As I was saying yesterday, art is primarily used commercially. You may take this for granted, or flat out object. Some artists like to defend their work as purely inspirational—as if to say, it doesn’t mean anything, but it is intended to get you thinking and inspire you to draw your own conclusions… And on the gobble-dee-gook goes. This is all sweet-sounding empty-thinking. All art has a definitive purpose/use. One way or the other, that always involves something commercial, unless the art is good for nothing. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: August 2008
Commercial Art vs. Pure Art
I work full-time in the art and video department of American Vision, a for profit company/publisher/ministry. Even before I worked there, most of my previous work involved a great deal of graphic design. This work has always appealed to me because artistry runs in the family. I have several cousins that are full-time in marketing and the arts. One of my uncles was the cartoonist at Six Flags Over Georgia when he was out of college. In keeping up with the family and my own goals, I do my best to add to my experience and knowledge of the arts from time to time. Here are some of my observations. Continue reading
Machines Reading Our Minds
It’s in the news that Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic went through an MRI examination to determine what he really thinks about various current issues. By showing Jeffrey carefully selected imagery and playing for him unique video clippings, they were able to study his brain’s reactions to determine how he felt toward a myriad of people and situations. The results were surprisingly accurate and insightful. Continue reading
Movie Review: There Will Be Blood
There are two ultimate forms of storytelling: the comedy and the tragedy. The difference between the two is simply this: the comedy has a happy ending where a lesson is learned and there is life change for the better, and the tragedy means that there is a lesson given, but not learned by the main characters, and the story ends as a downer—no happily ever after in a tragedy. A tragedy is the kind of film There Will be Blood is (now on DVD). Continue reading
Want To Go Into Video Production?
The young and old will make at least a few career changes in their lifetime. I recommend that you do so. So, whether you’re looking for that first career choice out of highschool or college, or you’ve been around, seen the world, and want to switch careers and you’re thinking that video production might be for you, then this post is for you. I want to give you a few suggestions going into this profession. Continue reading
Variables of Realism – Part 2
Ultimately, the protagonist is inconsistent. Here he is with a unique reputation with his closest friends. It’s not like these are scrupulous men. They have their issues they wear on their sleeve early in the movie. Their type of character would deem that under any special circumstance the protagonist would not hold back the difficult situation he’s in. They are the only ones he can trust, and for no clear reason, he won’t tell them and get their support. Continue reading
Variables of Realism – Part 1
Something I’ve observed in my study of storytelling in literature, on stage, and on screen, is that characters are all so different from each other—like in real life. This is one instance that art patterns closely after reality. Then again, sometimes deliberately, characters are so strange and unrealistic (on purpose) to tell a strange or exagerated story. But I want to write a little about the first group: the authentic-to-reality characters. Continue reading
The Art of Reality – Part 2
So, if God’s creation, and all that the physical realm encompasses is God’s own masterpiece, what is the masterpiece communicating? What do I mean? Think—if the physical (material) world is God’s own work of art, and art is simply an illustration of something else (usually art is an imaginary fabrication that portrays reality) then what is God “masterpiece” illustrating? Continue reading
The Art of Reality – Part 1
Christians give credit to God as the Creator of all things, and remark on the wonder and beauty of His majestic feats. Pagans too acknowledge the beauty of the universe in everything from its rich simplicity to its mind-boggling complexity. The world around us, and every characteristic of it, is remarkable—that it only took one individual to make it all, and make it functional for all time. God get’s credit for a lot of roles (the First and the Last, the Chief Physician, The Creator, The Savior, etc.), but rarely do we look to God as the Master Artist. Continue reading
Review: John Adams – Part 4
This step forward and farther away from the pre-independence of America shows more of the family life of John Adams and the whole of political conditions in the developing government in Philadelphia. While this episode is crucial in understanding the series as a whole, and I do not recommend you skip it, it has it’s vices and slow moments. Here’s what I think of the fourth installment of HBO’s John Adams mini-series. Continue reading
