Silentiea

I can imagine a fascist future where Guernica is taught as a pro-Nazi work of art.

And even more importantly is that people are gonna "teach" the making of art how they teach it regardless, but the teacher experiencing it one way doesn't make any of the other readings invalid.

I don't think it destroys art as a form of communication any more than the possibility of being misunderstood over texting or even in person destroys those media.

The chance for miscommunication exists in every form of communication, it's the consequence of letting an idea out of your own head and into the world. And art is inherently less clear a method for communication than something more straightforward would be.

If you create a work that nazis can see a bit of their worldview in, congratulations! They see their worldview in the world, so you've created a decently accurate facsimile of reality. Shitty people seeing their own shitty ideas in your art doesn't say anything about you, y says something about them. The same "death of the author" that lets them have that take insulated the author from that take.

But the reason I like it is that it also allows decent people to come to decent conclusions about art made by shitty people. Even if I didn't like it, I know it exists. Art can speak to someone about experiences the author didn't imagine, and that can be powerful and significant and beautiful, even if it can also be shitty.

I'm a big proponent of the "death of the author". Even if the author is still around to give their reasons for writing something the way they did, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is what the audience sees in the work.

Every interpretation is equally valid as long as they're sincere. The drapes were blue. The drapes represent depression. The drapes represent Democrats. The only invalid deconstruction is one delivered in bad faith.

Edit: typo

Wha- how dare you! They are choosing to serve me cocktails for no compensation out of their own bolt-restrained will.

I mean, I knew what I was talking into, but still. Interesting story, wish it had a better ending.

There's defense, and there's defenestration.

It's a thumbs half up. Or the "politician point" but with the thumb too high.

The lead is sealed inside the plug that contains the vacuum. I guess it's "industry standard" or something. Heard from the horse's mouth.

Set a schedule for yourselves if you like, I don't miss that at all.

Exactly. Can't even really experience it by googling. Had to be there.

Parents, talk to your kids about saxophones. That, and cheating on video games, are the most important subjects to cover.

Deleted: duplicate comment