Bill Ayers speaks out! An In These Times exclusive.

This Is Not an Essay on Political Art

By Kathryn Rosenfeld

In November 2002, I took the Green Line of Chicago’s El for the first time. I went exactly one stop: from the heart of the Loop to its western edge, just above the new headquarters of the Boeing Corporation. A few more blocks west lies the area that has come to be called the West Loop. This neighborhood was once… return to article

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    thanks for the article Kathryn. while I agree with many of the points you’ve made I will say that there are still too many generalizations here with no real conclusins. for the sake of argument I will simply define art as an expression of human culture. to state the “subconscious assumption that art and capital are somehow synonymous” becomes a direct observation in a human culture where the flow of capital reigns supreme. to change the nature of art means to change the nature of the culture. art that engages that form of culture takes part in it. art that defies that form of culture departs from it. this may be the definitive process of change.

    Estonia Posted by jcg on Sep 16, 2003 at 3:33 PM

    Ah art. I was an artist once. I believed, I mean BELIEVED in abstract expressionism as the only viable art form and all others were trash. Then the trends left me behind and I thought, if Truth is so changeable, so subject to fashion, what is Truth in art? Is it really a useful means of finding Truth? I gave it up. Today I don’t believe art points to anything except to fame and riches for a few of those involved. Everyone genuflects in front of the old masters. They didn’t paint to shock middle class sensibilities. They painted to inspire. When a new canvas by Raphael or Michelangelo went on display the whole country was thrilled and flocked to see it. People wept. People had visions. By comparison, who goes to see art today except for a few snots who define their cultural withitness in that manner. Art is valuable as history, as cultural markers, though. I do enjoy it for that reason. I love to go to the museums here in DC and watch history unfold from canvas to canvas. Warhol expresses his times better than anyone, but as marker of Truth, I give him a Z. The concept of art as the highest expression of our culture is a chimera. Meditate, friends. Practice yoga. That is where Truth is.

    United States Posted by james in Dc on Sep 16, 2003 at 9:33 PM
    Page 1 of 1 pages

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