# What People Call Art Never Ceases To Amaze Me **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 5, 2001, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113 "2001-12-05T22:35:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jimmykent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@jimmykent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmykent)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/1 "2001-12-05T22:35:45Z")
See for yourself: [http://uk.news.yahoo.com/011205/80/ckkyo.html](http://uk.news.yahoo.com/011205/80/ckkyo.html) ---
**Author:** ![Kbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Kbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kbean)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/2 "2001-12-05T23:16:00Z")
> [@](#): > > **"‘Level 7’ aims to examine the concepts of privacy and intimacy within contemporary society,"** And it does this…how? Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/3 "2001-12-05T23:17:30Z")
Remember “Piss Christ”? Or the Florida cigarette-butt “installation” that was swept up by the night janitor? These people are to fine art as Mr. T is to acting. Oh, the young people these days… ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/4 "2001-12-05T23:47:17Z")
With philistines like yojimobodude, is it any wonder that artists metaphorically fling urine, semen, and feces at the audience? Leave Andres Serrano out of this argument. He’s a respected artist. His stuff is not for you, you’re not equipped to deal with it. The worst thing you can say about the semen artist is the same thing you’d say to devastate any artist, “it’s been done before.” Just to give a related example in the art historical world, an unknown artwork by Marcel Duchamp was recently discovered. It was MD’s semen on a black card, nicely framed. It was in the posession of an obscure South American woman artist. On further research and interview with the woman, it turns out that she was MD’s mistress at one time, and many of his most famous artworks were actually a part of a series of communications to this woman, who did sculptures in response. And she had tons of letters and documents from MD, including one MD’s famous “boxes” but hers had some secret documents that were included in nobody else’s box. The art history world is seriously reevaluating much of MD’s work in this new light. And all on account of a little splat of semen. ---
**Author:** ![oceans\_11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b2d939/32.png) [@oceans\_11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oceans_11)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/5 "2001-12-06T00:00:51Z")
It really depends on how you define “art”. This is a subject that can turn into a GD very quickly… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/6 "2001-12-06T00:05:17Z")
You know, one of these days I’m going to grab one of my used maxi pads, pin it on a wall and call it art. The sad thing? Someone will believe me. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/7 "2001-12-06T00:07:58Z")
> [@](#): > > These people are to fine art as Mr. T is to acting. Hey, now, don’t go dissing Mr. T. And as for the “artwork” in question… let’s just say that I’ve seen better art on a box of Rice Krispies. [Mr. Burns] “I’m no art critic, but I know what I hate…” [/Mr. Burns] ---
**Author:** ![cleops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cleops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleops)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/8 "2001-12-06T00:15:06Z")
Well, I have to stand with the “philistines” here–it is all really too much; what is the point? Probably one I will never, hopefully, ever have to, or be able to, find out. And hey, how about spelling a fellow doper’s name correctly? Or is it okay not to “down” here in MPSIMS? ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/9 "2001-12-06T00:16:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*You know, one of these days I’m going to grab one of my used maxi pads, pin it on a wall and call it art. > > The sad thing? Someone will believe me. \*\* Guin: Didn’t Picasso have a “blue period”? What will you call this part of your artistic life? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/10 "2001-12-06T00:41:29Z")
How about, “Fruit Juice of My Womb?” ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/11 "2001-12-06T01:12:47Z")
For my next work, I think I’ll vomit on an art critic. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/12 "2001-12-06T01:33:05Z")
Before long, the word “art” will lose the last bit of meaning it still has. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/13 "2001-12-06T01:53:06Z")
One of the things I truly love about art is the impossibility of arriving at a common definition of what does or does not constitute art. In my mind, anything created that somebody can see something in or feel something about can also be called art. This particular piece doesn’t sound that interesting to me, but doubtless somebody’s interested in it. One of the things that I think it’s important to remember about pieces like this, is that they rely on inspiration more than technical ability to be created. Not everyone has technical mastery of some creative discipline, but I don’t think that should stop someone from trying to express themselves artistically. The results can still be very gratifying to the artist and to some audience. ---
**Author:** ![PharmBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@PharmBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmBoy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/14 "2001-12-06T02:02:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chas.E \* > \*\*With philistines like yojimobodude, is it any wonder that artists metaphorically fling urine, semen, and feces at the audience? > > Leave Andres Serrano out of this argument. He’s a respected artist. His stuff is not for you, you’re not equipped to deal with it. > > The worst thing you can say about the semen artist is the same thing you’d say to devastate any artist, “it’s been done before.” > > Just to give a related example in the art historical world, an unknown artwork by Marcel Duchamp was recently discovered. It was MD’s semen on a black card, nicely framed. It was in the posession of an obscure South American woman artist. On further research and interview with the woman, it turns out that she was MD’s mistress at one time, and many of his most famous artworks were actually a part of a series of communications to this woman, who did sculptures in response. And she had tons of letters and documents from MD, including one MD’s famous “boxes” but hers had some secret documents that were included in nobody else’s box. The art history world is seriously reevaluating much of MD’s work in this new light. And all on account of a little splat of semen. \*\* You know, I’ve read the above a few times, and each time I read it it gets funnier. What a terrific parody on artsy drool-speak!! This is tongue-in-cheek, right?..RIGHT!!! ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/15 "2001-12-06T02:11:54Z")
What a gyp! He’s a performance artist and we didn’t get to see the performance? Now, if he had jacked-off every day in front of a live audience - _that_ would have been a comment on privacy and intimacy in contemporary society. Bah. Just because you call it art doesn’t make it _good_ art. **Chas E.** - I’m fascinated by your comments about Duchamp. I’d like to read more about it. I’ll try a google search, but if you can point me in the direction of some good articles that are not available on-line, I’ll make the trek to the library. I was stunned a few years ago when _The New Yorker_ published a photo of Duchamp’s final work, “Étant Donneés: 1. La Chute d’Eau; 2. Le Gaz d’Éclairage” (“Given: 1. The Waterfall; 2. The Gas for Lighting”). I had always believed DM had quit making art in the latter years of his life. What was even _more_ shocking was that I found it _shocking_ - I had thought I was pretty unshockable. I’m going to have to go to Philadelphia one of these days to see the real thing! ---
**Author:** ![Bluepony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Bluepony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluepony)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/16 "2001-12-06T02:32:46Z")
Mora’s subsequent, highly-acclaimed work, _Levels 8 to 791_ can be viewed on the floors of peep-show booths at an adult novelties store nearest you. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/17 "2001-12-06T02:47:45Z")
I may not know art, but I know it’s a crock. ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/18 "2001-12-06T02:53:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*You know, one of these days I’m going to grab one of my used maxi pads, pin it on a wall and call it art. > > The sad thing? Someone will believe me. \*\* It has been done, only it was displayed on the floor. I work for the carpentry department at a major U.S. city. Last week a couple of old salts were talking about some of the exhibits at our art museum and the topic of the used tampon “artwork” came up. Each person there took a little time to tell me about it, and my boss (who saw it) declared it very offensive. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/19 "2001-12-06T03:00:14Z")
The basic problem with ART is that any fool can put anything out there and say: “Behold, this is art. It is mine. Ain’t it beautiful?” The final judgment will be made over time and by consensus. The bottles of semen guy can call it anything he wants. Maybe it’s art, maybe it’s not. Maybe he is just amusing himself. Maybe he is just making fun of us. Who knows? If it doesn’t appeal to you, so what? If this is a rant why isn’t in the pit. If it’s art criticism why isn’t it in Cafe Society? ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113/20 "2001-12-06T03:06:29Z")
I’d rather see semen art or vomit art or even period art than that Thomas Kincaid guy one more time. The most collected artist in the world - please! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-people-call-art-never-ceases-to-amaze-me/97113.md?page=2)