This is a topic I've had most of my focus on in this class. There was a revelation I had at the beginning of the quarter, and I decided that we, as consumers of Art, often times like to think that the "insane" artists make the best art.
Case and point: Daniel Johnston. He is a musician and artist, and has a severely debilitating mental condition known as manic depression. He is very interesting though, because his music and art (to put it lightly) is not always in the best of quality. But so many people LOVE him and his work. At one point in his career, he was being compared to The Beatles and Kurt Cobain was wearing the t-shirt of Daniel's album, "Hi. How Are You?"
When I showed a painting of his in class, most of the reactions I got were disgust and distaste. And I believe one person said something along the lines of, "My 5 year old could have painted that." Yet the painting was being sold for $1,500. Some paintings of the same quality and price were even sold out.
I just think it's intriguing because, there are tons and tons of musicians and artists that have work with quality a hundred times better than Daniel's, but aren't famous at all. It just seems like this guy showed up, went insane, and became a hit. He didn't spend years perfecting his songs or art, and he didn't spend thousands of dollars on high quality equipment.
Your opinions? Why do you think Daniel got so famous? Do you agree with the statement: insane artists make the best art?
Daniel Johnston - I Had Lost My Mind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46HEC4brycA
Case and point: Daniel Johnston. He is a musician and artist, and has a severely debilitating mental condition known as manic depression. He is very interesting though, because his music and art (to put it lightly) is not always in the best of quality. But so many people LOVE him and his work. At one point in his career, he was being compared to The Beatles and Kurt Cobain was wearing the t-shirt of Daniel's album, "Hi. How Are You?"
When I showed a painting of his in class, most of the reactions I got were disgust and distaste. And I believe one person said something along the lines of, "My 5 year old could have painted that." Yet the painting was being sold for $1,500. Some paintings of the same quality and price were even sold out.
I just think it's intriguing because, there are tons and tons of musicians and artists that have work with quality a hundred times better than Daniel's, but aren't famous at all. It just seems like this guy showed up, went insane, and became a hit. He didn't spend years perfecting his songs or art, and he didn't spend thousands of dollars on high quality equipment.
Your opinions? Why do you think Daniel got so famous? Do you agree with the statement: insane artists make the best art?
Daniel Johnston - I Had Lost My Mind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46HEC4brycA
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