inkbluesky

singular bliss 

A Dilettante’s Guide to Art - 1001 Paintings You Should See Before You Die acknowledges the question “What is Painting?” The answer: “Who cares?”

 Maybe it was the hope that an old practice could remake itself in a new world. Whatever the explanation, painting managed to remake itself and painters rushed into the 20th century with purpose. They had discovered a new subject matter, painting itself, and they were hot to show off its possibilities. Painting took on a double task, not just to do what it was doing, but also to make a claim about what it should be doing. Painters started talking about painting within their own paintings.

That bit at the end of the article title was probably used for a little shock effect. Mr. Meis is very egalitarian in his view of art, but not to the point where if painting actually ended he or we would not care. Painting like rock and roll has had its share of people all too ready to declare it dead as an art form. Then wouldn’t you know a few people come along and reinvent painting and rock, or at least reinvigorate them. Those art forms can’t die or rather stop saying anything as long as someone comes along brash enough to say wait a minute I have something to add. Something a little new to say. Society and culture change if only slightly during the average lifetime and as long as that is the case painters will have grist for new thoughts new perspectives. Though there was and still is a trend in painting and film that should bother us. They have both become too concerned with themselves as subjects. I’m not talking about films about film making necessarily, but making films that are filled with sly and so so sly references to other films. Rather then taking ideas and trying to film them directors are inspired by other films of ideas. In many cases fourth or fifth generation removed from artistic and philosophical ideas that inspired the original. One of the best things that film schools to do to improve the next generation of film makers to make their classes read more and view fewer films. Work from the source, not a poor copy four generations and one medium removed.

Corruption is “Norm” Within Iraqi Government 

The report depicts the Iraqi government as riddled with corruption and criminals-and beyond the reach of anticorruption investigators. It also maintains that the extensive corruption within the Iraqi government has strategic consequences by decreasing public support for the U.S.-backed government and by providing a source of funding for Iraqi insurgents and militias.