issue144 [0706同主题作文九] simahui

simahuiUID: 2208751

题目：ISSUE144 - "It is the artist, not the critic,* who gives society something of lasting value."

*a person who evaluates works of art, such as novels, films, music, paintings, etc.
字数：496          用时：1:00:00          日期：2007-3-9

I agree with the statement that it is the artist, not the critic, who gives society something of lasting value for the following matters:

Firstly, whether there are critics, the value is created by the artist. The novels, films, music, and paintings on which critics comment are created by artist, even the jobs for critics are attributed to the artist. If there are no works, what will these critics focus on? Maybe the vocation critic will disappear from our society. Only are works created, there are possibilities that lasting value can be bring to our society and critics can expose their ability of identifying eternal value which be confirmed by the masses. It is like that who bring us food and solve the problem of hungry people, who maintain our lives? Obviously, it is the farmer not the chef.

Secondly, the invariable value is not decided by critics. The critics can express various opinions of the works, and then the truth of the opinion can only be estimated by the people. For example, there are some artists who received disreputable comments in their era from critics and then are famous in later generations. As Picasso, whose works have surprising high price in painting markets. Whether the critics like them or not, their lasting values are exposed to society by the masses so many years later.

Admittedly, critics are helpful for the masses to realize the lasting value of the works. We are usually confused about so many books and don't know which one is the best selection, and it is impossible to read all these books. In this case, most people will take the advice of the critics to use less time reading more wonderful books. However the function of the critics is to recommend better books, not to create classics. Moreover, by the based own value system of certain critic, a potential masterpiece might fade in to obscurity without showing its lasting value to society. It is also possible that the famous critic made an extremely strict critique about the unknown author’s book whether it is true or not, because of the bad personal relationship between the former and the latter.

Also, critics might impede on the innovation of art in certain degree. Once the criterion of artworks was established, new forms of art whether with lasting value are excluded. Take music for an instance, Mozart was not received in Vienna during the baroque era until he initiated the classical era. In the early time at Vienna he was not allowed to play in the royal theatre although the critics who did not pass his music forms by the existent music criterion admired his gift in music. Finally the classical style which was accepted by the masses substituted the baroque style which be sustained by the critic. The lasting value presented it with the obstruct of critics.

Simply put, artists create lasting value and critics are helpful to spread the excellent works in certain aspects.