Art is everything that does not have any direct use. It is absolutely not necessary that it pleases us. Anyhow, not since Duchamp’s fountain.´
Does art need to have a message? Mona Lisa doesn’t. If someone talks about the purpose of art: watch out – he or she is bound to be a nazi!
From Ernst Billgren’s book “What is art?”
Art is the art of trying to find out what art is.
Why is it difficult to understand art? Because there is seldom anything to understand.
Why people see different things in the same work of art? Because one looks with brain not with eyes.
Does art have to be innovative? Yes, in the present time. But it seems to be a parenthesis in the history of art. From Egiptians to modern times artists did not give a damn about being innovative.
Does knowledge help? Only if you can make use of it. For instance, in 2007 only 9 people were killed by sharks and 791 people were killed by electric toasters in the U.S., but people are more afraid of sharks than of toasters. Tennis players know less than their trainers, yet their trainers would never win a match.
Did artists of the past know more than we? Yes, but knowledge blocks progress. The alternative to dinosaurs extinction was stagnation, which means that whatever survived when dinosaurs died out was not better or smarter.
How to achieve success? Make somebody happy. If you wish to be successful in your own eyes it is enough to be megalomaniac.
Should one do sth good? Not necessarily. The wish to do sth good can be compared to self censorship. It is better to do sth and then try to like it.
Should one be self critical? No. If you have only little qualities it is better to let them show up.
How to avoid mistakes? It is a mistake to avoid mistakes. Sportsmen who focus on avoiding mistakes use up 10% of their energy on this only.
How one learns things? By misunderstanding them. By being dum, not knowing anything. Just think about a glass that is empty and one that is full. Which is easier to fill? It is best to walk around and play dum – people will like you and feel wise themselves.
What is your single advice to a young artist? Mix with the people you wish be like.
How to get more energy? No need, you have already enough. Einstein said that a normal human being has as much energy as 100 big nuclear bombs. What you only need is selfdiscipline. It is the interest you lack not the energy.
Why people on other continents have such bad taste? They have inherited it.
Why people hold idiotic opinions on so many matters? They have no choice, they just got them like this. And it’s good. The place where everybody has the same opinion is called hell. Opinion is a reaction to your experience. If you have been knocked down by a guy with a red bead you will have a negative view on red bearded men. Therefore it is better not to impute others your views, even if you are perfectly right.
How does one know that one’s opionions are right? All opinions are right. And all people are satisfied with their views. I have never met anybody who would claim he/she had wrong views. But watch out, because opionions and prejudices are relatives. The true reality is beyond opinion, like the one in Matrix.
