Immorality As Ethics: Renzo Marten’s Enjoy Povery - Response

Immorality As Ethics: Renzo Marten’s Enjoy Povery - Response

Quote:

“When an artist devotes himself solely ‘to the good cause’ and neglects his artistic and intellectual qualities there will be little scope for criticism and analysis” (De Roo 142)

Response:

I find that this quote is a good representation of extreme devotion in any field being an issue.  It is great for one to have a large amount of enthusiasm for a project and devote themselves to it, but when crucial aspects such as the aesthetics of a piece and the basic intellectual qualities are missing, one cannot really dissect it and analyze it.  There can be a wonderful message, but if it is not backed up with enough concrete artistic qualities, it is lost in translation.  I find that this is one of the most difficult things for an artist to overcome in developing their own voice.  It may be a noble thing to focus solely on the cause, or greater good in a sense, but when it comes to creating something artistic in relation to it, it is definitely important to consider other qualities as well.  So many crucial things can be missed when all things are not taken into consideration and it is a shame that some messages can go unanswered, so to speak.  In my relatively short time of considering myself an “artist” I have had some troubles with this issue.  I tend to be very meticulous with my works, but it is very easy to forget the artistic and intellectual qualities and focus more on the message and ‘the good cause’.  There is always a limit to the devotions one has to certain aspects of a project, and it is up to the artist to find those limits and restrictions in creating striking pieces of art.

Questions:

1) Why is it that Western ethics are so narcissistic?  Is it a good thing that Enjoy

Poverty breaks the pattern of us feeling good and leaving us uncomfortable?

2) Do artists such as Renzo Martin and Richard Mosse have trouble with hitting

the correct emotional chords for people who see there work?  (e.g. Not wanting their viewers to take direct action in the issues they depict.)

3) “A truth is formed” (De Roo 144).  Would it be correct to say that truths are   learned, or are they intrinsically found in ourselves?