Re: RAT solipsism/vanity

["Glen-Skip- Newell" <skipworthy@hotmail.com>]

Cousin J wrote-
>
>... My work will never "suddenly become relevant". It always has
>been. It's art, dammit. Art does not have to be consumed with the greater
>community good to be relevant. (Though it <does> help).

Agreed...although I'm not sure if we mean the same thing here. equal parts 
of 'all art is self-expression, not all SE is ART' and 'What does this have 
to do with ME ?' with a dash of some HEALTHY EXPECTATION OF human compassion 
and good taste. Yes, you and I and many others work from a place that is 
grounded in what's NOW and REAL, however, too many work in isolation;either 
from academic committment or political/social agendas which are essentially 
anathema to what we actually DO. No, it doesn't have to bo 'consumed', but 
'ART' by defintition has meaning (even if it *is* only imaginary)




>Art is relevant
>because it's art. Mediocre art is irrelevant because it's mediocre art.

*ahem* Preach it, Brother John...


>And bad art is lauded because it's funded.
>Ok, that last part was just an unwarranted dig.

...unwarranted, but not completely untrue or even unfair...

>   Regardless, I don't believe that just because people suddenly imagine a
>theatre piece to be relevant they will flock to the doors of our
>theatres. There are many considerations here. Education being one. Money
>(theirs) being another. Perceived and/or blatant elitism, television,
>self-indulgence. The list goes on.

Correct. So let's educate;let's contribute. I myself am beginning to see 
Erik's point a little more clearly w/re to eliminating the box-by taking 
away that mechanism, you also remove the (implied/percieved) limitations of 
relavance and access, thus enriching both our work and the community (but, 
as it has been observed already, Marx was never really a Marxist...)

>I'm all for being involved with the
>community. But I don't see it as a guarantee of bigger box office. And
>it's kind of cheap to look at community service in that way, don't you
>think?

YES, it is. Again, I never meant to imply that we should motivate that way, 
or be motivated that way. Theatre is a COMMUNAL event/experience, yes ? I 
never suggested that service=money, and I would certainly NEVER cheapen the 
idea of community service by suggesting such self-serving goals...

YRS-
Skip







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