The Great Art Debate

[TANGODANCER]

can you post a photo?

Unfortunately not. See, I'm still toying with making it really controversial by leaving it blank.

can you post a photo of your controversial blank work?

No. Use your imagination.

[Worthy4England]

"a white cat drinking milk in the snow" By Van Tango

[TANGODANCER]

"a white cat drinking milk in the snow" By Van Tango

Or possibly a completely black canvas entitled: Life through the eyes of a bat.

[William the White]

"a white cat drinking milk in the snow" By Van Tango

Or possibly a completely black canvas entitled: Life through the eyes of a bat.

They've both been done, unfortunately...

[Worthy4England]

"a white cat drinking milk in the snow" By Van Tango

Or possibly a completely black canvas entitled: Life through the eyes of a bat.

They've both been done, unfortunately...

Not with the same level of idiosyncratic brushwork...

[TANGODANCER]

it always will be Tango - the enjoyment and growth is in the learning, not in having all the answers...if the TW forum could answer the question "what is great art" in a mere 37 pages - then I suspect it would not be a question worth asking....

Ah, see that's just it. There never will be a concrete answer as such. What you'll get is one section claiming one thing, a second, another. So what actually defines great art that is universaly accepted as an answer? Questions could be:

If a Van Gogh painting goes on sale it will imediately bring a crazy amount of money; and yet people claim it isn't that great as art. Why is that?

Why is it the artist died penniless because he couldn't sell his work, yet after his death he's regarded as a genius? What's the actual difference between the same painting not selling at all and then being almost priceless? Is it the fact that the only real answer is supply and demand? American billionaires, some who probably couldn't define art from their next door neighbour will pay fortunes to lock paintings up in bank vaults. What part of art is that?

Crunch question: Is it the fact that there's no real definition except in the personal view that lets people make the wildest claims that what they produce is art? If so, then great art is perhaps only based on a personal view, or how much you have in the bank. One is what you like, the other listening to what someone else does.

Eye of the beholder still looking fair enough to me.

[William the White]

"a white cat drinking milk in the snow" By Van Tango

Or possibly a completely black canvas entitled: Life through the eyes of a bat.

They've both been done, unfortunately...

Not with the same level of idiosyncratic brushwork...

That, of course, is the trick - in all seriousness, though - look at the Yves Klein 'blue' - an entirely monochromatic career as an artist...

It is a very beautiful shade of blue... Of course...

[Bruce Rioja]

"Great art" seems to be somewhat on a par with beauty being in the eye of the beholder.

Yet, how few seem to be content with that...

A little rich from someone claiming to "get" a certain painter and others of not doing!

[William the White]

"Great art" seems to be somewhat on a par with beauty being in the eye of the beholder.

Yet, how few seem to be content with that...

A little rich from someone claiming to "get" a certain painter and others of not doing!

Sorry, Bruce, I don't follow your complaint here... can you tease it out a little more for me?

As far as painters and paintings go I don't 'get' plenty... it isn't a criticism, just an observation...

And that post, of which you complain, was suggesting nothing more than art causes a great deal of dispute beyond 'eye of the beholder'... And offered pretty irrefutable proof thereof...

I reckon...

[Bruce Rioja]

No worries - we clearly differ in our interpretation of 'get'.

See, I use 'X doesn't get a joke' or 'X doesn't get a mathematical equation'. Someone doesn't get a definite, you see?

As such, I read your 'Bruce doesn't get Van Gogh' as you proclaiming yourself correct on the subject and me somehow wrong.

That's why I said that there's a contradiction in you then claiming great art to be in the eye of the beholder.

My misunderstanding - I should've asked you to clarify your position first, perhaps.

[TANGODANCER]

I certainly don't get 104 million dollars for this 6ft high bronze. Somewhere about the cost of building Wembley stadium I'd guess?

[Bruce Rioja]

And your opinion here?

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A ... 64&h=ffe75" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[William the White]

And your opinion here?

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A ... 64&h=ffe75" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Heard the review of this on R4 tonight... much more sensorious - from Germaine Greer (who i reckon is only jealous) than your review...

I like Emin and would like to see this very much... Shall we go together and discuss, Buce?

[Bruce Rioja]

And your opinion here?

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A ... 64&h=ffe75" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Heard the review of this on R4 tonight... much more sensorious - from Germaine Greer (who i reckon is only jealous) than your review...

I like Emin and would like to see this very much... Shall we go together and discuss, Buce?

Seriously, William, if I could - I would.

[malcd1]

And your opinion here?

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A ... 64&h=ffe75" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now that I have seen that I think I will change my mind about her.

[Verbal]

How is this a photo!

http://photography.nationalgeographic.c ... s-namibia/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[William the White]

How is this a photo!

http://photography.nationalgeographic.c ... s-namibia/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do you not believe the explanation given in the caption?

[Verbal]

Well yes, my post more of an exclamation than a question, in a kind of OMG sense.

[William the White]

Well yes, my post more of an exclamation than a question, in a kind of OMG sense.

Yeah - agree with the OMG!!!

[thebish]

Well yes, my post more of an exclamation than a question, in a kind of OMG sense.

Yeah - agree with the OMG!!!

and in your case - what would that stand for??

I'd go for a "Five Alive!!"