this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2023
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One of the characteristics of good art, to me, is how strongly it makes somebody feel. Any feeling. If a work of art annoys you, that too should be appreciated. In the same way that an actor who plays a character that makes you HATE them should be admired. That is not only a difficult thing to accomplish but also the least appreciated. If all characters satisfy your personal hangups and pet peeves, then every character is the same person.
Rejoice that you are annoyed by something. That says something about you as much as the work of art
I'm always annoyed by vandalistic names carved into trees and rocks and monuments wherever I visit. I don't think that's admirable or should be appreciated.
You may be going too broad
Roman's left their names all over the place as tourists, ancient Egyptian workers left graffiti at their worksites, and Pompeii basically used walls as message boards.
I'm conflicted, on one hand I love that people want to leave a trace of themselves behind. That feels beautiful in a way, even if I think the message they leave is silly. It also leaves something for our ancestors to hopefully find if something happens, and that's delightful to think about.
On the other hand, I loath selfish entitled people.