POP UP THINK TANK
EDITORIAL 3! Worth, realism and Good taste … The slaughterhouses and the metal wire elephant4/10/2014 The Toulouse Contemporary Art Museum: well-named “Les abattoirs”*... An early evening, Spring 2012. I was on my way to visit some relatives, I drove past the museum. It was a lovely evening, I was listening to some smooth jazz music on the radio, the atmosphere was light and pleasant and life seemed beautiful... I absently glanced at the entrance to the Museum; I suddenly felt a blow to the heart... “You are missing a single being and the whole world feels empty" I thought of this old saying and I felt that my world was all of a sudden very empty... Nothing left, but a poor wood fence... “ But, I said to myself, a two meter and half high pink concrete statue of intestines does not disappear that easily...” For I was not prepared for it vanishing away, you see... I had grown accustomed to this sculpture, year after year, as every time I was passing the museum I was glancing at the huge representation enthroned on the pavement at the entrance of the museum... Mental flexibility is no doubt the essence of humahood and we do grow used to anything, even to ugliness. By the way, you may notice the extremely ironic sense of humour of the museum general curator who had decided a few years earlier to erect giant concrete intestines in front of the former city slaughterhouses... This has led me to question the state of our world today and especially the state of Art today... After its Neoclassical, Figurative, Impressionist, Naive, Symbolic and finally Conceptual periods, would it have finally managed to break free of its chains? The bonds of good taste certainly, which is according to Marcel Duchamp: "the great enemy of Art". But What is Good Taste? WHAT and WHO defines it? I wonder what this great provocative art critic would have thought of the Toulouse pink intestines above-mentioned ... Would he have uncovered the mysterious designs of the author, rejoicing in his bold freedom of thinking? Happy to see that the artist had apparently unchained himself from any proper good taste requirements? And what are my personal definitions of good taste? How does it impact my views on Art? Blaise Pascal, the universal genius one day exclaimed : " How vain is painting (or sculpting) as it creates admiration by resembling to the things whose originals we do not admire !” I must confess that I have never been struck dumb with admiration when viewing a picture of real intestines, who would be? What Pascal’s statement may imply is that when I admire a piece of Art, I am only admiring the craft, the skill of the maker. When attending my weekly watercolour painting classes, a few days ago, I have realized that I was indeed valuing my works only in terms of resemblance or realism; All the antiques philosophers agreed on it : “All art is but imitation of nature”, as said Seneca. So Is Art really only to look like real? What new ways are left to explore in Art? The stick-figures that one of my nieces has taken so long to complete, my neighbour Sunday painter’s watercolours... Our understanding and definition of it seems highly variable according to our own culture, our family values, the society we are living in, according to the mental idea each of us has of his or her own artistic talents... and certainly also according to how praising others are of our masterpieces (do consider the highly persuasive power of professional critics in that matter). Let us listen to the dance master who has been commissioned for teaching the art of dancing to the gentleman of Molière: “As For me, I confess, I delight somewhat in glory. Applause touches me; and I consider that it is in the fine arts a rather unfortunate torture to appear in front of fools [...]. It is enjoyable to work for people who are able to feel the delicacies of Art, who know how to sweetly greet the beauties of an artwork and with tickling approvals enjoy your work. Yes, the most pleasing reward of things done is to see them acknowledged, to see them fondly applauded, which honors you. There is nothing, in my opinion, that repays us better of all our toils that these exquisite delicacies, well -informed praises. “ So is a piece of Art valuable only when praised or at least understood? Are the prices of sale the only indicator of worth? In the opposite direction, is it more valuable because the artist lives in an attic, eats once every other day and despises society values and standards? Is Art to be rejected and controversial? Paul Gauguin has said : “Art is either plagiarism or revolution.” Isn't there any other alternative? What makes Art valuable? Now time to get back to the Toulouse slaughterhouses for two last thoughts: 1. I lately discovered that the above-mentioned Art work was entitled by its author: "Agoraphobia"... The fear of crowd... I have the feeling that humour may sometimes be too contagious. I have right at this moment one or two readings for this eloquent title that come to my mind, but I‘d rather spare you the burden of it, as they may be a bit too prosaic. Of course, I realize how much more intelligent, or even brilliant, a bit too dazzling, perhaps, the sculptor’s motivations are certainly. This reminds me of Raymond Devos, the outstanding French artist who once said: "we no longer know what darkness is. By wanting to light everything, we cannot distinguish anything anymore! " So let's the mystery hover over the intestines sculpture , I feel it is much safer... 2. Good news! After a few days of a nearly unbearable emptiness, the Toulouse Contemporary Art Museum director decided to colonize new artistic horizons. The Pink intestines are dead, long live the elephant of metal wire in equilibrium on its nose! At least it is quite humorous, non aggressive, largely praised by critics and true to life... So maybe it is, after all, Art. *= “the city slaughterhouses” Adelaide, Oct 11 2014 Laure Vincent-Allard
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