I think the problem with art aficionados is that so many of them are raised in extreme financial privilege. As I've seen simply from the experience of exposure to those who obtain what they want with ease, their only forms of pain and suffering having to do with not getting what they want through relationships or material goods, I think they legitimately find the pain of others to be a fascinating and captivating concept.
It is possible that their own pain and problems make up the shallowest of waves upon the beach of life, while they see that others have had experiences with the power to carve a peninsula, or even create an island through the sheer strength of their own emotions. This concept is quite extraordinary to them, and thus true art does have its place among these people.
However, there are those who take it, as they take so many things, as a status symbol. They feel validated and important to be able to support or recognize specific "types" of art. These various subcategories are created with the intention of isolating the under-privileged and "uncultured" from the so-called elite artist group. This elitist group tends, more often than not, to sever the human spirit from the meaning of art. It looks down on the ability to truly create something with the power of one who has known all aspects, the darkest and the lightest, of life – and not just the facade of it. They want to believe their limited, shallow experience is as meaningful as raw art.
They do sincerely seem to marvel at the idea of true feeling, of something beyond the superficial and extremely sociopathic world that was created for them to thrive within. Unfortunately, they do not always realize that a real artist would actually call them out on being none other than a pretentious clown. They would have no idea of their status among one with true art and depth in their souls, the ones who they admire. I would wager that their inability to truly connect with a profound potential would leave them quite upset if confronted about it.
I find it an incredibly depressing and sad state of affairs, especially for those who have never really had the opportunity to live outside of their comfort zone and the familiar embrace of luxury. Those who have never truly suffered may never truly know what it is to live, and will continue upon their paths as though the world is a stage where their knowledge in triviality will cause them to shine out amongst the other actors crowded on the stage with them, jumping up and down in the herd waving for recognition. Meanwhile, their eyes will be set to another stage, where the people they are captivated by are not actors at all, but true artists who have lived passionately, and and thus, with this passion, they project their experiences to the world so that they may learn.
It is through an extremely frustrating inability to connect within themselves to find out their true spiritual and philosophical identity that those of privilege, without their own experiences to draw from, choose to emulate those who have suffered and claim what they have created as their own. They take these truly inspirational art forms and corrupt and adopt them and create labels and definitions for them. This way, the real power of pain and transformation is overlooked while the oblivious hipsters
of the world “instagram” their lunches, pretending they have a little bit of what they think they see on the stage that they keep their eyes on...meanwhile jumping up and down, pushing to where they think they'll find the limelight.
The people they are copying are not actors, but worth emulation all the same. If only the emulation was done correctly, if it was learning and not mimicry. If only it inspired them to seek something beyond the disuniting trend of analyzing art to death and helped them to focus inwardly on their own perception, and, outwardly, at the disconcerting ability of the world to break people in half and put them back together for the better.
If you've never been broken you will never know art as these people do, but you can at least really listen to what they are saying about the world and stop missing the point. Life sucks but it's beautiful. We become more ourselves through hardship, not by avoiding it at all costs and imitating those who have the courage to face up to it. True art can't be made through mimicry and pretension. Real artists are driven to do what they do to show the world that they have survived. And so can you.
It is possible that their own pain and problems make up the shallowest of waves upon the beach of life, while they see that others have had experiences with the power to carve a peninsula, or even create an island through the sheer strength of their own emotions. This concept is quite extraordinary to them, and thus true art does have its place among these people.
However, there are those who take it, as they take so many things, as a status symbol. They feel validated and important to be able to support or recognize specific "types" of art. These various subcategories are created with the intention of isolating the under-privileged and "uncultured" from the so-called elite artist group. This elitist group tends, more often than not, to sever the human spirit from the meaning of art. It looks down on the ability to truly create something with the power of one who has known all aspects, the darkest and the lightest, of life – and not just the facade of it. They want to believe their limited, shallow experience is as meaningful as raw art.
They do sincerely seem to marvel at the idea of true feeling, of something beyond the superficial and extremely sociopathic world that was created for them to thrive within. Unfortunately, they do not always realize that a real artist would actually call them out on being none other than a pretentious clown. They would have no idea of their status among one with true art and depth in their souls, the ones who they admire. I would wager that their inability to truly connect with a profound potential would leave them quite upset if confronted about it.
I find it an incredibly depressing and sad state of affairs, especially for those who have never really had the opportunity to live outside of their comfort zone and the familiar embrace of luxury. Those who have never truly suffered may never truly know what it is to live, and will continue upon their paths as though the world is a stage where their knowledge in triviality will cause them to shine out amongst the other actors crowded on the stage with them, jumping up and down in the herd waving for recognition. Meanwhile, their eyes will be set to another stage, where the people they are captivated by are not actors at all, but true artists who have lived passionately, and and thus, with this passion, they project their experiences to the world so that they may learn.
It is through an extremely frustrating inability to connect within themselves to find out their true spiritual and philosophical identity that those of privilege, without their own experiences to draw from, choose to emulate those who have suffered and claim what they have created as their own. They take these truly inspirational art forms and corrupt and adopt them and create labels and definitions for them. This way, the real power of pain and transformation is overlooked while the oblivious hipsters
of the world “instagram” their lunches, pretending they have a little bit of what they think they see on the stage that they keep their eyes on...meanwhile jumping up and down, pushing to where they think they'll find the limelight.
The people they are copying are not actors, but worth emulation all the same. If only the emulation was done correctly, if it was learning and not mimicry. If only it inspired them to seek something beyond the disuniting trend of analyzing art to death and helped them to focus inwardly on their own perception, and, outwardly, at the disconcerting ability of the world to break people in half and put them back together for the better.
If you've never been broken you will never know art as these people do, but you can at least really listen to what they are saying about the world and stop missing the point. Life sucks but it's beautiful. We become more ourselves through hardship, not by avoiding it at all costs and imitating those who have the courage to face up to it. True art can't be made through mimicry and pretension. Real artists are driven to do what they do to show the world that they have survived. And so can you.