January 17, 2010
Let’s just say that I have something very important that I need to write about. First, there is something that I need to get off my chest. I’ve done absolutely no research beyond that which reinforces or echoes my own gut feeling. And this gut feeling is based entirely upon a theory or idea that was handed to me, ever so carefully over the span of my formative years by my well intentioned, but not necessarily adequately informed mother and father. I do not question certain things and this is one of those things. There are just some things that I know to be true and this is one of those things. There are some things that just need to be said. This is one of those things.
Let’s just say that I have something very important that I need to write about. Second, I need to postulate a ton of platitudes and divisive euphemisms. Don’t worry; I will call people out by name. I will read what others have said and will rearrange some words. I will use a thesaurus and write my own exact version of what they said. I will do this because it needs to be done. I will say what needs to be said and I will say by using their names. I remember what I was taught and I know that it is true, because I do not question that which raised me and that which protects me. I am brave and I am loud and I speak for me.
I will not ask questions. I will not look you in the eyes. I will not listen to you. I will not be prepared. I will not respect. I will not reinforce. I will not concede. I will exacerbate, I will hyperbolize, I will exaggerate. I will add, pretend, employ, manipulate, misquote, mispronounce, reduce… the list goes on. I will do whatever it takes and write whatever I want to because I am free and I am right. 🙂
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Art, Essay, Museum, Opinion, Relativity
January 9, 2010
I am a hypocrite. I am a fan of the modern once the modern is passé or when the modern dissolves into antiquity. I like artists who push the envelope, but only after they’ve stood the test of time. I am clearly not bold like they are. I wait for them to reach me, sometimes a century or so after the fact and then I reflect upon what they’ve done and usually, if they’ve really separated themselves from the pack, then I deem what they do not only interesting, but damned good.
I stand in front of a painting from 1914, clearly a radical piece for its day and I imagine how it must have felt to create this, display this, view this and then receive this in its timeframe. In most cases and I am very impressed by the artists’ fortitude. I love what they’ve done in hindsight. In fact, even if the piece was embraced and became the norm even mass marketed I am still a fan of the archetype, the original. The first form.
I realize that there are many layers of relativity to “modern” art. In fact, I’ve done no research on the subject whatsoever, but I can see that there are several relative circles to consider. First off, there is the immediate realm of influence of the artist, his daily life and peers. Then there is the broader time in which they created. Then there is the reaction to the piece. Then there is the market. Did a collector and or museum deem this piece worth saving, adding, restoring or displaying? Then there is the circle of influence. Who did this piece reach – artist and audience? Lastly, there is the simple question of: How does it hold up?
A friend of mine and I saw a band on a reunion tour where they were playing mainly from their early, influential and highly creative days. They were in their late 40’s and early 50’s at this point, but they played with all the vigor they had when they were 21 or 22. Their music had influenced dozens of bands and you could see it all through different genre’s of music. Neither he or I saw them when they were breaking ground as band or as a groundbreaking band, but I really enjoyed them play their music. Granted it was somewhat “safe” by today’s standard, but I still enjoyed imagining the reception they received in their day. My friend thought they were boring and through no fault of their own, their influence was all over newer music that he found much more vital and interesting.
Despite the fact that some things do not necessarily hold up or stand the test of time, I still enjoy viewing the radical shifts in visual and audio arts, no matter how mundane they may have become. For me it is still important to remember that at that time, people were pushing things to the edge and over it. The thing is, they still do, but I have no real interest in the “new” cutting edge. Not until its old hat.
December 26, 2009
Why is it that when you are prepared for the worst, nothing really happens and when you’re just going about your business you get caught completely off guard even blindsided by the, well unexpected?
Does it really come down to control? If we convince ourselves that we are prepared for anything then we won’t be all that surprised by what does happen. Then again, we are prepared for the worse, or so we think, therefore whatever does happen, short of the worse, should really come as no surprise.
If we know that the buzzer will go off in five seconds does it really surprise us when it does? If we know that the sound of a bomb exploding will sound in five seconds and instead we get a small buzzing sound will we even notice it? Are we actually still waiting for the bomb?
Does it depend on your point of view, your nurturing, experiences, faith, beliefs, dreams and more? Is it how we’re wired? It’s not a question of half empty or half full, it’s a question of when. It has been established. It will occur.
Of course this also holds true for positive occurrences as well. Remember when you would sneak around in early or mid December in hopes of finding out just what you were going to get for Christmas? You already knew about Santa Claus so you were expecting something from your folks. Well, then you’d find it. No matter how cool it was, if you were cool, you couldn’t let anyone know that you knew. Then you have to act all surprised and inside you just really disappointed because the not knowing actually held some value.
In some odd ways this feeling of suspension that slowly descends into a temporary state of ennui occurs when you are given something as apposed to having earned it yourself. Then again, maybe that’s altogether different.
Here’s something to posit, as many have and do: All things considered, would you really want to know exactly when you are going to die?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Argument, Debate, Host, Opinion, Proper, Prose
December 23, 2009
There is always a great deal of tension surrounding certain events, but if you survey the landscape accurately enough, you can rise above the tension, or sneak around it with relative ease. I often find myself in situations where if I submerge myself in the muck of the moment I will end up getting emotionally charged and then all out invested to the point where I can have hours, days, even a week all but ruined by an event or series of events that otherwise I could have basically avoided.
One of the best examples involved family events. One of the best things for me is to visit someone else’s family and take a sort of half-interest in anything that would otherwise cause me discomfort of frustrations. Also, I can be an attentive conversationalist without appearing rude. I do play by certain rules that will allow me to be involved with a series of interactions without any of them rising above a playful debate at best.
I suppose I should mention that I do enjoy arguing with people, but as I’ve gotten older I have learned a couple of things about the way I (used to) argue. First off, I need to be informed. Not only from my point of view, hell that is the part. After all one is easily drawn to the “choir” as it were. The thing is to also be informed as much as possible about the conflicting point of view. Secondly, and I realize it may only be me, but I have learned that I may inform, maybe enlighten someone with whom I not agree, but I will not, most likely change their mind. Maybe I could, but I doubt it and to be honest would it really be worth the energy required to change years upon years of training from parents, peer groups, church, media personalities? I doubt it.
So, my rules for playful debate (at best). Well, its really quite simple. Regardless of the absurdity of the argument I simply allow the host to have their way. If I am in someone else’s house I do not push anything past the point of minor-sparring or playfulness. I do not engage in anything that I really feel strongly about if I feel that it is of great importance to them. I have analyzed my approach and have considered it a coward’s retreat, but have since realized that its not only a means of survival, but polite.
This allows me a pleasant visit and often stimulating conversation, not to mention the chance to listen and maybe learn a thing or two, or at least find out what they’re thinking so I can do a little research and be prepared for some real head-butting when we’re on neutral ground.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Absurd, Comedy, Farce, Opinion, Prose
If life were not only absurd, but comically absurd then it would make everything a whole lot better. If absurdity really is “everyday life taken to the illogical extreme” then we are living in absurd times. I don’t mean that in a hostile way, it is merely my observation. The only thing that I am concerned about is that things are not as funny as they could be.
We find ourselves laughing at life’s extreme behavior. For example; when a simple intent is blocked by ridiculously inconceivable obstacles and then the hero experiences a myriad of ironic adventures, finally leaving us at least chuckling if not laughing out loud as they bumble away. This is true of any and all things that we witness; love, war, politics, philosophy, etc.
It is particularly amusing when conflicting philosophies meet. The warriors will set up the most meager of camps, abandoning all that can weigh them down; logic, compromise, empathy – listening and hearing. These are not useful when you’re on a one dimensional battlefield where the stakes are high comedy.
What I am wondering is, why is everyday life, which is as absurd as anything we can imagine on stage, screen or in text or song and which we now are bearing full witness to, not generating the laughter it so deserves? The bottom line is that you really only need two things for this absurd farce to work. You have to be able to see yourselves in the story and you can’t forget that you are NOT in the story.
I just figured it out. We are the absurd.
The Best Years of Our Lives 