Monday, July 10, 2006

Modern Art / World Cup

I love all forms of modern art. Anyone got strong views for or against?

I only give two examples at this stage:

(i) Modern serious (classical?) music such as that by Penderecki*, Ligeti, Thomas Ades, James MacMillan etc. etc. really conveys, for me, the feel and ethos of Horror fiction and films!!

*have you heard his 'Threnody For the Victims of Hiroshima', just as one example?


(ii) The World Cup. The Final yesterday stamped forever the intrinsic dark symbolism of the event for me. Ranging from Figo's headbutt, Rooney's kickback into balls, Zidane's insane or (more likely) gratuitous act last night (both clownish and vicious), playing a single match with many random matchballs (not one noumenon of a matchball for the players to devote their team spirit), the dreamlike dives - not of graceful dancers or birds but human bodies clumsily burying themselves into the Earth ball itself...

In contrast, I watched the BBC's goals of the tournament, one after the other in quick succession (including the beautiful ballet of the best goal of them all), and I was glad I had been part of it all, even as a spectator through the reality screens: yet another 'Big Brother'-like extravaganza of mixed emotions. Modern Art at its best and worst.


Re Zidane's Kiss, in particular, I think that is the essence of an art event or 'happening', whereby one cannot gauge the intentionality, yet it is art (if one deems it a work of art - and this particular one was an art event for millions, I feel, in one go, rather than trooping for years by a urinal in a museum), and all great art, I feel, creates a lasting image in your mind together with (mixed) emotions that also last.

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