Art Forms

I was in Havana last week at the national art museum, and I was reminded about the various characteristics and advantages of different art forms. Musicians and singers have it the best: some great songs have been written in five minutes, and they last lifetimes. With modern recording techniques preservation is assured. Also, music is portable, and so when I hear Louie Armstrong playing in various countries all over the world, it still amazes me. I liked a local band in Havana playing at the Hotel Inglaterra a few nights a week, so I bought a CD and brought it with me back to Mexico and I can see the artists and I am there at the outdoor Havana cafe when I listen to it.

Painters and visual artists have it pretty rough: they may work for years on a piece and the very nature of art limits it's portability. The only thing that can be done is to make copies in poster or print form, but still, distribution is limited. Today most art is preserved, but in centuries past we have lost many art pieces.

Writing books allows people around the world to enjoy them, but there are translation issues that may slightly transform the interpretation and it also stifles distribution.

I pondered which art form was the most important, which has the most impact on the world. Music helps shape the world, and can provide a common experience for listeners, but I don't think it changes the world much in real terms, although it is possible to change the music world with a breakthrough sound. I love music. Especially live performances.

Visual art is heralded, coveted, even stolen, and it also shapes and reflects our experience, but it's importance as a historical record faded when modern photography became popular. That said, I love visual art too. I know what I like and just enjoy taking it in and trying to understand what the artist was trying to convey.

Words. Words can change the world. Writers can be heralded but also they can be jailed or killed for their words.

I enjoy trying to be artistic with words. Sometimes that means simply using them in a way they have never been used, such as turning a noun into a verb, sometimes it means creating a sequence of words that have never been put in that order, and sometimes it means trying to invent a new word. A good writer can create "music" with their words, and it can be presented on the page in an artful way, so yes, writing, I believe is the most important of all art forms in my world, although I enjoy and embrace music, art, dance, even a well-presented meal, and all other art forms, with the possible exception of opera.

Can you imagine a world without art?