Still trying to understand contemporary art?

What is it? What does it mean? and the usual tropes "My kid could paint that", "These people must be idiots/insane/con-artists"...

Is the artist playing tricks with me? Well, sometimes yes. But is that something bad? We enjoy movies, even though we know these are produced with computer generated effects, and the people are just actors playing roles. What about magicians (as as they are now called, illusionists)? We know the woman in the box isn't really sawn in half (although it would be an attention getting show if she were - even though the show would close that night)?

For the person trying to understand (and perhaps even enjoy) contemporary art, one book I have found interesting is: Ways of Looking: How toExperience Contemporary Art by Ossian Ward (2014).

The author has a system for approaching art with an open mind - a "tabula rasa" (clean slate, for those who don't recall the Latin phrase).  Then using a step-by-step set of simple tools to allow users to come to their own understandings and conclusions about the art.

These Photos are Really Sweet!

This article in the online magazine Slate is about a photo series by Blake Little of models covered in honey (warning: some nudity involved). The photos are arresting, and  interesting, but it seems even more so are the comments. Many are focused on the mechanics of the photo shoot, the appropriateness of doing this to begin with, and the usual assortment of "is this art" responses. What do you think?

 

Left: Paul, 2012. Right: Tao, 2012.