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Originally Posted by SeattleUte
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Originally Posted by creekster
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I'd go even further and say art should not be judged by wether the critic personally agrees or disagrees with its thematic content--it's the execution that counts.
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I couldn't go that far. I think that needs ot be qualified. While artisitc execution is important, thematic content can be determinaitve of its value to me, as the viewer. This is not to say for ALL viewers, just to me as an individual. This depends greatly on the media chosen as well as the message being conveyed. SOmeone might sling monkey dung at a canvas better than anyone else out there, but I don't want to look at it. |
I agree it can be. Birth of a Nation's racist message adversely affects its artistic value to me. But that's an extreme example. Let me see if I can illustrate what I mean. "Blood Meridian"'s nihilistic depiction of the world as essentially fraught with conflict, even thoroughly violent, and wholly material (devoid of any spiritual element) isn't my world view, but I couldn't admire more McCarthy's depiction of such a world (his execution). Same comment about "the Illiad" (Homer even describes with chillingly powerful effect how everything goes dark for a combatant who dies). Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy can be seen as an argument against the existence of God, but the novels' depiction of such a godless world should be judged apart from whether the critic is Christian, atheist, etc. Same with the "Narnia Chronicles," a Christian allegory. I don't share Dostoyevski's or Tolstoy's literal Christian faith or criticisms of the Enlightenmen, but I am in awe at the skill with which they portray the power of religious faith and principles to affect the human condition in subtle but sublime ways. I don't agree with Spike Lee that because I'm white I'm racist. But I admire "Do the Right Thing" very much nonetheless. |
Art is the idea, execution is the craft … we live in a time of very few original ideas, everything is borrowed, including our history. We ignorantly endeavor to place any work of significance in context in an attempt to ameliorate our experience with it, ultimately dulling its savor by wallowing in the circumstances that birthed the brilliance.
As a result in many circumstances the craft is the art, while moral mavens debate the relative value of the idea.