Yet while cultural philistinism is abhorred, ecological philistinism is defended with a forcefield of oppressive law.
I was reading an article this morning by George Monbiot, someone I have almost given up on for his strong views, but not quite. He was defending the Just Stop Oil group after they had covered the 'Sunflowers painting by Van Gogh' in canned soup. I enter sensitive ground here, the painting itself has some inflated exaggerated price set on it so that the art and money markets can play around with the loose change of the rich.
Monbiot had referenced Andrew Motion's article of 2003 about a John Constable show to make a point. Have you ever thought about the trivilisation of our paintings, did Constable set out to record the ever diminishing history of 'his England' was he also protesting against the new laws that were being imposed on the countryside.
Sometimes art critics and environmental writers can look too deeply into the can of words that is their moment in time, but shock, horror could Constable have been protesting as well. Do we sentimentalise to such an extent that we do not see the truth. After all look at that great creative William Morris, he was also on the picket lines calling for a fairer and just society.
Perhaps that fairer and just society is always on the horizon, just another step before we get there.
Some of our poets hid political protest in their words so probaly applied to painters too - after all Guernica is perhaps the most powerful anti war protest ever.
ReplyDeleteTrue Pat, and thinking on that, all the official and unofficial war paintings will never receive the reverence that some art gets today.
DeleteI do not understand destruction. Yet, that being said, we are surrounded by it. I understand what they were saying. I disagree with the way they chose to express themselves. But honestly, when you think of all the art destroyed during political upheaval and war, it is tragic. In the end, I suppose, I can talk myself into circles, like a dog chasing its tail.
ReplyDeleteWe can all do that Debby. At the moment the plasterers are in, so what with the noise of the machinery for preparing the surface and the smoke alarms going off every time the machines are used I can't think. But at least they are here at last! The painting wasn't destroyed by the way it was glass fronted.
DeleteIt always seems to be the case that any kind of cultural upheaval is accompanied by destruction - one only has to look at the dissolution of the monasteries, the effects of the Reformation, and more recently the actions of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteThe blowing up of the Bamiyan Buddhas was a great shock and of course the seizure of museums gets everyone in a state. It is funny that the destruction you talk of is pivotal on such small acts of singular individuals. King Henry wanting divorce eventually turns a whole nation to another religious version, also by the way letting Thatcherism run rife when all those beautiful abbeys and estates were thrown to the entrepreneurs ( a bit like today Will - chuckle..)
ReplyDeleteDon't dare go and read the news, were they manhandling politicians into the voting lobby?