Thank you. That's precisely my problem. The contemporary usage of the word "art" is so vague I can't see something which is
not art under it.
I dare anyone to decipher Klein Blue. "
In 1947, Klein began making monochrome paintings, which he associated with freedom from ideas of representation or personal expression." . . .and this is art? There deliberately is no meaning or intention at all.
I agree that Klein Blue is a terminal stage, end of the road, but what might make it interesting is the whole progression--that is, Klein Blue in the context of all the
other work he did first. The search is sincere, if maybe desperate or misguided.
When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden's green and gold,
Our father Adam sat under the Tree and scratched with a stick in the mould;
And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart,
Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves,
"It's pretty, but is it Art ?"
...
- Rudyard Kipling
This site is funny, and I love Kipling--not sure if this is his poem, too lazy to Google.
But this is one question that
never concerns me in my work: Is this art (music?)
... There's a definite "we artists are an anointed elite and if you don't agree that we're utter geniuses, then you're probably of sub-human intellect and we couldn't care less what the unwashed masses think" feel to discussions of "fine art" that produce a rather exclusionary effect. This tends to turn people off the whole art world, at least if I'm anywhere near representative (and I really don't think I'm unique in being turned off by self-proclaimed elites).
There are some
real "elites" that get to have their cake and eat it too. That is, they get to have their own exclusionary language, big incomes, real power, circle-the-wagons mentality, prestige.
I wouldn't especially number artists among them.
Politicians. Sports stars. Doctors. Lawyers. Some law enforcement. Some military. CEOs. and so forth.
Writers for art magazines, and the vast majority of artists are in no way an elite in the real-world sense.
One further point: The perceptions of trained artists are different than untrained, unpracticed people, just as the perceptions and abilities of doctors and other trained types are different than untrained people. So there's a natural gulf.
Some outgoing, generous, confident types can bridge that gulf. They can be the teachers, popularizers, entertainers.
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When it comes to jargon, in all cases, some turns out to be necessary--you can't explain basic concepts every time.
My feeling about the jargon of academic music theory changed when I wrote a paper and realized that jargon was unavoidable.
But, granted, post-modern philosophical jargon is different than technical jargon and may serve no purpose other than to mystify.
Problem is, technical jargon and deliberately obscure argot can seem the same.
