Tired Notes On Art

I have some things I was thinking about art. I'm too tired to write coherently. But I need to save these ideas.

I was wondering about Collingwood and about the historical moment that he was writing The Principles Of Art. He seemed to think art was a serious issue at the time of his writing. He seemed to think it had implications for all of life, he says so. He seemed to think it had political implications. But it wasn't enough. He didn't continue to explore the questions of art and politics.

He went on to write books like The New Leviathan. I don't know what happened to him.

But I plan on finishing this series of essays. But it interesting to vaguely anticipate times when this won't be my writing project anymore.

I have resolved to finish Adorno's Minima Moralia, as I was just telling a friend (shouts out to Mr. MRY).

Adorno and aesthetics. I was thinking something. I forget what.

I've just got my mind jumbled up in several different directions right now. Beginning to try and grapple with political philosophy, trying to start thinking about contemporary politics. Trying to think about art and politics. Trying to think about life and art.

I like all of that. I'm excited to be extending myself in loosely related ways. Just spread all over.

I was thinking on the walk home how right now I'm really still settling into the distinction between art and craft. It feels so significant to me, very important to me.

I feel concerned with this distinction as it applies to the social world.

Representation is a form of craft.

How often do I represent or craft myself? How much is my social life a form of craft?

Also I am trying to grapple with the overlap of art and craft.

Because clearly if my life is to become artistic there needs to be an element of craft that enables that art.

So what are the useful or necessary forms of social craft that would be necessary to live an artistic life. I think I would need to understand small talk, tact, commonly accepted notions of politeness. Those would be the crafts necessary in order to live an artistic (expressive) life. (I'm trying to be aware of Adorno's statement about the use of 'we' when we really mean 'I'. Because for most of this, I simply mean 'I'. Forgive my use of the word 'we', it is just me).

This is an important thing for me to think about I think.

I think this was actually made clear to me during a very very brief exchange with a friend at work. I was writing something, tried to explain how I was thinking about the role of craft in social life. He asked some questions, and we didn't have any time to really go into the issue very far.

But it was nice to bring it up to a new perspective.

But it is true, there is a certain amount of craft that would be necessary in the execution of an artistic life.

Jeez. I think this is a very important connection I have made. I will add it to the outline. How exciting.

Sleep. Good night.