Shortcomings of Modern Art

“The art of the past was produced for a public that wanted it and understood it, by artists who understood and sympathized with their public; the art of our time has been, for the most part, produced for a public that didn’t want it and misunderstood it, by artists who disliked and despised the public for which they worked.” (Kenyon Cox, Online book: Artist and Public and Other Essays on Art)

In our time, the artist and the public has been divorced just like how it was shown in the short story “A Hunger Artist.” The fact alone that the hunger artist was caged shows how separated he was from the public.

“...he was therefore the sole completely satisfied spectator of his own fast.” This interpretation by Kafka is really true. The hunger artist was the only one who can witness and understand his own art. All others may believe that he cheated and found a way of making his fast easy. It just shows how the public questioned his art and most probably, it would follow that the public never understood his craft.

After forty days of fasting, the hunger artist was freed by the impresario although he wanted to continue his craft. Let’s take a look at these lines: “The impresario came forward, without a word -- for the band made speech impossible – lifted his arms in the air above the artist, as if inviting Heaven to look down upon this creature here in the straw, this suffering martyr, which indeed he was, although in quite another sense...” I strongly agree with Kafka as to how he interpreted the hunger artist’s feeling. Yes, the hunger artist indeed suffered. It was stated by Kafka that it was “in quite another sense” perhaps because he didn’t suffer of the fasting itself. He loved what he did. In fact, he wanted his craft of fasting to last for more than forty days since he believed that he was in his best fasting form. But the impresario didn’t allow this. The impresario’s control over him was an addition to his suffering. He was the only one who felt dissatisfaction while everyone else was satisfied of the whole event. It was stated in the story that, “To fight against this lack of understanding, against a whole world of non-understanding, was impossible.” This again, shows how the public misunderstood the artist and his craft, and the artist despised of the public he worked for.

After many years of working as a hunger artist, he felt that he wasn’t popular now. He moved to a large circus and left the impresario who has managed him in an unparalleled career. In the circus, he was given the chance of fasting as long as he wanted. He has waited for this moment where he was free of any limitations. As time passed by, he can’t fool himself of the truth that the public was more interested of the wild animals in the circus than a hunger artist who has turned into a “has been”.

“He might fast as much as he could, and he did so; but nothing could save him now, people passed him by. Just try to explain to anyone the art of fasting! Anyone who has no feeling for it cannot be made to understand it.” These lines by Kafka are of great impact. It is really true – no one could understand the feeling of fasting unless they have appreciated it. The emergence of a new public who weren’t able to appreciate the hunger artist’s craft was evident.

I agree to Kafka as he said, “...since it was not the hunger artist who was cheating, he was working honestly, but the world was cheating him of his reward.” The hunger artist here has been accused by a passer-by of swindling which gave him more depression. It wasn’t the reward he was supposed to receive after all he has done.

“It is this lack of sympathy and understanding between the artist and his public – this fatal isolation of the artist – that is the cause of nearly all the shortcomings of modern art.” (Kenyon Cox) These – lack of sympathy and understanding – were shown in the short story almost paragraph-by-paragraph. For me, Kafka has successfully interpreted the hunger artist and his craft. People who have intently read on this story might as well have understood the hunger artist and appreciated it as well.

here comes the BRIDE?

Seeing Kevin sitting alone in his porch brings me back to those times when my heart throbbed of happiness and sorrow. It was the peak of my life’s existence and the start of my downfall.

I am Rica — rich, famous, and can probably be called an IT girl in town. I have everything. Name it and I have it! Including the man I love with all my hypothalamus.

Way back then, Kevin was my childhood friend, sweetheart, my first crush, first boyfriend, and he’ll probably be the last. He was every girl’s desire when we were in high school. And as his girlfriend? What more could I ask for? I was loved by some and envied by many.

“Well…you are not exactly the love of my life, because I expect to love you for much longer than that…” I remembered how sincerely he uttered these words to me.

I believed in him!

But all these pleasures never seemed to be long lasting. “How could he make and break my heart?!” I said to myself.

“I had no choice. It really has to end.” I thought.

As Kevin turned the age of 21, something happened that we both never expected. It was this so called imprinting.
In this era of modernization and high use of technology, it’s something we couldn’t believe in. Imprinting is something that happened to Kevin and all his kins as they turn the age of 21. All those who have acquired this in their family aren’t supposed to tell anybody else that’s why Kevin didn’t have any idea about this.

Kevin did love me, I knew that! But when he saw Luisa, my cousin from abroad, whom I introduced to him way back, his love for me didn’t matter.

“I don’t know how it came to be. All I know is she’s my soul mate, my love at first sight! But I guess it’s more powerful than that…” My heart ached as I recalled how Kevin tried to explain to me what was happening.

I tried to recover from that nightmare of my life. I realized that I can’t always insist on the things that I wanted to happen.

Luisa was as rich as me, but not as popular though. But when she ‘owned’ Kevin, she was respected by many and they just love her!

The truth is, I envied her just as people envied me before. And honestly, it sucks to be feeling this feeling.

Years have passed before things became normal for Luisa and I. Forgetting and moving on to the next chapter of my life was the hardest – but I have to. We started communicating with each other. We tried doing ‘girl things’ to fill in the gap between the two of us. But when it comes to love life? I’d probably change the topic.

“How are you Rica? Do you have a boyfriend right now? You know what, you can share to me everything you’d want to share. I’m your cousin, remember? I’ll be right here for you.” Luisa said, trying to sound more comfortable with me now.

She’s right. She’s my cousin. I’d always remember that.

“Hey I forgot I had some paper works to do! What did you ask again? Sorry, I got lost of the conversation.” I said these as I tried my best to escape of her fearful questions. We still can’t elude the fact that I’m her boyfriend’s EX-girlfriend.

The worst moment is yet to come. Luisa came to the house with an envelope in her hands. I trembled as I saw the tie around the envelope which had a wooden two puzzle pieces at its end – they were shaped exactly for each other.

“I’m going to be married Rica. Will you be my bridesmaid?” Luisa excitedly said as she handed the invitation to me.

I silently read the bolded names written on the paper. “Kevin and Luisa.”

“Yes! Yes! I’d be glad to be your bridesmaid Luisa. Tell me if there’s anything that you needed. I’d be willing to help you out.”

I put on a brave face. I guess I’m too good at acting nowadays. I gave her a smile and hugged her tight.

I knew deep in my heart, the scars of my wound were slowly ripped open. I couldn’t bear the fact that they’re going to be married – my cousin and EX-boyfriend! And I’ll be their bridesmaid!

I’ve received the greatest insult one may give to me. Kevin is supposed to be mine now!

“I swear I’d vow revenge!” I said to myself with great anger.

Their wedding was scheduled on the end of the month and it would only be two weeks from now. I knew I had to brace myself for that.

Days have passed and everybody was excited and busy for Luisa’s wedding. Of course, I acted like the crowd who were gladly waiting for the biggest event of the year perhaps. I was a good actress right?

A day before the wedding, Luisa and I were together.

“Let’s have girls’ night-out tonight Luisa! It’s sort of a celebration before you enter the world of married life. Isn’t it gonna be great?” I happily asked her while we drank tea.

“Where would that be? I’d be very happy to have that party Rica! Thank you so much for doing this thing for me. I really love you. You’re the best!”

“You’re always welcome my dear cousin.”

The darkness fell and I knew it was now the time! We met at the house and she was on her best dress. She wore a cocktail dress while I wore jeans. I led her the way to where our girl friends were supposed to be waiting for us. The house was empty since the party wouldn’t need any servants and it was somewhat exclusive – really exclusive! I went through the library and pressed a button which flipped one shelf full of books.

Luisa was surprised and said, “I never knew there’s something like this in your house Rica. It’s amazing!”

We went through an elevator and we were heading downwards. When the elevator opened, we got out and Luisa saw the underground laboratory of the house.

“This is our underground lab of the house Luisa. Dad’s patients are usually brought here especially those who are needed to be examined. C’mon! They’re waiting for us inside.” I explained as we walked through the passageway. We stopped by a metallic door and beside it was a hand detector. I placed my hands on the detector and then the door suddenly opened.

Luisa was shocked. I can see it from her expression. She then said, “Wow! This is amazing!” She referred to the machine at the tip of the cerebrum. The room was called cerebrum. Inside, there was only a small hallway and its tip is a metallic chair and the machine she was amazed of. It was used to read and examine the brains of the patients. Beside the hallway was all black.

“Don’t be afraid to walk Luisa. The other lights were just turned off. It’s actually part of the surprise.” I explained to her.

“Okay then. I’ll be moving.” She said it without any doubts.

She walked straight and she was now nearer to the chair. She stopped but then I said, “Just continue walking. I’ll turn on the lights for you.”

Her left foot stepped on the dark part of the cerebrum and she was startled when she realized there was nothing to step on.

I rushed through the hallway and called her name. “Luisa?”

I heard a cry. She had her one arm clinging on the metal she once stepped in. I reached for her other arm. “Reach for my hand Luisa. C’mon!” She tried to reach my hand and she was fortunately successful.

I held on it and exclaimed, “Goodbye my dearest Luisa!” I let go of her hand. I turned back and all I heard was a loud cry.

It was a bloodless death. I was indeed successful.

I just asked to myself, “Will the bride ever come tomorrow?”

The Vagueness of a Man...

No relationship is perfect, and many arguments happen with a lack of understanding of what a man is really trying to tell us.

For the story of the Cathedral, the husband (let’s call him Chad) becomes very vague in his actions. This fact isn’t quite different from other men since as what I’ve heard from other people, men are more secretive and cagey that’s why they are being misunderstood by women. As Chad saw Sandra, her wife, together with Robert, the blind man, I observed that he felt jealous. He saw that the two were laughing as they reminisced their good old days together. When the two men were introduced by Sandra, Robert reached out for a handshake and Chad took his hand and led him the way. I think in this scene, he was being accommodating to his visitor.

“Which side of the train did you sit on, by the way?” when Chad asked this question, he didn’t mean to offend a blind man. He just wanted to start a small talk with Robert and that’s all! He wasn’t thinking of anything rude. When Sandra reacted about the question, he was just calm in answering that he just asked – no more, no less.

As Chad was narrating, he admitted that he never had an encounter with a blind man before. This just shows that he wasn’t that expert in handling Robert. He was even amazed that Robert didn’t wear dark glasses and held a cane unlike typical blind persons.

In the dining table, Sandra and Chad took charge of Robert’s food. Chad prayed before they ate. He said, “Pray the phone won’t ring and the food doesn’t get cold.” He’s prayer was very odd but I think, that was all that Chad could ask for. When they started eating, he noticed that Robert could handle his food very well. He then realized that Robert was indeed not an ordinary blind man.

The three then moved to the living room. Sandra and Robert started a conversation while Chad just listened. He was waiting for the words: “And then my dear husband came into my life...” But it was never heard. Robert asked Chad about his work and Chad readily answers it, though all through out the conversation his name was only mentioned once. As an excuse, he turned on the television and asked, “Robert, do you have a TV?” Chad never intended to offend him for the second time around.

In the last scene of the short story, when Chad was asked by Robert to describe what Cathedrals looked like, he really was having a hard time. He tried his best to describe it but it was no use. He finally surrendered. And he said, “The truth is, cathedrals don’t mean anything special to me. Nothing. Cathedrals. They’re something to look at on late-night TV. That’s all they are.”

Robert was very considerate. He asked Chad to get a piece of paper and a pen and Chad got them quickly. Robert asked him to close his eyes and draw a Cathedral. Robert found Chad’s hand and they scribbled together. As they were doing this, Chad felt something different. He didn’t stop drawing the details of the Cathedral. Robert told him to open his eyes. But Chad had his eyes closed. He thought he’d keep them that way for a little longer. He thought it was something he ought to do.

Chad’s eyes were still closed. He was in his house. He knew that. But he didn’t feel like he was inside anything. At that moment, Chad felt he was the blind man and Robert was the one guiding him.

“It’s really something,” he said.

Chad acted vaguely in the story. He was unclear and unpredictable. But in the contrary, his character was very important in showing how a blind man should be handled. Although his actions weren’t explained well, it gave a the story a mystery that the readers should unravel.