I have toyed with the notion of having a blog for a while now, but only yesterday did i actually find something worth discussing online...namely Artbollocks, and how it pertains to the video industry.
If its a term you are not famiiar with let me explain....It refers to the way "artists" justify what they do by means of pretentious, overly complex and fanciful descriptions validating whatever creative decision they have finally chosen to take.
I was reminded of this just yesterday, when visiting a major exhibition of works by an internationally renowned (and for the sake of this blog - un-named) artist. I have long been a fan of his work, and i can honestly say that some of his newest installations (don't you just detest that description?) are spectacular, and i for one am really glad to have seen them. Unfortunately, however, even this person has succombed to the Artbollocks phenomenon. Its one i always used to atribute to the untalented desperately seeking adulation, but i now realise is a much bigger problem.
Amongst the works were many early pieces where the artist has been learning their craft, developing techniques and exploring possibilities. A noble pursuit, and one that should not require justification. But it was there...all the way through...everywhere you turned! A series of photos of the artist spitting was actually exploring the idea of expelling internal human energy (???). Does that mean when i brush my teeth and clear my throat on a morning, that i am being a creative artist? I think not.
There was another piece (which i admit to not having time to see) which according to the description was a glass window smeared cow manure, which although blocking the view forces the viewer to question the impact livestock farming has had on the landscape.....Bollocks!! Its cow shit smeared on glass. Full stop. If he wants to smear shit on glass and call it art, fine. Thats his perogative. But please don't try to justify it with political/moral/ethical subtexts and descriptive nonsense.
And that brings me to our industry - video production, which itself has various arty offshoots. How often have we made creative decisions purely because, in your experienced opinion, it was the right thing to do? It looked and felt right, so it must be right? - only to succomb to the temptation of Artbollocks when you present the finished piece to your client? You find yourself explaining how the effect you added works because it juxtaposes the existing material in such a way that the underlying message is being subconciously enhanced. I know i am occasionally guilty of such a crime.
I have come to the conclusion it is something that affects all creative types. A fear (however small or unfounded) of having their creativity brought into question, their integrity as an artist being doubted, or simply the self knowledge that what they have done is not really that good, causes Artbollocks to rear its ugly head and make us all look like pretentious fools pandering to the intellectual snobbery that seem to pervade every area of creative pursuit. In essence, its the creative trying to gain the acceptance of the untalented by forcing an un-natural explanation onto something that should be appreciated merely for its own merits.
I would be interested to hear anyone elses thoughts on this subject, or any particularly good examples of this artistic subgenre.
I'll post my own favourite later on...
adam | 
