Does art need to be controversial to succeed ?
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Posted by Peter (UID:1) on 2007-Dec-15 18:33
A while back my friend Darien Whitehead created a very controversial piece of artwork (Where the curve meets - below) and displayed it in a local art gallery in full view of the passing public.
Needles to say, many people popped in to complain to Alison (The gallery owner) and some even demanded that she remove the offending artwork - she didn't.
As it turns out, someone did actually buy Darien's piece, but would it have been sold if Darien have made it a bit "tamer" ?
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| Comment by David (UID:2) on 2008-Jan-03 18:04
It really depends on what criteria you use for success. If it is just whether a pice of art is sold at a relatively satisfactory price, then perhaps controversy is not necessary. Take for example, Van Gogh's work. They are now successful because they command a high price but in his lifetime, they were a failure. He even gave away paintings worth millions now to pay for supper!
Now for me, art is successful when it says something. Even if the piece of art does not sell, as long as the artist felt that something in creating it and has the glow of satisfaction from producing it, then it is successful. If other people value it too, then that is a bonus.
This might seem a tad controversial but I do not believe art has to be commercially successful. What is important is that the result has integrity with the artist's vision . I am not an artist myself but I do write poetry. For me a poem is successful when i feel the glow of creation after it is complete.
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