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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think a lot of "art" is in fact self indulgent tat?

256 replies

HattiFattner · 13/06/2011 09:45

I went to an exhibit of students work this weekend.

Some of it was extraordinary and showed amazing talent.

Most of it was a load of tat. Not just that, but over thought, pretentious and had a royal element of intellectual self gratification about it....

I came away thinking that the "artists" were suffering from a bad case of the Emperors New Clothes - "Oh i took a neoclassical genre and use it to create an installation about teenaged angst in the 21st century and really you must be an intellectual to understand the use of light and space and ...."

  • no love, you made a bowl. With a bunny in it.

And of course if you said that to their face "She just doesnt understand it..."

I would like a really Simon Cowell moment with some of them and to be able to call them out. But their argument is "Its "art" because I say it is."

Hey, on that basis I live in an "installation" called "Domestic Chaos"

Or maybe "Untitled IV" which makes it sound alltogether more worthy.

OP posts:
noddyholder · 13/06/2011 11:36

I agree beloved. There is something very freeing about just accepting that this is how someone chooses to express how they feel and whether you would like it in your living room is irrelevant. I think its sad that people feel they have to ridicule and as you say being a philistine is somehow almost expected. Life is short everything is relevant.... to someone!

LeQueen · 13/06/2011 11:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SardineQueen · 13/06/2011 11:39

Have you been to a student art exhibition, noddy?

Honestly, that all of it is top banana? The one I went to had some ludicrous things. Usually revolving around the students taking their clothes off and filming it. That seemed to be a theme of the one I went to. There was also a lot of giggling...

noddyholder · 13/06/2011 11:40

The technical skills are not always what someone is looking for. If I want a replica of a tree or a face I am more inclined towards photography. Horses for courses.

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 13/06/2011 11:43

I agree with that distinction, SardineQueen.

I went to the Tate Modern over the weekend, and remembered how difficult I find modern art .... the blurb for one piece said that it 'spoke for itself'. It was a large blue canvas with a red line at the bottom and a yellow corner at the top. Trying to let it speak for itself, I didn't read any more of the blurb. I am not unintelligent but I found it difficult to wrestle any meaning out of the large blue canvas. So I returned to the blurb. It told me that the painting was about the inevitable resistance of political awareness and the dialectic progression of modern thought. I struggle to see how I could have deduced that from the piece of art. It just made me feel inadequate.

So I had a cup of tea in the cafe and watched the tourists and thought next time I'll go to the Tate Britain and look at the Turners.

noddyholder · 13/06/2011 11:43

Of course I have I buy stuff twice a year. I live in a city which is full of artists and I don't like all of it and a lot of the student stuff is not my cup of tea but I admire anyone who does what they love. I am an interior designer and use a lot of art in my houses I love the whole world of art and design though.

fastweb · 13/06/2011 11:46

i think british people take pride in being philistines. other countries are less cynical and are richer culturally

Italy can hardly be accused of being artistically or culturally poor, and I've heard very many of of my friends, acquaintances and (adults) students describe "around now" modern art in much the same terms as its been described here. So I'm not that convinced that "art" can let itself off the hook by blaming the nationality of the viewing public.

BelovedCunt · 13/06/2011 11:48

the fact that art colleges turn out such dross proves how hard it is.

tbh with the cut in funding for the arts in education it is going to get worse with the students consisting entirely of trustifarians

LeQueen · 13/06/2011 11:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BelovedCunt · 13/06/2011 11:50

lequeen anyone can be taught how to draw.

LeQueen · 13/06/2011 11:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Madsometimes · 13/06/2011 11:53

I have a lot of problems with many of the things in the Tate. I don't dislike all abstract art, and have come to like Rothko. However, too many lesser artists have copied his style, and just produced blocks of colour.

I also have a lot of problems with modern atonal classical music. I love classical music which has a melody, and don't understand why so many contemporary composers feel the need to challenge their audiences with atonal music.

EnnuiGo · 13/06/2011 11:55

I am really enjoying this debate Smile

It is true that Picasso and his ilk could draw and paint in a very traditional style - some of his early work his technically brilliant.

EnnuiGo · 13/06/2011 11:57

fastweb - can you repost the Kandinsky? All i got was a tree logo....

WowOoo · 13/06/2011 11:58

Yes OP, I sometimes look at stuff and think 'what a pile of shit'.

Saw excellent student show last year in London. There were some really bright talented sparks who compensated for the -what I thought - poorer works.

Saw David Hockney recently - my friend said 'I could do that!' Er, I don't know. She'd need a lot of practice!

BelovedCunt · 13/06/2011 11:58

did anyone waatch that xfactory art program last year? interestingly v. few of them could do a decent life drawing. the girl who won was particularly bad

BelovedCunt · 13/06/2011 11:59

i love the 'i could do that' comment

MrsDistinctlyMintyMonetarism · 13/06/2011 11:59

YANBU Op, i think in around 100 years time, there will be a considerable body of opinion that looks at the late 20th Century/early 21st century as an art cul de sac following blindly Duchamp without considering that he may have been taking the piss.

I actually can really like abstract non representative - if I like the juztaposition of colour and shape.

OTOH I have not an artistic bone in my body.

EnnuiGo · 13/06/2011 12:00

ah yes Beloved but she looked the part Grin - her mountain on an island was especially poor....

I liked the invisible beach huts the best from that programme. The whole thing was quite an eye opener....

BelovedCunt · 13/06/2011 12:01

yes i liked beach huts to. i really liked the commercial artist but he was never going to win the saatchi seal of approval

MrsDistinctlyMintyMonetarism · 13/06/2011 12:01

Ahem.

Taking the piss was an intentional pun. But I forgot the Grin.

Facepalm.

Madsometimes · 13/06/2011 12:03

Even Picasso's cubism shows his talent. I can look at his paintings in different ways and see something new each time. I think his talent is rarely matched by the art which finds its way onto gallery walls today.

SardineQueen · 13/06/2011 12:09

noddy surely even you would accept that some of the art shown at student exhibitions does not have merit? I'm sure they don't all get firsts, for a start. I'm sure some of them are just bunging together whatever they think will get them though. I'm sure some of them are too busy getting pissed to concentrate on what they are doing at college. They aren't any different to other students, after all!

WowOoo · 13/06/2011 12:09

Agree Madsometimes. Such a prolific genius.

noddyholder · 13/06/2011 12:11

I don't feel it is up to me decide what has merit! Smile I don't like it all it does nothing for me but some of the things I like others don't. Love the 'even' me like I have no filter for dross.