Comments on: Beyonce and The Scream

By: Emmanuelle

Emmanuelle — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:46:48 +0000

Thank you for the thought-provoking comparison, with all the comments.

I find it fascinating that we can extract two happenings and create an endless mental (?!) debate about it. That is true distraction. This debate is like a funnel that fragments down exponentially to tinier and tinier considerations of details. Spiraling to the infinitely small. After a while I find myself confined to a jail of reason.

The dress and the painting are two elements of culture. I have come to fit all things of human life as either connected to culture or to nature.
Culture being done by us, and nature being done by … uhh? a higher part of us I guess, the one that is creating at a higher level of mute collective understanding.

That’s why I like comparing one thing of nature with one thing of culture. For instance a photo of Sunday’s eclipse with a painting by Laurent Grasso http://www.galeriechezvalentin.com/fr/artistes/laurent_grasso/works/
This debate leads me to expand the discussion into exponentially larger and larger things, going macro.
Getting out of the war, or tango (wherever the pleasure is the sweetest) of man-made versus man-made.
It gives me proof that there is more to existence than existentialism.

That’s the way I have found to deal with my own death, anyway.
Thanks for midwifing, folks

By: Erika

Erika — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:50:53 +0000

Also the color schemes being similar is great. I see the parallels between them. Where are our priorities, what s a commodity, what price or value is of anything. Also Beyonce is a meh talent unless you count being pretty and not wearing pants then she wins.

By: Erika

Erika — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:46:41 +0000

This dress has been driving me nuts. The dress is good but she wore the wrong undergarments. Should have gone with black. The flesh colored bodysuit reduces the look to Vegas showgirl.

I really dig the Scream but art is overpriced. It’s like a pissing contest with a bunch of dudes with too much money showing off. Reminds me of this http://nymag.com/news/features/rudy-kurniawan-wine-fraud-2012-5/ I like the idea that all of these expensive pieces are mostly just fakes. Why not spend the money feeding people or funding cures for disease ? Not glamorous enough ?

By: WendyB

WendyB — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:52:46 +0000

My mother always says, “Everyone has their own priorities.” Some people like fashion, some like sports, some like art. Whatever makes life more enjoyable, I guess!

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 19 May 2012 15:34:15 +0000

The reason people elevate something like the art market over the fashion world is because fashion is coded as feminine, and therefore frivolous, even though the art market is incredibly frivolous and shallow, and in the end probably has less of an impact on culture at large. Pop culture and fashion are driving economic and cultural forces, whether bitter dudes want to admit it or not.

As for Beyonce, sure, she is a product just as The Scream is, but I don’t think she deserves to be called “bits of tinsel”, she is responsible for a lot of (arguably) great pop lyrics/songs and is an excellent performer and cultural icon, and I could certainly make the argument she is more empowering and substantial than many of her peers.

As for the dress, it’s kind of fugly and amazing at the same time. Ponytail is weak, if you’re gonna go for it, go all the way!

By: hammiesays

hammiesays — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:09:19 +0000

In our house we call it “Home Alone Face”

By: layersandswathes

layersandswathes — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:37:34 +0000

Sister – that was a fantastic read. Thank you! xo

Oh, and i thought Beyonce looked like a decaying Tim Burton-esque Big Bird after being skinned.

By: Andra

Andra — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:02:47 +0000

Well, I’ve been thinking about this all week and I’ve decided …..
I don’t give a shit!

By: Dave C

Dave C — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:26:16 +0000

Great art is beyond the values of the market place. The Scream is not ‘worth’ $119 million, that’s just the amount of cash somebody can spare to hang it on their wall. As for BeyoncÃ©… I just don’t get her.

By: Sister Wolf

Sister Wolf — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:04:41 +0000

JLF – Of course I care about all instances of inhumanity, that is a given.

Debbie – Yep, I’m trying to read. In between bouts of tumblr and British crime dramas.

Srenna and dust – How bizarre that the color schemes are similar! I wouldn’t have noticed that. What can it mean???