Talking to a fellow media professional recently, and they commented that the type of art they prefer to do now is simply for artistic expression rather than for communication. And that got me thinking about what the role of art in our (often) very utilitarian profession is and should be. I guess I default towards art only being a worthwhile investment when it clearly communicates. And yet I'm beginning to feel that there may be value to self-expression that doesn't have as its primary goal communication. Exploring and discoveirng - that's how our craft is honed, and how our creative ideas get fuel to grow. Sculpters learn through practice. Painters wield their brush to bring forth many a picture that no one sees. Writers scribble ideas, musings and thoughts in their personal journals. Can't video artists create just for the sake of learning and personal growth? I'm not saying you won't communicate - art naturally springs from your worldview and philosophy. You might have a very clear message come through your work. I just wonder if maybe sometimes we need to create simply to create, grow and learn.
So in that vein, here's a title sequence from the OFFF 2007 Title opening - yeah, it had a purpose and was created for commercial reasons, but it's a fun and inspiring look at artistic styles and trends. So watch, be inspired, and create!
Digg it
WOW
OFFF was a totally new concept to me. The video was amazing - it is nice to see everyone has the same opinion of 70's and 80's tv show opens. But hey, if you have a $50,000 ADO, use it! I did!
I would say that our artistic abilities are used in everything we do. Even if you are simply making a white text on black screen title, your aesthetic sense is required to make it look nice/correct. Sure it may sound like common sense, but I will visit the 100 monkeys at 100 typewriters metaphor. Will one monkey eventually write Romeo and Juliet? Probably not. Any monkey can design a simple graphic, but a trained monkey can do it better.
As far as art for art's sake, it is all around us. Granted a lot of art is funded art, so it has a goal of communication. Alas, even the great works of DaVinci, Raphael and the other ninja turtles were funded jobs. The goal of the Last Supper was to portray Jesus and the other dinner guests in a certain way. Not art for art's sake at all!
I'm all for self-expression as a hobby, without trying to sell/prove/fight/express anything. I spend a lot of time putting my cat's face on pictures of celebrities. Why? Because it's fun and it makes my wife laugh. What more important goal is there?!
Mike