I thought John Waters made some interesting points. I know it kicked off our discussion in last week's class too, but he talked about how contemporary art is "you haven't learned the magic trick," and talks about things that you can't know, relating it to a biker gang. This certainly is representative of a lot of work, but I think there is so much art that is so simple that people MAKE it complicated. I got to go the Modern Wing for just a little bit on Saturday but I also tried to bring up art, specifically contemporary art, all week to people who are not involved in it. The general consensus is that most people would say they don't like it because they don't understand it. I think it is a western society notion to be offended by something we don't understand and to personalize a public piece of artwork in that way. Why is it that when we see an installation and don't get it, we get angry? We feel left out of something or like we are somehow the personal target of this artist's message. I wonder if it would even be possible to live in a world where we wouldn't get angry when we step into something we don't understand, but allow ourselves to be overwhelmed, to be filled with wonder, to see something new that challenges the conventions of old. It isn't just us. There was a time when a scientist was called a blasphemer and put to death for observing that the world is round. I just hope that within the art world, we acknowledge that the world is round, that it is mysterious and complex and new and challenging. I like that there are still places that I can go in this world and not understand a single thing. I like not having it all figured out.
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