Artistic Philosophy and Its Applications on AMV Production

YouTube · Post by **Kionon** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:15 pm

And interesting side discussion came up in #amv-review on Monday, and I thought I'd bring it out to the masses. I pose to you this question:

What is your philosophy on art, and how does that philosophy apply to your editing (or if you're merely a viewer, your viewing)?

My artistic philosophy is that there must be expression inherent in art; that art without expression is indeed not art, but simply creation. While I grant creation can exist without expression or purpose, I refuse to grant that what we label as art can. Creation, fueled by expression, equals art.

And as such I claim that anime music videos without expression fail to be art, and while one could still claim them as a marriage of anime and music, they defy the most basic concept of what most of us accept as the purpose behind production. Anime music videos that follow the random scenes plus music equals music video cannot be called art.

So then why do anime music videos have to be art? Can they not be just creations? Is there anything necessarily wrong with that? I suppose anime music videos do not have to be art, and there is nothing "wrong" about them being just creations, rather than expressive creations.

However, this strikes me as odd. I'm an artist, not merely a creator, I desire to create because I desire to express. Without expression, I have no motivation to create, and more-so, I desire counter-expression to my expression when I interact with others. My art is not one-way. My art is a conduit between myself and my viewers. It seems to me, that if one simply wishes to create and nothing more, why involve a community such as this at all? By virtue of placing your creation into the discourse, you imply, and rather strongly, that you are doing so because you believe that it is valuable to the discourse; ie, that it is, in fact, an expression and not just a creation.

Therefore, while the concept of anime music videos certainly do not preclude creation without expression, it is my belief that active participation in this community does preclude any of the participators claiming they meant only to create and not express. All anime music videos on the site have some sort of meaning or message, even if it's simplistic or globally irrelevant.

Koopiskeva · Post by **Koopiskeva** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:37 pm

AMVs are good times.

Yok/0 · Post by **Yok/0** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:51 pm

I completely disagree with this

Esrhan · Post by **Esrhan** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:32 pm

I'd write something relevant about the subject, but the level of these forums being what is, I see it as a wasted effort.

CrackTheSky · Post by **CrackTheSky** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:33 pm

BEO THREAD.

JaddziaDax · Post by **JaddziaDax** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:35 pm

so are amvs art? or aren't they?

truthfully though, I really don't care as long as I have fun making them XD

omegaevolution · Post by **omegaevolution** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:50 pm

Yokou Seishirou wrote:I completely disagree with this

x2

who needs philosophy and art in AMVs?, make them for fun damn it!

Ingow · Post by **Ingow** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:55 pm

If this were an image board I'd have screencapped the main post + first four replies for later use in one of the other thousands of threads that are about AMVS AND ART, well done guys =\

Now on topic:

Kionon wrote:Anime music videos that follow the random scenes plus music equals music video cannot be called art.

IF I SEE THAT FKN AIR SCENE ONE MORE TIME-

anyways, yeah, wasted time as you can see for yourself etc.

Qyot27 · Post by **Qyot27** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:04 pm

In a way I agree that the motivation to express can be what qualifies an AMV as art, but on the other hand I see art as not being simply restricted to the author's intentions - what qualifies a work as art in the mind of a viewer and what defines it in the author's mind can be two different things, even if there is overlap on occasion.

Being part of the discourse and the community I see as the desire to hone one's craft - you can't separate the creative impulse from the impulse to express, and the discourse helps with the technical aspects which help one to create and express better, the abstract is still firmly idealized and developed in the author's mind. That abstract is what may or may not take the discourse seriously and so you might see improvement, or you might not - or it could be in areas unrelated to what was being discussed.

YouTube · Post by **Kionon** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:21 pm

Qyot27 wrote:In a way I agree that the motivation to express can be what qualifies an AMV as art, but on the other hand I see art as not being simply restricted to the author's intentions - what qualifies a work as art in the mind of a viewer and what defines it in the author's mind can be two different things, even if there is overlap on occasion.

Are you claiming that expression can be limited to just the beholder? Or are you claiming intertexuality as necessary to art?

If the latter, than I agree. That's the counter-expression I speak of. Art necessitates feedback, even if that feedback never reaches the original artist. And certainly the understanding, the counter-expression, can be very different from the intended expression present in any body of work.

Being part of the discourse and the community I see as the desire to hone one's craft - you can't separate the creative impulse from the impulse to express, and the discourse helps with the technical aspects which help one to create and express better, the abstract is still firmly idealized and developed in the author's mind. That abstract is what may or may not take the discourse seriously and so you might see improvement, or you might not - or it could be in areas unrelated to what was being discussed.

So in fact, your argument has even less of an appreciation for the concept of anime music videos as creation but not expression. Your fundamental claim here seems to be, and correct me if I am wrong, that since expression cannot separated from creation, that all creation is expressive and therefore all anime music videos, regardless of participation, are art, and maintain some sort of message or meaning.