Dog with two tails

Artist is like a soldier, because art is very speciffic kind of violence - forcing your taste on others.

What is good art? Is there such thing at all? One of my teachers said, that maybe there is such absolutes like: what is best, what is prettiest, which gyal is hottest and so on.. but then no-one knows who is right and still anyone acts on their own concience.. at least they should. I guess, this teacher thought that when there is possibility that universe was created on some certain values. And we also have traditions and ethics, although these are already different by cultures. How are related art and ethics, that is my main question. I have many times said, that artist is allowed to do anything. Certainly i don't mean that one should step over the law for the name of art, but sometimes when you want be progressive artist, you may need to do unethical things. Sometimes that is not so big deal, but who determines where goes that thin line between almost criminal or obscene acts and tasty artistic experimenting. And how does that affect artistic value.

Ok. Lets leave hypothetical bullshit and ask something simple and concrete. Like: is taking photos of some other people without asking their permission ethical, is it even legal. Or is photoshoping these pictures ethical. When you modify a photo, you lie, you practically do the same for what yellow magazines have such a bad reputation - show the reality like you wan't for your own good. But i guess that none of the artists want that their reputation gets hit same way. Does that reduce the value of photo, when one fixes the defects and flaws digitally. It's kind of two tailed thing. First, it may show the unprofessionality, yet isn't art at larger scale doing something that really doesn't exist. At least i see it so,.. most art that just tries to be as much close to reality, seems bit boring and empty. Even photography.. great documentary photos that represent something from real world have too these hidden ideas and messages what make it more than just a simple representation.

Here ya, that is one of the pics of me, taken this year may in Finland, Hesinki by Eva Luure..

I have made some little digital work with it. It's not something radical but still i made that photo bit better basically with means that can be said cheating. But it's all for good of the outcome. Imagine if all paintings would be absolutely realistic, all photos leaved as they are.. even music would be uncleaned of noise and flaws.. probably not many people would find that kind of art pleasant. Sure, there is that kind of trashy art too, but that is meant to show you how unpleasant things can be.

Well, now you can just forget all i have said and write your own thoughts about matter.