Art or Vandalism?

**djtoast** · 22nd June 2008, 12:49am

YouTube - piano on fire

Well I guess you can argue in terms of its originality representing some kinda creative process. As such I guess it doesn't matter that his playing isn't up to much...

But I just wanna beat out the flames with a shovel and save the piano, and perhaps beat the dude a bit while I'm at it!

triggerhappy · 22nd June 2008, 1:08am

I hope it was a Yamaho.

katinacooker · 22nd June 2008, 3:35am

see, yr a piano person so yr supposed to feel like that. same that wall people would feel bad about normal grafitti

empty_inbetween · 22nd June 2008, 5:22am

For a start, most well known artists suffered in one way or another for their art.Get the silver space man suit off.
I like graff. which to some is 'vandalism' but I still want to save the piano.

Semprini · 22nd June 2008, 8:44am

Save the piano, save the world.

Hammer · 22nd June 2008, 9:06am

Saw the vid ages ago when it was on the BBC website. I really liked it, a very cool piece of art.

Dario · 22nd June 2008, 12:27pm

Well, it is a very intriguing and memorable image, I'll give him that- but the message, assuming it has one, is a bit elusive. If it is, as you say, a 'representation of the creative process', then its particularly weak. I guess I'd really need some context over what's intended with it, at the end of the day.

**djtoast** · 22nd June 2008, 12:31pm

Yeah, a lot of the time I feel with this kind of "statement" art it's a bit under-thought.

Perhaps I'm just under-equipped to appreciate though, I suspect if I'd seen a painting (by Magritte, say) of a man playing a burning piano I'd have been more able to accept it, cos paintings are definitely art, like.

Hammer · 22nd June 2008, 12:38pm

I found a film of it without all the news blurb, but with loads of photographers in the background.

YouTube - Man Playings Burning Piano

The guy's name is Yosuke Yamashita and he originally played a burning piano for a short film in the 70s.

*LesMTS* · 22nd June 2008, 12:47pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by empty_inbetween

For a start, most well known artists suffered in one way or another for their art.Get the silver space man suit off.
I like graff. which to some is 'vandalism' but I still want to save the piano.

Graffiti doesn't bother me personally but it is obnoxious. It's the visual equivalent of mobile phones blasting music on the bus.

Hammer · 22nd June 2008, 12:51pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by LesMTS

Graffiti doesn't bother me personally but it is obnoxious. It's the visual equivalent of mobile phones blasting music on the bus.

Depends on the type of graffiti though. I don't see anything artistic about a bunch of guys writing their names on walls, but the stuff Christie posted a month or so ago was pretty cool and artistic.

*LesMTS* · 22nd June 2008, 1:02pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammer

Depends on the type of graffiti though. I don't see anything artistic about a bunch of guys writing their names on walls, but the stuff Christie posted a month or so ago was pretty cool and artistic.

To extend the mobile phone analogy, you're basically saying it7 okay if they play music you like instead of the chipmunk vocals, remedial rave beat shit that's de rigeur.
I think some graffiti looks amazing and I love a bit of clever guerilla comedy, but it's still obnoxious.

Zooropa · 22nd June 2008, 1:06pm

My mobile ringtone is the sound the martian's make in Jeff Wayne's War Of the Wolds.

UUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAA

MarkMono · 22nd June 2008, 1:09pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by LesMTS

To extend the mobile phone analogy, you're basically saying it7 okay if they play music you like instead of the chipmunk vocals, remedial rave beat shit that's de rigeur.
I think some graffiti looks amazing and I love a bit of clever guerilla comedy, but it's still obnoxious.

Most of the architecture in Glasgow looks so fucking obnoxious that even cheap ned menchies give it a bit of colour.

As to the piano question: Both.

Art and vandalism are not exclusive.

fallen_nemesis · 22nd June 2008, 1:15pm

I dunno, I wouldn't necessarily call the piano thing vandalism. If you've bought the piano and choose to turn it into a funeral pyre on a beach with folk watching that's your property and perrogative really. If you'd set somebody else's piano on fire I'd term that vandalism.

As for the act it didn't really do huge amounts for me tbh.

On the point of graffitti I'm inclined to agree with Les. You could go and spray paint the same thing onto a canvas or a wall where you have permission and it wouldn't have the same affect at all or "fuck you" statement.

The French and Europeans in general seem to have a great take on it. Basically if it's good and actually art or making some kind of statement they'll leave it. If it's just quite obviously someone's name tagged poorly they'll get rid of it.