MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

I came across this Quote in one of my Audio Loudspeaker forums and immediately thought about photography and the debate over a pure ( whatever that is ) and an artistic interpretation. Take it for what it is.... just an early morning thought over too much coffee. " Some call the voicing of speakers an art. I don't think so. Voicing of speakers is a matter of taste like adding spices to a stew. Some like it hot, creamy or crunchy - some don't. The ancient Greeks didn't distinguish between art and craftsmanship. Same thing. Something may be art if enough people think it is ". Just a thought for the day....No debates Please !

kotography4u

I took a course many years ago in which the discussions centered on whether "art" should be popular or should try to be by definition outside the "popular." In other words, should it be accessible to most people or "beyond" the masses in order to be defined as "art." This discussion began with the ancient Greeks and continues to this day, as evidenced by your posing the issue. Is art to be avant-garde, or popular?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Perhaps you need to cut back on the coffee a bit or get a hobby. I hear photography is an interesting one.
--Bob

OregonCoaster

The supreme question about a work of art is, out of how deep a vision of life does it spring? (James Joyce)

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

I'm sure we could be regaled with wonderful quotes about 'art'. I thought my art was something that should not be polluted by commerce - altering what was my 'art', based on what 'sold' better. I decided in college that being a starving artist could keep my art pure, but not support myself and my new wife. I chose to 'shut down' my art and work for a living without it.

Unfortunately, like many life stories, I failed to continue to pursue my 'art' on my own terms, on my own time. Now, over just the last few years, I am again re-awakening my artistic creative self. And, I'm glad to see some glimmers of the previous early me. Hope I have enough time to keep moving it forward and grow.

SkyKing Loc: Thompson Ridge, NY

...I have a Yashica twin lens reflex camera on display on a shelf in the TV room...is that art...?

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Aristotle believed that part of the artistic exercise was not only to capture what we see, but to make it more extraordinary by removing its imperfections.

If there had been cameras in Aristotle's day, he would probably have suggested that Joe Pterfoger take a step left or right before taking a picture of his granny. That way, she won't have the 'imperfection' of a tree growing out of her head.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

The question"what is art" has been with us forever. There is no real definition. It changes over time. But I know just who Art is. He does my plumbing

OregonCoaster

Magritte might disagree.

OregonCoaster

About the tree.

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

Hey Bob, I have more hobbies than there are hours in the day..... The latest being DIY loudspeaker design. Would you rather respond to " Which is better, Nikon or Canon ".

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Most certainly. A Yashica TLR is a work of art.

User ID

The question of the definitions of art is a game of adjectives ... and acoarst of how artfully one plays that game.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

To take your parallel just a little bit further...I had a friend in the late 1970s and early 1980s who owned a pretty nice stereo store. That was in a time when what he sold went to a niche' market, and he was targeting the folks who "knew" what was going on with audio. As a result, while he sold some entry-level equipment in order to get folks started in the field so that they could be "real" customers later, the upper mid and occasional high end products were his bread and butter. Now make no mistake...this was no "high brow" place. It was a comfortable, casual place where everyone was welcome and there was a regular group of folks who would regularly congregate, visit, listen, and occasionally buy something. His lines were Yamaha, B&O, Advent, BA (Boston Acoustics), Klipsch, Bose (when they were still really Bose), and several others.

This was when Yamaha's equipment was really surging in the market, before it got cheapened like everyone else's. I remember lusting after a pair of NS-1000 floor monitor speakers, even though I already had a pair of McIntosh ML-1C speakers and the associated Environmental Equalizer, which were still superior speakers. The Yamaha speakers had a brighter sound, which could be demonstrated technically to be more "accurate," while the McIntosh and other American made speakers had a much smoother sound and were considered more "musical."

In the end, I kept my Mac speakers, which I still have today, even though they are approaching 50 years old. Very few folks even remember the NS-1000 speakers (nor do they remember that NS was an acronym for Natural Sound). And yes, McIntosh audio was called "Mac" for years before Apple's computer even existed.

Now I'm no longer sure exactly where this ramble was intended to be headed, unless it was to ask where the importance lies in questions like this, and whether what seems to matter today will still matter tomorrow?

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

Well, I will just wrap this up now as I did not intend to provoke anyone... I immediately saw a parallel when I read the quote and thought I would pass it on as an analogy to Pure, as opposed to doctored captures. I guess in these times there is no room for independent thought anymore.... You all have a great day.