"Walking in the Clouds", what is the ideal state of an artist?

Danny 2021-12-01 08:01:27

This movie can be watched or not for ordinary audiences.
But for artists, especially literary and artistic young people who are interested in art, it is best to take a look.
It's not that the artistic performance of this film is worth learning, but in my opinion, the outstanding thing about this film is that it depicts an intuitive image of the artist's ideal life state, creative state and even life state.


A person, a rope, walking high between the two buildings-this picture is the best metaphor for an artist's ideal state.
The
two buildings are systems. This system includes not only the social system, the national system, but also the mainstream values ​​of any society—the most unbreakable thing. These things have become stronger over time and are conservative and stable. Thanks to this, human society has been able to last forever. For this reason, no one can escape the system. Whoever wants to leave the shelter of the system or even openly become an enemy, will not end well! But any social system is the hell of artists. In the film, Petit has a line—in a sense, any artist is anarchist—this is not an exaggeration. Therefore, art pursues extremes, while the system is firmly maintained. The two are completely incompatible.
Those artists who embrace the system, without exception, are classified as second-rate; those artists who completely oppose the system have been on the margins of society for a long time, which is not desirable.
So, what kind of attitude should artists have when facing the system? Apart from hugging and confrontation, is there a third way?
Have! Of course, Petit took such a path-relying on the system instead of relying on the system, he built a rope between the systems, staying high, yet maintaining independence.
The
police are the defenders of the system and sometimes even use force.
In daily life, there are too many artists and institutions that are clever and are treated in accordance with the law without exception.
But the police couldn't control Petit, not only couldn't, but they had to watch him walking around in a desperate way, but were helpless.
The police, the defenders of this group system really hate Petit, and may "hate" his behavior, but they are all convinced of him.
I remember that at the end of the film, a policeman who arrested him expressed this kind of respect.
Or maybe, the police can shoot. But don't forget, Petit at this time is an artist with an audience!

Yes, Petit has an audience, not one or two, not a group or two, but the entire New York City citizen.
After magnified by the media, the whole world is his audience!
The audience is his purpose, and he succeeded! The audience is his confidence, so he gained safety!
Having an audience is an important manifestation of an artist's artistic value, or even the only manifestation.
In other words, a piece of art can have value only if it has public participation (viewing, evaluation).

Besides, the attitude of the system towards him, especially after his performance.
Of course, the legal process has to go, but as I said before, even people in the system all have admiration for him, and this mainly comes from the powerful charm of his works of art, bold and avant-garde, and can even shake People of the system. As a result, the final system couldn't wait to make him a knight, but he did not refuse, which was another kind of tacit understanding.

Therefore, an ideal artist should be:
(1) Rely on the system instead of relying on the system, and maintain his independence at all times!
(2) Stay high and strive for the best stage.
(3) Unprecedented works, bold and daring!
(4) Having all the audience, even those who don't like him admire him.
(5) Does not irritate the system, and is accepted by the system, but does not integrate.

above

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Extended Reading

The Walk quotes

  • Barry Greenhouse: It's something only a twisted, antisocial, anarchistic, pissed-off malcontent would have anything to do with.

    Barry Greenhouse: [triumphantly] You have your inside man!

  • Philippe Petit: I find myself in the middle of the wire. And I feel the void. And although a wire-walker should never look down... I do. And it was... It was beautiful. It was calm and beautiful, and serene, and "not-dangerous."