Serious Art

As some of you may know I am making a film with Choreographer and Author Jeanne Robinson called "Jeanne Robinson's Stardance Experience" - an IMAX feature. We are in development - read more at the Stardance Movie site.

In our collaboration we are sharing various pieces of art, philosophical takes, visions and goals, music, films - anything that we can think of to communicate to each other things that will influence the final film. Toward this sharing and discussion of form (especially the possibilities of "Dance in Film") Jeanne sent me a DVD of a dance film by Edouard Lock.



The piece, "Amelia" was presented on Canadian Television. Wonderful, inspiring - my Daughter (who is very serious about Dance) and I watched the piece mesmerized.

One thing that struck me is how the piece was presented on the show. It was presented with a true seriousness and respect for the art, a respect that in recent years has seemed to disappear from popular media in the US. Some would probably quip that Canada is simply 20 years behind the times and will soon be as quippy and disrespectful of serious art and artists as the US is.

That attitude - spoken in a jaded tone - is the exact symptom of this disease of degradation. Somehow it has become pretentious to take art, artists, intellectuals and scientist seriously - to bestow respect on those accomplished persons and their contributions to humanity seems antithetical to our "democratic" ideals. The only repsect bestowed seems to be in response to the financial reward gained by certain artists. The money "validates" the artist - and then respect is bestowed.

It's time to again lift public discourse up - to take ourselves seriously. (Upon reading many of my postings below I know that I am a product of my times - self deprecation works for comedians and talk-show hosts.)

And let's stop peaking at the man behind the curtain - and enjoy the show.