'Mirror' vs 'Window' art
A while ago I watched a documentary on PBS about Cat Stevens n/k/a Yusuf Islam (2 pseudonyms!). I liked the story about while he was sick with TB, and confined to a room with his books and guitar, it forced him to re-evaluate his work.
In the room was a mirror (which he covered with a towel--he no longer wanted to make 'mirror' art, i.e. that which reflected ego, or our situation in the world--or our vanity) and pursued a 'window' art which looked out to the horizon of possibility. The problem with a lot of social commentary in art and music is that it essentially holds a mirror to the artist's reflection against a backdrop of an ugly world, and never goes beyond that.
In the room was a mirror (which he covered with a towel--he no longer wanted to make 'mirror' art, i.e. that which reflected ego, or our situation in the world--or our vanity) and pursued a 'window' art which looked out to the horizon of possibility. The problem with a lot of social commentary in art and music is that it essentially holds a mirror to the artist's reflection against a backdrop of an ugly world, and never goes beyond that.
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