George Orwell "Art and Obscenity" Literary discussion animation

Описание: Heres a virtual movie of the great George Orwell discussing "Art and Obscenity" The vexed subject is when does art become obscenity masquerading as art from "Dickens,Dali & Others: Studies in Popular Culture" (1944). In this segment of his essay he uses the controversial artist Spanish Salvadiore Dali with his alternative lifestyle and often shocking art to illustrate the point that it seems possible to get away with nearly anything if something is affiorded the Magical title art.

Obscenity is a very difficult question to discuss honestly. People are too frightened either of seeming to be shocked or of seeming not to be shocked, to be able to define the relationship between art and morals.

It will be seen that what the defenders of Dali are claiming is a kind of benefit of clergy. The artist is to be exempt from the moral laws that are binding on ordinary people. Just pronounce the magic word "Art," and everything is O.K.: kicking little girls in the head is O.K.; even a film like L'Age d'Or is O.K. [Dali mentions L'Age d'Or and adds that its first public showing was broken up by hooligans, but he does not say in detail what it was about. According to Henry Miller's account of it, it showed among other things some fairly detailed shots of a woman defecating.] It is also O.K. that Dali should batten on France for years and then scuttle off like rat as soon as France is in danger. So long as you can paint well enough to pass the test, all shall be forgiven you.

One can see how false this is if one extends it to cover ordinary crime. In an age like our own, when the artist is an altogether exceptional person, he must be allowed a certain amount of irresponsibility, just as a pregnant woman is. Still, no one would say that a pregnant woman should be allowed to commit murder, nor would anyone make such a claim for the artist, however gifted. If Shakespeare returned to the earth to-morrow, and if it were found that his favourite recreation was raping little girls in railway carriages, we should not tell him to go ahead with it on the ground that he might write another King Lear. And, after all, the worst crimes are not always the punishable ones..

Kind Regards

Jim Clark
All rights are reserved obn this video recording copyright Jim Clark 2012