Big Ed's Place

So in last week’s musing, I wondered what elevated a well done photograph or a story to Art. Specifically, I wondered if I was creating Art or promoting it when I found it. Those aren’t easy questions to answer.

The first problem is, of course, defining Art. I’ve already defined it (here) as “a way of connecting to others. It’s a short cut to the heart and mind.”

Well, that’s certainly nice and ambiguous. After all, Porn is a way of connecting to others. It’s a short cut to the genitals. And when we get more involved than just the genitals, we start arguing whether the work is erotica or porn, which is a perpetual argument in writing circles. I happen to like Poison Ivan’s (from Ruthie’s Club) definition, which is that one term is pejorative and the other isn’t and that’s their primary distinction.

But the pejorative implications do tell us something about Art vs. Porn. “Art” is supposed to be something… better. Better in quality or in connection or in craftsmanship. I think there’s also a snob/cost cultural element as well, where once again I call on an analogy to cuisine. Artistry in cooking does not need to be confined to the $200/person restaurants. There are plenty of diners and taco stands and neighborhood restaurants that are “better.” They’ve managed to infuse their food with something that connects with a person’s pleasure centers in the mouth, nose, and belly. There’s plenty of art in those environments.

Aside–the flip side of “90% of everything is crap” is that 10% of everything is likely to be good. Anyone who makes a broad generalization (“disco sucks,” “French films are stupid,” etc.) about a category is demonstrating their prejudices and lack of an open mind to possibility. At least for me, the quest for the 10% makes my life more enjoyable.

Going one step further with the diner anthology, there’s even the possibility of quality at an artistic level in the every day. Malcolm Gladwell makes the case for Heinz Ketchup as being as good as ketchup gets. I imagine that there are times a places it makes that shortcut and becomes an epiphany to the taster. Why not call it Art then?

Of course, that makes me wonder–why not have the perfect cum shot? Or the perfect sentence describing a blowjob?

So the definitions are problematic. So are the tastes of the audience. Roger Ebert makes that point when he declares there’s no such thing as a perfect movie (here). Even the films generally proclaimed as the greatest have their detractors. I think that’s true of all art forms. There’s someone who is blown away, and there’s someone else who just doesn’t get it.

Ebert also makes another point, too, which is that good criticism needs to explain why. That’s what I’ve tried to do with my reviews on this site–give you more than the “loved it!” or “hated it!” so that you can draw our own evaluations.

But that doesn’t answer the original questions. Am I creating Art? Am I promoting it when I find it?

I don’t think I can honestly answer the first question. Authors are their own worst critics because they know what they intended to put on the page, making it hard to see what actually is on the page. At best I can tell when I’ve poured my heart and soul into a work (which isn’t every story) and only hope that the craftsmanship kept pace. In some cases, such as The Ugly One, I think that’s come across, based on readers’ comments. In others, it’s hard to tell.

As for promoting it, I think I could do a better job. I’ve slowed down on reviews for a myriad of reasons and one of which is that I’m finding little that just zings me the way Art should. That won’t prevent me from doing some negative reviews or mediocre reviews, but I hope I can pick it up some. That said, the number one reason I’ve slowed down is available time. Nonetheless, we’ll see what I can pull together. Maybe pointing to stuff I find that rises above the crass will help.

Unfortunately, the reviews will still be “I know it when I see it.” I haven’t adequately answered the question of what elevates porn to art. So here’s my current thinking:

a) If Art is a shortcut to the heart and soul, there has to be something with heart and soul in the original work. That doesn’t mean shock and surprise don’t have their place, or pure arousal, but they’re not sufficient. They’re just carriers for something deeper. So Goatse and Two Girls One Cup type stuff don’t qualify, nor their lesser counterparts. Neither does stroke fiction, regardless of the story codes.

b) There has to be attention to detail. If someone’s pouring their soul into a work, they have to care enough to get the little things right. Typos, basic grammar, and so on for a written work. Simple elements of composition like lighting for photos. I’ve found that it’s usually the attention to detail that defines quality.

c) It has to have some persistence. By this I mean that I think about it or remember it later, when it’s not in front of me. That’s a good sign that it got through to me.

There are probably more criteria, but that’s what comes to the mind immediately. Any thoughts on what else is required, readers?

Okay, A Mall Tale has echoes of A Good Christmas. Sometimes the theme is just irresistable. At least this one is for me.

Nick Scipio forwarded me a Call for Submissions for an anthology on exhibitionism. This story popped into my mind and I loved the fact that the narrator was not your typical “young stud.” When I finished it, I realized it wasn’t suitable for the original Call, and so submitted it to Ruthie’s Club, where it was published in March 2009. With Ruthie’s closing, I thought I should republish it here.

I like the surprise in this story, and the audacity of the unnamed female lead. It also contributes to my hope that some day, if I’m really lucky, I too can see unexpected things at the mall…

The Price was a queue jumper that I just couldn’t resist. The central quote about how death is the price of sex is one that a friend told me over fifteen years ago and has stuck with me since. I imagined Sherri saying it and realized there had to be a story there.

Of course, there’s a little bit more than that. I wanted a story set slightly before The Ugly One with Sherri in it, as a bit of a link between it and Friends and Benefits. I also loved the idea of writing something “tight” that showed a battle of wits. I also enjoyed seeing what stories Sherri could tell that would sound outrageous and plausible at the same time.

This one took a long time to write. It was originally published at Ruthie’s Club in late May 2009 and is here now for your enjoyment.