Why is the art of a people important? Because it will tell you what their lives are like, a distilled essence of the political, economic and social situation of their era. Its not always truthful, but always revealing. In fact, art is especially revealing in its lies. And its human documentation, it outlives the people who create it. How great it is to have access to the lives and lessons of people from thousands of years ago, right?
It's good to think about the the art of our forefathers; it gives us clues to the present. In the same vein, its also good to examine the art of our cultural neighbors, our former conquerors and their forefathers. Now, for decency's sake, we should create and share the art that is within us today, in order to give posterity some context to their present. Seriously, what a lot of work for a random bunch of 14-34 year olds to manage.
I guess its easier to F it and go join a corporate.
(Some still make short films in their spare time. Applause to them.)
This is the sort of problem that worries me; when the imagination of the so-called new generation churns out a Chetan Bhagat or an M.R.Madhavan, while better minds are working for CTS or ABN Amro or even worse, are lost in the multitude of nobodys, with no opportunities and too many mouths to feed.
But then I saw this wonderful docu-film last week at Sinema Old School about a man who makes spoof movies in a small town in India, with next to zero resources, zero expertise and zero guidance. This poorly educated man, from a communally tense and economically backward part of India, creates an exemplary work of post-modernist fiction, replete with inter textual and self directed references, with a handy cam, his entourage of talented friends and a cast of star struck villagers. The man has no idea that what he's doing is called such and such; his chief motivation is to create something that will have his own townsfolk in splits of laughter, after a hard day's work at the textile mills.
This is it, this is what I'm talking about. I'm talking about people who own their art and hence own a piece of history.
It's good to think about the the art of our forefathers; it gives us clues to the present. In the same vein, its also good to examine the art of our cultural neighbors, our former conquerors and their forefathers. Now, for decency's sake, we should create and share the art that is within us today, in order to give posterity some context to their present. Seriously, what a lot of work for a random bunch of 14-34 year olds to manage.
I guess its easier to F it and go join a corporate.
(Some still make short films in their spare time. Applause to them.)
This is the sort of problem that worries me; when the imagination of the so-called new generation churns out a Chetan Bhagat or an M.R.Madhavan, while better minds are working for CTS or ABN Amro or even worse, are lost in the multitude of nobodys, with no opportunities and too many mouths to feed.
But then I saw this wonderful docu-film last week at Sinema Old School about a man who makes spoof movies in a small town in India, with next to zero resources, zero expertise and zero guidance. This poorly educated man, from a communally tense and economically backward part of India, creates an exemplary work of post-modernist fiction, replete with inter textual and self directed references, with a handy cam, his entourage of talented friends and a cast of star struck villagers. The man has no idea that what he's doing is called such and such; his chief motivation is to create something that will have his own townsfolk in splits of laughter, after a hard day's work at the textile mills.
This is it, this is what I'm talking about. I'm talking about people who own their art and hence own a piece of history.
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