I don't "get" art • Hacker News Board

Re: I don't "get" art

#21

Post by mmaunder » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:28 AM UTC

I knew my wife was the woman for me when we visited the Tate Modern on our first date and both walked out after 30 minutes agreeing that it's all garbage. [and went to Greenwich park and observatory which is awesome]

Art is the ultimate example of social proof at work. Another great one is wine. I live in the Bordeaux winelands and the only difference between Premier Cru wines like Chateau Margaux at $400 a bottle and equally great non-premier cru wines is that everyone believes that Premier Cru is the best.

Re: I don't "get" art

#22

Post by moocow01 » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:31 AM UTC

The art world is where the bleeding edge of culture can be found. Most of the cultural trends that are commonplace today have origins in the art world. The reason why art is hard to understand by pretty much everyone is that it usually disregards practicality in its original form, and then eventually overtime those same ideas are fused with a more practical viewpoint which brings it into the mainstream for the masses.

In some ways you could view it similar to the bleeding edge of scientific discoveries in that similarly many don't initially know what to do with them. Eventually overtime those discoveries are applied and brought to the masses through some form of productization.

Re: I don't "get" art

#23

Post by dotBen » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:33 AM UTC

zalew wrote: post #3

I don't "get" Vice's articles.

Vice magazine is a curious beast, aspiring somewhere intellectually higher than Maxim or FHM but more casual and less stuffy than GQ.

But for any geeks/intelectual types (most HN'ers I'd assume) it's not going to push your boundaries given that it's having to aim at a some-what mass-market appeal.

As it goes, I still find some of it to an enjoyable and thought provoking read at times

Re: I don't "get" art

#24

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:33 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: I don't "get" art

#25

Post by zalew » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:38 AM UTC

enjo wrote: post #14

zalew wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Art's a complicated thing. No it's not. There are only 2 kinds of art: the one you like and the one you don't.

Except that EVERYONE has a dog in that fight, and it seems to be different for just about everyone. That's the fascinating thing about it. When you take away the labels (who made it or the period in which it was created) peoples tastes seem almost arbitrary. Taken from a larger point of view, it's incredibly complex. Particularly when it gets all tangled up with societies social systems that rely on art to identify c…

I guess a lot of people feel intimidated that some others are "staring at this with one hand on their chins and super serious expressions", yeah, they probably have reasons to process it longer, but in the end it still boils down to the viewer's relation with the subject. Don't "get" it? Just move on.

Re: I don't "get" art

#26

Post by minikites » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:38 AM UTC

anaheim wrote: post #11

PROTIP: Tracey Emin is a Professor at the Royal Academy. It's art that a lot of the art world considers "good art". This Emin person has gained tons of attention by displays so ridiculous that people thought they must be brilliant since no one had thought of doing something so utterly devoid of talent before. From the Wikipedia article: "In 1999 she was a Turner Prize nominee and exhibited My Bed — an installation, c…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuckism

"The name 'Stuckism' was coined in January 1999 by Charles Thomson in response to a poem read to him several times by Billy Childish. In it, Childish recites that his former girlfriend, Tracey Emin had said he was 'stuck! stuck! stuck!' with his art, poetry and music."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Nicholas_Serota_Makes_an_Ac...

Re: I don't "get" art

#27

Post by joejohnson » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:38 AM UTC

This is a very old article. He did a follow-up piece last year: http://www.vice.com/read/frieze-fair-trying-to-get-art

It's good to see that the irony of VICE has been largely lost on the HN crowd here as we discuss what makes "good" art. Haha.

Re: I don't "get" art

#28

Post by abdelazer » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:39 AM UTC

mmaunder wrote: post #21

I knew my wife was the woman for me when we visited the Tate Modern on our first date and both walked out after 30 minutes agreeing that it's all garbage. [and went to Greenwich park and observatory which is awesome] Art is the ultimate example of social proof at work. Another great one is wine. I live in the Bordeaux winelands and the only difference between Premier Cru wines like Chateau Margaux at $400 a bottle an…

Try d'Yquem.

Re: I don't "get" art

#29

Post by philip1209 » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:40 AM UTC

From the engineers prospective, I understand the reason for what you are saying.

However, I've always made an effort to exercise the left side of my brain for balance. I played cello for a decade in childhood and toured Europe; currently, I compete in salsa performance (after having been the most lead-footed lame dancer four years ago).

What I've learned is that expressing my creativity allows for introspection. The expression of oneself through music, art, dance, etc. culminates like the completion a programming project, albeit using a different set of skills. While the extrospective nature of art galleries and concerts is exciting as an artist, it more provides a denouement of ones introspection as a project draws to a close.

Making this realization allows you to enjoy galleries and concerts more. It doesn't have to do with what is produced. These expressions of self allow you a direct route into the thoughts and feelings of the artist, and suddenly the question becomes 'why' more so than 'what.'

Heading back to 'hacking,' the most successful engineers, scientists, and programmers I know balanced the technical and the creative, and the latter allowed for approaching a project from a unique perspective.

My comments and arguments may sound abstract, but I do not present them as fact. I just request that you keep an open mind - do not view 'different' as inferior; instead, view it with an open mind.

Re: I don't "get" art

#30

Post by planetguy » Mon, Jun 18, 2012, 2:43 AM UTC

Art is simple. It exists to decorate the walls of rich people. It's been that way for thousands of years. I'm not very rich, but I have some art around the place. It's pretty awesome.

The problem is that a lot of these artists don't get art. They are confused about their role in life, and they go round wasting their time making things that rich people wouldn't want on their walls. And that's just pointless and sad.