Fran Lebowitz on Artists and Nostalgia

[MartinezCenturion]

i adore this speech about first rows, and aids: brava!

[Starwheel6]

Although Fran is refreshing on many points my one

criticism of her is this nebulous, post-modern worship of the new.

As if just being new is the only criteria.

It's not necessary to begin over trying to figure out which

mushrooms are poisonous and which are edible for the sake of newness.

Plain stupid.

Integrating wisdom of the dance of phenomena is in play.

Building on this creates a majestic renaissance.

Newness for the sake of newness with no depth

creates a lot of tacky tattoos.

[marcolopolis555]

@Starwheel6 Actually newness is always the key, many artists have said this, her claim itself is not new. Hemingway also said it, and so have many others. Doesn't mean you can't still be influenced, but your influence has to be a synthesis of all you have learned rendered in your own unique style. Coleridge said: To admire on principle is the only way to imitate without loss of originality. It's not newness for the sake of newness, it is finding your own voice.

[Starwheel6]

@marcolopolis555 Well said & with clarity. I agree that finding your own voice is key.

My point concerns wisdom & the metaphor of building on past established wisdom.

For instance the creators of the English language understood that being miserable

is derived from -able to be a miser. That's wisdom w/out an iota of religion. Thoreau

was radical for his time, eventually influenced people like Gandhi, MLK even OWS,

& his newness was built upon a deep wisdom. The edible shrooms are established.

[Chronophonic81]

Awesome.