ANTITUSSIVE

'Creative people can either reflect the state of the world or uplift it.For some, the choice is obvious.'

by Marge C. Enriquez
ELAN Secion, PDI
07/31/2004

In the August issue of Vanity Fair, James Wolcott writes an incisive essay on the cult of instant celebrity, born out of narcissism, a prodigy of ego, and how popular culture worships the body like a deity. Looks reign supreme and talent has not just taken the backseat; it has become a "potential handicap".

The essay, "Bland Ambition", focuses on the phenomenon of reality TV start and finalists in singing contests who get the spotlight for their popularity rather than their voice. (Remember "American Idol" finalist Jasmine Trias who got the formidable Filipino vote even when she sang off-key? We've heard better singers in local noontime shows.)

The gist could well apply in any field, including fashion, photography and broadcast and print media, which has inflated the image and egos of many pretenders who rose to national prominence in too short a time. Their main talents are to look cute and schmooze wiht the media, and their knowledge of the craft is secondary, sometimes even negligible. Some don't have the dedication to their work but get away with their position.

Too little time
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"Talent takes time to ripen, time to learn and hone its craft, who has time for that ?", Wolcott asks.

What I find shocking is his comment, but it's true: "Mass culture secretes condescencsion and borderline contempt for any quest for artistic _expression that requires discipline, difficulty, sacrifice and a devotion to traditions larger than oneself. Having to work for success and personal satisfaction seems as primitive as pushing a plow."

Wolcott also observes how coverage of the performing arts in the leading newspapers is drying up and that the opera is "still patronized as a game reserved for Social Register dowagers and prisses."

His lament on how mass culture seems to disdain the virtues of dedication and patience in the arts saddens me. Between an invitation to a special function or a performance, Manilenos will favor the former. They don't realize that a show takes months of preparation, not to mention the artists' years of training.

In our media, the most talented and dedicated professionals don't get much attention. Advertisements tend to get endorsers borne of popcorn popularity. Without much technique, what would they be doing five years from now?

I have long been wanting to write an essay on the role of the arts which has been alienated from out society. Yet how many are going to finish reading a lifestyle editorial that has no gossip in it., or biting quotes, or anything that would titillae the basal instincts?

Both art and science are virtual in our thoughts and actions. We cannot avoid contact with art because it stretches out from the practical to the profound. Society's estrangement from it has left us with a lackadaisical or blase approach to life. To many, art may seem illogical, unnecessary and elitist. At a deeper level, the emotional distance of art from society and the idolatry of people who only talent is to look cute (call it the worship of dolls), symbolize the division of the body and the spirit.

Making sense of it
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Art is concerned with knowing the world through intuition. In ancient times, art through ritual, helped the community make sense of their lives. If we are cut off from our inner faculties, the result is a cold and materialistic mentality. Works of art are achievements in organization and derring-do. The quality and quantity of art is a yardstick of culture.

Art prospers in environments where compassion for human welfare can also flourish. Not only does art reflect a people's history and aspiration; it is also extremely important in planning the present and future.

Artists rouse social conscience. The most dedicated artists have been the ones who refused to conform, and have continuously treaded on terra incognita to arrive at a point of relevant insight and _expression. They are intuitively conscious of their transformation to discover a new set of values and uphold this through their work. Art allows a different aspect of the personality to develop an openness to substantial ideas. The more an artist enhances his innate abilities, the more powerfully the meaning of the art is transmitted.

Artists have choice - to reflect the state of the world or to uplift it. It is for these reasons that the ravage of art would mean the erosion of society's values.

How is this manifested today? Wolcott quotes cultural critic Albert Goldman as saying, "Never in the history of the world has there been such a rage for exhibitionism. What are we going to do with all these beautiful show-offs?"

While we're talking about art, Leo Garcia, dean of the humanities department of Ateneo, reviews "Art", performed by Actors' Actors Inc. The play tackles "The Emperor's Clothes" syndrome and discusses how perspective can glorify a work or give it a reality check. It also shows how perspectives can build or destroy friendships.

'Inside Out'

Last week I performed the multi-media art concert, "Inside Out", at Onstage Greenbelt. It was not only part of the creative outlet that balances my brain. Taking into considerations that our society preferred socials to arts, the invitations indicated that the show would start at 7p.m. sharp and finish at 8p.m. sharp so that the guests could catch up with their other events that night.

The concert was also a venue to market ELAN. A flier about ELANS thrust was inserted in the programs and given to prospective advertisers. This year my pitch was predictably iconoclastic. It defined what success meant to ELAN - certainly not in the traditional sense of quantity.

The worldly standard of success - having MORE - is based on the precept that there's nothing much around going for us, therefore, accumulation is triumph.

I wrote that the more I chased success according to materialistic ideals, the more it eluded me. Sucess is not based on quantity or popularity. It is based on quality. If the articles and images have opened people's eyes and made them see things differently, then ELAN has done its job.

That was also how I viewed working on 'Inside Out'. Its success was not going to be measured by whether people talked about the event, or by the media mileage. It would have to be based on two things: the quality of the relationships developed in its making, and the opportunity for creative work in the future.

Some people have remarked that my attitude is too philosophical or too airy-fairy, especially advertisers and sponsors who don't think much and just looks to mileage for support. Nothing has ever come easy for me. It is these ideals that have kept me determined and diligent in both my journalistic career and my artistic passion.

# posted by Resty Odon @ 12:46 PM