THE CULTURE ISSUE

FEATURINGN I C O L A S T U R G E O N R I C H A R D W I L S O N S E G U N A K I N O L A L E E H O W E L L P A L L U I S S A N C H E Z C O L E E S C O L A & D R E W J O H A N N AFeb. 15

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Staff

Editor in Chief Eunice OlumideEditor Neill ConnellArt Director Alan ForgieDesigner Beatrice EyalesAdvertising Stephanie Cowan

ContributorS

Drew JohannaLauren QuinnLee HowellLee TantLisa GoodNick KalishTibor Galamb

T H E C U L T U R E I S S U E

Cover Image: Richard Wilson, “Hang on a minute lads, I’ve got a great idea …”

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Editors Letter 4Nicola Sturgeon 5 Kat Candler 8Cole Escola 9Richard Wilson 10Segun Akinola 14 Big Bear Lake 16 Subordinating Beauty 20 Wild Horses 26 Pal Luis Sanchez 28

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Editors LEttErEunicE oLumidE - Editor in chiEf

The intertextuality of life is the moment where technol-ogy meets culture. The fusion of industry, art and the modern mortal environment creates the cinematic play-ing field that we find ourselves in today.

What is life without culture and what is art without life? It is surely these intrinsic symmetries that bind and shape the human landscape.

The exploration of who we are and what life is. This is as relevant now as it was in the beginning of time. In this modern world we are merely reflections of reflections

and of our environment, seldom challenged and rarely rebuked.

Our conception and formation from our minds eye pro-jected into animation impacts life on a day to day basis, as we strive to encourage creation that which will give us all a better world and a better life.

We do battle with established ideological state appara-tus using art and culture to negotiate the dichotomy of politics and religion.

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nicoLa sturgEonby LaurEn Quinn

thE Last six months for nicoLa sturgEon havE bEEn thE toughEst of hEr poLiticaL carEEr but forgEd in thE firEs of a battLE for indEpEndEncE, sturgEon has shown shE is madE of

stEEL. wE spEak to thE first in a nEw brEEd of statEsman about hEr infLuEncEs, chaLLEngEs and aspirations for scotLand.

The campaigning is underway for the May elections and SNP is projected a landslide win.

As the leader of the SNP what will be your strategy to deliver the next referendum?

While I firmly believe that Scotland should be an inde-pendent country, and that it remains the best constitu-tional settlement for this nation, I accept unreservedly the result of the referendum.

If and when there is another independence referendum will be a matter for the Scottish people. The Scottish Government will now play a full and constructive part in the process to deliver substantial new powers for the Scottish Parliament.

Our key focus will be on ‘powers for a purpose’ – that means proposals that aim to deliver real change for the

people of Scotland and work to create a fairer nation.

One of the huge positives of the independence refer-endum was the overall engagement of a vast majorityof the electorate.

Do you think people will continue to immerse them-selves in political affairs and how will you keep people engaged moving forward?

The referendum campaign made it clear that there is a massive desire in Scotland for change. We need to en-sure that the reality of further devolution matches the rhetoric of the campaign.

So all of the political parties - have a responsibility to involve our empowered, engaged and energised elector-ate.

SOCIETY

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Will you continue to push for Scotland’s power over foreign affairs in particular over Europe?

I am clear that the Scottish Parliament should have the ability to directly represent its interests in the EU and internationally. In our submission to the Smith Commis-sion, we set out that Scotland should be empowered to have a stronger and more clearly articulated voice on the international stage.

This is essential to ensure that the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government can play a stronger role in de-cision–making on issues within their responsibilities, or which affect their interests, and to enhance their ability to promote Scottish products and businesses interna-tionally.

Within the context of the UK, we believe Scotland should have the competence to act internationally in de-volved areas and also a formal role in determining the UK’s priorities, policies and positions on reserved mat-ters that affect Scottish interests.

Reforming the EU is a challenge that will only be successfully met by member states work-ing collectively in a constructive and deter-mined manner, accord--ing to established procedures. The Scottish Govern-ment is committed to membership of the EU, and as I have made clear, we believe that none of the nations of the UK should be removed from the EU against their will, as expressed in any ‘in/out’ referendum.

The EU does need to be reformed, but the Scottish Government believes that can be achieved from within, without the deeply damaging impact on the economy, jobs and growth that an exit would entail with the loss of access to the world’s largest single market with upwards of 500 million consumers.

With an ageing population in Scotland and a young workforce flocking to London, how do you intend to help retain Scottish talent. Will immigration be en-couraged to fill skills shortages?

Scotland’s needs are different to those in the rest of the UK. Scotland has a large, established migrant commu-nity and we welcome the contribution new Scots are making to our economy and society.

Immigration policy is currently too heavily influenced by the priorities of the south east of England.

The Westminster approach is based on the values of the current UK Government, which is driven by a desire to reduce the numbers of incoming migrants.

Alongside our efforts to create more jobs in Scotland and develop the skills of our workforce, we must be ableto attract and retain world-class talent to fill vacancies which cannot be filled by resident workers.

Scotland has an excellent Modern Apprenticeship pro-gramme responding to employer needs. It is also help-ing more young people remain and succeed in educa-tion and helping young graduates kick-start their careers through a range of quality, paid graduate placement pro-grammes.

We made clear that we want devolved competence over certain aspects of immigration policies, for example the reintroduction of a post-study work visa in Scotland, to enable us to better address our economic needs.

Given your tenure as Minister for Health, how do youfeel about the recent Audit Scotland report that sugge-sts that there are still “substantial” inequalities in he-alth throughout the country?

Overall, health in Scot-land is improving, and people are living long-er, healthier lives.

Reducing the health gap between people in Scotland’s most depri-

-ved and affluent communities is one of our greatest challenges.

At its root this is an issue of income inequality - we needa shift in emphasis from dealing with the consequencesto tackling the underlying causes, such as ending pov-erty, ensuring fair wages, supporting families and im-proving our physical and social environments.

Scottish Government measures such as driving invest-ment in affordable housing, free school meals and con-tinuing the social wage commitments including free pre-scriptions, concessionary travel and free personal care, are the right approach to take.

In the face of the UK Government’s welfare cuts, we are working with all of our partners to tackle poverty and inequality and help those who want to work to get into work.

Many people in Scotland are concerned about the wel-fare policies of the UK government and the implicationsthey could have on them and their families. And that is why we want the necessary powers to develop a Scottish system which provides support for those who need it.

Your mother will have been a huge influence in your choice to enter politics, are there any other female pol-iticians you would sight as inspiration?

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“Politics and Public life in general have networks that have grown uP around men.”

Winnie Ewing is someone who inspired a generation of pro-independence politicians. Her win in the Hamilton by-election in 1967 ushered in a new era in Scottish politics and paved the way for much of what has fol-lowed, so she is a female politician that everyone con-nected with the cause of an independent Scotland owes a great deal to.

Being a woman in politics, do you feel that you hadto work harder than that of your male counterparts?

Yes, sometimes it does feel that you have to work hard-er, as a woman, to be taken seriously. And although Ho-lyrood has a good record on female representation, there is still much to do.

Gender balance is not only good for governance but it leads to better decision-making. I am determined that women in Scotland should have every opportunity to contribute fully to the success of our businesses, our public and third sector organisations and to our econ-omy.

I am keen to have mandatory quotas to ensure at least

40 per cent of public boards are made up of women tobridge the gender gap and create more effective boards.

From our recent consultation, we know there is supportfor this activity across the political spectrum here in Scotland. I want to harness that support and ensure the expertise gathered informs appointments processes, re-sulting in gender diverse boards comprising the highest calibre of men and women.

Would/will you encourage more women to get involvedin politics?

Yes, I will always encourage woman to get involved inpolitics! Politics and public life in general have net-works that have grown up around men.

The way to change that is to get more and more women involved so that increasingly influence is not confined to these traditionally male networks.

Lauren Quinn

@LaurenQuinn

L-R: Winnie Ewing, Andrew Welsh and Gordon Wilson

Winnie Ewing was first elected in the 1967 Hamilton by-election. She served as MP for Hamilton between and 1970. She served as MP for Moray and Nairn between February 1974 and 1979 unseating the then Conservative Secretary of State. She famously said at the time of her election, ‘stop the world, Scotland wants to get on’, and her presence at Westminster proved to be a real focus for the SNP with a significant rise in membership being the result.

winniE Ewing

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kat candLErback from promoting hELLion hEr LatEst accLaimEd fiLm that put untrainEd actors in chaLLEnging roLEs. wE spEak to candLEr about hEr inspirations and crEativE procEss.

What was the best thing about working on your new film ‘Hellion’?

The experience from beginning to end was incredible. Sure, we had our ups and downs, but honestly it was a cherished experience. I was able to work with such talented human beings in front of and behind the camera and it became a family. I’m insanely proud of the per-formances.

From the discovery of Josh Wiggins to working greats like Aaron Paul and Juliette Lewis I couldn’t have asked for a more special time. My favourite time on set is working with the actors and moulding and shaping all of these characters coming to life.

Can you tell us a little about the selection process for the cast, were they all already established?

After I saw the movie Smashed I knew I wanted to go after Aaron Paul. I knew the director, James Ponsoldt who reached out to Aaron for me. And next thing I know I’m sitting in Macon, GA over milkshakes talking with Aaron about the script and the character and our lives. As he was walking me to my car, he said “Let’s do this.” And that was that.

For the boys, we searched high and low. We took the traditional route of seeing all of the kid actors through

agencies. But then, we went to tiny towns across Texas, motocross races, community centres, you name it, we searched everywhere and saw all of these non-actor kids. In the end we found three kids who had never act-ed before, one who was in my short and one who had only done a commercial. So they were all really new tothe experience and just real kids.

Who or what inspires you in the film making process?

I’m always inspired by my filmmaker friends. We’ve all grown up together and everyone’s having really amaz-ing successes right now. I just think they have unique voices and different perspectives and they’re taking beautiful risks.

Music inspires me. I’ll often write to whatever music is in the film. So while writing Hellion I listened to a lot of Metallica, Pig Destroyer, Death … Jane Campi-on, James Gray, Lynne Ramsay, the Dardenne brothers, Cormac McCarthy, Faulkner, Sidney Lumet …

What advice would you give to young filmmakers start-ing out in the industry?

Professionally – Be nice, be professional and work your ass off. Creatively – Story is the most important thing. And finding unique, innovative ways to tell that story.

FILM

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coLE EscoLathE cabarEt darLing and digitaL star that’s bEEn taking

thE nEw york scEnE by storm!

on tELEvision...

“I like doing television because it pays well and it’s a lot more impressive to tell someone you’re going to be on “Nurse Jackie” than it is to tell them, “Hey! I just took my pants off and made a video in my bedroom!”

There’s obviously a lot more freedom on the internet and I live for that!

I wish I had a little more money to better produce and carry out my ideas, but I like the internet best. As far as styles of performance I haven’t tried but want to are concerned, I would love to be married to a politician!

on nEw york city ...

New York inspires the feeling that if you don’t create something and create it RIGHT NOW, you’re wasting space. I get frequent stomach aches, rashes, and hardly ever sleep because of the stress. I love it!

on favouritE roLEs...

I’m probably most proud of “Jeffery & Cole Caserole,” the television show I had with Jeffery. The thing that makes me laugh the most is Peg Adamson, a character I have only done once but there’s something about her that’s timeless.

PERFORMANCE

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“Slipstream” at Heathrow’s Terminal Two is a celebra-tion of invincible beauty in aviation. The sculpture cre-ates a key focal point in the new terminal designed by Spanish architect Luis Vidal.

In what is his heaviest and largest installation to date weighing 77 tonnes and at 78 metres in length the sculp-ture is an impressive feat in engineering considering the four columns it rests upon were designed to only carry the roof. Costing £2.5 million to become reality it is his most expensive installation as well. Like so many of his past work the sculpture integrates and reacts to the buildings architecture, it twirls around the four columns and joins two public walkways.

The domineering piece expresses the twists and turns in the airstream of a Zivko Edge 540 stunt plane. To give an accurate representation of the flight movement Wil-son enlisted the help of engineers to digitally capture the planes movement in light using aerospace technology.

In order for the Slipstream to become a reality Wilson consulted structural engineers Price & Mers and special-ist Hull-based fabricators Commercial Systems Interna-tional (CSI). The sculpture was manufactured in Hull in 23 giant sections and transported, piece by piece, from Hull to Heathrow in June 2013. The striking sculpture welcomes over 20 million visitors a year into the new atrium space.

Airports atrium can often make people feel uneasy and can be seen as a place to simply pass through to your destination but, in a manner harking back to the Art Deco movement, Wilson has created a focal point of movement and drama that celebrates the act of flying.

The plane, a highly engineered machine outputs an el-

egant air stream only visible for a few moments has been frozen, encapsulated in aluminium form. Wilson has created an installation that encompasses the excite-ment, thrill and awe of flying. Describing his inspiration Wilson comments:

“Imagine filling the void of the Central Court of Termi-nal 2 with clay. Now imagine a small stunt plane jour-neying through the mass of clay somersaulting, spiral-ling, twisting, climbing and gliding.

Once out the other side, imagine the void left by the plane in the clay, is filled with fast setting plaster. When hard, imagine the hall is excavated of all clay to leave a plaster form. Imagine what this solid but fluid shape of the movement of the plane through space.”.

i c h a r d w i L s o n is onE of brit-ain’s most rEnownE scuLptors and is

intErnationaLLy cELEbratEd for his LargE scaLE works which capturE thE imagination with his pLayfuL fascination with spacE...

RART

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In the last 30 years Wilson has created spatial installa-tions that have an air of child like wonderment coupledwith daring engineering. This marriage of elements cre-ates installations that make the visitor perceive the spacein a different light or dimension.

Richard Wilson’s career took off after Charles Saatchinoticed his work 20:50 whilst on exhibition at an East London Gallery. It has now been restaged in Japan, America and Australia. The installation which uses re-cycled sump oil and engineered steel and is the longest running permanent installation in the Saatchi Gallery.

At first glance 20:50 is almost invincible easily being mistaken as an optical illusion or a polished floor. The name 20:50 comes from the viscosity grade of the sump

oil used. The visitor is invited into the space by cut outs in the waist high reservoir of still oil. Once surrounded the viewer is placed at the mid-point of a symmetrical visual plane, mirroring the architecture of the room ex-actly.

The simplistic beauty and elegance of the installation does more than reflect the architecture of the space it creates an altered perception, almost a new dimension. Making visitors pause, look and rethink their percep-tion of environments, a running theme through Wilson’s work.

Lisa Good

@LisaGood

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Image: Richard Wilson, Sketch for Slipstream at Heathrow. It is the longest piece ofpermanent art as well as the largest privately funded sculpture in Europe.

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sEgun

akinoLasEgun akinoLa is a composEr basEd in thE uk. aftEr initiaLLy LEarn-ing thE piano and drums at a young agE, hE LatEr turnEd his attEntion to composition, graduating from thE birmingham consErvatoirE with first-cLass honours.

Tell us about how you became as a composer?

I started out learning the piano and drums at a young age. By the time I’d hit my teens I knew that I wanted to go into music but at first I wanted to be a music pro-ducer.

I’d always been into films and there was a point where I really became aware of film music and I immediately fell in love with it! I realised that I could combine my background as a drummer and everything I’d started to learn about production with the piano and my love for stories in the world of film music.

I was hungry to learn more and fortunately my com-position tutor knew a film composer who I ended up doing some work experience with and later worked as his assistant.

Hopefully one day I will be able to work with world-leading orchestras, that’s certainly the dream. Typical-ly in an orchestra you’ll have around 70 people who have to work together to bring these dots on a page that you’ve painstakingly crafted to life - that’s where the real music is.

These musicians work very hard on their instruments for years and years so you want them to enjoy themselves. When they enjoy themselves, you enjoy yourself.

What is the best performance you have taken part in?

Even though I wasn’t actually performing, having my orchestral piece ‘Aurora’ performed was a remarkable experience.

It was written for a full symphony orchestra and three drummers so it’s a little bit different. As the composer you go through the journey with the performers, from the first rehearsal to the last and by the end, you’re all thrilled with how far you’ve come.The musicians really gave it their all and it was my privilege to have worked with them on the piece.

What is a dream project in your eyes?

A great animation film from any of the top studios/pro-duction companies such as Pixar, DreamWorks, SonyPictures Animation, Illumination Entertainment, BlueSky Studios or Aardman Animations. Two of my fa-vourite scores are John Powell’s to both ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ films.

I’m really into animation and it’s one of the areas that I haven’t been able to work in yet but which I really want to. It’s partly to do with the fact that they’re family films that everyone can watch. I have wonderful memories of watching films as a fam-ily whilst growing up and now that I’m an uncle and

MUSIC

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my family has grown I want to be able to share what I do with everyone in the family, no matter their age.

It’s also because these films inspire children and that’s important to me because if it wasn’t for certain films that inspired me when I was younger, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Are there many composers of Afro heritage in your field?

There aren’t unfortunately, certainly not those at the forefront of the field. I think it’s down to awareness again: it’s only because I became aware that composing could be a career path and had the right people around me who are in the industry that I’ve been able to go down this route. I’m hopeful that this will change more and more in coming years

Is there anyone from an Afro background thatyou find inspiring particularly?

Yes, Quincy Jones. He has been my number one inspi-ration.

He’s clearly a genius and also very hardworking. Not many people seem to know that he wasn’t just an ex-ceptional producer but he was also an exceptional film composer; he actually scored the original ‘The Italian Job’.

It was listening to his work that truly motivated me to go down this path and made me realise that it’s possi-ble to achieve the unthinkable; you just have to dare to dream (and work extremely hard of course!).

If you could work with anyone who would it be and why?

Without a doubt it would be Christopher Nolan; I’m a huge fan of his work. What I really like is that, for me, he finds the right balance between story, character, ac-tion and stunning visuals.

He’s more than just ticked all the boxes with his films, he’s redefined the standard of modern blockbusters

What have you got coming up in the future?

Currently I’m writing some music for film education charity Into Film on their Shaun the Sheep project withAardman Animations.

I’m also working on a new short film called ‘The Trip’ by Sophie King, a very talented and diligent director.

The script, by producer Timothy Root, is brilliant and I have to say, I’m having the best experience workingwith them!

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big bEar LakE by drEw Johanna

PHOTO

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big bEar LakE by drEw Johanna

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Big Bear Lake conceptual series by Drew Johanna sets out to explore the mystical secrets of the An-geles Forest in a fashion forward/fine art hybrid project.

The aim was to create a multi-platform creative ex-perience in photographs, animated cinemagraphs, and video. Armed with a skeleton crew and chame-leon model, Paige Califano from the band French Royalty, Johanna embarked into the wilderness to manifest her uncanny visions.

Not without a sense of style, each piece blends sur-realism with a couture sensibility that pulls trends from the edge of fashion.

The result is ambidextrous, immersive, and open ended, allowing the viewer to assign their own nar-rative spin to the image.

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Image Credits: Photographer: Drew Johanna, Film: Nick Kalish, Model: Paige Califano, Stylist: Chaine Leyendecker, Photo Editor: Kyle Juron, Production: Youth Juice

‘subordinating bEauty’by LEE tant

A Dialogue Concerning Artistic Merit, Part 1:Sitting at an enclave of the bar, sipping a beer, now warm and flat, purchased about an hour ago, an old philosopher, now resigned to more common pursuits, sits out the remaining hours of his evening.

By some locals he is thought of as an oracle type character, some-times offering insightful consolation and other times vexing respons-es to the people accosting him.

Having had one or two too many, one of the local’s sons, who is a budding young poet, decides to approach him. After buying the old man a drink and offering some banal banter about life in general, the poet, who finds it easy to break from the bondage of chit-chat, says:

Poet: Yeah, sometimes I seem to just simply ignore the confidence with which the modern work-a-day world thrusts itself upon us.

Mind you, I wouldn’t say I always mean to. I’d definite-ly sometimes prefer not to peer through its slick presen-tation and see it for the baffling shambles it truly is.

PhilosoPher: Indeed, once one is conscious, of what might be considered its inordained essence, such aware-ness can make an unwanted appearance in their very perceptions.

I suppose this could be viewed as some kind of evidence that, contrary to popular opinion, believing isin fact seeing.

The philosopher, realising he has been led somewhat seamlessly from inane chat about employment to deeper philosophical concerns, apprehensively adjusts his thinframe upon his stool and continues:

PhilosoPher: So, you’re telling me this because you seek some kind of consolation or, better yet, an unyield-ing response to the mysteries of life?

Poet: Kind of, it’s just I think I’ve stumbled across sucha thing...

PhilosoPher: Well, don’t go keeping it to yourself young man, tell me, so that I may ever again be struck with the melancholy that creates drunks and Goths alike.

Poet: Art! It became so obvious to me the other night;when I’m enjoying, or admiring art, I’m transfigured.

And although I might live an inexplicable existence,whilst in art’s warm embrace I get a strong sense of be-longing, and feel almost invincible. Admittedly I don’tknow what it is I’m meant to belong to or even what Ishould be afraid of...

PhilosoPher: Uh huh, but you still seem quite nervous

ESSAY

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Poet: If I sound nervous, it’s simply because I know it’s a faux pas to discuss people’s taste, but I now feel, with all my mind, that such a rule must be a great evil.

PhilosoPher: How so?

Poet: I mean the idea of relative tastes seems, to me,merely an excuse to excuse the ignorant, or ill-informed.It’s just a hindrance that leaves people more confusedin this world than they would be otherwise. However,if there was a way to understand art, its ephemeral buzzcould be prolonged, perhaps indefinitely.

PhilosoPher: Assuming this were true, don’t you think it could have very negative repercussions, like historians hiding their heads in books, or teenagers with their earsin headphones, but instead the whole of humanity, act-ing like ostriches, diving into art?

Poet: No way, because although your comparison withshelter seemed fair enough at the time, art is far more empowering than just avoiding something. Actually I think it gives us the inspiration we need to face our fears head on. So, art, as I see it, is to us, what pills are toPac-Man.

PhilosoPher: Okay, if I understand you correctly, thenyou’re proposing that the idea of relative tastes is a bar-rier, like the social convention of not discussing politicsor religion? That there may be guiding principles that could differentiate between objective art and less com-mendable works? And you’re not concerned that the creative process might become formulaic?

Poet: Exactly, avoiding issues is always defeatist. Treating art, and its power, as something that only exists in some things, and not others, seems embarrassingly mysterious to me.

I do admit to a bit of trepidation because a part of me still has an affinity with the Romantic, if perhaps mis-guided, notion of uninhibited expression. I mean it’s not like Shakespeare did a course on script writing.

And this part hates my need for a criteria, but I can’t help wanting to understand art more scientifically; not only because we could help ourselves to more of the exotic fruit it bears, but also because it seems the only thing capable of producing a stable answer to our base, existential, questions.

PhilosoPher: Well, I imagine you must have inkling as to what rules ought to provide a necessary, and suf-ficient, definition for objective art. I’m assuming you don’t think it’s an artist who bestows art-hood?

Poet: Damn right I don’t. Only a charlatan would hidebehind such a ludicrous...

PhilosoPher: So, any artist using such justification is acon-artist?

Poet: No, no, of course not. I don’t mean to sound prejudiced. I mean that, when questioned, an artist, who refuses to offer more justification than that, is most probably a fraud. I can imagine how difficult it must be to articulate what, I’d assume, must be their artistic intuitions.

PhilosoPher: Oh, okay, well now my curiosity is piqued, how would you articulate them?

Poet: Well, that’s why I was seeking you out here; you see I think I’ve got it. “Art is” the end product of a proc-ess that is both creative and therapeutic, brought to frui-tion by a talented group, or individual, with the aim of conveying an awakening, or insightful, conclusion. A conclusion, which is either its catalyst or has itself been reached through the product’s creation

PhilosoPher:Wow, that’s a bit of a mouthful; obvious-ly you have given this a great deal of thought. I notice that you didn’t once mention beauty; don’t you think art must be beautiful?

Poet: That’s thee million dollar question. I do believe art and beauty are distinct, but perhaps inseparable. In that, of course there are beautiful things that are not art, unless you’re of the opinion that something like a but-terfly is living art.

But, in all honesty, according to my own rules, there’s probably no rightfully termed art that’s not, in some sense of the word,beautiful.

PhilosoPher: I’m not sure I follow; must art be beau-tiful or not?

Poet: I’d say it must, but only in as much as when you’re speaking to me you must speak in English, al-though I’m comfortable with many bilingual expres-sions.

What I mean is that for art to be just that, it must speak to whomever beholds it, and, to properly do this, it must,as much as possible, use natural language. It must be capable of standing alone, so that any cultural, or social,contexts remain auxiliary to its essence.

Fleeting contexts and conventions should only play a supporting role, contributing only to its subjectivity.

PhilosoPher: I think you’ve simply misplaced beauty. Let’s start at the beginning, and see if we can retrieve it.

You say firstly that art is a “product”; what do you meanby that exactly? Why not a more substantial definition?

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Poet: I’d first thought “object”, but I’ve attempted to second guess what you might say about such a defini-tion.

PhilosoPher: Oh, so what would I say about it?

Poet: I’d think you’d point out that it’s a very difficult definition for say, music or literature.

PhilosoPher: And why would that be?

Poet: Because how would we determine which object was the actual art? So, for music, would it be the CD, the master recording or the actual performance?

In the case of literature, would it be the book or the first complete draft? And on and on it would go till I was pulling my hair out. However, I’m confident that it must be more than an idea, more than a weightless electrical charge in someone’s brain. It must be an outcome, a product, first and foremost.

The philosopher, pleased with himself, laughs quietly into his glass.

PhilosoPher: I’m afraid I really can’t see how such an ambiguous definition will aid you in your very lofty aims.

Poet: Au Contraire, Monsieur, this first part, as you quite rightly point out, seems to make my instrument, for definition, blunt with ambiguity, but it is, as I see it, already sharp enough to chisel away certain malignant elements prevalent in art today.

PhilosoPher: In what way?

Poet: Can’t you see that this seemingly light-weight notion of art, as a stand alone product, already excludes many examples of modern art? Pompous forms of en-tertainment, which, until now, only masqueraded as art, due to the absence of principles, And, like any counter-feit, provided only short-term gain for their perpetrators, in exchange for a long-term debasement of our art, and indeed ourselves.

PhilosoPher: Oh really. And how does it rid us of such counterfeits?

Poet: Well, old man, without an explanation of their quirky and or sardonic concepts, the foundations for such fraudulent, and poisonous, products collapse, and they’re reduced to what they actually are, like say a uri-nal, or a bed, or a glass of water.

So, my first rule may well be too permissive when it comes to defining art’s modes of existence, but it’s rigid enough to eradicate a lot of the extravagant silliness that

abounds in the art world. It allows us to say when a ci-gar is just a cigar. For example, it reveals inaccessible products, which use the art world, or galleries, as their context to play with, to be the most elitist kind of navel gazing pretence.

Simply anything that is completely, or mostly, depend-ent on explanation is not a product that speaks directly to anyone who beholds it.

PhilosoPher: Okay, okay, but, if I’m honest, that still sounds like the kind of conclusion, proponents of a more classical idea of beauty, would level at conceptual art.

It sounds like beauty has become hidden in your defi-nition rather than removed. You say art is a “product”, which, through using some mysterious “natural lan-guage”, “stands alone”. I think there’s some sleight of hand here; you’re actually, tacitly, using some concep-tion of beauty to disqualify art you’ve already deemed distasteful.

Poet: I get how you could think that. However, what I’m trying to say is that criteria, which defines art, is achievable, but I don’t believe the same can be said for beauty.

It’s the subjectivity in beauty that you’re using to under-mine me. You see it’s true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it’s crazy to let people with deficient eyes lead us, through some corrupted democracy, to relativity across the board in these matters.

Such nuance must be hemmed in, so that once we have a thing that is art, as decided by the criteria, only then can it attain a subjective status, relative to other prod-ucts that are already legitimately defined as art. Thus, we could agree that so and so is an artist but still bicker over what their greatest work is, or if another artist has greater merit.

Whereas if some philistine were to claim the trash they preferred was of greater worth than our treasure, we wouldn’t have criteria would most probably reveal it to be incomparable After all, why should we have to suffer fools due to some milquetoast approach, incarnate in the idea of taste,

PhilosoPher: But without some rigid definition of beauty this system will collapse, for, even by your own admission, beauty remains almost, if not wholly, rela-tive, no?

Poet: No. Look, I’ll put it like this, let’s say we have a thing that meets all the prerequisites, I would say some-one perceiving this product, who had no idea of its art-ist’s biography, cultural context, or aim, would, just by simply perceiving it, experience, due to its proficient use of natural language, an eerie ambiguity that would

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prise open their imagination. Whereas, I would say, some kind of high-minded entertainment would only be capable of causing confusion in a perceiver, unfamiliar with its contextual references.

So, can you see now that my criteria for art works a lot like a definition for music, which is both objective and subjective, in that personally preferable music visa-a-vie beautiful music is a matter for taste, but the objectiv-ity that defines music per se is on a par with mathemat-ics? You can understand that, right?

The philosopher strokes the bristles on his chin.

PhilosoPher: Hmmm. Put simply, you believe objec-tive art appeals only, or mostly, to natural contexts rath-er than those manufactured by people?

Poet: Kind of, but I’m not saying art does, or must, imitate nature, as I think that comparison is insulting. I don’t think that we would say I was merely imitating the people I learned English from during this here conver-sation. Imitating is how we first learn but it’s not a fair description once we’re actually applying the knowledge ourselves.

I know it may sound kind of silly, or far fetched, but I think art actually appeals to an order that transcends even natural contexts, instead it appeals to something beyond, something responsible for, the natural canvas of life itself.

PhilosoPher: Okay, but couldn’t this “order”, as you put it, simply arise from our own species’ attempts to make sense of our environment? In that we may mere-ly be rendering it intelligible, but this perception itself doesn’t represent anything true of the real world at all?

Furthermore, if this were the case, wouldn’t that make all contexts, including the natural ones, to a greater ex-tent, of human invention and consequently comparable with their cultural, social and political counterparts?

Poet: I see what you’re driving at...

PhilosoPher: Doesn’t this observation, if it were true, reveal your whole enterprise to be what it initially seemed like, which is a conservative and elitist exercise in snobbery...

The poet, with a loud bang, aggressively slams his more than half empty pint glass down on the counter, resonat-ing through the empty glasses nearby, causing a brief silence to ensue.

Bar Maid: Here, calm down or I’ll have to ask you to leave.

The poet bows his head and apologises, then turns to the

philosopher and, in a crescendo, carefully synchronized with the returning background noise, from a whisper to a prouder, more audible level, says:

Poet: Not at all, simply because there is little natural about the kind of contexts that are created by society, just as there is very little equal to all people.

Our very humanity, and the ambit of emotions it offers us, is simply a more universal and authentic basis for empathy and as a result things like; the sun, moon and stars, the oceans etc. are all shared in a fundamental way that ideologies, moral systems, social, and economic, positions are not. So, if you’re really comparing their dogmatic indoctrination with the simple awareness of ourselves, and the world, I would accuse you, in your ivory tower, of being very much out of touch

PhilosoPher: Hey relax, there’s no need to get so ir-ritated. It sounds like you’ve replaced beauty with this mysterious “natural language“ that speaks to our most natural and intuitive level of comprehension, yes?

Poet: Beauty, as I’ve previously used it, since it seemed I had to, is free from any capricious connotations, be-cause I believe theories that have focused on beauty, as a result, have had a serious definition of art elude them.

They have clumsily muddied the water between the two, polluting them both. If we are to understand art itself, then “beautiful” must remain a correlative to what is horrible, or unsettling. This is to say that the only form, in which art must participate, is natural language. So that, just like when I banged my glass, there is little or no interpretation involved; it somewhat bypasses thought, it just instantly evokes an emotive response.

For example had the bang been more complex, becom-ing a rhythm, I think you’d have been inclined to think it, in some degree, either beautiful or horrid, almost instantly. I’m sure the bar maid, regardless, would’ve thought it drunken tomfoolery. But my point is that such typically polar reactions, which are demonstrative of controversy in art, demonstrate that, unlike beauty, art doesn’t have to produce pleasure.

Ultimately, both the beautiful and the disgusting are the subjective consequences of the natural language art uses.

Such consequences depend on the perceiver’s emotional intelligence; what the art attempts to communicate, and how this sits with their weltanschauung.

So, you see, beauty is merely the lubrication, by which an artist slips their conclusion along a path of least re-sistance. The more instantly intelligible; the less con-sciously mediated, and legitimized, the product’s pur-pose need be.

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Products that only become art once they’ve made their way through a series of gates and turnstiles, in our thought, are not art. So, in response to your ear-lier point, because the language art uses aims to second guess, and be in sync with, our most basic understand-ings of the world, the question of whether the world is responsible for mind, or mind for the world, is rendered irrelevant

PhilosoPher: Bravo, I do believe that’s a compel-ling distinction you have drawn. I can see now that, although there is a lot of overlap between the pleasure in beholding art and beauty, they are clearly separable. However, it appears to me that there is already a huge and insurmountable error in your system.

Poet: In what regard?

PhilosoPher: Well, dear boy, you’ve hoisted yourself with your own petard; for, if I take you at your word, then literature, poetry, or indeed any creation using contrived human language, can’t be, correctly speak-ing, art.

For what could more heavily rely on a society’s, or cul-ture’s, contexts and conventions than the written word?

And, even if it were proposed that the more sophisticat-ed elements of our language were somewhat of a pros-thetic extension of a more foundational, and natural, universal language, even this could still only possibly lift a singer off the hook you have adorned, certainly not a syntactical arranger of coded, or esoteric, sym-bols, which one must be taught dogmatically to com-prehend, or indeed interpret, as you put it.

Therefore, ipso facto, a writer, poet, like yourself, can-not be an artist.

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