Is this art?
You see, the thing is, it has a title and an accredited artist...
To which I reply: they are garishly painted staircases at London's Southbank Centre...
What I want to know is this: did Peter Newman buy the paint and wield the roller – or did he simply chose the colour and call in the decorators?
Seems more like a piss artist to me.
ReplyDeleteThe first person to say 'if I call it art, that makes it art,' changed the way we see the world.
ReplyDeleteThere's no point at all in being the second person to say it.
Mmm, these stairs don't seem good to vault on, but arty, But I wouldn't do tricks on it.
ReplyDeleteYes, to tell you I do free running (Parkour) as a hobby with friends on weekends and its a hobby I enjoy doing where you do jumps through walls, vaults through rails, etc.
I've mentioned previously that I have no appreciation of art at all so I'm obviously going to say it isn't...but then my opinion isn't worth anything anyway for that very reason !
ReplyDeleteIf I was paying attention I'd know for sure whether it was the yellow stairs that went down to the entrance of the BFI Southbank. If so I've been walking on actual "art".
ReplyDelete(Sorry, but I've gone and tagged you and David).
Interesting responses. Sharon and Boll may be (very probably are) right and Stephen (with a 'ph') is undoubtedly right and I can only add that the first person to say: "If I call it art, that makes it art," must have been a consummate performance artist to have convinced the listening crowd.
ReplyDeleteAs Good Dog can't have overlooked, many architects would claim that it is perfectly possible not just to walk on, but to live in their art –– though maybe not the architect of the Southbank Centre! Probably the best use for these stairs is that suggested by Stephen (with a 'v').
No doubt, he only choosed the colour, perhaps the paint too.
ReplyDeleteHow can I value this kind of art?, where is the technique? what is the idea?... with this "art" anyone could be an artist.
Basic question is, 'What is art?'. The answer seems to be that if an artist says it is art then that is what it is. Supplementary question is, 'So how do you define what an artist is?' The answer seems to be that if someone says. 'I am an artist' then they are and nobody can really argue with it. So actually, we could all claim to be artists and everything we do in life is art. If you need proof of my theory just try to find anybody who has failed 'A' Level art. To my knowledge nobody ever has.
ReplyDeleteWell, I certainly passed my Art 'A' level!
ReplyDeleteI read a useful definition once, to the effect that you can't call yourself a poet - it only counts when other people do.
ReplyDeleteApplying the same principle to all artists would thin the herd considerably, I reckon.
Yes, Stephen, I've heard that quote (was it Robert Frost?) and agree that it ought to be mandatory that you don't award yourself accolades that should only be given by others!
ReplyDelete