2.

UTILITARIANISM?

Some believe it is the first taboo to ask the usage of art. After all, we only talk about the usage of engineering. For most, making art useful seems to be mechanic and void of emotions — making art less humane.

Suppose we don’t know if we can talk about the usage of art, and we know for sure we can talk about the usage of wealth.

A considerable portion of wealth was converted into the making of art. Even if humans are not perfectly economical, there must be a need, or more needs behind it (leaving out the investment value of artwork for now).

What is the usage of art itself?

There are several simple usages, as I would go over their names (appreciation for beauty, display of power, desire for self expression), but I want to dig deeper with a peculiar one — the desire for immortality.

Before the current technology in medicine and in computer, the desire for immortality was a pure vain effort. There were only beliefs of immortality. Then one imagined oneself to be able to live forever, through one’s reproduction, one’s religious belief and one’s fame.

Art was among the paths to the imaginary immortality.

It is easy to see how both the fame gain in art and the creative process can stir one’s thoughts on immortality. Yet it is an even harder question to ask — why do humans crave this one thing that doesn’t seem to be good for them?

For me, before our technology abolishes death one day, the desire for eternity comes from our thoughts on death. The dreaming of the unlimited comes from limitations. Imaginations spring out of the confinement of time.

Here is one of my favorite quotes-

“As death, when we come to consider it closely, is the true goal of our existence, I have formed during the last few years such close relationships with this best and truest friend of mankind that death’s image is not only no longer terrifying to me, but is indeed very soothing and consoling, and I thank my God for graciously granting me the opportunity…of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness.” — Mozart.

From this paragraph, one can see clearly the connections among art and immortality and death. It is the thought that travels between these two extremes that created art itself.

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You may say, “We are not creating religious art here. Why should we care about something as lofty as immortality? Many non-Modern art didn’t want to last forever, either.”

Now let’s come back to the question of the usage of Modern art. The Persistence of Memory presented time itself:

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

It was not this painting that made you feel there was something wrong with Modern art. In fact, the painting was brilliant.

What made you feel wrong were the academic standard and some galleries’ standard for Modern art, as they aimed for short term competition against the raising industry, which became the usage of some Modern art.

Time is one of the fundamental experiences of human life, and I believe a little bit of long term thinking separates great artworks from mediocre ones.

3.

STANDARDS AND TRADITIONS

Apart from the usage of art, there is another similar, but easier question to ask — what should be the standards of art?

Many who haven’t looked into the creation of standards believe standards are unchangeable universal laws. This view is as far from reality as it can be.

Traditions come from standards, and standards come from the active practice of an art.

Let’s break it down -

The active practice of an art has to be active. For example, in the 19th century, new romantic music was being written every other week, and most of the pieces were not to be recited. When something is being actively created, the next question is naturally, how to distribute it.

Some standards are made so that an art form is recognizable when it is distributed. With its distribution and growing popularity, more wish to join the creation of this art form. Standards of making this art would then be created so that the new comers can get started easier.

Years come to pass and standards become traditions. However, after traditions are established, they soon grow old and rigid, and no longer help the new comers. Instead, they are now the stumbling blocks for the next generation of art.

Naturally, there would be pioneers to break the code.

Code breaker, Alan Turing

From this process, you can see that standards are only made when an art is actively practiced, and all the standards are quite practical when they first emerge.

Both lawless and overly corrupted traditions can give birth to chaos.