absolute truth, especially when it comes to art.  And that’s what makes postmodernity so great.  We have the freedom to read what we want, worship what we want, paint what we want and say what we want.

But this leaves some of us in a tight spot: there are some works of art and artists that are just… well… bad, and we can’t do anything about it.

For instance, if we criticize a popular musician for having meaningless lyrics and aesthetically dull musicianship, we are met not with a response of merit, but rather a response of, “It makes people happy, so it’s okay.”

Also for instance, if we lambaste a famous author for writing the same trivial mystery story over and over again, we are met once again not with a response of merit, but rather a response of, “I like him, and what you’re saying hurts my feelings.”

So what are we to do? Do we just live and let live? Let others be happy while we suffer in our own psyche? Just live with our headaches while grown adults blast Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” for the 27th time in an hour?

Am I the only one who feels this way? Did I just hurt everyone’s feelings? Sorry if I did.

-T

P.S. Hey guys, how’s it going? Haven’t seen ya in awhile!

What Defines Masculinity?

If you ever tried to tell Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra or Fred Astaire that what they were doing was girly or wimpy, you’d probably leave the conversation with a black eye and a lack of teeth. Read this post by a good friend of mine.

Let’s Talk About …Robots?

Yes, Robots.

“But this is an art blog! Robots can’t be artistic! Can a robot paint a beautiful picture reminiscent of the Mona Lisa? Can a robot compose original symphonies as emotional as Beethoven’s?”

… Can you?

“…”

Yes I absolutely paraphrased that dialog from the 2004 movie I, Robot.

But my point today isn’t to point out hypocrisy, my point is to say this:

Yes, robots CAN do those things!

Check out this Youtube video (it’s a little long, but seriously it is quite daunting):

Holy freaking cow, robots are taking over the world… and it’s our fault!!! Did you see how that guy compared us to horses and then showed us how a robot can compose an original score?

Now some people might look at this and go, “Shoot that’s really cool, with robots I don’t need to talk to mean baristas (or baristos) when I’m getting my coffee.” Whereas I’m on the other side saying, “Man, I hope that doesn’t happen, Jerry from that independent shop makes a mean special latte.”

Now sure they can write symphonies and draw pictures and make coffee, but presently I don’t see computer programs ever possessing the abilities to write a good, emotional, descriptive and original novel. I just don’t think a robot can create the algorithms and patterns necessary to write a sellable book (insert Twilight joke here).

I don’t know, what do you guys think? Do you think that the aspiring novelists/musicians/artists of the world will be replaced by robots? Can a computer really be the next John Lennon or Rembrandt or Hemingway?

-T

Let’s Talk About Goodreads Recommendations

I know it’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted. Sorry I haven’t been able to keep all six or seven of you occupied for the last month.

Probably the biggest thing that’s happened to me recently is the willing deactivation of my Facebook account. It’s been tough as all heck quitting cold turkey, but seriously it’s been for the best. I’ve been writing more (personal stuff), reading more (currently the ever-funny Lamb by Christopher Moore), and just trying hard to be an all-around better and more productive person. Seriously, I recommend quitting Facebook to everyone (Zuckerberg has enough money).

Now the majority of my time on the internet is spent on Goodreads.

Let me tell ya, trying to get recommendations for future reading is a lot more effort than it sounds. You have to rate all of the books you’ve read on a five-star scale, tell them what genres you like the best, and accept or reject the recommendations they give you.

And let me tell ya another thing: I’ve had to reject quite a few recommendations. I feel like the recommendations are based not on personal preference, but on what is popular with the majority of their users.

And according to the average ratings, I’m able to deduce that the majority of Goodreads users must be Alice’s-Adventures-in-Hogwarts-teenage-girls and 50-Shades-of-Smut-women.

This is my impression of a Goodreads recommendation:

Oh, your 5-star rated books are all by Vonnegut, Heller, Salinger and Stoppard? You say you like satirical books and modern classics? Whatever…

Oh you read Perks of Being a Wallflower in high school? Doesn’t matter that you rated it only 3 stars, here’s a whole bunch of John Green books you’ll love! Oh and have you read The Hunger Games yet? HARRY POTTER!!!

Seriously?

Also what’s up with some awesome books having less-than-awesome average ratings? Seriously, who’s giving Catcher in the Rye, A Farewell to Arms and Catch-22 one star? I bet the same people who gave these books one star gave five stars to Divergent and all of Nora Roberts’ books.

Moral of the story: if you’re on Goodreads, read every review with caution. If a reviewer with a girl’s name and a mockingjay pin profile picture gives a Tom Clancy book one star, maybe don’t listen to that review.

-T

Let’s Talk About Jim Morrison

This week, we mourned the 43rd anniversary of the death of a great artist and figurehead of the 60s and 70s. Jim Morrison was far too young (27 years old) when he died (possibly of a drug overdose).

So it goes.

I love what Jim Morrison did for The Doors and the culture of that era, but I would like to clear some things up about The Doors.

Many people believe Jim Morrison was the lead artist of his immortal band. While he was an influential frontman and a huge part of the band’s image, he was not the lead artist. The other members of The Doors (Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore) all put in equal or greater influence into the actual music of The Doors.

Sure Jim Morrison wrote a lot of their big songs (like “The End” and “Peace Frog”), but this may or may not come as a surprise to even the most devoted of fans: Robby Krieger wrote a fair amount of songs too including their first huge hit, “Light My Fire.”

Also, it’s no surprise that the songs of The Doors consisted of great musicianship through instruments, right? Guess who did all of that!

Ray, Robby and John.

Jim played the tambourine.

Now I’m not trying to poop on Jim Morrison; I love Jim and everything he did for The Doors and for the culture of his era. He was a true rock star and revolutionary. All I am trying to say is that The Doors were more than just Jim. The band consisted of four awesome musicians who are often left to the back burner (which unfortunately happens far too often, just look at Ozzy Osbourne).

-T

It’s Kinda Funny: Yesterday’s Post on Independent Bookstores

I love WordPressers.

Whenever you guys see the words “Independent Bookstores,” you just can’t keep your hands off of that “Like” button.

I think I got more likes on yesterday’s post about independent bookstores than I have ever received on any other post (whooooa, nine likes, how awesome of you!).  I guess if I ever want a big audience reaction, I should just talk about independent bookstores.

I have now said “independent bookstores” four times in this post; I had better get a lot of likes!

-T

P.S.  Kill… your… Kindle!

Let’s Talk About Independent Bookstores

This one isn’t necessarily a call to arms or an advice offering like my last few posts; it is merely a retelling of an experience.

This past week, I took a trip to Breckenridge, Colorado.  For those of you who have no idea about this fine community, it’s pretty much Park City, Utah with more cannabis and with less Sundance Festival.  It’s full of coffee shops, clothing stores, cookie sandwiches costing $4.20 each (tee hee) and restaurants all independently run by locals.  And it’s a lot colder than where I live.

But the best part of the city’s independent Main St. was “Ole Man Berkins,” a used bookstore hidden between two groups of buildings.

Before visiting this store, I didn’t understand what all the hype was about “supporting independent bookstores.”  I had seen a LOT of WordPress posts about it, but I just thought they were the musings of weirdo hippies with a vendetta against Barnes & Noble.  Now I am one of these weirdo hippies because of this awesome store.

This dang store, unlike the “independent” bookstores where I live, had a huge variety of books available.  They had regular fiction, irregular fiction, nonfiction, textbooks, children’s books, you name it, they had it!  They even had records!

Yes, records!  The place was also a record store.

They had classic vinyl LPs, 45s, 45 adaptors (which are found pretty much nowhere nowadays), and even 8-tracks (not even my parents owned these).

Long story short, I ended up spending a lot of money.

Thank you, Ole Man Berkins; if it weren’t for you, I would have continued to harbor contempt for used book stores (since my city only has crappy ones), would not have had the advice necessary to pick out some awesome books and records, and would not have learned the catchphrase, “Kill your Kindle” (which would make a really cool hashtag if I were into that sort of thing).

The moral of my experience is this: give independents a chance.

-T

P.S. And kill your Kindle!

Let’s Talk About the Artist’s Audience.

Now I am not a professional consultant by any means, but I have a few bones to pick with artists who do what I’m about to talk about.

Back in the days of the Renaissance, people painted for beauty and for money.  The Church, the Medici family (that’s right, AP Euro reference), or some other rich person would give them money, and they would create something beautiful out of paint and canvas (and sometimes marble).  Renaissance artists like da Vinci and Michelangelo created beautiful and emotional works, and because of artists like them, I do not believe that all art done for money is mere prostitution, and I believe that artists of today need to stop divorcing monetary income and audience approval from art.

I have been to many art museums (okay, two art museums), and I’m sure that anyone else who has done so has walked up to at least one of the paintings and said these dreaded words:

“I don’t get it.”

Now there are three common artistic responses to this phrase.  The artist can take these audience reactions with a grain of salt and say, “These insignificant plebeians know nothing of art!” (sometimes that is true).  They can pooh-pooh the audience and say, “I was doing this for myself, not to please an audience.”  Or they can think to themselves, “Well shucks, maybe my art might be bad.”

The first reaction is common in cartoons where the artist is a French-ish guy with a striped turtleneck and a silly mustache.  In other words, if an audience doesn’t get it, don’t react like a villain in a 90s Nicktoon.

As for the guy who says “I was doing this for my own expression, not to please an audience,” why would you bother publishing in the first place if you didn’t care about showing anyone your work?  You’re like those little girls in third grade who tell you that they know a secret and then don’t tell you the secret.

The third reaction is the reaction that every artist should have every day.  You should always desire to not be bad, to improve, to be the best!  That being said, maybe you should not assume that your art is bad all the time, that could be detrimental.  

What you as an artist should do is pretend that the Medici’s are employing you to create.  You should pretend that the most prestigious family in Italy asked you to paint a morose bowl of fruit, and may cut off your head or report you to the Pope if you don’t deliver quality work (okay, maybe not that second part).

The point is that artists should always be humbly striving for improvement and should be proud to make and audience react with awe.

Let’s Talk About Experimenting (… With Music)

This Tuesday, Jack White released his second solo album titled Lazaretto.  I’ve listened to it twice on vinyl and I like it very very very very very very very much!

The thing I like about Jack White so much (besides the fact that he’s still rockin’ and bluesin’ in an age where no one is rockin’ and bluesin’) is that he likes doing weird stuff with music.  In a past post, I showed you the cool, grungy diddley bo he made out of rotted wood and a coke bottle; that’s just one little example of what he does.  Watch the YouTube link below and the rest of the documentary, It Might Get Loud, to see what other crazy stuff he (and also Jimmy Page and The Edge) does with musical equipment.

Even though people like Mr. White are doing all of these awesome experimental things with wood, wires and analog equipment, people believe that creating polytones and beats through a MacBook is “experimental.”  I mean, sure, maybe the first time someone did something crazy like that it was experimental, but now it is merely white noise.  Also, it’s super easy to copy and paste something on Garage Band, while it is much more challenging to make an LP out of analog recordings that starts backwards and has an animated angel on it.

(Shots fired)

I always ask, “Where are the days of Pink Floyd and Tom Morello and their crazy musical experimentation?”  I believe that those days have finally returned with this insane new album by Jack White.

Let’s Talk About Fame and Misfortune.

“Whoa, hang on, can we talk about how it’s been waaaay over 24 hours since your last post?  Doesn’t your About page say that you post every day?”

So Pink Floyd can go on indefinite hiatus for almost 20 years but I can’t take a sabbath every 11 days?

Okay, let’s talk about the topic at hand.

There’s this guy on YouTube whose name is unpronounceable and unspellable (Mariusz Goli) who can do this thing with a wooden box that most people who know how to play the wooden box don’t know how to do.  Here’s the video (the whole thing is good, but the latter half is when he really gets cookin’):

And then here’s a video of people who got famous by playing the wooden box in a much simpler fashion:

Three chords.  Three chords and these guys got famous.

Now I really dig the Ramones, and I’m glad that they became famous, but why is it that audiences prefer to pay $80 to go see three-chorders (or worse) live and won’t even give magic-fingers a buck when they walk by?  I mean the three-chorders and magic-fingers both look like scary hobos so it’s definitely not image.

To tell you the truth, I don’t know.  I really don’t know how someone so talented could not become famous for their craft.  Even homeless dudes who talk like radio personalities are becoming famous and yet this guy above isn’t.  Maybe in time he will be, but for now the question stands.

Being a rock and roll fan, I’d like to blame the music industry for this, but the music industry has made people in even worse situations famous (look at Eminem).  So what is it?

Is it bad luck?  Maybe.

Is his craft just outdated?  Maybe.

Will he not sell records?  Of course he’ll sell records.  Loads of people out there love classical guitar.  He’d certainly sell more than most new musicians.

Now we can go on about this forever, but we’d still be talking to walls and going nowhere.  What we can do, though, is make this guy go viral so he can at least have a chance.

Give this guy a market!  Listen to his stuff!  Make him famous!  Make the music industry encouraging again.

-T