March 27, 2012
— CAC RIP.
I disagreed with most of his critiques but understood his bitterness as a reaction to what he saw as the "destruction" of high art:
If there is something appealing in the very openness of this postmodernist art scene, there is also something dismaying in it, too. For it reminds us that ours is now a culture without a focus or a center...Perhaps we know too much about art to believe in the absolute efficacy of any single style or tradition. Are we condemned, then, in the art of the [he says '"the 1980s" here, but it applies well and full now], to remain in a perpetual whirl of countervailing and contradictory styles and attitudes? I think we probably are. This eager embrace of art of every persuasion seems to suit us. It satisfies our hearty new appetite for aesthetic experience while requiring nothing from us in the way of commitment or belief.
Posted by: CAC at
07:11 AM
| Comments (91)
Post contains 148 words, total size 1 kb.
Posted by: lorien1973 at March 27, 2012 07:18 AM (0tkqC)
Posted by: joncelli, heartless Con and all around unpleasant guy at March 27, 2012 07:20 AM (RD7QR)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 27, 2012 07:20 AM (Af3Wg)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 27, 2012 07:21 AM (Af3Wg)
Posted by: I am the egg man, . . . at March 27, 2012 07:21 AM (a362c)
Hey CAC, are you doing the projections in the sidebar? If so, care to clarify exactly what the numbers mean?
Posted by: dan-O at March 27, 2012 07:21 AM (sWycd)
Posted by: WalrusRex at March 27, 2012 07:23 AM (Hx5uv)
Posted by: Jimbo at March 27, 2012 07:24 AM (O3R/2)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 27, 2012 07:24 AM (Af3Wg)
Posted by: CAC at March 27, 2012 07:25 AM (vwTtj)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at March 27, 2012 07:25 AM (Af3Wg)
Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] at March 27, 2012 07:28 AM (qOfw/)
Which, when implemented, is an exact duplicate of the blood, tyranny and oppression of the past.
*****
You know, real socialism has never been tried. This time we will do socialism right!
Posted by: WalrusRex at March 27, 2012 07:29 AM (Hx5uv)
Posted by: sTevo at March 27, 2012 07:30 AM (Jkevl)
Where do the numbers come from? We need to know whose neck to step so we can do something about it.
Posted by: Jay Bee at March 27, 2012 07:30 AM (Xwgt3)
Posted by: NO_LIMIT_NINJA at March 27, 2012 07:30 AM (UvnUR)
Posted by: Dr. Varno at March 27, 2012 07:31 AM (ZmIbh)
Newt knows it's over for him. When Santorum loses the PA primary, it will be over for him too.
If I am mistaken and Obama wins reelection, I will vote with my feet. I figure that if I am going to live under Socialism, I might as well live somewhere the Socialists are competent.
Posted by: Jimbo at March 27, 2012 07:32 AM (O3R/2)
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 27, 2012 07:33 AM (8y9MW)
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at March 27, 2012 07:38 AM (DuH+r)
Posted by: polynikes at March 27, 2012 07:38 AM (A2cTV)
He was never able to live down that racist rant at The Improv
Posted by: Ben at March 27, 2012 07:39 AM (wuv1c)
Plus ca changes, la plus c'est la meme chose.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at March 27, 2012 07:42 AM (nEUpB)
Posted by: joncelli, heartless Con and all around unpleasant guy at March 27, 2012 07:44 AM (RD7QR)
Posted by: ziggyelman at March 27, 2012 07:44 AM (uBd6b)
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at March 27, 2012 11:42 AM (nEUpB)
Aw shit - French. Keep lurking.
Posted by: tubal at March 27, 2012 07:44 AM (BoE3Z)
If only people had listened to them.
Posted by: HeatherRadish™ at March 27, 2012 07:44 AM (ZKzrr)
Posted by: Jimbo at March 27, 2012 11:32 AM (O3R/2)
If you find somewhere to take you. You probably will, but you never know. If Barky wins, many people are going to learn the real differences between a dual citizen and a plain American ... and why the former could never be considered a natural born citizen. A dual citizen just doesn't depend on the health of the US as a plain American does (who has no legal out of America if things go really bad).
It's sort of apt that it would be the "rule" of a dual citizen that would point this problem out ... People were warned.
Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at March 27, 2012 07:45 AM (X3lox)
Posted by: nevergiveup at March 27, 2012 07:47 AM (i6RpT)
Because that is how they teach you in art school. I only had one professor who condemned the futurists for their fascism.
Posted by: Brisco_County at March 27, 2012 07:48 AM (NSmsb)
Posted by: nevergiveup at March 27, 2012 07:49 AM (i6RpT)
The point of deconstruction is that there needs to be a construct in the first place. Whoever mentioned Utopianism above is correct. It's the presumption that the artist is creating ex nihilo that results in the utter destruction of anything resembling actual (non-monetary) valuation of a work. Not to mention that most art no longer is attempting to speak to higher matters.
Don't get me wrong, I do quite like some modern art. The overwhelming majority though, well, it's not Scottish so it's crap.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD 2012 at March 27, 2012 07:51 AM (VtjlW)
Aesthetic Relativism. It satisfies nothing but petty emotional issues. It's emblematic of cowardice.
People can easily convince themselves to find beauty in pretty much anything, if they feel they have to. But it's always contrived and everyone knows it.
Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at March 27, 2012 07:53 AM (X3lox)
40...On Monday, the Obama2012 Twitter account sent out this message:
THIS IS DISGUSTING
Uh....were they calling themselves disgusting?
Posted by: wheatie at March 27, 2012 07:53 AM (dEMjC)
Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere says feels some Israeli cabinet members do not give enough thought to the negative consequences that could develop in wake of a strike of Iran's nuclear facilities.
I surprised a modern German could even say that.
Posted by: Jean at March 27, 2012 07:54 AM (WkuV6)
Posted by: Hollowpoint at March 27, 2012 07:54 AM (SY2Kh)
So I'm in the MOMA with my daughter (the Art Historian).
I see a huge canvas, 30'x10', hanging in a pride of place. It is one dull color with one stripe down the center of another dull color. Could have been done with a roller.
So, says I, "What could possibly be so wonderful about this painting that it is hanging in the Museum of Modern Art."
Says she, "The artist did it first".
Posted by: minuteman (formerly trainer) until Juggy is gone at March 27, 2012 07:55 AM (Rojyk)
Posted by: nevergiveup at March 27, 2012 07:55 AM (i6RpT)
Posted by: Fritz at March 27, 2012 07:56 AM (/ZZCn)
Posted by: A. Phillistine at March 27, 2012 07:56 AM (RtpCp)
Posted by: nevergiveup at March 27, 2012 07:56 AM (i6RpT)
without borrowing anything from the past. It's impossible.>>>
Why can't they just try and build upon the past, like every other discipline?
Posted by: Jean at March 27, 2012 07:57 AM (WkuV6)
http://www.artrenewal.org/ articles/Philosophy/ArtScam/artscam.php
(I put a space after org/)
Posted by: HeatherRadish™ at March 27, 2012 07:58 AM (ZKzrr)
I've generally avoided reading what 'Art Critics' have to say. .....But Hilton Kramer deserves kudos for going against the stream, and injecting some conservative thought into the limp-wristed Art World.
Rest in peace, good sir.
Posted by: wheatie at March 27, 2012 07:58 AM (dEMjC)
****
It's got to be painted on black velvet for me to buy one of those.
Posted by: WalrusRex at March 27, 2012 07:58 AM (Hx5uv)
Posted by: nickless at March 27, 2012 07:59 AM (MMC8r)
Posted by: polynikes at March 27, 2012 08:01 AM (A2cTV)
Well I say THANK GOD!! I hated the sense that any time you picked up a paintbrush you had to toe the aesthetic line the High Priests of Cuhl-charr have dictated. You have to remember how long realists were made second-class citizens because of the damn theorists and the drive for art historical through-line purity. You make dislike the laissez-faire Art Fair of today because it uncritically accepts the silliest crap, but at least you can paint a la Titian nowadays if you damn please and have it accepted, and financially rewarded, too.
Posted by: sistrum at March 27, 2012 08:02 AM (AyryN)
I never saw this problem. I've seen an explosion of mediocre (to be charitable to many) and highly unoriginal pieces.
That's okay. Most artists are meant to work in a style established by an artistic "genius", in the real sense. It's the mediocrity of some of the accepted "geniuses" (who have not contributed anything original, really) that has thrown a wrench into the whole field. This is what stupid liberal money usually builds, though. No surprise, there.
Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at March 27, 2012 08:02 AM (X3lox)
Posted by: somebody else, not me at March 27, 2012 08:03 AM (nZvGM)
Posted by: nevergiveup at March 27, 2012 08:04 AM (i6RpT)
Posted by: nickless at March 27, 2012 08:06 AM (MMC8r)
Posted by: WalrusRex at March 27, 2012 08:06 AM (Hx5uv)
"New update posted. Paul Clement gave the best argument I've ever heard. No real hard questions from the right. Mandate is in trouble."
Jesus Christ, we might just win this thing!
Posted by: Aaron at March 27, 2012 08:07 AM (Tlix5)
59 I was kind of dissappointed that the day crowd wasn't involved in the Sunday night art thread . I was looking forward to some witty snark at my expense. Seriously. I get some of my best snark from others to use myself outside of AOS
I wasn't around on Sunday, polynikes. ....But I took a peek, and I really liked your works that were featured. ....Nice modeling of the light source on the one with the horizontal 3-d bars...that can be difficult. ....Your use of realism in the harbor scene was well done, and imparted both the feeling of tranquility and chill of the scene you were working from. Nicely done.
Posted by: wheatie at March 27, 2012 08:07 AM (dEMjC)
Posted by: polynikes at March 27, 2012 12:01 PM (A2cTV)
***
I usually don't participate in the o/n or weekend threads, but I did take a look at your work yesterday. Nothing snarky to say, except I was suprised to learn you are a painter. At some point I'll get around to sending CAC examples of my work, then it will be your turn to snark.
Posted by: kallisto at March 27, 2012 08:07 AM (jm/9g)
Yeah, because the fact they're not in session means they've stopped working.
So I'm hearing those on our side cautiously optimistic based on the way questioning went. Here's hoping they're right.
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 27, 2012 08:08 AM (8y9MW)
Posted by: J. Christ at March 27, 2012 08:09 AM (i6RpT)
You want Art, this is Art:
So Dick Cheney walks into this talent agent's office and says "I've got a great act." The agent hesitates; he's having a busy day, and he's already got a bunch of other acts booked. "Trust me," says Cheney. "You don't have one like this."
The agent gives in. "You've got five minutes," he tells him.
Cheney sits down, and takes out a glossy photo of Martina Navaratilova and a bottle of 80-proof irish whiskey. He holds the picture in one hand, and with the other he pours whiskey down his pants and starts furiously masturbating. As the agent sits there in terror, he scowls and begins grunting unintelligibly at the photo. "Ugh, ugh," he's grunting. "Ugh, ugh, ugh, UGH!!!" Sweat beads form on his forehead, and the agent, now completely paralyzed with fear, has no choice but to continue watching even though he knows that he's now most likely going to Hell just for witnessing this. The temperature in the room is now noticably warmer, and Cheney's still sitting there, pounding away with one hand while the other clenches the photo like it's trying to strangle it. He bends over, picks up the whiskey bottle with his mouth, and proceeds to down the rest of it. He spits it out at the agent, and when it hits his stomach he involuntarily vomits all over the floor, his desk, and himself. So now the room is reeking of vomit and whiskey, plus the acrid smell of burning tires that comes from the smoke rising off of Cheney's crotch as he continues glaring at Martina and savagely beating the hell out of his penis. "Fifteen-love!" he shrieks. "Thirty-love! Forty-love! And...and...and...oh holy fuckin' shit...GAME!!!!!" he screams, and as he climaxes there's an explosion--the walls explode outward, the ceiling collapses, and the agent is shot backward out of his chair and knocked senseless on the floor. Cheney slumps back in his chair. "I knew it was possible," he says.
The agent comes to a few minutes later as Cheney is zipping his fly back up and smoking a postcoital cigar. "Jesus H. Christ!" he says. "That's some act! What do you call it?" Cheney just leans back, blows a smoke ring, and says: "The Aristocrats."
posted by Andrew
Posted by: Dick Cheney at March 27, 2012 08:10 AM (RtpCp)
Posted by: Mike James at March 27, 2012 08:11 AM (spLGA)
Posted by: sistrum at March 27, 2012 08:12 AM (AyryN)
Posted by: Mike James at March 27, 2012 08:12 AM (spLGA)
It helps keep up the "smart" pretense of this "Smart, Military Blog."
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 27, 2012 08:13 AM (8y9MW)
Posted by: J. Christ at March 27, 2012 12:09 PM (i6RpT)
I'm calling everyone, just to cover the bases here. Next up: ghostbusters!
Posted by: Aaron at March 27, 2012 08:13 AM (Tlix5)
Posted by: nickless at March 27, 2012 08:14 AM (MMC8r)
76 WHY did the stupid fucker post as I sat there looking at it with my hands not touching anything?
Pixy reached out and took over your mouse? ....She is all-powerful, you know.
Posted by: wheatie at March 27, 2012 08:15 AM (dEMjC)
Read into Congressional Record January 10, 1963: from "Naked Communist" and list a number of goals as a warning to America. Regarding art was this little tid-bit.....
22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."
Posted by: Deli LLama at March 27, 2012 08:16 AM (uv9eO)
RIP, Mr. Kramer. It's regrettable that you had to watch the art world crumble around you while you lived.
Mr. Kimball, who wrote the PJM piece for Kramer, has published many excellent critiques of art criticism in the modern age and how utterly off the rails its gone. I always recommend his book The Rape of the Masters, because it is just so good and such a great read. His dismemberment of David Lubin's critique of The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit is hysterical and scathing. I like to read it on cold winter days when the government is doing something particularly stupid and I wish I was pithy enough to write something really sarcastic about it.
Posted by: MWR, Proud Tea(rrorist) Party Hobbit and ABO supporter at March 27, 2012 08:19 AM (4df7R)
Posted by: sistrum at March 27, 2012 08:26 AM (AyryN)
"It satisfies our hearty new appetite for aesthetic experience while requiring nothing from us in the way of commitment or belief."
That is a genius quote, right there. It sums up just about everything I've witnessed of the progressive mindset in one neat, easy sentence.
Posted by: JQ Public at March 27, 2012 09:06 AM (NBj0d)
Posted by: steevy at March 27, 2012 09:52 AM (7W3wI)
Posted by: torabora at March 27, 2012 11:28 AM (cu4RF)
But like you, also disagree with much of his art criticism. He (in)famously scorned William Eggleston (and Szarkowski for promoting him, in IIRC the first solo exhibit of color photography at MOMA), calling Eggleston's photos "perfectly boring" and "perfectly banal". I adore Eggleston and think Szarkowski had an amazing curator's eye; IMO you got that one wrong, Hilton. RIP.
Posted by: lael at March 27, 2012 12:10 PM (bKBHl)
Posted by: Bear Meets Girl ePub at March 28, 2012 06:18 PM (VdybU)
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Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 27, 2012 07:12 AM (8y9MW)