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Mellinga's Reviews > Art and Fear
Art and Fear
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I'm an artist. This book is absolutely terrible.
In the first chapter, the authors claim that that art came before consciousness and that prehistoric cave painters were not conscious beings. When they painted a bison on the wall, they had no idea what they were doing or why they were doing it. They didn't even know that they or the cave painting existed.
So how the hell do you unconsciously paint a bison? If the prehistoric artists lacked conscious intent to create the picture, what exactly would prompt them to paint? Just automatic reflexes? Some sort of cave-decorating instinct that forced these unconscious humans to paint on auto-pilot? I don't think so. Obviously, the cave artists knew the bison existed and that it was possible to create a likeness of the animal using pigments. If they didn't, they wouldn't do it.
The word "creativity" is not mentioned anywhere in the book, except in the tiny segment that points this out to the reader. "Why should it?" the authors ask smugly. "Do only some people have ideas, confront problems, dream, live in the real world, and breathe air?" Yeah, okay, everyone is creative - I get it. But not discussing creativity in a book about making art? What? That's like writing a recipe book and saying "this book doesn't mention ingredients. Why should it? Do only some desserts have flour, sugar, eggs, butter?"
I have no clue why this book has such glowing reviews. The great majority of it is pretentious nonsense, obvious advice like "don't worry about what other people think of your art!", or just plain wrong information that the authors try to pass off as fact. I don't recommend it at all.
In the first chapter, the authors claim that that art came before consciousness and that prehistoric cave painters were not conscious beings. When they painted a bison on the wall, they had no idea what they were doing or why they were doing it. They didn't even know that they or the cave painting existed.
So how the hell do you unconsciously paint a bison? If the prehistoric artists lacked conscious intent to create the picture, what exactly would prompt them to paint? Just automatic reflexes? Some sort of cave-decorating instinct that forced these unconscious humans to paint on auto-pilot? I don't think so. Obviously, the cave artists knew the bison existed and that it was possible to create a likeness of the animal using pigments. If they didn't, they wouldn't do it.
The word "creativity" is not mentioned anywhere in the book, except in the tiny segment that points this out to the reader. "Why should it?" the authors ask smugly. "Do only some people have ideas, confront problems, dream, live in the real world, and breathe air?" Yeah, okay, everyone is creative - I get it. But not discussing creativity in a book about making art? What? That's like writing a recipe book and saying "this book doesn't mention ingredients. Why should it? Do only some desserts have flour, sugar, eggs, butter?"
I have no clue why this book has such glowing reviews. The great majority of it is pretentious nonsense, obvious advice like "don't worry about what other people think of your art!", or just plain wrong information that the authors try to pass off as fact. I don't recommend it at all.
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Finished Reading
June 29, 2013
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Liesbeth
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Nov 07, 2013 10:09AM
Hmm. Now that I read this review I may take the book off my to read list..!
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I think the author meant they created created the paintings without the 'conscious' intent to create art because Art (the concept) didn't exist. I'll have to reread that section, but I remember thinking it wasn't as clear as it could have been.
You may be an artist, but you are no thinker.
Don’t let others opinions influence you to the point of missing out on something that may be quite relevant to you!
Aint read the book but the comments..Art is passion
Fear is in the creativity
Of that passion. Also
You can create magic in the absence of fear 💜🙏👽
“Everyone is creative” is missing the point. Everyone has ideas, but many do not act on them, because of the pretension and exclusivity of “creativity.” That refreshingly democratic take on process -over-gift is the opposite of “pretentious nonsense,” in fact.
