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Art->Life or Life->Art?

brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
in A Moving Train
An age old question: Does life imitate art or does art imitate life?

Judging by what can be seen when humor oneself by checking out the latest "news" on main-stream media it seems like the question is becoming a little skewed:

Does art inform life or does life inform art?

The main-stream seems to have it that art informs life. Look at the news and we see what this actor or movie producer thinks or what that film portrays or what this or that personality thinks. Are most people really eating this up? Are we living in a movie or a TV show or a talk radio program? Weird.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













Comments

  • PJfanwillneverleave1PJfanwillneverleave1 Posts: 12,885
    brianlux wrote: »
    An age old question: Does life imitate art or does art imitate life?

    Judging by what can be seen when humor oneself by checking out the latest "news" on main-stream media it seems like the question is becoming a little skewed:

    Does art inform life or does life inform art?

    The main-stream seems to have it that art informs life. Look at the news and we see what this actor or movie producer thinks or what that film portrays or what this or that personality thinks. Are most people really eating this up? Are we living in a movie or a TV show or a talk radio program? Weird.

    Does Pearl Jam inform us or do us inform Pearl Jam?
  • mookeywrenchmookeywrench Posts: 5,896
    Because it can never be a mix of both?
    350x700px-LL-d2f49cb4_vinyl-needle-scu-e1356666258495.jpeg
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    mookeywrench wrote: »
    Because it can never be a mix of both?
    This makes sense to me. We're all a mix of something. Cake batter, if you will - or if you won't!

    I thought the other thread (to which I assume you're referring, Brian? Apologies if I misread) veered toward some similarly-weird territory that was sniffed, moved around with a fork, and then yes - eaten up.

    Some chose not to down it.

    Really...take one to task, then take all to task, including ourselves.

    As to art...I don't see talk-radio as such. It's just people speaking (unless - that is art? And if so, that just blew the "art" definition wide open!).

    As to the question, I'm not sure either informs the other, and really, informs of what? It's imagery, and squawking and preening. Not information, not an answer.

    Did you mean imitate vs. inform?
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    PJfanwillneverleave1 wrote: »
    Does Pearl Jam inform us or do us inform Pearl Jam?

    We are informed by the Pearls of Wisdom!
    mookeywrench wrote: »
    Because it can never be a mix of both?

    Neither. Here on AMT, we inform life and art does what ever it does regardless of what we think!

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    hedonist wrote: »

    Did you mean imitate vs. inform?

    No, inform really.

    Sorry, I guess I'm being a bit oblique. What I mean is, it seems (at least to me, anyway) that a good deal of what we hear as "news" as seen through the perspective of a personality, an artist or the product of art (i.e. a movie). Obviously not all our news is filtered in this manner, but given the perspective of time, this is true much more so today than it was in decades past. I really think many more people form their opinions from what they see and hear of the perspective of personalities, movies, TV show, etc. That's how it seems to me and that seems weird.

    Am I totally out to lunch on this one?


    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • rr165892rr165892 Posts: 5,697
    I'm going to say life is arts muse ,for a starting point.From there art shapes our images of life and we use art as our inspiration for creation and expression.Its a circle.ying and yang,a black and white cookie.
  • rr165892rr165892 Posts: 5,697
    What is art? And to whom?
  • Last-12-ExitLast-12-Exit Posts: 8,661
    edited January 2015
    To me that answer is obvious. Art imitates life. Without the artists life experience, how could you have art?

    You lost me on art informing life. I'm not smart enough to tackle that.
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    rr165892 wrote: »
    I'm going to say life is arts muse ,for a starting point.From there art shapes our images of life and we use art as our inspiration for creation and expression.Its a circle.ying and yang,a black and white cookie.
    Look to the cookie, Elaine!

    I'd say art affects rather than informs life. Art is no different than anything or anyONE else we encounter; some will have an impact.

    I may respect some artists (and that term is so subjective) but wouldn't / can't take their words or product as gospel.
  • callencallen Posts: 6,388
    edited January 2015
    Pearl jam imitates art. They are influenced by art. Zeppelin scorpions Ramon's. And I love the imitations. Need some new imitation. Art imitates life.
    Post edited by callen on
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  • mikepegg44mikepegg44 Posts: 3,353
    Is art, art? are we art?

    Lisa Turtle sure was deep...

    Anyway, great question, I think true art is an imitation of life. Movies that have changed my life were not big budget action monsters, but character studies on what it means to be human and to interact together. Books, paintings, modern art, for any of it to be good, it needs to have an element that people can connect to, and since we are pretty self centered animal, most people gravitate towards the art that imitates their life.
    Sure people get influenced by art in a way they may have not decided to go themselves, but that again is a reflection on the way it imitated life to begin with...
    That of course is just my opinion...
    that’s right! Can’t we all just get together and focus on our real enemies: monogamous gays and stem cells… - Ned Flanders
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  • rr165892rr165892 Posts: 5,697
    callen wrote: »
    Pearl jam imitates art. They are influenced by art. Zeppelin scorpions Ramon's. And I love the imitations. Need some new imitation. Art imitates life.

    Follow the rabbit down the hole.Zeppelin was hugely influenced by the blues.The blues were a manifestation of life experiences of blacks in the south.The hardships of life ,freedom and love shaped the art,no?
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    Probably a poorly worded question to begin with. Basically what I'm wondering is this:

    Are we influenced more by popular culture and personalities/stars/actors/pundits/musicians (including newscasters who are also basically actors) or by our own analysis of what scientists, economists, political analysts and others who study current events present to us? I think (at least in western culture) we are heavily swayed more by the former than the latter.

    We even call some TV shows "reality" shows. So we see reality though a popular entertainment medium? If this is reality, I think we are losing our grasp on reality.

    We (western culture) seem to focus our attention more on stars and their opinions, than we do by what we learn from researchers. We are more apt to listen to what a rock star or movie star has to say about an issue than someone who's job it is to study those issues.

    Again, I could be totally out to lunch but this is how it seems to me.

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    I just don't think it's as simple as "this or this". Why impose such limits? Influence comes in many forms, including those having nothing at all to do with people and their opinions...I mean, analyses :D
  • rr165892rr165892 Posts: 5,697
    I think there is middle ground here Bri.A great example is My fav news caster/journalist and super cutie Erin Burnett.She is very well educated,Articulate and really researches her stories.Before she was on CNN she was a damn good market analyst who has some financial chops and knows her shit.Is watching CNN at 7 pm est entertainment? I guess.But I am also learning and being filled in on world events without media bias(if it exists).So being in the public eye and having the media as your medium does make you "entertainer "to some degree,but if you put a camera in front of a scientist (Sagan) or and economist or historian they then transform to the same right?
    I'm with Hedo on this .You may be painting with a really wide brush.
  • even flow - question markeven flow - question mark Posts: 1,568
    Worry about what Vedder wrote for his song and what it means to the world or listen to the music and enjoy it for what it is. People will always see thing from a different perspective.


    but in the end you'd have to say that art imitates life judging by the painting and sculptures that look like the world we live in.

    The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08

  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    hedonist wrote: »
    I just don't think it's as simple as "this or this". Why impose such limits? Influence comes in many forms, including those having nothing at all to do with people and their opinions...I mean, analyses :D

    Definitely not a "this or that" issue. And limits? Not even the sky!

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    brianlux wrote: »
    An age old question: Does life imitate art or does art imitate life?

    Judging by what can be seen when humor oneself by checking out the latest "news" on main-stream media it seems like the question is becoming a little skewed:

    Does art inform life or does life inform art?

    The main-stream seems to have it that art informs life. Look at the news and we see what this actor or movie producer thinks or what that film portrays or what this or that personality thinks. Are most people really eating this up? Are we living in a movie or a TV show or a talk radio program? Weird.

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  • justamjustam Posts: 21,410
    edited January 2015
    I think it's some kind of conversation. Life might inspire some art and also some art might come from the heavens and influence life. There's definitely some kind of back and forth influence.

    Think of examples:
    people tell stories from their imagination
    people tell stories as a way to reflect on experiences or things they've heard about
    people can create some art from a feeling out of thin air
    people can pour out some kind of sound from their imagination
    life can beat the shit out of someone's spirit and art is the reaction to that
    life can surprise people and make them want to tell the world about that feeling in a song
    some people create art to clear out their demons
    some people create art to bring something beautiful into the world as a gift

    dialogue
    interaction
    influence back and forth

    That's how I see it!!!
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    justam,

    Rare are the posts/words/thoughts - whatever you could call it - all over this forum that have actually teared me up some...the really nice, happy, get-it smiling kind.

    Thank you.
  • justamjustam Posts: 21,410
    hedonist wrote: »
    justam,

    Rare are the posts/words/thoughts - whatever you could call it - all over this forum that have actually teared me up some...the really nice, happy, get-it smiling kind.

    Thank you.
    :)
    You're welcome!
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
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