decay and decadence

I was thinking about this quote: In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay.  And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable.  And help to change it. - Ernst Fischer...and it got me thinking about art today.

I was thinking that maybe surrealism may have had in it the first distinct expression of decay and decadence.  Now probably not because there are many individual expressions that could lay claim to this in the history of art -yet still, that R. Mutt toilet seems like it could be named as at least the first modern expression.

Now I'm sure this has all been gone over before by others much more educated than myself.  Really, I've just been thinking that this seems to be the only important function of art now.  And even then I guess there are other important statements to be made.

But I imagine the new art to be sloppy, makeshift, literally falling apart -ugly, stupid and gross in all ways possible. I'm not the one to make this art, that's not why I'm saying it, but I do collect via the mail and in the trash, free, most of the elements of my art now.

What I think is that art must always reflect the society in which it is made.  I suppose that might mean that new art will be made on, and sold on computers, traded via the internet etc.

But I'm thinking about my own stuff, which just never gets trashy enough.  When I make it, it is always too tame, to mannered, to predictable and balanced.  The new stuff must really be inbalanced,  temporary, made of junk by junk with junk.

And it should fall apart.  And rather quickly.  And have to be remade.  A new version. A better, more stylish, up to the moment version.  So in fact I guess the artist could just keep coming up with this new improved version...like one piece of art done over and over and over.

Maybe it will be an endless painting of money.  Every type.  Just hopelessly glued sloppily on paper.  That might just be the best answer.  I'll try it. See if it works.  See if it is ugly enough.

Of course I'll get bored of it I bet.  Not sure though.  But I love making these smaller postcard-size paintings with their small images, a kind of message from me to you.  And I don't feel qualified to speak for anyone other than myself.

I actually don't even like speaking about anything let alone anyone -other than me.  And even that seems phony.   And that is why I feel so happy getting any comments, good or bad.  If somehow these things can keep a modicum of conversation going, though it be about nothing, it is better as they say than nothing.