Eleven Things That Art is Not

Art is a distinct entity. It has its own characteristic, its own function, its own role to play in society. It must be afforded the status and identity it rightly deserves in a world that is becoming ever more needful of its existence. A major obstacle, however, is that "Art" has become an increasingly catch-all term. It seems that almost any product of the modern world can shelter under it's umbrella. And thus, the word has become meaningless. There is little doubt that art is a powerful commodity of inestimable value. Yet that power is diluted and that value distorted by the inclusion of unnecessary elements into the field for which there is no justification. It is impossible to clearly define a term which has become so confused with unwarranted associations. Therefore, elucidation on the subject can be obtained by removing them. We need to distinguish what art is not, before we can begin to see what it is. Many artists have been misled into focusing on specious goals. Many enthusiasts have been sold down the river by self-serving critics, overcomplicating the scene and completely missing the point. But you can know all that you need to know about art, and, inherently, you probably know more than you realise already. Clearing away the false information can serve to dissipate the mystique. Far from taking anything away, such an unveiling should ultimately enable us to love art all the more, whatever our engagement with it. Intended primarily for artists of all colours and flavours, as well as art appreciators, this book aims to free up the thinking of the artist - or indeed anyone - by opening their eyes to many unexamined assumptions, and thereby questioning the validity of strongly-held views on the subject of art and the ways in which it is perceived. Eleven Things That Art is Not isolates these points of contention in a sometimes shocking, often counter-intuitive, yet thoroughly reasoned onslaught against conventional wisdoms, all in a quest to discover the true purpose of art. In hunting down this purpose, examples are drawn from wide-ranging artistic disciplines, and the reader is taken on a meandering journey through subjects as diverse as quantum physics, psychology, Zen Buddhism, philosophy, mathematics, and ancient civilisations. "This is a new, fresh and compelling look at art which pulls the subject to pieces and puts it back together again, building to the crescendo of a new viewpoint emerging for the reader." (Lyssandra Hercus, artist) "This book will help you to differentiate between real art and shallow philosophical ideas which pose as art and are often funded as art." (Charlie Hearnshaw, composer and jazz musician)