Art and Politics

[coalescent]

When David Frost asked Tracy Emin on his TV show why her bed was a work of art, she replied 'because I say it is'. He didn't then ask her, as he could have done, 'But who says you're an artist?'. Artists don't, by any means, hold all the cards. They are free to try to be artists, but others are also free to decide for themselves whether they have achieved this goal.

An interesting quote from an article over at Spiked that otherwise seems to be under the impression that it's still 1999:

There is a cynicism in the heart of much that passes for art today, which sits oddly with its claim to be art. After all, art has to be positive, even when it deals with the most depressing aspects of experience, because if it isn't what is the point of making it? But far from seeking a positive response to its work, the establishment art of today actually stimulates a negative reaction.

New Labour cannot be accused of doing that, but there is a cynicism in its thinking too, because where can one go if one wants to oppose it? You are either with New Labour, or nowhere, and that is not a healthy state of affairs for either politics or art.

OK, maybe I'm overstating things a little (I'm not really engaged enough with modern art to judge its value), but whilst I think that the above may have been an accurate representation of the state of politics three or four years ago, I'm not convinced it's true now - if only because of the spectacular and prolonged New Labour implosion of the last six months.

Comments

[fba.livejournal.com]

TBH I'm not entirely sure that there is a real alternative to 'New Labour'..... I mean - what alternatives do you have? Liberal Democrats will unfortunately never garner enough support to be a major political force - at least not before we have a PR system. The Tories are in complete disarray and are suffering from the same problem that Labour had in the 80s - people do remember the past.....

I honestly think that if Blair manages to stay in power until the next election he will see a massively reduced majority - possibly even a hung parliament. Not that this will be a particulary bad thing......

[ajp.livejournal.com]

The Lib Dem's will pick-up votes from people tired of the other two parties; but as you say never enough to win. A lot of their problem, is that they are still not seen as a credible candidate for government. If they're smart, and get it right, they can pick up seats from both sides, in any future election.

The Tories only chance is to make people forget the past, by reinventing themselves; and offering intelligent centre-right policy alternatives to the centrist "New Labour". At the present time, they still haven't done that. Their problem is that that their new & untested shadow ministers are perceived by many as rather light-weight (the perennial curse of the opposition party); whilst the former Ministers are generally tarred by association with the past administrations.

Labour are pretty sure to win the next election (albeit with a smaller majority); simply because there isn't a credible opposition at this time. However the PM has managed to alienate some of his core supporters (aka "Old Labour") in recent months; and yet he's also seen as too cautious by neo-socialists. Labour will pick-up the majority of the votes from "Old Labour" voters; purely because there is no credible left-wing movement to take up the slack. Although in many ways the Lib Dem's are further to the left than new Labour; they are (and are perceived as) an "intellectual leftist" party; with limited appeal to those who would use the, now spurious, term "working man" to describe themselves.

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

What he said!

I think that the original piece coalescent quoted, although it sounds a bit 'four years ago', is bang up to date - there is no alternative to New Labour. The massed ranks of Old Labour are hanging in there grudgingly, because they know There Is No Other Way. Both halves need each other.

Personally I was always Old Labour and switched to Lib Dem before New Labour took power. I think that the Lib Dems are far to the left of New Labour on a number of key issues, particularly the environment and education, two of my personal hot buttons. Bizarrely, they are now the leftist party.

I don't see Labour losing the next election but I hope the Lib Dems give them a fright. I know there's an argument that says a Lib Dem vote is a wasted vote - but I think with the state the Tories are currently in, that's not as valid a position as it used to be. I would very much like to see the Lib Dems become the second party, and show up New Labour for the right-wing nasty it is. Well, I can dream, can't I? =)

[snowking.livejournal.com]

After all, art has to be positive, even when it deals with the most depressing aspects of experience, because if it isn't what is the point of making it?

YOU FUCKING WHAT?

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

He's using 'positive' to mean 'engaged with the issues' and 'negative' to mean 'only intended to shock'. I think.

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Perhaps he should say that, rather than redefining words on a whim.

Yes

[applez.livejournal.com]

I was rather thinking that 'art' doesn't have to be anything - predetermined expectations influence the result, and not always for the better.

[hsenag.livejournal.com]

He didn't then ask her, as he could have done, 'But who says you're an artist?'.

Unfortunately she'd have had an easy answer, since people do come and see her work and buy it.