I’m not a big fan of purely political art, but the Pratt Institute has no problem with it—as long as it’s the right kind of politics, that is. The New Criterion’s James Panero reports:
You don’t have to be an art critic to see something tasteless going on at Pratt Institute. Since 1887, this venerable New York institution has been dedicated to educating “artists and creative professionals to be responsible contributors to society.” Yet teachers and administrators at Pratt have been nothing but irresponsible in their recent dealings with a fifth-year drawing student named Steve DeQuattro.
February 28th, 2011 | 4:01 pm
Nothing in this article surprises me in the least. Maybe the episode will give DeQuattro the sort of notoriety that lefty artists thrive on. He seems to be treating his opponents a little too nicely tho.
March 2nd, 2011 | 1:55 am
This illustrates how many liberals see themselves and how they see people who disagree with them and their views.
Liberals don’t believe they’re “political” or “ideological.” They’re “activist” and “socially conscious.” Liberals don’t believe that conservatives are activist or socially-conscious but political and ideological. Although both sides engage in activities designed to influence people and eventually public policy, liberals think their activities are on some higher moral plane while conservatives are just concerned with “politics.”
March 2nd, 2011 | 3:37 pm
Liberals don’t believe they’re “political” or “ideological.” They’re “activist” and “socially conscious.” Liberals don’t believe that conservatives are activist or socially-conscious but political and ideological. Although both sides engage in activities designed to influence people and eventually public policy, liberals think their activities are on some higher moral plane while conservatives are just concerned with “politics.”
Ugh, yes.
It’s a whole way of seeing the world. You’re at the center, and your viewpoint is perfectly aligned with the truth, and your feelings are perfectly aligned with goodness.
It is of course possible for the same phenomenon to go both ways – it is not a question of right vs. left so much as one of those who are open to the process of questioning the “status quo” or core assumptions of the dominant paradigm, vs. those who are entrenched.
It just seems like a lot of it on the left right now because we’re right at a moment where entrenched assumptions are about to fall like a boy’s wooden toy blocks. The tower was built up too high and it’s precarious and it’s weaving back and forth and it makes the people who built it edgy because they don’t want to admit it’s just another temporary thing, as all things of this world are temporary.
Rather dramatic, really.
March 3rd, 2011 | 1:48 am
dequattro@gmail.com
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