cleverlane t1_iud866u wrote on October 30, 2022 at 1:23 PM

Surely we could all paint something like this, no?

ThaMenacer t1_iudewk4 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 2:17 PM

We could, but he was first. So he gets to be famous.

Tashus t1_iudhnwg wrote on October 30, 2022 at 2:37 PM

There's a difference between a painting using only a few colors in simple shapes and a painting using only a few colors in simple shapes that is pleasing or interesting to look at. If you have a good sense of abstract composition, go for it.

cleverlane t1_iudnx7k wrote on October 30, 2022 at 3:22 PM

Do you find this particular piece pleasing or interesting to look at?

It just looks like a couple strips of interlocking duct tape to me, respectfully.

Tashus t1_iudpzm6 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 3:37 PM

This is not one of my favorite Mondrian pieces, no. Also abstract art isn't for everyone.

>It just looks like a couple strips of interlocking duct tape to me, respectfully.

Well, it basically is, but like most things, it's about how the individual components combine to make something more. The human brain reacts to color, pattern, spacial frequency, negative space, etc. often with emotionality that isn't explicitly invoked by the work. There's aesthetic intent in the composition, and I imagine that many people have a stimulating response to viewing it.

If you can engage people that way by putting a few pieces of tape on a blank canvas, I encourage you to do so, and perhaps you have found a new low effort career. However, I think the trick is in how to use basic elements to do something that others find interesting.

To put it another way, waving a stick in the air isn't so hard, but I certainly can't conduct a symphony.

Kelmon80 t1_iugvovj wrote on October 31, 2022 at 6:09 AM

That's a bad comparison, because conducting is actually a skill, "making a Mondrian" isn't. Anyone can do it. As long as it's then hung in a museum with a plaque that says "Mondrian", everyone will stare at it and go "mhhh, ah, yey, yes, amazing".

The greatest trick that the art community played on the world is getting incredibly lazy, and making people believe that they "just don't get good art" if they voice displeasure with their colored lines and crayon squiggles.

I prefer a more "Emperor has no clothes" approach to this.

ericula t1_iuexo4e wrote on October 30, 2022 at 8:28 PM

> It just looks like a couple strips of interlocking duct tape to me, respectfully.

That’s because it’s hanging upside down, obviously.