Brain Food > Art by ordinary people
“Art is made by ordinary people. Creatures having only virtues can hardly be imagined making art. It’s difficult to picture the Virgin Mary painting landscapes. Or Batman throwing pots. The flawless creature wouldn’t need to make art. And so, ironically, the ideal artist is scarcely a theoretical figure at all. If art is made by ordinary people, then you’d have to allow that the ideal artist would be an ordinary person too, with the whole usual mixed bag of traits that real human beings possess.
This is a giant hint about art, because it suggests that our flaws and weaknesses, while often obstacles to getting our work done, are a source of strength as well. Something about making art has to do with overcoming things, giving us a clear opportunity for doing things in ways we have always known we should do them.”
From Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles & Ted Orland.
Soul Food
“Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgement difficult.”
Hippocrates
LOL
Monty Phyton recall a Graham Chapman one-liner:
Appendix
“Kleck (1980) told his research subjects they’d engage in a study to test discrimination. He painted scars on some of their faces, and then had them attend job interviews. The participants with scars painted on their faces reported feeling discriminated against for their looks. However, unknown to them, their scars had been removed before they entered the interviews.
It would seem we can be victimized by the mere belief that we’re a victim.”
#11 on Gurwinder’s 40 Mind-Expanding Concepts (summer 2023)
AOB
Hope you’re getting some downtime this summer. Have a great week - Niall