Art Sale

Believe it or not, every one of us is capable of producing Art. And note the capital 'A' - I am speaking of the Art that feeds the soul, that inspires us, and makes life worth living.

As opposed to art, lowercase 'a', that is used merely as background or to facilitate the sale.

Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with that. Artistry in the service of everyday business is no different than, say, accounting, minus the math. But when we speak of beauty, truth, and meaning, we mean the former, capital-A 'Art'. That's what lasts.

And by 'Art', of course I mean Music and Writing too. Both capitals as well, since we all know music and writing that doesn't reach to the level of 'Art'. Disco music and this blog, for instance.

It's not too hard to discern what is not 'Art', it's more difficult, though, to determine what is. This is somewhat subjective. However, I would argue that uniqueness and motive are a big part of the formula, aligned with technique and imagination. Most 'artists', 'musicians', and 'writers' have at least one of these wrong or missing in their work. Usually their motive's to blame.

It is almost always for money, or fame.

Which is why I can't view American Idol or any of it's ilk as showcases of artistry. The motives are all wrong.

Somebody singing a little ditty in their shower, for the sheer pleasure of it, might be producing 'Art', if imagination and a little technique are on their side. A high school art project, might be 'Art' too, with uniqueness of vision. No platinum singles; no gallery sales success; just beauty, pleasure, and inspiration.

All of this is just to say: Look closely and locally for Art, whether it's visual, musical, or literary. Or physical - let's not forget the Dance.

Don't rely on the media to feed you Art, because what you get will mostly be lowercase stuff.

Now, 'Go!', hug a mime. They certainly aren't in it for the money ...