Morality Of Art And The Rage Of Caliban

I Have Finally begun to read The Picture Of Dorian Gray , one of the many books I have heard much about but not read yet. Anyway, this post is about the preface to it that Oscar Wilde wrote, which I found extremely profound . I’m not really taking a stand on it one way or another because I don’t know enough about art or life. (gee…that has’nt stopped me before…or any of us for that matter!)
Anyway I thought u might like to read it. Tell me what u think .

Oscar wilde, I apologize for any typos , and if I owe u royalty to reproduce this here. Let my profound admiration pay your due. That’s all I have!

Ok, Here it is:

The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim. The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.

The highest , as is the lowest , form of criticism is a mode of autobiography. Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault.

Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are cultivated. For these there is hope.

They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only beauty.

There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are either well written or badly written. That is all.

The nineteenth century dislike of realism is the rage of caliban seeing his own face in a glass.

The nineteenth century dislike of romanticism is the rage of caliban not seeing his own face in a glass.

The moral life of man forms part of the subject matter of the artist , but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium. No artist desires to prove anything. Even things that are true.

No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.

No artist is ever morbid. The artist can express everything.

Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art. Vice and Virtue are to the artist material for an art.

From the point of view of form , the type of all the arts is the art of the musician. From the point of view of feeling , the actor’s craft is the type..

All art is at once surface and symbol.
Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril
Those who read the symbol do so at their peril.
It is the spectator ,and not life , that art really mirrors.

Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new , complex and vital.
When critics disagree the artist is accord with himself.

We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.

All Art is quite useless.

Oscar Wilde.

Well…u might not agree with all of it. But definitely it’s an extremely pertinent point of view. Especially about what defines decent art , if there is such as indecency as far as art is concerned that is..….and so for all those seeking to curb our freedom:

Moral Police and Censor boards of all manner , take note…There is nothing moral or immoral about art. And the artist decides if something is art or not…not you!!

oh and if u are wondering about the rage of caliban....he was a monster in shakespeare's The Tempest who looked in to the mirror and appalled by his own reflection , smashed the mirror. He blamed the mirror for showing him his own dark soul. If u want to see what those couple of lines could possibly mean , click here , it's another blog..but it provides a possible interpretation if u are curious!

till later then mon amies