Maybe
but I suspect that's because almost no thought whatsoever has gone into the work.
( WormuIus, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:17, 1 reply, 14 years ago)

If you've been to the Tate in the last year you'll have seen a three-canvas installation by Cy Twombly
in which he has literally gone to town on each with a red brush. Apparently it signifies rage and ecstasy. I would argue it represents laziness, or the result of a drunken bet to see if the Tate Modern will show any old wank, however devoid of artistic merit, as long as there's an established artist's name attached.

At least my idea has three different elements.
(Darth Foxtrot A one-man army dedicated to making fetch happen, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:23, Reply)

This is an interesting illustration of my puzzle
I am not competent right now to explain to you what (if anything) is interesting or important about the work.

I don't know when it was made (he only died this year), how it was painted, how large it is, when it was bought by the Tate, how established Twombly was as an artist when he made it. I haven't even seen the piece of work!

There is a huge amount of data, direct and contextual that you need to understand in order to get, if you will the big picture.
( WormuIus, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:28, Reply)

I disagree entirely
That is like saying "Well, he's dead and famous so therefore it must be good"
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:30, Reply)

How is it anything like saying that?
What I said was almost the exact opposite of that.

The context and intention behind the artwork is important in understanding whether or not it is interesting. It isn't enough to look at the art say 'I don't like it' and move on. That's just as simplistic as saying 'he;s famous therefore its good'.
( WormuIus, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:35, Reply)

What does when the Tate bought it have to do with liking it more or less?
Or when it was made?
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:36, Reply)

Lets say he'd made loads of paintings of swans and then suddenly he made this new thing and immediately the Tate bought it.
This creates a different context to
He made fucking thousands of the things that all looked the same and the Tate only bought it just after he died because it could get it cheap before the price went up.

Different context again.

I appreciate this might be new to you so sorry if I'm going a bit fast.
( WormuIus, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:49, Reply)

Makes absolutely fuck all difference to whether to like it or not
You either like something or don't. Context doesn't come into it
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:53, Reply)

I like "The importance of being Ernest"
but without understanding the context I doubt I'd find it very funny at all.
( WormuIus, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:55, Reply)

Moving it across to a film is slightly different I think
I know film is "art" before you fucking start
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:57, Reply)

"The importance of being Ernest" is a play
maybe the work of Hogarth might be a better example.
Taken out of context it isn't half as interesting, witty and enjoyable.
( WormuIus, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 14:07, Reply)

Now with a painting by Hogarth
there are already embedded visual clues that allow you to guess pretty accurately at the historical context.Art doesn't exist in a vacuum.
( WormuIus, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 14:08, Reply)

I do appreciate that
Over the course of our visit we joined four tours elaborating on various pieces, and I learned a lot about the artists, their motivations and histories and what was going into some of the work which I otherwise wouldn't have understood at all. Nonetheless certain things leave me totally perplexed as to why anyone would show interest. I can't help but wonder if there were art critics aplenty who were thinking, but didn't dare to say, "Hang on... this is shite!" for fear that their peers would decry them.
(Darth Foxtrot A one-man army dedicated to making fetch happen, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:33, Reply)

The "Emperor's New Clothes"

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:35, Reply)

Remember that a piece of art can be important whilst not being particularly good.
Imagine if you had a museum devoted to the appreciation of mobile phones.
there would be some which were interesting because they were really well designed and looked really nice, sure but there would be others that it was important to have in the museum because they demonstrated some movement or moment in phone technology, design or use that was interesting and flavoured some other part.

Clearly there are going to be pieces of art that leave us cold. I don't enjoy Cy Twobley's work for instance but I am able to appreciate its place in the grander scheme of art and understanding it allows me to better understand some other artists like Robert Rauschenberg or Jasper Johns, whose work I really enjoy.

then you start to see connections and patterns emerge that allow the work to convey other meanings.

I used to not like Barnet Newman's work very much but I read a lot about some other Jewish American painters at the time and seeing Newman's work and its message within that context gave it a meaning and power I hadn't appreciated in it before.

You want to know what critics thought about the work, go and read what they said! Most critics hate new things, some of the most vociferous and unpleasant things I've read by critics have been against artworks which are now considered masterpieces in their various fields.
( WormuIus, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:45, Reply)

Some people will never GET IT no matter how much background info they have.

( girlinthehole, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:34, Reply)

Perhaps
what's your point?
( WormuIus, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:37, Reply)

Give me a minute while I think of the best way to phrase this.
I'm not good with words.
( girlinthehole, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:41, Reply)

If this was countdown most of the studio audience would have fucked off by now

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:53, Reply)

Unless Rachel Riley was on screen

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:53, Reply)

Cor

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:54, Reply)

indeed

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:55, Reply)

I'd like to hold hands with her

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:56, Reply)

It's no good.
I do have a point but cannot put it into words. This is probably why I prefer drawing to writing.
( girlinthehole, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:56, Reply)

You could tell us, though the medium of dance!

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:57, Reply)

*bops*

( girlinthehole, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 14:00, Reply)

*pogos*

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Wed 21 Sep 2011, 14:03, Reply)

I love that name.
You'd have to be an artist with a name like that.
( girlinthehole, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:35, Reply)

He MUST have lived in Wimbledon

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Wed 21 Sep 2011, 13:37, Reply)