Man vs. Art

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From around the age of six, I have had a passion for drawing the shapes of objects.

From about the age of fifty I produced a number of designs, but nothing I did before the age of seventy was worthy of attention.

At seventy-three, I finally apprehended something of the true quality of birds, animals, insects, fish and of the vital nature of grasses and trees.

So, by the time I am 80, I will have made much progress, so that by ninety I will have penetrated to their essential nature.

By one hundred, I will decidedly have attained a higher state, indefinable, and at one hundred and ten, each dot, each line shall surely possess a life of its own.

May Heaven, that grants long life, give me the chance to prove that this is no lie.
Hokusai (who lived to be 90)

On today’s show I put together a collection of emails and voice mails for a massive buffet of art talk. So Buckle your cartoon belts and let her rip!

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Holy smokes! Has it been 50 episodes already?!
I’ve had a blast producing the show. I’ve learned so much about art, artists, and about myself. Since day one, I decided to produce my show to a higher standard of quality than most others in terms of production value, editing, writing, music, comedy, and honesty in the content.

The inherent difficulty and comedic irony of producing a show about Visual Arts in audio.

Why on Earth would I choose to produce an audio podcast about visual art? What am I stupid?!

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Today I want to rip apart and put to rest 7 awful myths and misconceptions about of art!

These Myths are totally wrong and mess up the integrity and purpose of art.

1. Art means whatever people want it to mean.
No way Jose! A professional artist, always has intention, and it’s his job to communicate that intent through mastering their craft and applying their skill in the form of hard work.

2. Art is all a matter of opinion and is subjective.
Hello! Every kind of response to art is an opinion, so that’s not news. What the myth implies is that all opinions are equally valid. That is FALSE! Some opinions are better than others. Opinions that are based on better reasoning are much stronger than opinions based on bad or zero reasoning!
Not all art is subjective. Some art is objectively good, and some art is objectively bad. The correct assessment depends on the evaluation of the criteria, not on the viewer’s whims or tastes.

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On today’s episode of Man vs. Art I want to explore how the act of drawing has thoroughly shaped our lives. There was a time when the ability to draw was seen as the primary essential skill of any artist. But in the age of the cut and paste pixel and digital imagery many see drawing as an outdated activity. I want to challenge the modern prejudice that it’s not cool to draw. That those who draw are sad Luddites and weird loners stuck in a dead past. Drawing is the most rewarding and essential artistic skill at work in the world today.

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Minions! I present you Mike White, the creator of the hysterically charming comic Amity Blamity! Born and raised in Canada, Mike has always dreamed about writing & drawing stories about his characters. After 5years working in TV and making award winning music videos, he moved to California enamored by the promise of opportunity. He is now back to his first love & childhood dream: creating memorable stories and characters in the spirit Bone, Calvin & Hobbes, Bloom County, and the many influences/inspirations of his youth.