Fashion becomes Art

The other day I was in a magazine store, flipping through stuff in the art section. I came across something that struck me as absolutely brilliant. Someone had painted a 3 foot by 6 foot copy of a cash register receipt

Nik has a sense of humor but little else. Tired of Modern Art? check

That made me laugh out loud

Why not? Most art history books have a large section of architecture. It is traditionally considered art. Many craft items are regarded as art. Art need not be useless.

There is 'pure art' and 'applied art', the latter covering crafts from furniture to jevelry. Why should one be so narrowminded that one cannot appreciate a good design, combined in Armani case with extreme SKILL of tailors.

If the craft of copying a landscape on canvasin traditional manner is art why not the craft of skillfully cut suit?

'Fashionable' has always been an aspect of art appreciation. J.S:Bach was criticied by his contemporaries that he did not compose in'the gallant style' of Lully that was in fashin then.

Yes, it has happened all the time. Cellini's salt bowl was an utility object and is appreciated as art.

to those that do not bother to listen?

Did you ever see that Finnish guy's web site - who made a suit from birch bark. I wish I could find it, but my Finnish language skills don't exist to do a search. I saw it when a Finn posted the URL for me to look at in the soc.culture.nordic ng about 4 years ago. It was pretty humorous, but the man was obviously (and rightly) proud of his hard work. He made a birch bark hat to go with it.

Architecture is not my thing I will not comment, except to say that most of it [20th Century]seems to dehumanise by it's scale, and lack of texture on anything but a grand scale. I agree that some utilitarian items have and could rise above their original purpose so that they are placed in a box labelled 'art'. The salt bowl is one example.

Art is Something. It is and has been throughout time, a visual and for some an intellectual joy.

If you get joy at looking at old costumes which are held in museums, then ok, I can appreciate that, but calling it a word that is used to describe some of the best paintings there are is hijacking the word.

If art is about something which even we recognise is a throwaway medium, that is made for your Spring Collection, for example, then that is the level to which art has sunk. Indeed, is that not the level to which Western Culture in general has sunk? A throwaway valueless and inconsequential era where nothing can be cherished unless it is new, and suspect if any real craft and time has been spent upon it. What about art that can be cherished down the ages?

Yes and I have heard a modern critic that complain he did not 'push' his art, but developed it in the style of the day!

Let us hope that we are not bequeathing Punk Rock or industrial noise to future generations, rather than something more substantial, with values that will be recognised. I notice that most of today's 'music' has to be turned up so loud that one cannot experience any joy, only a physical vibration, and one leading to physical deafness.

I am listening. I hear nothing from today's exhibits. I am not deaf just yet. Armani - he is trying to 'say' something is he? Like what? Thur.

Good points Thur

I believe the best crafts can rise *within their original purpose* to art.

Art is not part of the entertainment industry. Visual or intellectual challenge, yes.

English is not my native language, so I maybe wrong. The word art is used as 'martial arts', the art of motorcycle maintenance etc.

Any rock guitarrist is an artist. The word is not reserved for paintings and sculpture.

Permanent medium is not essential of art. Most ancient Greek paintings have vanished, but I see no reason to believe that they were less art than vases that remain.

By the way, can you afford to throw away an Armani after every season :-?

Isn't he saying something about the real craft and time spent over a piece?

You mailed me the URL then, but I didi not save it. My google search revealed a Russian museum which has a suit made of birch bark - no picture. It is not the same reference.

saw the opposite at a university student art show. was a six foot tall piece of wood, left natural, curvy and such with a 'skin-tight' leather 'cat-suit' sewn expertly from trunk to (approximately) neck level. made me smile and chuckle and i HAD to give it a stroke. one thing i particularly liked about this kind of art (in a selfish way) is that, as a 'painter' i didn't feel threatened in any competitive way like i can be by another painters technical abilities...

As in Buneul's 'Phantom of Liberty?' No, that was the Eifel tower. What film was it that had a shoot out on the Watts Towers? I can't remember.