Was 9/11 a work of art?

[NJOK]

Just remembered reading Damien Hirst's comment on 9/11 from a couple of years ago.

Didn't he say that the attack on the Twin Towers was a visually stunning work of art?

Has he got a point?

[Reverandfunk]

damien hurst is a tw@t

[andrea81]

Well I'm not sure really, I can see what you mean in the sence that it was visually enormous and unlike anything 'real' we had seen. But I think that the phrase 'work of art' doesn't sit well with me.

[radiogaga]

naw it was just life imitating art

[laurence2]

He should tell that to the victims families face to face

They might have a somewhat different view on it

[4getmenot]

I often think that they couldnt have planned that if they tried

[China Doll]

Have you ever seen the images of one of the men who jumped from the tower? There's one where it looks literally like he is diving. He is perfectly straight against the tower but upsidedown. He almost looks peaceful. (However in futher footage that is shown to be pretty far from the case).

It remains one of the most amazing photographs I have ever seen. For me it captures a lot about that day. Hope in the face of sheer hopelessness.

Is it art? I don't know.

But I think your man had a point.

[Loosehead]

I know lets chop hurst down the middle and shove him in a couple of tanks for formaldehyde, bet no one's thought of that. What a t1t.

[NJOK]

Does that mean all art has to look pretty and make you feel nice?

[cheries]

I suppose if you take the literal meaning of art as being an expression of self, or an experience to behold and enjoy, then there would have been a minority of people who did indeed perceive 9/11 as art.
I personally think that art is a very inappropriate phrase when you consider the suffering involved that day and for years afterwards.

[radiogaga]

visually it was quite spectcular. i hope i never see anything like it again in my life time. anyware

[andrea81]

I think art has to be created in the intention to be art. this wasn't intending to be anything other than the death of thousands of innocents so having thought about it I would say....No it's not!

[China Doll]

An activity through which people express particular ideas:

That's ^^^^ one of the definitions of the word 'art.'

Rightly or wrongly, the attacks could be seen that way.

[Loosehead]

no it means you need to disguise your veiled "let's have a go at the yanks cos they deserve it" mentality a lot better. What if he said some other attrocity was a work of art, would you have your head so far up his 4rse?

[NJOK]

Talk me through the logic of that, Loosehead. If there is any.

[Loosehead]

you been rumbled, own up!

[NJOK]

Nice effort.

Just so you know though, I also deplore World War I but love the poetry of Wilfred Owen.

And being affected by the photography taken after the bombing of Nagasaki isn't a thumbs up for the H bomb. It's art, pure and simple - as is the exhbibition at Hiroshima which features the patterned kimonos that melted onto the skin of the civilians who wore them.

Just because it's upsetting doesn't mean it's not art.

Still you can't beat an A3 painting of Xena Warrior Princess on a motorbike can you?

[WaldoMcFroog]

It would have been possible to fly two airliners into targets that killed many more people. It would have been possible to fly two airliners into targets of greater strategic importance.

The attack on the twin towers was undoubtedly partly chosen because there was a symbolic cachet to destroying two such icons of America and its values, therefore in that sense it was undeniably artistic.

I don't think anyone is suggesting 'artistic' was being used by Hirst with any positive connotations though.

[MrsT]

As someone said above it's only art if the artist set out to make a work of art. Now I think old bed linen and co had bloody murder on their minds not painting by numbers!

[Goodsoulette]

I can see what he's saying but one man art is always anothers rubbish, tragedy etc etc
Let's face it, we were all morbidly stuck to our televisions, so yes I think he has a point.
The Falling MAn image is very memorable indeed but my favourite moving photo of those days is the firemen hoisting the flag amongst the wreckage.