What Is Art?

I haven’t blogged here for almost a month – I can’t recall the last time I took such a long break. It’s been enjoyable for me, and I’ve found the motivation to be a little more active over at The Art Sensorium, a place I tend to neglect.

Part of the challenge of starting writing again, is knowing when to start and what to write about. I have plenty of draft ideas – works in progress currently include:

  • Slow Down
  • Masterminds
  • Muddy Waters : Problems and Mistakes (or Why Trust is Never Enough)
  • Work is Theft

Some of these may or may not see the light of day – my drafts folder often gets covered in cobwebs, so we’ll see.

In the midst of my indecision, Jon Husband drew my attention to a short video in which Brian Eno talks about state provision of a basic income for everyone.

This in turn led me, via Kev Wyke, to The 2015 John Peel Lecture – given by…Brian Eno. A strong thread in the lecture relates the question, ‘What is art?’ Brian Eno’s talk is at times funny, caring and insightful. I found both the content and the manner in which it is delivered, quite moving.

What Is Art?

Art is everything you do not have to do.

Children learn through play – adults play through art.

‘Art is the exposure to tensions and problems of a false world, in order that man may endure the tensions and problems of the real world’. Morse Peckham

Scenius – the talent of a whole community.

Through increasing automation we are less connected to production. In a world of ultra-fast change, how does man stay coherent? Eno believes more and more of us will spend more time becoming and being artists. What is art? Art is everything you do not have to do.

Thank you Jon, Kevin and Brian Eno. It feels good to be back.