Time, Art & Criticism
Time, Art & Criticism
There was only one exhibit, but it dominated the room. A discreet brass plaque gave its title: 'Seasons of a Tree'.
The Tree itself was an oak, I think - it's not really my area. Full size, fully grown. It appeared to be just putting out the first leaves of spring. And it was ever so slightly blurred. Not so much as to be obvious, but as you stared at it your eyeballs started to ache, and then you realised that you were constantly trying to focus properly. It was as if the light around the Tree had been slightly greased.
"What do you think?"
I turned round, mildly surprised to be addressed. I don't get invited to many of these functions, and tend to be a bit of a wallflower when I do. I'm a newcomer in this field, a hanger-on and an eavesdropper to the conversations of the Great and the Wise.
But, having said that, there were surprisingly few guests for such a prestigious event - and many of those were there 'in light only'. Nor were there as many famous faces, real or holo-projected, as I would have expected.
"I'm impressed," I replied cautiously. "It's - dramatic. Different. Totally unique, of course." Out of the corner of my eye I saw that the Tree was now fully leaved, radiating that quality of green that nature does so well and artists struggle to imitate.
"Anything else, Mr - Garden, is it?"
"Gardine," I corrected carefully, smiling to show that I wasn't offended. "I edit an Art Netzine - Insights."
He gave a polite smile to show that he'd never heard of it, or of me, which I fully expected. I was trying hard to think of his name. I was sure that that flat, hard-edged face was familiar, but I couldn't place it.
"Well, the most exiting thing about this exhibition," I continued, "is that it's something totally new in Art. I mean, this is the first completely new medium to be devised in - centuries, at least. It's radical! It's going to break the mould and let in some fresh air and new light!" As I spoke, I could feel the genuine enthusiasm breaking out from inside me. "This is exactly what Art needs just now, now more than ever - something to turn it upside down!"
Enthusiasm can be dangerous in Art circles. It can get you sneered at. But my lapse from good taste had prompted a more positive reaction: the smile became real, and then recognition clicked in.
"You're him, aren't you - Vechery, the Temporal Engineer!" The holo's I'd accessed hadn't communicated the essence of the man. Seen in the flesh, he fairly crackled with drive and intelligence. His rather ordinary features were transformed by the personality within.
"That's pronounced Veychery, Taran Vechery - and I'm here as an artist, not an engineer," he corrected, but he'd kept his smile. "I'm glad you like my first work. Here, come and look at it from over here..."
The Tree was now well into autumn, a blaze of crimson-gold that was already fading to duller shades, as leaves began to drift down.
"I think I like the Autumn best," said Vechery. "Such colours..."
"It's a real tree, then?" I asked.
"Of course. This isn't a holo projection, or some sort of trick!"
All the leaves were gone now, leaving the tree stark and bare in its winter.
"How long does it take to go through a year?"
Vechery gave me a sharp look, as if suspecting a trick question. "A year, of course. A year in its own temporal frame, that is. It interfaces with our standard temporal rate at about 14.43 KK's slip rate, that's with a precessional series boosted to..." he saw the look on my face. "Oh, sorry," he said, not sounding it. "I suppose the answer you want is that the Tree goes through a year in about a minute of our time. When it reaches 100 years old - in its reference - the field reverses, takes it back down to a seed. From our perspective, that is."
"What about the Tree's perspective? Doesn't it get a bit - ah - confused?"
"Do you?" Vechery chuckled. "From the Tree's point of view, we're the ones who keep going backwards and forwards. Temporal fields are self-contained: it's the interfaces between them that generate the apparent paradoxes. But don't try and grasp it. I can barely get a handle on it myself - you have to be a three-brained Isha'hassat to really visualize trans-temporal events. Just settle back and enjoy the show! Look, we're back in springtime... Now, who's this then?"
A small procession that had entered the room. Leading the way, dressed in a blaze of fashion, was the regal figure of Demidi De Soliel.
"You don't know?" I asked in sudden apprehension. The scent of critical disaster hung heavily in the room.
De Soliel drifted languidly through the sparse crowd with his entourage a discrete distance behind him. Pointedly, he did not approach the Tree, or even look at it. Instead he orbited, acknowledging greetings, bestowing a gracious word here or there, and picking up satellites. When he finally happened to notice the exhibit, he had incorporated most of the room into his train.
"Well, now." He cocked his head on one side, and gazed up and down the length of the trunk. "Well, well now. Isn't this interesting?"
He didn't sound interested. I could feel Vechery tense up beside me. "Who is he, Gardine?" he whispered.
"Demidi De Soliel," I whispered back. "Whatever you do, don't upset him!"
"Why ever not?" asked Vechery in genuine surprise. I had no time to answer. De Soliel had been slowly circling the Tree, and now stood face to face with its creator. I stepped back, so as not to be hit by a stray thunderbolt.
De Soliel had no trouble recognising Vechery - or in pronouncing his name.
"Ah, you must be Taran Vechery. I believe that you are the Engineer responsible for this.. device."
The way De Soliel pronounced 'engineer' produced an instant mental picture of oily spanners and dirty overalls.
To Vechery's credit, he sounded very calm when he replied.
"Yes, I'm Vechery. I'm the artist who has... created ... this temporal sculpture. I understand that your name is De Soliel?"
An eyebrow raised by a mere fraction was all the answer that Vechery received. De Soliel turned to look at the Tree once more.
"A temporal sculpture, you call it? How very quaint!" He turned to his nearest satellite, and spoke in a stage whisper. "I believe that I shall plant a tree and call it a 'non-temporal' sculpture!"
A titter of laughter swept over the gathering, and Vechery went pale. "Is that fatuous remark meant as serious criticism?" he asked tightly.
If the floor hadn't been carpeted, you'd have heard the jawbones bouncing. Demidi De Soliel had not been spoken to like that since he was a foetus. I was watching him closely, and I'm sure that he actually blinked.
"Oh, no, Mr Vechery." De Soliel purred. "Serious criticism is reserved for serious Art."
Dead silence. You could hear the Tree growing.
"Mr De Soliel." Vechery spoke very quietly. "You clearly do not understand what you are seeing. This Temporal Sculpture is a completely unique and original work. Nothing like it has ever been done before - indeed nothing like it could have been done before. Except by the Isha'hassat, but they have no interest in Art. Indeed, even now there are only 14 other human beings alive who could even attempt to reproduce this: and none of them are currently on Earth. You have never seen anything like this before in your life, Mr De Soliel. You should think of that before you make hasty judgments."
De Soliel's reply was loud and clear, and accompanied by a smile. A very gentle, pleasant smile. "But I have seen this before, Mr Vechery. I have a number of them in the grounds of my home - a wood, I believe it's known as." There was another outburst of titters, some of them quite loud, and even some chuckles and guffaws. "Moreover, I do not make hasty judgments, Mr Vechery. I simply know what Art is, and what it is not. And it is not the simple copying of Nature, no matter how clever the technical methods used. That is what I am seeing here, Mr Vechery - and now I have seen enough! Good day to you."
De Soliel turned and swept majestically away. Vechery raised a hand as if to hold him, but on impulse I pulled him back.
"You'll only make it worse," I hissed in his ear. He glared at me, but held back, and De Soliel was gone. With him went his whole entourage, not only those he had brought with him, but also those he'd collected since. The room was empty but for Vechery, myself, and the Tree, now once more in Autumn.
Vechery walked across to a dispenser, collected a drink, and as an afterthought got me one as well. We sipped in silence for a while, watching the Tree.
"So who is Demidi De Soliel?" he eventually asked me.
I shrugged. "De Soliel is the Voice of Art in the Twenty Second Century. De Soliel is the pace setter, the arbiter of taste, the leader of fashion, the Sun of Criticism around which all Art revolves."
"Ah. So his opinion is important, then?"
I nodded. "Absolutely. You can't get serious consideration in the Art world without a nod of approval from him. And as it is... Tell me, how did you invite your guests?"
"Random Net search. Pulled out names with Art connections. How else? I've been away for 65 years, Earth time, piloting a starship. I only got back a few months ago, and I've been working on the Tree ever since. I didn't know anyone in the current Art scene. I take it I should have given De Soliel a special invitation?"
"You should have wined him, dined him, and begged him personally to favour your exhibition with a few moments of his most valuable time."
Vechery snorted. "Would it have made any difference?"
"Well - he might have been kinder."
Vechery gave me a long look. "What he said - was there anything in it?"
I took a deep breath. "Well - De Soliel's an egomaniac, but he's not without talent as a critic..."
"I thought you said you liked it!"
"I said that it's a unique new medium - and so it is. It's got potential: it could be the biggest thing in Art for centuries! Could have been. But De Soliel will trash it - and anyone who is anyone will follow his lead."
"Including you?"
"No. I'll do my best for you. But my readership is barely in the thousands, and it doesn't include anyone who matters. Nobody who does will go against De Soliel. In the Art world, you're dead. Sorry."
"Dead? Oh, I think not, Gardine!" Vechery looked at me with fire in his eyes. "I'm not about to give up just because that arrogant bastard didn't get the right strokes to his ego!" He turned to look at the Tree. "Copying nature, eh?"
De Soliel's review of 'Tree' was witty, caustic and short. It proved as utterly damming as I'd predicted. I wrote a strong editorial in favour of fresh ideas, and saw my readership dip alarmingly.
Taran Vechery dropped out of sight. Rumour had it that he'd left Earth for good, laughed out of the Solar System. I didn't believe it: there was more to Vechery than that.
I was proved right a few months later, when a cryptic note invited me to attend a new "Exhibition of Trans-Temporal Art", to be held in a large open-air sports stadium.
As before, there was only one exhibit, but this time it was considerably larger than even the Tree. I got there early, in time to see Vechery bring his new work to life.
It started with just a flat plain, shimmering slightly within the time-field. Then holes appeared in the ground, slowly lengthening into trenches - foundations, I realised, as stone blocks began to appear out of nowhere, building themselves up into walls. A palace grew before our eyes: soaring spires, flowing buttresses, towers, walls, lakes, gardens.
It reached its magnificent peak, a huge edifice that filled the stadium. Then, as I watched, decay set in. The walls weathered, aged: tiles slipped, brickwork crumbled, stones cracked. The lakes became stagnant, the gardens overgrown. A tower fell, a roof caved in, the interior floors swiftly followed. For a brief moment the walls remained, stark skeletons, before they also crumbled, tottered and slid wearily to the ground. A pile of rubble remained, overgrown by wild vegetation. The water dried up, the plants died. The dry stones crumbled still further, an invisible wind drifting their dust away.
At last there was just a flat plain, fading into darkness.
There was a spontaneous outburst of applause from the sparse audience - not one of whom I recognised as being of any significance in the art world. I clapped as well: it had been a truly impressive performance. Glancing at my wrist tattoo, I saw that it had been a full hour from start to finish, but I'd had no awareness of the time passing. At least, not my time.
Vechery made his appearance, greeting people here and there but making his way towards me. Behind him, the plain reappeared, as the sequence began to run again.
"Well?" He asked. "What do you think of 'The Works of Humanity'?"
I held up my hands. "Incredible. Breath taking. Magnificent."
"What - all of that?" He laughed.
"Certainly. Was it difficult to achieve that decay effect?"
"The decay was the easy part. I just increased the relative time flow. The hard part was the building section. I borrowed a technique from right back in the 20th century - cartoon films. 'Animation', they called it. I had to put each building block in separately, in its own time frame, then run the frames together.... But never mind the technical details. Is it Art?"
I shrugged. "It is for me. But what about De Soliel?"
Vechery gave a wry smile. "Not here is he? Well, I tried. I sent personal invitations, with gifts... But I never did get a reply. It seems I've been snubbed."
A mere snub, however, was insufficient for De Soliel.
He did attend the exhibition. He came late, and alone, and 'in light only' - which was an insult in itself, considering the personalised invitation. He didn't talk to Vechery, or to anyone else. He merely appeared, cast a glance over 'The Works of Man', and gave it a smile of condescending amusement. Then he blinked out, without waiting to see the full cycle and without even the courtesy of pretending to use the exits.
He was noticed, of course, and his abrupt departure signified the end of the evening. Once more, Vechery and I were left alone. But this time there was no conversation. He sat and brooded, watching his creation go through its endless cycles of growth and decay, and after a while I said goodnight and went home.
It was a week or two before De Soliel even bothered to comment. When he did, it was brief and dismissive.
"Vechery is not an artist. He has no understanding of Art. He cannot distinguish between clever technological tricks and true creativity. He communicates nothing of himself: he shows nothing of his soul."
I did all I could to redress the balance. In an editorial, I pointed out that this was a new medium, and needed to be given the opportunity to develop.
"Most artists spend many years seeking to perfect their technique, whilst also developing an understanding of themselves. It takes time for the artist's message to become clear in their own mind, and only then can they communicate it to others. Vechery has entered the Art world with a brand new technique already perfected: he must be allowed time to discover what he wants to say with it."
This put me in direct conflict with De Soliel, and I added to that the crime of mentioning that he had not even given 'The Works of Man' a proper consideration. De Soliel himself didn't deign to notice my criticism, but my readership dwindled still further. A brief note from Vechery, thanking me for my support and 'taking note of' my comments didn't really redress the balance.
Over the next year, Vechery produced several more works of 'Temporal Art', none of which had any greater success. De Soliel did not attend any more of Vechery's exhibitions, and did not even mention them. For my part I believed I saw an increasing maturity and depth in Vechery's work: but I could do nothing for him. Insights was now virtually defunct, and I was reduced to freelancing the art pages of general interest netzines. Under a pen name.
It was while on an assignment for one of these netzines that I chanced to see the last but one confrontation between Vechery and De Soliel.
The event was the opening of a major Arts festival, at which De Soliel was - naturally - the guest of honour. How Vechery got in, I don't know: but as one of only 15 human Temporal Engineers he was wealthy and influential in his own right. Just not in the art world.
De Soliel was holding forth in magnificent style to his usual entourage. I was hanging back, hoping to pick up something newsworthy without being recognized. When I spotted Vechery making his way towards us, I knew that I'd get a story at least.
"Mr De Soliel." Vechery spoke calmly, but there was a bright and dangerous light in his eyes. "I have a gift for you."
De Soliel looked him up and down disdainfully. "Have we met? Ah - of course. You're the engineer, aren't you."
Vechery frowned. "You know well enough who I am, De Soliel. And this is for you - my latest work." He held out his left hand, and there on his palm a Temporal Sculpture sprang to life.
A grape vine grew up from Vechery's hand. Clusters of grapes formed. The vines vanished, whilst the grapes seemed to be imploding, crushing themselves. Juice ran freely through the air above Vechery's hand: he held up a wine glass with his other hand and caught the juice in it. The crushed grapes vanished from view.
Vechery held the glass up, showed it around. "Interactive Sculpture - untitled, as yet." He announced. "Art which you do not merely observe, but experience. It becomes part of you. Literally!" He offered the glass to De Soliel. "A glass of wine?" He asked. "I assure you, it's properly aged."
De Soliel stared at the wine glass, and for a moment I thought he would take it. He was well known to be a connoisseur of fine wines. Then he looked up from the glass, and stared instead into Vechery's face.
"My poor, dear Mr Vechery.... is this little show supposed to convince me that you are an artist? What will you do - get me drunk on your instant vintage?"
"I have shown you growth, I have shown you decay - I have shown you life transmuted before your eyes!" There was anger in Vechery's voice now, and pent up frustration all but ready to boil out. "What will it take to convince you? Or are you incapable of change - is that it? De Soliel cannot have been wrong, therefore cannot change his mind, cannot revise his opinion?"
"You dare! You dare to...!" I had never seen De Soliel lose his composure before. I doubt if anyone there had. But now his fury was breaking through the cultivated veneer, and he looked ugly with it. "You yokel! Still playing your clever little tricks and daring to tell me - me! - that it is art! It is all soulless technology - and an alien technology at that!"
Vechery laughed in his face. "So that's your problem! An anti-alien bigot! Or else just a technophobe! Is that the extent of your criticism, De Soliel? Trash what you cannot understand, denigrate what is beyond your comprehension?"
De Soliel struck out, knocking the wine glass from Vechery's hand. "What's to comprehend?" he snarled. "What is there worth my understanding? There is no insight, no depth to your.... gadgets. Art must have a human element in it. Your work has nothing of that! But then, that would be beyond your understanding! Now get out of here! Get back to your machines and devices and instruments - and leave Art to those who have true comprehension!"
They glared at each other. "Go!" De Soliel hissed. "Or I'll have you thrown out!"
Vechery shrugged. "Very well then!" He turned away, and stalked off - giving me a nod of recognition on the way. Which, under the circumstances, I did not appreciate.
"Now, then, has anyone got a decent wine, here?" De Soliel asked breezily. "Dealing with that sort is thirsty work - I hope..."
He was interrupted: Vechery, halfway across the room, swung round and called out to him.
"Thank you for your advice, Mr De Soliel. The Human Element! I shall bear that in mind!"
And with that he turned away again, and left. I left as well: after his recognition of me, no one else wanted me around. It was like leprosy.
I thought that I'd heard the last of Taran Vechery. But just a few weeks later, I got a holocom from him.
"Just called to say goodbye," he announced. He looked surprisingly cheerful. "I'm at the shuttleport now: I'm taking a new starship out in a few hours."
"Right. So - you've given up on Temporal Art?" I asked cautiously.
He chuckled. "Not quite. But I'm putting it on hold for a while. I'll take your advice, find time to think about what I really want to say. It'll be fifty, perhaps a hundred years Earth time before I'm back. I expect that the Art world will be very different then."
"Well, I hope so!" I agreed.
"Listen, Gardine, I've never really thanked you for your support. I know it cost you. Anyhow, for what it's worth, I'm giving you all my Temporal Sculptures. They might be worth something, if the market changes, and I've a feeling that it might. Meantime, they're in storage. The address is on your netzine page."
"Well - thanks a lot!" I was stunned.
"No problem. Only thing is, don't fiddle with them. Could be dangerous. Get another Temporal Engineer to work on them, if you need to."
"Ah - yes, of course."
"Right, got to go. Oh, nearly forgot. There's a new work there. Called ' The Human Element'. I think you'll like it."
He signed off.
Of course, he must have guessed that I'd be in a hurry to see his new work. But he'd set it up so that his starship had already slipped into Temporal Drive before I could reach the storage facility.
It stood in a room on its own, all set up as if for an exhibition.
It's still not clear how he got De Soliel down there. The Police think that he had some underworld contacts, and hired a professional kidnapping. However, De Soliel doesn't appear to have been physically injured: as far as we can tell, he's quite unharmed within the time field. But he's not happy. As he runs through the cycle that takes him from foetus to old age and back in the space of a minute, there are a few short moments when we can recognise the Demidi De Soliel we all know so well. And he looks... desperate.
Bearing in mind Vechery's advice, no attempt has yet been made to release him. They're waiting for the next Isha'hassat starship to bring in another Temporal Engineer. In the meantime the Police have issued an entirely useless warrant for Vechery's arrest. Not only is he quite beyond the jurisdiction of any human agency, it's not even clear what he could be charged with. It can't be murder, since De Soliel isn't dead - except perhaps for a brief moment every minute. So far they're calling it 'Unlawful Detainment', which seems rather weak.
But that's not the big debate in the Art world: and with De Soliel out of the way, we have real debate for the first time in years. Temporal Art is getting a new hearing: Insights recently did a review of Vechery's work, and the readership went sky-high.
Still, the major question about 'The Human Element' remains unresolved. What do you think?
Is it Art?
Comments
Awesome story! A real refreshing addition to this site! ..
Awesome story! A real refreshing addition to this site! Being an artist (and a graphic artist) I can relate to this story pretty well.
Of course its art! But then, my opinion of what is art differs from others. To me, almost anything can fit into the art category--anything created, produced or passed on with passion can be art. Teachers, scientists, inventors, painters, sculpters, architects, surgeons, doctors, historians, writers, performers... all are artists. Its not in the actual work, itself, that makes something art.--its the drive... the motivation... the desire to have a real effect on people--- that is the key ingredient.
Well done! I like the way this story breathes.
Amazing.
Amazing.
Really great story. Personally I thought the castle was art..
Really great story. Personally I thought the castle was art since it actually took creativity to animate said castle. The tree and de soliel werent really art since he had took real things and just put them in a time loop.
wow. this story is amazing. its futuristic with a twist...
wow. this story is amazing. its futuristic with a twist. the ending is genius. i love this so much. it is well-written, well-paced, and very well courageous.
i mostly love how fresh and creative it is. theres not even words to comprehend what imprints it leaves me with.
So either Im a moron or youre amazing :) I thought this..
So either Im a moron or youre amazing :) I thought this was a true story involving an artist that was just crazy (talking about aliens and such)
I then hit the moment of realization that you were not writing a nonfiction piece.
(Please mind that I stumbled upon the site and have no idea of what its purpose is as of yet)
Great work. I think the end was a bit weak. It should have ended with Soleil trapped in the device.
Please inform me of future works by contacting me via e-mail at BitterSuiteOne at yahoo dot com
Fantastic! Kept me interested the whole way through. Great..
Fantastic! Kept me interested the whole way through. Great imagery... And yes it is art... and probably murder, but then De Soleil deserved it!
:-)
Looking forward to your next story.
JP
I really enjoyed this! Nicely written with a good flow and..
I really enjoyed this! Nicely written with a good flow and economical, effective portraits of the characters; well plotted, with a final twist I didnt see coming until it was just about upon me; and the themes and questions it raises are as relevant in todays world as in the envisioned world of the future, as is the case with just about all good science fiction.
Not quite sure why the last person to post thought De Soliel had not been entombed within the latest piece of art, I thought that was a pretty unambiguous reveal...
Looking forward to reading more by this author!
JB
Thank you for livening up a lesson: I read it whilst..
Thank you for livening up a lesson: I read it whilst teaching Christmas card making. It was good to be transported to another dimension. P. Purdon.
fantastic, great plot, dialogue and brilliant twist. is it..
fantastic, great plot, dialogue and brilliant twist.
is it art? yes and no. depends on who answers the question i guess.
very original story.
Awesome story. I was spellbound during the fifteen minutes..
Awesome story. I was spellbound during the fifteen minutes it took me to read it. Science fiction usually bores me, so when the starship was mentioned I thought the story was about to die...but not so...my interest only grew further.
When you conjure an entire new art form to serve as the subject of a piece of tightly crafted literature, then you have in fact created a great piece of art. Outstanding!
yes it is an art... it has a great imaginary twice that can..
yes it is an art...
it has a great imaginary twice that can leave a unique marks on our simple minds...
in fact the whole story is the art...
keep the line going! you made me get up on the top of the coconut tree...
[email protected]
Very captivating story. What is art...? That is a big..
Very captivating story. What is art...? That is a big cultural question.
Yes, of course it is Art! Well to me anyway... Excellent..
Yes, of course it is Art! Well to me anyway...
Excellent story, I really enjoyed it. The ending was a
mite bit predictable, but had poetic justice none the
less. Good job!
its not art but its cool. good story
its not art but its cool. good story
Enjoyed your story immensley. Reminded me of the film The..
Enjoyed your story immensley.
Reminded me of the film The Illusionist. The colous, tones and implications.
Is it art? You bet.
Loved IT! For a complete..
Loved IT! For a complete review...
http://ajax-litbits.blogspot.com/2008/02/time-art-criticism-by-paul-tre…
Oh the irony, criticism on criticism...
I loved the imagination and the futuristic ambience created..
I loved the imagination and the futuristic ambience created in your story. I think thats what captivated me the most. Art is deep, mystic or simple, and simply undefined. So it was a good topic to exploit. Well done! I think I would have enjoyed it more if you had made it more descriptive with an even deeper sketch of the characters and life in the 21st century. Looking forward to your next story.
dasher.
This story was fantastic! It was interesting right from..
This story was fantastic! It was interesting right from the beginning and had a great ending.
very well done. art is art no excuses! this is a good..
very well done.
art is art no excuses!
this is a good reading for one that enjoys the new.
Great story. Every work he made was art, because he DID..
Great story. Every work he made was art, because he DID have something to say in each. Tree- expresssion of the peace of nature. Castle- expression of how the works of man dont last. De Soliel- his most expressive piece, he was showing his rage towards arrogance and false knowledgeability.
Great story, very moving.
wow its amazing. but the crirc was right in a way. its..
wow its amazing. but the crirc was right in a way. its
machenes but then again it did have the human
factor in it. anyway love the ending.
wow, this story is unusual, but i really liked it. i always..
wow, this story is unusual, but i really liked it. i always enjoy reading about how people portray the future, and this is an exceptional version.
the idea of being able to capture time is remarkable...
Really enjoyed this one. Good work. And I do think its Art...
Really enjoyed this one. Good work. And I do think its Art. Its wonderful I wish it was real!!
xx
this is a one of a kind but i must say very interesting and..
this is a one of a kind but i must say very interesting and enjoyable to read!!!
How about a little macabre with your science-fiction? ..
How about a little macabre with your science-fiction? Wonderful story. I can easily imagine Poe coming back from the dead to write it.
Wow!! Awesome story, an exercise in sci-fi imagination..
Wow!! Awesome story, an exercise in sci-fi imagination well-worth reading.
The story drew me into its world and I
will be thinking about this future
Temporal Art movement, trying to make sense of it for a while. Temporal Art,
its some kind of mix of appreciation for beauty in the effect of time on things and a technical mastery over time itself. If man really were able to manipulate particular sequences of time in relation to living things, we
would be trespassing. Thats why God put a flaming sword at the gate of Eden. Aside from that bit of myth, I
wonder, is it possible? Cool story!
Enticingly written. Well thought out, with a great twist at..
Enticingly written. Well thought out, with a great twist at the end. Thanks!
ok
ok
I thought this story was very enoyable as well as..
I thought this story was very enoyable as well as interesting. The authors writing was very organized and straight forward. The plot flowed well due to the characters development. I would recommend this story.
No! Its not art, of course it isnt! Its just a fancy..
No! Its not art, of course it isnt! Its just a fancy technological display.
P.S.And I do hope they catch the guy for doing that to poor De Soliel... or at least set him free
But its still a very good story
WOW WOW WOW
WOW WOW WOW
great story, i found it refreshing and original. thanks.
great story, i found it refreshing and original. thanks.
all the incidents situations very wel put together felt..
all the incidents situations very wel put together
felt like im watchin a movie i liked if so much
This story is really good and it is very detaled. I think..
This story is really good and it is very detaled. I think the names are a little weired and I dont get the concept of the srory.
And why do the trees change so fast in so little time?
I did this for a school final. This story was short and I..
I did this for a school final. This story was short and I could go back to it, I started reading it on 10/17/08 and finished it on 11/18/08 but I decided to add a comment. I really liked the story and like others have said, it is creative and abstract. I think anything can be art, Just how time is relative to the observer. It depends on your view of things, and what you personally think art is. I think all works in the story were art, in some way. I dont think the last one, is ethical. But thats just me.
Amazing story, its something all artists say to themselves,..
Amazing story, its something all artists say to themselves, probably everyday!
Id say this is art. Take a comic book for example. It has pictures, but only the words describe the time the story is set in. But with nature, the time frame is its age, and the picture is everything you see, frame by frame. Id say nature is the oldest art form, but who am I to say that?
I believe everything is art, whether or not its machine or paper. The form of a machine wouldnt exist unless an artists came along to design it. And paper wouldnt be their unless an artist could draw/write on it. Either way, we are all artists in our own right, all the way down to scientists calculating maths.
By all means, art changes all the time. Id name a few artists, but then Id have them debating in my head. e.g. the dead animals in that liquid. Is that art?
If you dont believe we are all artists, then just remember the time you use to draw stick men, and flat houses, or write a story in school. Just that we build up on that, and get lost in what we do when we get older. e.g. cooking food!
Anyway, a great story, gets you thinking :)
I love the concept of questioning art, esp. since art is..
I love the concept of questioning art, esp. since art is getting more and more abstact and tecnology more and more advanced these days.
I agree with De Soliel that art needs a human aspect and have some point behind them. But I disagree with him on what the human aspect is. I think the difference between art and just a gaget or a thing, is that gagets are made while art is created. And I think the creation is the necessary human aspect. The thought and meaning and skill behind art is what makes it art not just putting somthing on display or not just if an art critic calls it so. Great story!
Wonderful story. Art is what an artist says is art. Great..
Wonderful story. Art is what an artist says is art. Great concept and well written.
The story is really original and grasping,its one of the..
The story is really original and grasping,its one of the best sci-fi short stories i ever read.well....the title could have been more subtle like..."The oak tree"......or...well doesnt matter i guess,its a great story.;-):-);-)
Excellent Story!
Excellent Story!
Reminiscent of Alfred Bester in a way, which is a great..
Reminiscent of Alfred Bester in a way,
which is a great compliment. While
predictable, the ending is as it should
be, and seems right.
Yes, it is art. Duchamp would agree.
Thank you.
A good yarn, especially in its self-reflexivity. I have..
A good yarn, especially in its self-reflexivity. I have posted a link to it for my friends. The story is interesting to me having studied art and digital/temporal art in particular [if you havent seen it you should look at John Gerrards work, especially "One Thousand Year Dawn (Marcel)"]. I am a practicing artist and educator in New Media and I think this story, alongside Borges"Funes the Memorius" and "The Garden of Forking Paths" is one that is good to have students read; using it to reflect on the nature of art (and art criticism) would be beneficial I think, and prompting of good dialog and exchange. Thanks for publishing it.
Great story! I love the concepts it introduces. I am in..
Great story! I love the concepts it introduces. I am in
the minority here but I would not consider Vecherys
work art....it seemed a technical feat more than self-
expression. This actually made me wonder about the
future of art, and if eventually things like this would
be considered meaningful statements..
Wow Vechery is like this alien that maybe he considers the..
Wow Vechery is like this alien that maybe he considers the life and death cycle of an oak tree beautiful, Its always a simulations of life and death with him.De Soliel is considered the hierarchy of Art and he seemingly is ignorant about engineering. I agree about what he says Art has the human element of your soul speaking, Maybe to Vechery since he seems alien and timeless the things he creates are his soul coming out in art
Intriguing story with a fascinating style and mood...
Intriguing story with a fascinating style and mood. Congratulations on an extraordinary piece of art.
a great stroy. simple but deep. well done.
a great stroy. simple but deep. well done.
wow, great story, I really felt like I was wattching a movie
wow, great story, I really felt like I was wattching a movie
stunning from start to finish.
stunning from start to finish.
Excellent story. Its so well written that offers a pleasant..
Excellent story. Its so well written that offers a pleasant reading experience from start to finish. While story entertains you with itS unique style it also makes you think about some important issues around the art world.
I guess, this beautiful story can be read also as a reflection of art society that exists in the century we live in today. My advise, watch tv at least one hour less and read this story with it.
I never though,t that one hour would be so enjoyable , and preceptive.
A.C.G
An excellent an thoroughly enjoyable story written with..
An excellent an thoroughly enjoyable
story written with no small amount of
style. I will be honest and say I saw
the ending from the first moment De
Soliel came to look at the tree, I knew
exactly how it would end. Despite this
and because of the excellent pace the
story keeps up I read on and was not disappointed at all.
I guess I was enjoyed it all the more
because I agree with the view the author
seems to take which is that art criticism is full of pretentious snobs
who hold the keys to their world
without anybody knowing how it is they
got them or why the hold them.
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