All art is ashes of burned incense. Many people make art that is ephemeral. Painters, sculptors, fine artists, generally all believe that they are making the precious object that is imbued with an essence of creative output energy. But so many people make art which is ephemeral and impermanent; dancing, music, singing, cooking, conversation, are forms that have no permanent shapes to be appreciated eternally. Fine Art can be that way as well; it’s merely that process of the creative fire, the object being a secondary thing (that has value) but isn’t the essence any longer.

Perhaps AI is not the existential danger some say it is, since there’s no fire but merely the residual output which (you know) isn’t that great. We’re mistaking the product for the essence. I think everyone knows this but it’s a nice reminder to consider what artist actually are doing, especially from the artist’s own point of view, and that the so-called audience can (sorry), just deal with it.

Another way to think about it is that art’s value is as an aid to and a component of meditation. Meditation itself has a value and an outcome to the practitioner but it’s not relevant to the outsider.

So, the utter, complete dis-attachment of Art from value is perhaps a really good thing and not to worry about. (again, yeah) The problem isn’t really significant in this category of thinking about art, (not at all).

Am I really saying that fine artists are, at last, liberated from making things?