Congratulations to The New Yorker for its compassion in supporting people with disabilities. The art direction functions of the magazine are now being performed by the blind.
Artistic selections are now being made using braille.
Do these editors know Dan Adel? Do they know Thomas Fluharty? Nicholas Uribe, in particular, would be amazing at this if they wanted a caricature both excellent and edgy.
One presumes these former cultural strongholds are getting increasingly insular, less like busy thoroughfares for renegade talents, and more like prim activity clubs for in-group members. I think the whole high cultural intellectual mindset is dying from myopia, introversion, and postmodern degradation. And maybe poor office ventilation.
And now, seriously. I don't understand the modern world. Or perhaps my tastes simply don't align with what's being done these days. I genuinely think the "ugly" won out a long time ago, but I don't want to fall into the trap of disparaging others' work. I believe that behind every creative endeavor, there is serious effort and a love for the craft on the part of the artist. Whether or not I personally like it is a different matter; respect must always come first.
Albert Campillo Lastra wrote: "I don't want to fall into the trap of disparaging others' work. I believe that behind every creative endeavor, there is serious effort and a love for the craft on the part of the artist. Whether or not I personally like it is a different matter; respect must always come first."
I agree that's a healthy sentiment in approaching all art, and I try to start out with that as a (rebuttable) presumption.
However, I don't agree that "behind every creative endeavor, there is serious effort." Behind many creative endeavors there is fraud, sloth, mendacity and chicanery. (See, for example, https://illustrationart.blogspot.com/2015/06/recent-developments-in-parasitology.html or https://illustrationart.blogspot.com/2010/04/three-things-i-like-about-jeff-koons.html)
The harder case is where there is an abundance of "serious effort," accompanied by a serious lack of talent. I make special allowances for young talent just starting out, or for the exceptionally well intentioned and pure of heart. But I don't believe we can permit that to eliminate high standards, especially in the precincts of the highly privileged. We live in a time of disintegration, of dumbing down and outsourcing our critical faculties and I believe it is imperative that we resist the beginnings wherever we encounter them (or as Ovid wrote, "principiis obsta!")
Why do I feel compelled to speak up? I have no dog in this fight. I'm not competing for a job doing New Yorker covers. But I've often quoted on this blog the words of William Blake: "When I tell any truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those who do."
Genius. Once again I agree with you whole heartedly.
ReplyDeleteSo true, so true!
ReplyDeleteI’m always gobsmacked by the artwork the NYT finds fit to print.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell, I like it,
ReplyDeleteas an act of destruction.
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Postmodern Anonymouse
yikes!
ReplyDeleteps. she loved her yellow handbook
It all comes down to bad drawing. Machines can only do so much to cover it up.
ReplyDeleteJSL
Do these editors know Dan Adel? Do they know Thomas Fluharty? Nicholas Uribe, in particular, would be amazing at this if they wanted a caricature both excellent and edgy.
ReplyDeleteOne presumes these former cultural strongholds are getting increasingly insular, less like busy thoroughfares for renegade talents, and more like prim activity clubs for in-group members. I think the whole high cultural intellectual mindset is dying from myopia, introversion, and postmodern degradation. And maybe poor office ventilation.
Well, this way, even I might end up illustrating a *New Yorker* cover.
ReplyDeleteAnd now, seriously. I don't understand the modern world. Or perhaps my tastes simply don't align with what's being done these days. I genuinely think the "ugly" won out a long time ago, but I don't want to fall into the trap of disparaging others' work. I believe that behind every creative endeavor, there is serious effort and a love for the craft on the part of the artist. Whether or not I personally like it is a different matter; respect must always come first.
ReplyDeleteAlbert Campillo Lastra wrote: "I don't want to fall into the trap of disparaging others' work. I believe that behind every creative endeavor, there is serious effort and a love for the craft on the part of the artist. Whether or not I personally like it is a different matter; respect must always come first."
ReplyDeleteI agree that's a healthy sentiment in approaching all art, and I try to start out with that as a (rebuttable) presumption.
However, I don't agree that "behind every creative endeavor, there is serious effort." Behind many creative endeavors there is fraud, sloth, mendacity and chicanery. (See, for example, https://illustrationart.blogspot.com/2015/06/recent-developments-in-parasitology.html or https://illustrationart.blogspot.com/2010/04/three-things-i-like-about-jeff-koons.html)
The harder case is where there is an abundance of "serious effort," accompanied by a serious lack of talent. I make special allowances for young talent just starting out, or for the exceptionally well intentioned and pure of heart. But I don't believe we can permit that to eliminate high standards, especially in the precincts of the highly privileged. We live in a time of disintegration, of dumbing down and outsourcing our critical faculties and I believe it is imperative that we resist the beginnings wherever we encounter them (or as Ovid wrote, "principiis obsta!")
Why do I feel compelled to speak up? I have no dog in this fight. I'm not competing for a job doing New Yorker covers. But I've often quoted on this blog the words of William Blake: "When I tell any truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those who do."