Emin's unmade bed is a continuation of art history
Particularly where paintings of domestic scenes are concerned. Her bed is the updated version of the Dutch masters.
Just sayin'
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:21, 4 replies, latest was 15 years ago)

Only devoid of any remarkable executional skill.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:22, Reply)

Really?
Depends what you mean by executional skill....
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:27, Reply)

I suppose it does.
How are you today, anyway?
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:29, Reply)

^ This is almost certainly the nub of the argument
One's reaction to a work of art will always be entirely subjective. The biggest difference between "classic" and modern art is, it seems, the executional skill involved. Whether or not you are moved by Michaelangelo's David, or the Piéta, etc, you've only got to look at them to admit that some guy put a metric fuckload of effort and study into those pieces to make them what they are. Conversely, Emin's bed did not require a great deal of ostensible effort. This is not to say it's "bad" or "not art." I don't care for it myself, but I can see that some people do; the difference is that it doesn't have the defence of having been a challenging undertaking.

It's the same line of reasoning as comparing Bach's Brandenburg Concertos with John Peel's favourite record, Teenage Kicks by The Undertones: you might not like either of them, but you can't deny that the Bach demonstrates a lot more thought, effort and musical understanding than a sloppy three-chord punk song. Question is: whilst an abundance of executional skill is a good defence to fall back on, does a lack of demonstrable executional skill make it bad*? Are you dismissing it for the wrong reasons?



*_{Well, in the case of Teenage Kicks, it's the fact that it's a shit song that makes it bad. For the life of me, I really cannot see what somebody who listened to as much music as Peel saw in that pathetic whiny cunt Sharkie and his shite band of shitehawks.}
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 11:00, Reply)

Oi!
*loves the Undertones*
( girlinthehole, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 11:09, Reply)

Bah, were this said by anyone else, I'd find it easy to ignore
But as it is you, I suppose I must concede the point.
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:23, Reply)

My bed is unmade most mornings, and then I make it
I'm a fucking dutch master me
( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:24, Reply)

I put some flowers in a vase the other day AND fruit in a bowl

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:25, Reply)

Then I wore a funny hat

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:26, Reply)

Needs LESS EAR

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:28, Reply)

Post Impressionist

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 10:29, Reply)

I've never looked at it like that
I still think she's a bellend though
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 13 Jul 2011, 11:50, Reply)