RE: You Can Be An Artist Too!

It finally happened yesterday. I officially posted something offensive on my blog. Apparently it was offensive enough that it deserved a snarky little comment from someone on 20 Something Bloggers.

I got the email first.

It read: So and So has a posted a new comment on your blog!

I was like, Yay! for me.

So I log onto the 20SB site, click on my post and read the comment. It went a little something like this:

Blah blah blah... Not all art has to be "aesthetically pleasing." That's why it is so difficult to be an artist... blah blah blah... So no, not everyone can be an artist... blah blah blah... why don't we all just lay on our backs and look at church ceilings?... blah blah blah...

In my haste to rid my beautiful post of this nasty comment, I immediately found the little X button in the upper right hand corner of her comment, and deleted it. Then, somewhere deep down inside of me, I flicked on the "BITCH" switch that every woman owns and sometimes wishes she didn't. I left one angry comment on my 20SB version of my blog, and another 2 angry comments on this version.

In retrospect, I sort of regret doing this. Not the 3 angry comments, but deleting So and So's snarky comment. I wish I had left it there as an example for all on how not to be a rude, stuck up, snobby, little wench. (OK, that might be a little harsh, but you get the idea.) The thing is, I don't think So and So even bothered to read the post. From the way she wrote the comment, it seems as though she read the title and was so offended that she felt the need to say something without even looking at what was written, and as she was scrolling down to click the comment button, she might have picked up a few pieces here and there. I think ultimately, this is what pissed me off.

If So and So had wanted to disagree with me, there was a right way to do so. And if So and So had gone about it in the right way (i.e. maybe actually reading what I had said), I would have gladly left her comment on there for the world to see. Never once did I say that for something to be considered art it must be "aesthetically pleasing," the point was more that I think art should take some kind of effort, (Woman VI probably took some effort, but like I said it looks like a whole lot of scribbles to me). I don't think signing your name to a toilet really requires a whole lot of effort. Nor does painting a rainbow in big blocks of color. I would like to point out, that I actually do like this painting (Blue, Green, Yeah Yeah Yeah). Would I pay thousands of dollars to put it in my home? Even if I had thousands of dollars just laying around? Absolutely not. Because it looks like I could have done that myself. That was the joke. Get it now? You Can Be an Artist Too!

The second half of this joke, was that I think a whole lot of people try to make something out of nothing. For example, interpretations of Andy Warhol, (one of his pieces is a Campbell's soup can) are debated as trying to say something profound about commercial advertisement, while others think this was his little joke on society. Personally, I'd like to think it was a joke on society. And whose to say he's the first? Isn't it possible French Guy's little urinal trick was another? Or DaVinci's Mona Lisa? How many people have wasted countless hours pondering what she may or may not have been thinking about, all simply for that one little upturned corner of her mouth?

Also, the overall statement of fact here, was that I don't understand art. I don't understand what makes "good" art, and what makes "bad" art. If French Guy is right and "anything can be art" than what makes someone pay over 100 million dollars (true story) for a Picasso painting and 50 dollars for another? Could it be status? Could it be that some rich guy is so desperate to show off his wealth that he wants a Picasso to display in his home for all his friends to see and be jealous of? If so, does that not defeat the purpose? Isn't the whole point of art to say something? If someone buys a piece simply for status, haven't they missed the whole point? Why does French Guy's urinal suddenly make people think about society when other urinals are just toilets? Am I the only person alive who thinks this is madness?

Finally, I would like to take a moment to debate So and So's comment that "Not everyone can be an artist." To that I would say, You Are Wrong! So and So. Can everyone be the next Leonardo DaVinci? No. If that was what you meant, you should have clarified. Artists do not belong to some exclusive club that no one can join. While it isn't my cup of tea, if it is yours then I say go for it. Everyone has dreams, no matter how big or how small, and if your dream is to be the next Leonardo DaVinci then great. After all, you never know if you don't try.

Oh yeah, and one other thing. After I calmed down and flicked the "BITCH" switch off, I asked Mr. Wonderful to read my post and give me his thoughts. He said:

"You're mean. You kind of sound like a bitch."

Mom says I have a dry sense of humor. Maybe that's why I sound like a bitch. I also think intentions don't always translate into writing, and my intentions weren't at all bitchy. My intentions fell somewhere more along the lines of sarcasm and irony. To that I say:

Dear So and So:

I apologize for sounding bitchy on my post. I apologize for deleting your comment so hastily. I won't apologize for offending you, because truthfully I don't care. Also, for many democratic countries out there, we have the right to freedom of speech. I live in one of these countries. Freedom of speech was our first amendment to the constitution, so I also won't retract any of my statements. I stand firm behind each and every one of them. My advice to you would be to relax, and try to see the humor in your apparently most treasured hobby. Because if you go through the rest of your life like that, than it's probably not going to be a very enjoyable one. Part of growing up is learning to laugh at yourself.

Sincerely,

The Girl Who Loves to Whine